The ground squirrel problem at Beattie Park in Lompoc is so bad that the city Parks and Recreation Department had to close the parking lot because “the integrity of the asphalt has been compromised,” according to a city staff report. “There’s hundreds,” Parks and Recreation Manager Mario Guerrero said of the ground squirrels. “The problem […]
Camillia Lanham
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Santa Barbara County releases ExxonMobil oil trucking project EIR
Almost as soon as Santa Barbara County made the final supplemental environmental impact report (EIR) available for ExxonMobil’s proposal to truck oil along highways 101 and 166, environmental advocates were ready with a response. “ExxonMobil wants to put California communities and motorists in harm’s way, just to restart its dirty and dangerous offshore platforms,” Center […]
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Solvang City Council members call by-district elections ‘complicated,’ ‘ridiculous’
Although Solvang held the first of five public hearings on Aug. 9 about how the city will be split up for by-district elections, city elected officials were only clear about one thing: They don’t like it. “It just seems complicated,” City Councilmember Robert Clarke said during the Aug. 9 meeting. “This attorney out of Malibu, […]
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NHC loses court fight over Orcutt dispensary, founder charged with bribery
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles announced bribery and tax evasion charges against Natural Healing Center co-founder and owner Helios Dayspring just days after a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge denied the cannabis company’s petition against the county for the score NHC received on its application to open an Orcutt dispensary. NHC filed […]
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Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project opens program to help build charging stations
San Barbara County has close to $5 million available as part of a $12 million effort to get roughly 1,000 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and SLO counties. On Aug. 5, the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) will start accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. And the money […]
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Dignity ends Anthem contract after other insurance disputes
As of July 16, Central Coast residents insured by Anthem Blue Cross lost in-network coverage at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, which are part of the nonprofit Dignity Health system. “Dignity Health and Anthem Blue Cross have been negotiating new […]
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Immigrant advocates ask Sheriff’s Office to stop collaborating with ICE
In 2020, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released 12 undocumented immigrants into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. “From 2019 to 2020, the number of ICE requests decreased substantially, and the number of ICE rearrests also decreased substantially,” Sheriff Bill Brown told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors during a June 22 Truth […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Monkey Spit hot sauces and seasonings promise to burn you when nothing else will
Arkansas and Vermont are the only states left without pins on the map of the United States hanging in Smith House Manufacturing on Thompson Avenue in Nipomo. The Smiths had shipped Monkey Spit Hot Sauce products to every other state in the union as of May 22 and are eager to claim the remaining two […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Chef Antonio’s Italian Kitchen delivers fresh pasta for your dinner
Antonio Ramos III was helping to build a shed in his brother’s backyard during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he had a vision. “This could be my pasta room, my little pasta laboratorio,” Ramos said. “So we built it out. … And by August, I was like, ‘Let’s just start doing dinners.’” So […]
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Greg Brewer, Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Winemaker of the Year, is disciplined about doing things the same way year after year
In 30 years, the Sta. Rita Hills hasn’t let Greg Brewer down. “I’ve been reflecting a lot on my relationship with this place,” the Brewer-Clifton winemaker said. “I’m very loyal to this place. I’m very provincial in that way. I’ll always work here. I’ve only worked here.” He describes his relationship with the region as […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Greg Brewer, Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Winemaker of the Year, is disciplined about doing things the same way year after year
In 30 years, the Sta. Rita Hills hasn’t let Greg Brewer down. “I’ve been reflecting a lot on my relationship with this place,” the Brewer-Clifton winemaker said. “I’m very loyal to this place. I’m very provincial in that way. I’ll always work here. I’ve only worked here.” He describes his relationship with the region as […]
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County supervisors vote to target large gatherings with administrative fines
After a COVID-19 update on Oct. 20 discussing outbreaks in Isla Vista, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to pass an ordinance allowing the county to levy fines against large gatherings and businesses that don’t comply with public health orders. UC Santa Barbara issued an emergency notification on Oct. 16 stating that the […]
