College applications, financial aid, and career goals—it’s the stuff of nightmares for high school students everywhere. But Santa Maria’s high schoolers can expect some help planning for higher education, thanks to a conference organized by the Ernest Righetti High School Latinos Unidos Club on Saturday, March 18. The fifth annual conference, arranged by the 30 […]
BRENNA SWANSTON
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Judge upholds criminal charges against Plains All American Pipeline
A judge denied motions to waive the criminal indictment against Plains All American Pipeline and James Buchanan, the company’s environmental and regulatory compliance specialist, for alleged violations of state law in connection with the May 2015 Refugio oil spill. The Plains All American indictment comprises 46 counts of criminal charges, including four felony charges for […]
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Oil and water
With Trump’s administration in place, strains increase around the county’s oil industry
Tensions surrounding the oil and gas industry in Santa Barbara County may ramp up in the near future, as legislation from U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) proposing to ban new offshore drilling clashes with President Donald Trump’s promise to expand offshore oil and gas production in the U.S. The Clean Coast Act, proposed by […]
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Hancock commits to protecting undocumented students
Allan Hancock College leaders committed to making the school a safe space for undocumented students last week, when the district’s board of trustees unanimously approved a diversity resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The resolution states that the board “reaffirms its commitment to the values of inclusion, diversity, open discussion, and success for […]
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County Board of Supervisors play catch-up on cannabis regulations
Regulations are underway for cultivating marijuana for commercial recreational use in Santa Barbara County, following a few actions by the county Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 14 meeting. The supervisors voted to create an ad hoc subcommittee to help develop cultivation regulations, direct staff to bring back plans for a cannabis grower registry, and […]
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Police officer injured in pursuit of man in stolen vehicle
Santa Maria police officers arrested a man on Feb. 16 who collided with a patrol car while driving a stolen vehicle, injuring one officer, according to a Santa Maria Police Department press release. At 10:06 a.m., a patrol officer said he observed a reported stolen vehicle in the area of W. Church Street and S. […]
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Storm relieves Cachuma reservoir, causes damage
Santa Barbara County’s seen nearly double its normal to-date rainfall, thanks to a big-ass storm that dropped as much as 10.5 inches of rain in some parts of the county over President’s Day Weekend. According to the Flood Control District, the county has received 182 percent of its average rainfall to date, hiking Cachuma Reservoir […]
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Buellton school district votes to save tax dollars
The Buellton Union School District’s board of trustees voted at its Feb. 16 meeting to refinance a general obligation bond passed by voters in June 2012, saving constituents about $1.2 million over the next 11 years. This was the shortest-term option for the district to pay back the $3.2 million bond, which funded the installation […]
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Picture imperfect: The journey of a wedding in the second half of life
When Anna Ferguson-Sparks reached her late 20s without getting married, her mom told her she’d to have to start looking for a husband among men coming off of divorces. “That was not a very nice thing to say,” Anna said over the phone, laughing. But that was the attitude she—and many women—grew up with: The […]
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Buellton school district to vote on bond refinance options, potentially save taxpayers $1.2 million
Buellton Union School District’s board of trustees will answer a million-dollar question on the evening of Feb. 16: How should Santa Barbara County’s taxpayers pay back the $3.2 million general obligation bond voters passed in June 2012? The board has three options to choose from: An 11-year bond, a 19-year bond, or a 24-year bond. […]
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A slow fight for tribal land: Santa Barbara County, Chumash prepare for government meetings and legal battles over Camp 4
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted on Feb. 7 to take its land negotiations with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians behind closed doors—at least partially. Previously, county-tribe negotiation meetings took place exclusively in a public forum, where representatives from both governments proposed and discussed terms for Camp 4—a 1,400-acre parcel of […]
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Santa Maria unlikely to ban pet sales, protests continue
Protests at the Animal Kingdom pet shop in Santa Maria continued on Feb. 11, even after the City Council decided at its Feb. 7 meeting not to agendize an ordinance banning retail pet sales in the city. A local pet advocacy group proposed the ordinance idea at a City Council meeting in late 2016, claiming […]
