The Sun’s Jan. 29 cover story, “Mind the Gap,” incorrectly stated which school is the only school in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District without an After School Education and Safety program. The only school without the program is Tunnell Elementary School. Also on Jan. 29, Athlete of the Week Sonny Martinez’s school was misstated. He […]
AMY ASMAN
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Santa Barbara County supervisors reject mandated housing
Risking a potential lawsuit and other punitive measures, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 during its Jan. 27 meeting to reject an affordable housing mandate from the state. To meet state requirements, the board considered selecting two parcels of land in Orcutt for residential rezoning. The parcels would have been home to […]
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Men allegedly involved in Nipomo cockfighting ring plead not guilty
On Feb. 2, two of the five men taken into custody for allegedly participating in a Nipomo cockfighting ring pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges. Cockfighting is a felony is most states, but is considered a misdemeanor in California. The other three men arrested during the Jan. 28 raid—one of the largest such raids in […]
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State Lands Commission stonewalls Tranquillon Ridge agreement
On Jan. 29, one day after the 40th anniversary of the 1969 oil spill that tainted waters off the coast of Santa Barbara, the California State Lands Commission voted 2-1 to reject an agreement between a Texas-based oil company and three local environmental groups. The agreement between PXP and the Environmental Defense Center, Get Oil […]
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California’s budget is going to the dogs
The cost of veterinary care, a round of golf, and amusement park tickets could all go up thanks to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to start taxing more services in the state. The proposal is part of the Republican governor’s plan to balance the state’s $42 billion deficit. If approved, it would apply a 9 percent […]
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How to teach, each and every one
Santa Marians weigh in as educators at all levels come together to close the infamous ‘achievement gap’
Few people, if any, refute that there are achievement gaps in academic performance among American students. There are students who succeed, and there are students who fall into a void of low test scores, poor academic performance, and disinterest in learning. The reality of the gaps isn’t really up for debate. The factors that have […]
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National publication recognizes Santa Maria High School for stellar college
The College Board, a national nonprofit association of schools, colleges, and universities, recently listed Santa Maria High School as a school with “exemplary college counseling.” The high school was one of six schools listed in the publication Inspiration and Innovation: Ten Effective Counseling Practices from the College Board’s Inspiration Award Schools. Commissioned by the College […]
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Taking the bench
Get to know one of Santa Barbara County’s newest judges
In November 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Kay Kuns to fill a judgeship vacated by retiring Santa Maria Judge Rodney Melville. In a recent interview with the Sun, Kuns said the appointment came as a bit of a surprise. “I put in an application several years ago and didn’t think much else about it,” Kuns […]
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Vandenberg Air Force Base airmen handle a lot of (fake) casualties
Members of Vandenberg Air Force Base’s 30th Space Wing medical group are in the final stages of completing their annual Medical Emergency Response Capability Assessment and Training (MERCAT) exercise. The four-day exercise, which ends on Jan. 29, tests the ability of airmen to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack on the base. […]
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California Conservation Corps is in danger of closing
The California Conservation Corps is facing possible extinction under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most recent budget plan, which proposes nixing the 33-year-old program to help relieve the state’s $42 billion deficit. The cut could save the state as much as $17 million, according to estimates from the Capitol. If approved, the cut would force dozens of […]
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New U.S. Census Bureau will generate jobs in Santa Maria
A newly opened U.S. Census Bureau office in Santa Maria could create more than 200 local jobs and as many as 1,500 jobs in five counties, according to estimates from bureau officials. At an opening ceremony on Jan. 21, potential employees, along with a handful of local and state representatives, met at the new office […]
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Parents: Sign your children?
Allan Hancock College’s Parent Participation Program is accepting applications for 2009-2010 preschool enrollment through March 31. Children must be at least 3 years old by Aug. 1 to be enrolled. The program creates an environment based on the premise that learning is an active process for families, not just children. It aims to supports a […]
