Grab your beer stein and come to the first-ever Central Coast Craft Beer Week March 23 through 30, featuring special dinners, tastings, and other events at local breweries. Conceived by the new Central Coast Brewers Consortium, the week’s worth of events celebrate the unified spirit and diverse flavors of the region’s craft-beer community. Established in […]
AMY ASMAN
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Bob Hatch and Dennis Pearson are moving on
Two well-known Santa Maria leaders are retiring from their positions this year. “Bob [Hatch] and I always joked that we’d retire at the same time. We’re both getting old and cranky,” former Santa Maria Fairpark CEO Dennis Pearson told the Sun on March 13, the first day of his retirement. Pearson, a 16-year veteran of […]
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It’s back to Brown versus Brown in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s race
The race for Santa Barbara County Sheriff is down to two candidates again. According to the most recent candidate filing list posted March 10 by the county elections office, UCSB police officer Ryan Smith has withdrawn his bid for sheriff. That leaves incumbent Bill Brown and Sgt. Sandra Brown (of no relation) to duke it […]
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Santa Maria aims to launch an OHV safety class
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department officials would like locals to comment on a recent grant submitted to the state to pay for an education and safety course for off-highway vehicle drivers. Recreation Supervisor Dennis Smitherman said the grant money, if approved, would fund education classes at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center and a […]
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Santa Maria Valley Humane Society gets money to finish its ‘Pet Project’
A $300,000 grant will allow the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society to radically expand its canine adoption program, the nonprofit’s executive director Jill Tucker told the Sun on March 4. The grant from the San Luis Obispo-based Hind Foundation will go toward building a third dog kennel at the Humane Society’s new facility on West […]
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Jack’s Helping Hand offers families of medically fragile children the support they need
For a parent, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the look of pure, uninhibited joy on your child’s face. When that child is sick with a life-threatening disease or lives with a serious developmental disability, witnessing your child’s happiness is even more powerful. Nipomo resident Rosemary Garcia gets to watch her kids—William, 7, and Jillian, […]
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Orcutt man charged on suspicion of threatening Jane Does from the Villalpando trial
Orcutt resident Anthony Murillo, an aspiring rapper who goes by the nickname “Lil A”, is facing felony charges for allegedly threatening the two female victims of the Shane Villalpando sex assault case in one of his songs. In the song, called “Moment for Life Remix,” Murillo addresses both Jane Does by their first and last […]
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Referendum against ‘transgender bathrooms’ law fails
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced on Feb. 24 that the referendum to repeal AB1266, a state law giving students access to facilities and activities based on their gender identity, has failed. According to a memo released by Bowen’s office, the initiative finished approximately 17,000 votes short of the amount needed to appear on […]
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Pioneer Valley basketball coach is accused of sexually assaulting a student
The Lady Panthers clawed their way through an intense first-round CIF game against Alta Loma High School Feb. 22 at the Pioneer Valley High School gym—without the leadership of their head coach, Brian Hook. The team lost 55-57, adding to the heartache already generated by a recent incident involving Hook, 53, and the Santa Maria […]
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Work hard, play hard: Hancock baseball is enjoying a strong season on the diamond
Allan Hancock College baseball’s recent winning streak might be over, but the team could be on its way to building another one, thanks to some strong defense, fast bats, and a talented bullpen. After enjoying a seven-game winning streak at home, the Bulldogs hit the road on Feb. 20 with plans to continue upping their […]
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Lompoc’s Zona Seca shutters
Zona Seca, or “dry place” in Spanish, closed the doors to its Lompoc office on Feb. 14, citing financial hardship. The center helped combat the effects of addiction, truancy, and gang violence in the local community for more than 13 years. In a recent interview with the Sun, Executive Director Frank Bañales said the center’s […]
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Neighborhood Legislature proposes a smaller governing system for California
What would happen if state senators and Assembly members represented only 5,000 to 10,000 people instead of the typical 500,000 to 1 million? John Cox, the head of Neighborhood Legislature, thinks it would “take the money out of politics” and give legislative power back to the people of California. Cox visited Buellton earlier this year […]