Need help paying your bills? On July 16 and 30, the Community Action Commission’s Santa Maria office will hold a special event for qualified low-income families living in Santa Maria and the surrounding areas. People who meet income requirements might be able to receive a free utility payment. The Community Action Commission’s Energy Services Program […]
AMY ASMAN
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Minuteman III soars without a hitch
On June 29, Vandenberg Air Force Base successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch was an operational test to verify the weapon system’s reliability and accuracy, according an announcement from the base. The missile carried three unarmed re-entry vehicles more than 4,000 miles at speeds in excess of 24,000 mph to […]
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City of Santa Maria opens valley’s first regional open space park
Northern Santa Barbara County residents, grab your hiking boots and pack a picnic lunch: You now have access to Los Flores Ranch Park, an almost 2,000-acre open space area where you can hike, bike, or ride horseback. The park—a rolling expanse of golden hills peppered with oak trees—is located at 6271 Dominion Road, about eight […]
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Learn from afar through classes at Allan Hancock College
Want to go to college but can’t make it to campus? This fall, Allan Hancock College will offer 178 distance learning classes, all taught over the Internet, or using video, DVD, or live video streaming. Enrollment in the college’s distance learning classes has increased dramatically over the last several years, according to a press release […]
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Local Women for Agriculture chapter supports future aggies
The Santa Maria chapter of California Women for Agriculture celebrated agriculture in education on June 24 during its annual scholarship banquet. This year, the chapter awarded scholarships totaling $7,500 to eight students, all of whom are bound for or studying at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Scholarships are bestowed on students with ag-based career […]
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Allan Hancock College offers free food programs at campus children’s center
As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, Allan Hancock College is now offering free meals to all children enrolled at the Santa Maria campus’ Children’s Center at 800 S. College Drive. Eligibility is determined by household income. To be eligible, families also mustn’t receive Food Stamps, or aid […]
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It’s orientation time
New Bulldogs—listen up: All students attending Allan Hancock College for the first time this fall are required to attend an orientation. The one-hour sessions are scheduled throughout the summer, with Mega Orientations scheduled for Aug. 6 in Santa Maria and Aug. 13 in Lompoc. Both sessions run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The orientations […]
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Local schools: Here come the funds
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District plans to rehire 20 teachers with federal stimulus money
Not a moment too soon, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District has received a sizable portion of the funds promised it through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. School officials announced the news on June 15. The district will use almost $4.3 million to restore dozens of district programs, rehire 20 or so teachers, and hire […]
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New grant will help Spanish-speakers with mental illness
The Santa Maria Recovery Learning Community (formerly known as The Hub) will soon be able to provide mental health services to a broader demographic in the community, thanks to a grant of more than $8,000 from the city of Santa Maria’s Community Development Block Grant program. The grant will help fund the recovery support program […]
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Revised tow agreement halts plans for a municipal impound lot
As a result of a revised Tow Service Agreement (TSA) reached between the city and tow truck companies, plans for a city-owned-and-operated impound lot have been scrapped. The compromise came as a relief to tow yard owners and truck operators, who feared that the proposed project would have cost them 80 percent of their business. […]
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Grand jury report says SBCAG needs to take action
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) has received a failing grade, following a review by the 2008-09 Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury. According to a report released on June 11, SBCAG has shown in its reports and decisions “a lack of regional land use planning and coordination, a disproportionate emphasis on transportation, […]
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Santa Barbara County joins the fight to block state access to gas tax funds
The California Legislature’s pending decision to take cities’ and counties’ gas tax money statewide would have a “devastating impact” on the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, according to department director Scott McGolpin. On June 23, McGolpin presented his findings before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The state, he said, is proposing to […]