After serving almost three years as Santa Barbara County’s district attorney, Christie Stanley is retiring. “Given the uncertainty of her health, Christie Stanley will formally retire within the next two weeks,” acting District Attorney Joshua Lynn announced in a press release on Jan. 25. The decision was set to be confirmed at the Santa Barbara […]
AMY ASMAN
Posted inNews
State Farm recognizes Pioneer Valley High School’s efforts to close the academic achievement gap
Pioneer Valley High School recently got a financial boost from State Farm Insurance through the agency’s State Farm es Para Mí program. The panthers were selected, along with 71 other schools and nonprofits nationwide, to receive a $1,000 educational grant. According to information from State Farm’s website, the agency gives grants based on how groups […]
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Help the city of Santa Maria design the perfect park
Ever wonder what it’d be like to help design a city park? The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department recently announced that it’s submitting a grant request to the state of California to fund extensive renovation at Oakley Park, a four-acre park located at 1300 Western Ave. If the grant is approved, city officials might […]
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South County Advisory Council just says no to Nipomo pot dispensary
Plans to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Nipomo hit a snag on Jan. 25 when members of the South County Advisory Council unanimously decided they wouldn’t recommend the project’s approval to officials in the San Luis Obispo County Planning and Building Department. The project applicant, Robert D. Brody of Los Angeles, is seeking a […]
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Tapestries aren’t just for museums anymore
The art of weaving tapestries is making its way straight from the Middle Ages to Allan Hancock College. The college’s Community Education Department is now offering two sessions of Beginning Tapestry Weaving, to be held on Saturdays Jan. 30 through Feb. 27 and April 10 to May 1, for a fee of $65. Enrollees will […]
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Where have all the wood shops gone?
High school districts up and down the state scramble to find funding for vocational and trade classes
Built in the early 1970s, Santa Maria High School’s auto shop serves as a classroom, a storage facility, and a mechanic’s workroom. Fluorescent lights flicker overhead as students gaze intently at a projector screen hanging on the back wall. There’s the distinctly pungent scent of motor oil and grease in the air. A silent army […]
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Santa Maria will discuss gang injunctions at an upcoming Town Hall meeting
Gang injunctions and their effectiveness in preventing gang-related crime will be the focus of a Town Hall meeting on Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center, 313 W. Tunnell, in Santa Maria. Presented by the Santa Maria Police Department, the meeting will feature a panel of experts from the police department, […]
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Environmental group urges public to attend South County Advisory Council meeting
Members of the local activist group Safe Beach Now believe off-highway vehicle activity at the Oceano Dunes State Park is negatively impacting air quality on the Nipomo Mesa. The environmental organization is urging Nipomo and Arroyo Grande residents to attend the Jan. 25 meeting of the South County Advisory Council to demand the issue be […]
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Republican eyes 23rd Congressional District seat
Congresswoman Lois Capps now has reason to watch her back: After months of going virtually unopposed in the race to reclaim her seat as U.S. representative for the 23rd District, the Santa Barbara politician finally has some competition. On Jan. 5, Thousand Oaks Republican John Davidson announced his candidacy for the Congressional seat. Davidson is […]
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First 5 is now accepting grants for a new Community Collaborative Initiative
Collaboration is key to maximizing school readiness, according to First 5 of Santa Barbara County. To help prepare children for their future education, First 5 is teaming up with several local foundations to fund grants for children and families living in high-need communities. The Community Collaborative Initiative promotes a new vision for early childhood education […]
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May I have this dance?
The city of Lompoc is inviting all local fathers to treat their little Valentines to a night of dancing at the annual Father Daughter Sweetheart Dance. Hosted by the Lompoc Parks, Recreation, and Urban Forestry Department, the dance is open to girls ages 3 to 18 and their fathers. Due to the popularity of past […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The art of kicking butt
A local Jiu-Jitsu club teaches Santa Marians about the granddaddy of all martial arts
It’s 10 p.m. You just finished having dinner with some friends at a local restaurant. You’re walking out to the parking lot, fumbling for your keys in the dark, when a giant arm flies out from behind you and clinches around your neck. You have only seconds to react—what do you do? For the past […]
