Get ready to YELL about something important! On Oct. 18, Allan Hancock College will co-sponsor the Young Educated Latino Leaders (YELL) Conference, open to any young Latino or Latina in grades nine through 12 or community college. At the conference, professional guest speakers and Latino role models from the Central Coast will present college and […]
AMY ASMAN
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Seasonal ag work pays off when it comes to education
If you or your parents earn a livelihood by providing agricultural labor, you might be exempt from paying non-resident tuition at Allan Hancock College and other California community colleges. According to a press release from Hancock, the California Education Code states that students who are employed, or whose parents are employed, in seasonal agriculture work—such […]
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Baby, it’s getting cold outside!
Students from Taylor Elementary School are preparing for colder weather by helping locals in need. Members of Mario DiCarlo’s third grade class are collecting used coats and jackets for the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter. Friends, family members, and people in the local community are being asked to clean out their closets and donate clean garments […]
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Doing their part
Tunnell Elementary School teachers David DuBransky and Patsy Mitchell, along with student Ashley Salinas, recently contributed to the fight against cancer. The teachers participated in a cancer walk at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and Salinas donated her hair to Locks of Love. Salinas, who had never had her hair cut, told her parents that […]
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Caltrans to fund local school safety programs
Traveling to school is about to get safer for Santa Barbara County, following Caltrans’ Oct. 9 awarding of $46 million to cities and counties throughout the state—including Lompoc and Santa Barbara County—for projects funded through the federal Safe Routes to School program. The program is designed to help students in Kindergarten through eighth grade travel […]
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County drops felony charges in Zaca Fire case
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Zel Canter recently dismissed five felony counts and additional charges filed against a local ranch and two of its employees for allegedly starting the Zaca Fire last summer. On July 4, 2007, Rancho La Laguna LLC employees Santiago Iniquez Cervantes of Santa Maria and Jose Jesus Cabrera of Santa […]
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Santa Barbara County supervisors reject PXP project appeals
On Oct. 7, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1, with 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray dissenting, to deny appeals against an offshore oil-drilling project that would give Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP) sole drilling access to the county’s Tranquillon Ridge. The board voted in favor of a previous decision made by […]
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Santa Maria Public Airport hires new general manager
After a nine-month search, the Santa Maria Public Airport finally hired a new general manager. Chris Hastert, the former deputy director of two Ventura County airports, began on Oct. 14. As general manager, Hastert is responsible for managing hundreds of commercial leases, private and county hangar license agreements, and the future development of several airport […]
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Peace by peace
Santa Maria area officials and residents celebrate the city’s 12th annual Peace Week
Community members from all walks of life came together to enjoy food, music, and religious reflection in honor of Santa Maria’s 12th annual Peace Week, Oct. 13 through 18. Hosted by the People for Nonviolence Committee of Marian Medical Center, Peace Week offers a series of free public events aimed at bringing the communities of […]
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Weathering the storm
Several Santa Barbara County residents deployed to the Gulf Coast share their experiences in responding to hurricanes Gustav and Ike
When the storm clouds that would become Hurricane Gustav began swirling over the Caribbean in late August, hundreds of state and federal officials, along with an army of trained volunteers, sprang into action against what would become the nation’s first big test since Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast in 2005. But even […]
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Vote by mail: Everyone’s doing it
Santa Barbara County Clerk, Recorder, and Assessor Joe Holland announced on Oct. 6 that a record number of absentee ballots have been mailed out for the Nov. 4 Presidential General Election. More than 98,000 registered voters—more than half of the registered voters in Santa Barbara County—are now casting their ballots by mail. In a release […]
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County to collect household hazardous materials
Got some hazardous materials lying around the house? On Oct. 11 and 12, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department will host collection events in New Cuyama and Santa Ynez for household hazardous waste, such as paint, motor oil, batteries, pesticides, cleaning supplies, and old electronic devices. The Cuyama event will take place on Oct. […]