Lompoc’s City Council received its second Brown Act warning last month from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office. The warning came in response to complaints that the City Council held a closed session on Sept. 15, 2015, to discuss its position on a pending exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with the California Space Center for […]
BRENNA SWANSTON
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Welcome to fire season: Summer fires hitting hard and early–in climatology terms, ‘we’re screwed’
The official warning came more than a month ago. “The 2016 wildfire season is off to a worrisome start,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a May 17 briefing. “Southern California, the Great Basin in Nevada, portions of the southwest, and even Florida and Hawaii are particularly vulnerable this year. “In California, more than 40 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bringing brew to Old Town: Old Town Brew give Nipomo the locals’ pub it’s been wanting
Good news: Nipomo’s got its own local pub now—and according to the business it has attracted in its first month open, the town’s residents really wanted one. “They’re actually telling me they were waiting for a place like this,” Old Town Brew Owner Daniel Reyes said. He enjoyed a crowd of 75 at the pub’s […]
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President enacts oil pipeline safety law
Last week, President Barack Obama signed into law a pipeline safety act proposed in response to the 2015 Refugio oil spill, which deposited 142,800 gallons of crude oil into the ocean at Refugio State Beach. The new law—called the PIPES (Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety) Act—aims to improve pipeline safety standards and […]
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Supreme Court tie vote kills relief order for undocumented immigrants
A split decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week voided an executive order that would have granted work authorization and protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants, deflating the hopes of thousands in Santa Barbara County. The program, called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), addressed immigration advocates’ concerns that […]
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Buena Vista Beautifiers continues to push for park preservation
Santa Maria’s Parks Commission finalized renovation plans for Buena Vista Park more than a month ago—but that hasn’t stopped the Buena Vista Beautifiers from publicly protesting the city’s park design. The Parks Commission’s renovation of Buena Vista will remove most of the 4-acre park’s existing features, replacing them with tetherball poles, a new children’s playground, […]
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Mayoral race underway in Lompoc
Summer is here, and with it comes a nice distraction from this headache of a presidential election: local elections. In the coming weeks, we’ll hear election bid announcements right and left from hopeful city officials. In Lompoc and Santa Maria, we’re already seeing the start of it: Santa Maria City Councilwoman Terri Zuniga kicked off […]
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California’s proposed budget lifts limitations for welfare recipients
California’s proposed 2016-2017 budget would repeal the Maximum Family Grant (MFG) rule, which prevents cash aid from California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKS) for any child born into a family that had received assistance from the program for 10 consecutive months prior to the child’s birth. Senate Bill 23, written by Sen. Holly […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Crumbly goodness: Crumbles Cafe and Bake Shop in Santa Maria rocks old diner vibe and killer cookies
Once upon a time, a young journalist divided between her food column and her low-carb diet decided to venture from the warm, safe embrace of her calorie counting app and into the unpredictable, risky world of baked goods. Her destination: Crumbles Café and Bake Shop. The place opened up just shy of two months ago […]
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The H-2A problem: Santa Maria growers struggle to house foreign farmworkers
It’s 4 p.m., and sunshine floods the parking lot at the motel on the corner of North Broadway and East Bunny streets in Santa Maria. Two men lie on their backs on the motel’s small lawn, unwinding after a long day of work in the fields. Behind them, a few guys lean against the second-floor […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Get happy: The best happy hours around Santa Maria
It’s 5 p.m. and you just got off work. You wish it was Friday but it’s not. This week just keeps on freaking going. And you know you should go to the gym and then go home and make dinner and maaaybe cap off the night with a glass of red wine and an episode […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Maria BBQ joints Zoe’s and D&A pack a Hawaiian punch
A few weeks ago, my colleague, Dave, came into the office with a weirdly happy expression on his face and a foam take-out box in hand. He sat at his desk and flipped open the box’s lid and exclaimed: “Hawaiian barbecue!” And I thought, “Well, there’s something I haven’t written about for Eats yet.” So […]