The American Lung Association released its State of Tobacco Control report last week, scoring Santa Barbara County with a “B” for overall tobacco control—no thanks to North County. On a city level, Santa Maria, Solvang, Lompoc, and Guadalupe were each slapped with “F” grades for overall tobacco control, and Buellton earned a “D.” The Lung […]
BRENNA SWANSTON
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Santa Barbara Animal Services to fix, microchip cats for free
Santa Barbara County Animal Services is offering free spay, neuter, and microchip services to cat owners for the month of February, thanks to the county’s Project PetSafe program. Project PetSafe outreach coordinator Jessica Ortega-Wiebe said PetSafe runs the free offer, called “Snip N Chip,” twice yearly because that’s how often female cats go into heat—usually […]
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Asian citrus psyllid treatment kicks up controversy in Santa Barbara County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) treatment for the Asian citrus psyllid is underway in Santa Barbara County, drawing mixed responses from affected residents. The psyllid is a small insect that feeds on the young chutes, stems, and leaves of citrus trees. CDFA representative Jay Van Rein said that while the insect itself […]
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Federal agencies halt offshore fracking permits pending review of environmental impact
Federal agencies will be reviewing the environmental impacts of offshore oil well stimulation—which includes acidizing and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)—following a Jan. 29 settlement agreement from the Environmental Defense Center (EDC). The techniques utilize the injection of sand, water, and chemicals into rock formations fracturing or dissolving them to withdraw oil and gas. The practice has […]
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Santa Barbara County grants ExxonMobil emergency permit to truck crude
Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department approved ExxonMobil’s (Exxon) emergency permit application Feb. 1, granting the company permission to truck 425,000 barrels of oil from its Las Flores Canyon storage facility to refineries in Santa Maria and Kern County. Exxon filed the application on Jan. 4, asking to send up to 30 trucks per […]
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Feeding body and mind: Free Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital classes teach public how to live healthier lifestyles
With every new year comes a flurry of healthy-eating resolutions—but by the end of January, many of them have wilted. Some resolutions fail from too many leftover holiday cookies and too little self-control. For others, the issue is education: How exactly does one change an unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy one? Those dealing with the […]
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Homeless in the storm: El Nino weather spurs Santa Barbara County into action
In the wake of El Niño’s harsh weather conditions, Santa Barbara County will lend an extra hand to the homeless by providing daytime shelters during periods of heavy rainfall. The County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Jan. 19 to revise the Community Service Department budget, allocating $128,000 to daytime drying shelters and expanded nighttime warming […]
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‘Ask a Muslim’ anything at Islamic Center of Lompoc’s forum
The Islamic Center of Lompoc (ICL) will host an “Ask a Muslim” event next month, making an effort to maintain ICL’s relationship with the community in a time of turbulence for American Muslims. The past year has seen a string of high-profile Islamic extremist attacks across the globe, occurring as far-off as Somalia and as […]
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ExxonMobil requesting approval to truck crude through county
ExxonMobil (Exxon) is seeking an emergency permit to truck 425,000 barrels of oil from its Las Flores Canyon facility to refineries in Santa Maria and Kern County, pending Santa Barbara County approval. Exxon applied for the permit on Jan. 4, requesting to send up to 30 trucks per day on Highway 101 to remove oil […]
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EPA report echoes local beekeeper concerns over pesticides’ role in colony collapse
Kate Griffith’s honeybee colony functioned as they all do: with near-impossible efficiency, as thousands of bees performed individually assigned tasks to keep the hive running smoothly. Her colony’s queen produced eggs, the male drones ensured those eggs were fertilized, and the female workers took care of the rest: foraging for nectar and pollen, keeping things […]
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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch: More than an explosion
SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket the morning of Jan. 17 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, earning viral online popularity thanks to video footage of the rocket’s landing-turned-explosion. But what the “boom” doesn’t show is the mission’s success: SpaceX’s rocket launched the Jason-3 satellite into orbit, thus continuing the Ocean Surface Topography Mission begun in […]
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New bill faces drone users with potential restrictions
Last year, the Sun reported on local controversy surrounding drone use, and how Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson intended to limit drone operation on private property. Jackson’s march for drone control took a stumble in September when Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Senate Bill 142, which would have created a “no fly zone” over private property from […]
