AMY ASMAN

They may not carry guns or have academy-grade training, but members of the Santa Maria Police Department’s volunteer program are an integral part of the city’s police force. Since 1995, civilians have been doing certain tasks that “free up employees to go on and do something else,” volunteer coordinator Penny Pastore said. The services provided […]

The dirt flew at an official groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 7 for the new multimillion-dollar Santa Maria Intermodal Transit Center, to sit at the corner of East Boone and South Miller streets. After a brief ceremony, Santa Maria City Council members, Caltrans officials, and U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) sunk their gold-plated shovels into […]

Some prisoners serving time at a minimum-security camp on Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex property are tired of the day-to-day grind of prison life. At least that seems to be the case, based on a string of recent escapes from the unfenced, dormitory-style facility. According to notices from the prison, a total of five inmates have […]

Rodney Williams Construction of Lompoc—a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-selected contractor—is clearing brush along the Santa Maria River Levee in preparation for the stimulus package-funded levee improvement project. The company is removing brush, shrubs, and garbage from an approximately 3.2-mile section of the levee channel so it can begin “phase 1” repair work by April […]

The hustle and bustle of holiday travel came to a standstill on Dec. 23 after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at the Santa Maria Public Airport reported to local law enforcement agencies a “suspicious item” in a suitcase, according to a press release from the city of Santa Maria. Members of the Santa Maria Police […]