Dorothy* is the proud birth mother of eight children—from five different families. “And I’m currently carrying babies nine and 10,” she told the Sun in a recent interview. “This is my second set of twins. The first set will be turning 18 this year.” The 50-something medical professional is a surrogate for Surrogacy International Inc., […]
AMY ASMAN
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Guadalupe attempts to stave off bankruptcy with three tax measures
The Guadalupe City Council will vote June 24 on whether to put a third tax initiative on the November ballot in an effort to cover the city’s $1.3 million budget gap. This initiative would add a half-cent sales tax to transactions within city limits, thus increasing the sales tax from 8 percent to 8.5 percent. […]
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Grand jury to county: Find other ways to pay for the jail
The 2013-2014 Santa Barbara County grand jury is recommending that local officials “revisit options” for funding the operating cost of the North County jail. Scheduled for completion in 2018, the jail is expected to have 376 beds, with room for expansion, and a specially designed Sheriff’s Transition and Re-Entry (STAR) facility with an additional 228 […]
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Community Corner: Come to Catapalooza!
Every year, the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society celebrates American Humane Association’s national Adopt-a-Cat Month with a special promotion on felines. During the spring and summer months, area shelters take in hundreds of cats and kittens, making this the perfect time of year to promote adoptions. To encourage a large number of cat adoptions, the […]
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A former SMPD officer’s personnel hearing is continued to July
The five-day mediated hearing to determine whether the Santa Maria Police Department wrongfully terminated former Lt. Dan Ast included a parade of testifying witnesses—so many witnesses, in fact, that the hearing had to be continued to late July. Police Chief Ralph Martin fired Ast last year, citing “gross incompetence” in connection with the shooting death […]
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Woody on the block: Woody’s Butcher Block brings prime cuts to Santa Maria
Barbecue season is in full swing this month, bringing with it long, sunny days spent grilling and chilling in the backyard or at the park. Of course, everyone in the Land of Tri-Tip (i.e. the Central Coast) has his or her own special way of prepping and cooking meat; it’s when it’s time to take […]
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Incumbent Bill Brown wins Santa Barbara County Sheriff
Sheriff Bill Brown is getting a third term in Santa Barbara County. Semi-official results posted on the county Registrar of Voters website showed that the incumbent beat challenger Sgt. Sandra Brown (no relation) by roughly 7,400 votes. County officials estimated a voter turnout of 29.31 percent, with 56,837 ballots filed. The first numbers of the […]
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Santa Barbara County residents say ‘no’ to Measure M
Measure M—the ballot initiative that Santa Barbara County Supervisor Peter Adam penned to tackle the county’s $300-million backlog of road and facility maintenance—sputtered to a halt just short of the finish line on June 3. The final election night post to the county Registrar of Voters website at 11 p.m. showed that just more than […]
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Spotlight on: Central Coast Specialty Foods
Rick and Lisa Osborn, owners
Adventurous chefs in Lompoc and beyond now have a place to buy unusual, high-quality cheeses, meats, pastas, and sweets. Need some buffalo’s milk cheese? How about some kangaroo meat? Would you like to try Galactic Gelato? (It’s described as “mint astronaut gelato floating in spacy dark chocolate.”) Well, look no further than Central Coast Specialty […]
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Community Corner: Jobs! Get your jobs here!
The final event in a series of countywide job and resource fairs is scheduled for June 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Maria. The fair is open to job seekers of all ages, with a special focus on local youth, and will feature booths representing numerous local government […]
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Challenger Sgt. Sandra Brown talks about budget reform, safety, and more for the Sheriff’s Department
Last week, Sun readers heard from Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown about why he’s running for re-election. This week, the Sun talks to his challenger Sgt. Sandra Brown, who works a supervisor in the coroner’s office. Can you elaborate more on your goal to reform the Sheriff’s Office in terms of spending and […]
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A second judge says Murillo’s rap song is free speech
On May 22, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rick Brown ruled that Orcutt resident Anthony Murillo’s rap song “Remix for Life II” failed to provide sufficient evidence of a threat to Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 from the Shane Villalpando sexual assault case. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a […]
