AMY ASMAN

He might have resigned from his position with Santa Barbara County, but Gil Armijo, former executive staff assistant to Supervisor Joe Centeno (5th District), will still be interacting on a personal level with another county agency: the District Attorney’s office.   In a recent interview with the Sun, Armijo said he plans to withdraw all […]

Need funding? Santa Maria officials are asking qualified nonprofit organizations to recommend programs that should be considered for funding under the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program.   The program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).   Earlier this year, the […]

On July 27, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, District Attorney, and County Counsel received letters from an attorney alleging the sheriff leaked seized information on the late pop star Michael Jackson to TMZ, a celebrity gossip website.   Howard King, attorney for F. Marc Shaffel, said in the letter the sheriff inappropriately released a videotaped […]

Facing the increasing possibility of a wildfire, Los Padres National Forest officials announced effective Aug. 5 that they’re enforcing additional fire restrictions. According to a press release, the restrictions will stay in effect until the end of fire season, when the forest receives at least two inches of rainfall.   Recreational target shooting is prohibited […]

In the Sun’s July 23 School Scene, Roger Welt’s title was misidentified. He is Allan Hancock College’s retiring vice president of student services. Also, Welt said he plans to explore consulting and teaching options at other schools.   News Briefs is compiled by News Editor Amy Asman from staff reporting and local and national media. […]

On July 24, a joint investigative team comprised of 30 Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies and U.S. Forest Service officers found a large, illegal marijuana grow in an isolated canyon in the Los Padres National Forest.   Authorities eradicated more than 25,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $75 million, according to information released by the […]

The Santa Barbara County Public Works Department has received a total of $866,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for bridge and road repairs in all five supervisorial districts, the Board of Supervisors announced on July 24.   The recently awarded projects—which carry an overall joint price tag of approximately $2.6 million—include bridge maintenance […]

The city of Santa Maria is one step closer to developing an almost 900-acre property west of A Street. The City Council voted 4-1 on July 21, with Councilwoman Hilda Zacarias dissenting, to advance $100,000 to help fund the project’s environmental impact report.   The property, dubbed Area 9 by city staffers, would most likely […]

Gil Armijo, executive staff assistant to Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joe Centeno (5th District), is planning to resign from his position in response to a legal stand-off with the District Attorney’s office.   In an e-mail to the Sun, Armijo said he has been “diagnosed with a disabling medical condition” stemming from “extensive legal harassment” […]