Convicted of stealing more than $2.2 million over the course of seven years, a former financial advisor based in Orcutt will face a prison sentence of more than three times the amount her attorney argued for. On May 19, U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II sentenced Julie Darrah to serve 121 months—a little more […]
Caleb Wiseblood
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Political Watch: May 29, 2025
•Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) recognized the Immigrant Legal Defense Center as the California Nonprofit of the Year for Assembly District 37 on May 21. This recognition was part of the Legislature’s annual California Nonprofits Day, a statewide effort honoring the vital role that nonprofit organizations play in California communities, according to Hart’s office. Founded […]
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Guadalupe council member accuses Royal Theater project manager of misrepresenting costs
A status report on Guadalupe’s initiative to restore its shuttered Royal Theater teed up an argument between the project’s lead and the elected official who serves on its capital campaign committee. During the Guadalupe City Council’s May 13 meeting, Councilmember Whitney Furness said there’s not enough city oversight when it comes to finances tied to […]
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Board of Supervisors lays groundwork for countywide oil and gas phaseout proposal
Ten years almost to the date after the Refugio oil spill, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors revisited news headlines centered on the coastal disaster. Second District Supervisor Laura Capps shared snippets of media coverage from May 2015 at the board’s May 13 meeting. She also compiled excerpts from articles on the 2017 Thomas […]
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Political Watch: May 22, 2025
• On May 14, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined immigration advocates and some of his colleagues at a press conference to speak out against anti-immigrant provisions in Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill—such as increased funding for the border wall and immigrant detention centers, according to Padilla’s office. […]
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APCD models new Santa Maria headquarters within a sustainable framework
Wielding a giant pair of scissors is one skill Aeron Arlin Genet now has firsthand experience with. One of her recent duties as the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District’s (APCD) executive director was cutting the ribbon at an open house event to celebrate the agency’s new Santa Maria office. “The scissors were a […]
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Richards Ranch asks LAFCO to bar Bob Nelson from annexation hearings
A local developer’s lawsuit against Santa Barbara County didn’t delay a recent study session tied to 44 acres of proposed housing and commercial real estate in Orcutt. In a letter dated May 5, attorney Beth A. Collins asked the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) to postpone its May 8 workshop centered on the Richards Ranch […]
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Santa Barbara County Planning Commission supports new zoning to protect 11 senior mobile home parks
Six months after issuing an urgency order to stop mobile home parks for seniors from broadening to welcome all ages, Santa Barbara County is one step closer to something more permanent. Adopted last November by the Board of Supervisors, the temporary moratorium expires on Oct. 25. The board’s intent was to put protections in place […]
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Political Watch: May 15, 2025
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently announced the five regional winners of this year’s Congressional Women of the Year Award in the 24th Congressional District. “The 2025 Women of the Year winners represent the very best of our region—leaders, educators, advocates, and public servants who have dedicated themselves to uplifting others and driving […]
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Solvang shelves quail-inspired remodel of Skytt Mesa’s rainwater drainage
Reports of baby birds trapped in a storm drain prompted Solvang’s city staff to consider a neighborhood-wide retrofit in the Skytt Mesa area—one that would reduce the space between Skytt Mesa’s existing rainwater grate bars to help prevent small critters from falling through the gaps. After a preliminary study, staff revealed the project’s estimated price […]
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Buellton tasks Santa Maria-based contractor with public parking expansion
February marked the grand opening of Buellton’s new public library, while an expansive parking lot attached to the multi-year effort is still in the works. The project recently made headway when the Buellton City Council on April 24 awarded Santa Maria-based construction company V. Lopez Jr. and Sons a $1 million-plus contract to develop the […]
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Political Watch: May 8, 2025
• The California Legislative Central Coast Caucus, co-chaired by Assemblymembers Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) and Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and vice chaired by state Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), announced its bill priorities for the 2025 legislative session on May 2. “From protecting our coasts from offshore drilling to protecting our homes from wildfires, this […]
