It turns out the county’s budget deficit is even worse than previously thought. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors crunched the numbers at its meeting on March 7, and the updated cost of major fiscal issues for the 2017-2018 fiscal year now totals $17.6 million—whereas in December, the costs were reported as $10.8 million. […]
BRENNA SWANSTON
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Santa Maria summer program helps promote youth employment
Santa Maria youth can find summer jobs through the county-funded Career Pathways for Youth (CPY) project, which aims to prepare and connect young people in Santa Maria to employment and career opportunities. Luis Servin, program manager for the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board, said in a press release from the Santa Maria Valley Chamber […]
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Hancock nursing program rocks statewide rankings
An online nursing organization, PracticalNursing.org, ranked Allan Hancock College’s nursing program in the top 4 percent of California’s programs, based on student pass rates for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses. According to the organization’s study, 97.9 percent of Hancock’s students who took the exam between 2011 and 2014 passed it—and between 2011 […]
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Adam School students become animal ambassadors
Adam School will kick off its animal ambassador program on March 25, when more than 30 fifth and sixth grade students will pay a visit to the Santa Maria Animal Center to tour the facility, spend time with the shelter’s rabbits, and make dog treats. The students’ March 25 trip will mark the first of […]
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DUI deaths lead to second-degree murder charges for Santa Maria man
The driver in a Feb. 6 single-vehicle rollover crash that killed two Santa Maria women pleaded not guilty to all his charges, including two for second-degree murder, at his March 6 arraignment. Cameron Oliver, 25, is charged with the murders of Leann Stauffer and Tricia Jensen, plus one count of driving with blood alcohol content […]
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Santa Barbara County approves private franchise for Cat Canyon oil operation
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on March 14 to grant a 20-year private franchise to ERG Resources to operate on the company’s pipeline system near the Cat Canyon Oil Fields. The board also voted to have the county’s Energy Division bring back a report in six months reviewing all onsite oil […]
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Pioneer Valley students to learn lessons on distracted driving
Pioneer Valley High School will host the Arrive Alive Tour on March 17, aiming to teach its students about the consequences of bad driving habits. The presentation features videos of two driving simulators to re-create texting or drunk driving experiences, which according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), make car collisions exponentially more […]
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Hancock celebrates International Women’s Day
Allan Hancock College planned to host events in honor of the sixth annual International Women’s Day on March 8, which intended to celebrate women’s social, economic, and political achievements, according to a Hancock press release. It was the college’s second consecutive year hosting the on-campus event, which included guest speakers, performers, organic food, and a […]
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Santa Barbara Unified School District staff, faculty file workplace harassment lawsuit
A group of Santa Barbara Unified School District employees filed a temporary restraining order against a Santa Barbara Community Academy student’s mother on March 1, citing workplace harassment. Court documents allege that Sabrina Lynk “made a credible threat of violence” against employees at the academy “by making knowing or willful statements or engaging in a […]
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Drunk driver charged with murder
A traffic collision that killed two in Santa Maria in early February resulted in murder charges against 25-year-old Cameron Wesley Oliver. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced on Feb. 23 that Oliver had been charged with two counts of murder and a felony violation of driving with a blood alcohol content exceeding the […]
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Community rallies to support family of shooting victim
Santa Maria resident Anthony San Juan was shot and killed in the Elmer’s parking lot in Orcutt on March 4. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested spouses Jonathan Highley and Mayra Perez on suspicion of murder and accessory to murder, respectively. San Juan’s wife of nearly 15 years, Sara, set up a crowdfunding […]
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Supervisors vote to continue opposing Phillips 66’s proposed oil train project
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted at its March 7 meeting to write to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, urging the SLO County board to oppose Phillips 66’s proposed rail spur project. The project would allow Phillips 66 to import crude oil by rail to the company’s Santa Maria Refinery […]
