The annual Santa Maria High School FFA booster benefit dinner will be held on Sept. 18 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Eagles Lodge, 666 S. College Drive, in Santa Maria. Tickets cost $100 each—you can split them with friends—and include two barbecue dinners and the opportunity to win door prizes worth $100 to […]
AMY ASMAN
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Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department seizes panga boat
It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone knows what a sailboat is, but what’s a panga boat? The small, multi-engine craft gets its name from the panga fish, the typical catch of fishermen who live in developing countries. But the scaly sea dwellers aren’t the only things being transported by the boats. The Santa […]
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Santa Maria PD leads big meth bust
After a months-long investigation, a team of law enforcement officials announced the successful apprehension of five people believed to be part of a North County methamphetamine trafficking organization. On Aug. 31, members of the Santa Maria Police Department’s Narcotics Suppression Team arrested Santa Maria residents Felipe Mincitar Hurtado, 26; Rafael Oseguera, 26; Luis Carlos Najera, […]
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HIV/AIDS infections are on the rise in Santa Barbara County
The number of HIV-positive and AIDS cases is up in Santa Barbara County, according to officials at the Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF). The nonprofit organization recently reported its new case numbers for 2010, and they’re not good. At total of 14 people tested positive for HIV/AIDS in fiscal year 2010, and another 14 people have […]
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The Santa Maria Valley YMCA preschool is now accepting students
Registration is now open for the Young Children’s Preschool at the Santa Maria Valley YMCA. The school is open to children ages 2 1/2 to 5 years old, and provides an educational foundation to prepare your preschooler for Kindergarten. “Our licensed program is committed to making a positive preschool experience for all children,” YMCA membership […]
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SBC Fire wants locals to always be prepared
Knowing what to do in the face of an emergency can be a matter of life or death. That’s why the Santa Barbara County Fire Department is offering two free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) courses to members of the public. “CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good […]
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Follow your food, from ‘Farm to Fork’
Want to see the latest in hydroponic farming or learn more about the farm worker lifestyle? This fall, as part of its popular “Farm to Fork” series, the Santa Barbara County Ag Futures Alliance (AFA) is offering a bus tour of local farming and food operation facilities in North County. The North County tour will […]
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Noxious weed infestation plagues Lompoc
A parasitic pest has worked its way onto the streets of Lompoc, according to officials at the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. A local resident first reported the appearance of Japanese dodder, a large noxious weed, in the west portion of the city, south of Central Avenue. Lab results from the California Department of […]
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Techno wizards
Leaders of Quintron, a local communications company, look back on 40 years of technology development–from Vandenberg to NASA and beyond
It’s a quarter to 1 on a recent Friday afternoon, and a small caravan of white cars is making its way along sandstone bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As the caravan moves east through the milky gray fog, the passengers inside catch glimpses of a metal tower looming in the distance. The weathered structure stands […]
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Learn the art of healing touch
The Lucia Mar Adult Education program has partnered with Heartwood Therapeutics to present a massage therapy certification program, including a 250-hour massage practitioner track and 500-hour massage therapist track. The classes offer foundational training and prepare graduates for employment in the workplace. According to a press release from the Lucia Mar Unified School District, the […]
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Get pumped up for law enforcement academy
Enrollment is now open for a 14-week course designed to help students successfully complete Allan Hancock College’s Law Enforcement Academy. Beginning Sept. 6, the Women in Public Safety Careers class will meet at the college’s Santa Maria campus Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:10 p.m. “If you’ve ever thought about starting a career in […]
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It takes a village
An annual report gives Santa Barbara County agencies the information they need to combat poverty
Every workday, Guadalupe resident Jovita Garcia gets up at 3:40 a.m. to make lunch for herself and her three children. A little after 5 a.m., she drops the girls—Yubanely, 10; Bettsy, 6; and Julyazareth, 2—off at the babysitter, and then drives to the fields. For almost 12 hours, Jovita plants vegetables. She and the other […]
