Law enforcement officers faced violence in Santa Barbara County last week, with one attempted murder of an officer in Santa Maria and an officer-involved shooting in Santa Barbara. The attempted murder occurred on Saturday, Feb. 11, when a Santa Maria man attempted to strangle a Santa Maria Police Department officer to death. The incident occurred […]
BRENNA SWANSTON
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Hancock raises funds for cancer center in honor of basketball coach
Allan Hancock College is collecting funds for the Marian Medical Center’s Mission Hope Cancer Center via the third annual Carney’s Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser. The fundraiser, which runs online through Feb. 13, honors Hancock assistant basketball coach Larry Carney. Carney is a four-time cancer survivor, and also lost his father, mother, and younger brother to […]
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Righetti breaks ground on new classroom complex
Ernest Righetti High School began construction on its $22 million, 38-room classroom complex on Monday, Feb. 6. The new complex, funded by a school bond from 2004, is under construction on the west side of campus. The classrooms will replace a parking lot and maintenance and operations buildings, which have been relocated. District spokesman Kenny […]
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Local high school students to combat bullying with mentorship program
Santa Maria’s high school district is tackling bullying with a two-part mentorship program called WAR (We All Rise) Guardians, which kicks off with an event at Santa Maria High School on Feb. 24. The event marks the program’s first part, which teaches Santa Maria Joint Union High School District students and parents about the signs, […]
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Community fundraises to replace equipment stolen from Boy Scout troop
Members of an Orcutt Boy Scout troop arrived at their storage shed at Saint Louis de Montford Church on Saturday, Feb. 4, to retrieve equipment for an upcoming camping trip—only to find that the shed’s lock had been cut and their equipment stolen. The troop lost about $3,000 in camping gear, including new backpacking tents […]
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Santa Maria increases bus fares
Santa Maria bus riders will have to shell out some extra quarters starting Monday, Feb. 13, when Santa Maria Area Transit plans to hike bus fares for the first time in 13 years. The fare increases follow unanimous approval of transit service changes by the City Council on Aug. 2, 2016, and aim to help […]
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Jimenez gears up for third year of dual language immersion program
Jimenez Elementary School will hold meetings for parents interested in enrolling their incoming kindergarteners in dual language immersion classes. The informational meetings are scheduled for Feb. 22, March 22, and April 26, each at 6 p.m. at the school district office. Jimenez’s dual language immersion program—the only one of its kind in the Santa Maria-Bonita […]
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SMJUHSD seeks safer crossing for student pedestrians following traffic accidents
Two pedestrian students attending school in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District were struck by vehicles in separate incidents in mid-January, prompting the district to reach out to the city about potentially securing new crosswalk areas. The first collision occurred on Jan. 23, when a 17-year-old Santa Maria High School senior was walking […]
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Closure of Santa Maria’s Larrabee Recycling Center highlights strain on CRV buyback statewide
It was the perfect storm of problems: Recycling values for aluminum, plastic, and glass had bottomed out. People were cashing in on single-use plastic water bottles more than ever before. The state had announced it would slash funding. After 46 years in operation, the Larrabee Recycling Center could no longer afford to stay in business. […]
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Carbajal aims legislation at offshore drilling
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is challenging offshore oil drilling with his first piece of legislation: the California Clean Coast Act, which he introduced to Congress on Jan. 28. The act would permanently ban future oil and gas leasing off the California coast, and it has garnered support from local environmental groups such as […]
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Santa Barbara County seeks $7 million from state for storm damage
Santa Barbara County proclaimed a local emergency on Jan. 27 after winter storms hit the Central Coast from Jan. 19 through 24. The proclamation estimates nearly $7 million in damages to public and private property in the county, though officials are still determining the final number. According to Jefferson Litten, chief of staff for Board […]
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Acupuncture for pets: Vet2Pet’s mobile holistic services provide alternative to Western vet medicine
Ruth Corbo stood in her mobile veterinary clinic, surrounded by whiteboard walls scrawled with dry-erase marker notes and sketches. She explained how the notes were arranged: one wall was an ordering section, another was for procedure notes, and others were for miscellaneous messages or drawings from her kids. “Walls make good notepads,” she said. Corbo’s […]
