Arrested in early August, Jeffrey Koeller is the second Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office employee to face embezzlement charges this year. Both Koeller and Segun Ogunleye—arrested in late January—worked for the Sheriff’s Office as custody sergeants, and were charged for fraudulently claiming and receiving earnings of $93,000 and $175,000, respectively, for hours they did not […]
Caleb Wiseblood
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County paves the way for asphalt refinery’s reboot
Defunct for more than five years, an idle asphalt refinery is on track for revival thanks to a recent Santa Barbara County permit transfer. On Aug. 12, the county Planning Commission greenlit a change of owner, operator, and guarantor on a permit to process crude oil into asphalt at a Santa Maria Valley-based 1930s-built refinery […]
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Political Watch: August 20, 2026
• State Sen. John Laird’s (D-Santa Cruz) Senate Bill 917 passed the California Legislature on Aug. 13. Laird designed the measure to expand opportunities for small wineries seeking to sell wine and offer tastings at certified farmers markets. The bill advanced to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration. Sponsored by the Family Winemakers of California […]
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Age-restricted: Santa Maria follows the county’s lead by passing protections for senior mobile home parks
A goal to preserve affordable housing for more than 1,000 senior residents—specifically tenants of five mobile home parks in Santa Maria—prompted the city to recently refresh its zoning standards. Ahead of the new rules tailored to limit these parks’ eligibility to convert from 55-and-older to welcoming all ages, none of the five parks’ owners expressed […]
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Solvang goes solar to expand its surveillance capabilities
While the steady flow of box office returns for The Odyssey continues setting new records, referencing the film’s source material helped one elected official illustrate her concerns about Solvang’s AI-enabled surveillance cameras. “I’m going to say this as frankly as I can. I don’t won’t to Trojan Horse a bunch of functionality in here that […]
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Husband, wife convicted of drug dealing at Lompoc prison
A multi-month drug smuggling scheme that ended with a $6,600 payday for one Lompoc couple could cost them a combined 10 years in federal prison. On Aug. 5, former correctional officer Paul Betancourt and his wife, Sylvia Betancourt, each pled guilty to periodically sneaking contraband into Federal Correction Complex (FCC) Lompoc over the course of […]
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Political Watch: August 13, 2026
• On Aug. 10, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) secured $1.3 million in new federal funding for the Santa Barbara Airport for a range of infrastructure upgrades. According to Carbajal’s office, the funding will specifically go toward installing new signage and markings on one of the airport’s runways, reconstructing on-site pavement, and upgrading taxiways. […]
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Disheartened by recent break-ins, Central Coast Collectibles keeps expansion goals alive
Close to its one-year mark since opening in Santa Maria, Central Coast Collectibles suffered back-to-back burglaries in July that cost the store a pretty penny. The break-ins happened within just a few weeks of each other, said owner and founder Tyler Santos, whose shop at 1930 S. Broadway specializes in trading cards and tabletop games. […]
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Think Together marks county debut with revamped after-schooling on 13 campuses
When mid-August rolls around, a new group will lead after-school activities at 13 schools—nine elementary schools and four middle schools—in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD). The new arrangement for the 2026-27 school year marks Think Together’s first time serving schools in Santa Barbara County. But the statewide nonprofit’s local ties don’t start there. Longtime […]
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Solvang Planning Commission rejects nightclub proposal
Amid the queue for a city permit, a hopeful nightclub operator couldn’t get past the city’s bouncers—concerned Solvang officials. On Aug. 3, the Solvang Planning Commission vetoed a property owner’s application to transform the vacant site formerly known as Alisal Cellars into a new nightclub destination, despite the project’s consistency with downtown policies, according to […]
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Guadalupe cancels its Royal Theater reboot
Nearly nine months after kicking off the historic Royal Theater’s long-awaited restoration, Guadalupe leaders lowered the curtain on the project. “If we continue the Royal Theater [construction], by the end of this fiscal year, we will be $2.6 million in debt,” City Administrator David Trujillo told the City Council during its July 28 meeting. “That’s […]
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Political Watch: August 6, 2026
•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) asked Sable Offshore Corp. CEO and Chairman Jim Flores to cease all Santa Ynez Unit oil drilling operations in a July 28 letter. According to Schiff’s office, Sable refused to provide information about its communications with the Trump administration—specifically about the Defense Production Act (DPA)—to multiple California legislators who sent […]
