A man wanted in two states was arrested by deputies with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office following a traffic stop on Union Valley Parkway near Santa Maria on June 30, according to Kelly Hoover, the public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office. During the stop, police arrested Bernell Quillens, 35, of Marin, Calif., who […]
DAVID MINSKY
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Spotlight on: Mad Bomberz Car Show
PJ Baray, co-president
War is a devastating experience no matter who wins or loses. For the American veterans who serve in the military, war is not necessarily anticipated, but it is something for which they’re always training. Whether or not they come back physically or emotionally injured, those who fought are left with an indelible scar on their […]
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New grand jury report details problems with medical intake process for inmates at Santa Barbara County Jail
For years, the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on Calle Real in South County has faced lawsuits alleging poor medical practices, but a new grand jury report published on June 24 may offer some insight into what inmates have been experiencing. More specifically, the report issued by the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury outlined several […]
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Proposed Casmalia Superfund settlement announced; feds seeking public comment
On June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it’s seeking public comment for a new installment in a settlement reached years ago between the agency and the companies that used a location in Northern Santa Barbara County formerly owned by Casmalia Resources as a site for hazardous waste disposal. The new settlement calls […]
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Fire in the sky: Drought and new fireworks ordinances force Central Coast to rethink how it celebrates the Fourth of July
Editor’s note: Ralph’s and Larry’s names were changed to protect their identities. A call comes in at 11 p.m. on Thursday night. I answered the phone. It’s Larry and he said he’s got the stuff: a trunk full of mortars he acquired from a source just across the Nevada-California border. I make the hour-long trek […]
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Spotlight on: Blue Eyed Daisies Antiques and Vintage Furniture
Samantha Castillo, owner
For seven years, Samantha Castillo worked as a field executive for an insurance company. The pay was “amazing,” she said, but there was something unfulfilling about the job. She wanted to start her own business. Castillo started Junk Attic in 2012, and ran it out of her garage, but eventually changed the name to Blue […]
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What does it take to move the 40-ton historic Enos Ranchos House half of a mile?
Have you ever wondered about the old white house that sits at the Betteravia exit along Highway 101 in Santa Maria? It’s known as the Enos Ranchos House, and it’s being moved to make way for a new 113-acre mixed-use development. Instead of demolishing the house, which was built in 1872, according to historical records, […]
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Sherpa Fire grows to nearly 8,000 acres
Firefighters across the region continued to battle the Sherpa Fire that broke out on Scherpa Ranch, located just south of Santa Ynez, on the afternoon of June 15. According to Dave Zaniboni, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the fire has grown to 7,969 acres, adding that at least 70 percent of […]
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A tragic dilemma: Could the Santa Maria Police Department have prevented an attempted suicide in the jail?
On the morning of Dec. 29, 2012, Shane Horton was arrested and briefly detained in a holding cell at the then-headquarters of the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) on Cook Street on suspicion of domestic battery. At the police station, Shane, who was 19 at the time, engaged in a 20-minute “polite conversation” with officer […]
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Spotlight on: Ozzie’s Premium Frozen Yogurt and Gelato
Tina and Dara Ei, owners
Before the era of the internet and social media, a restaurant’s reputation was built on word-of-mouth reviews and established critics. But these days, with smartphones and websites like Yelp, it seems that everyone’s a critic and online reviews have no less of an impact than what’s traditionally been written by professionals in the past. Nobody […]
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Alleged axe-wielding suspect on drugs arrested by Santa Barbara Sheriff’s deputies
On June 11 at approximately 3:45 p.m. deputies responded to a report of an “out of control” camper who appeared to be under the influence of some sort of controlled substance and swinging two axes at campers at the Paradise Campground near Paradise Road and Highway 154, according to Kelly Hoover, a spokeswoman for the […]
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Federal inmate accuses Lompoc prison officials of medical negligence
On Jan. 10, 2015, federal prisoner Victor L. Curry was standing by an ice machine inside Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) when fellow inmate Kenyan “Kenneth” Payne punched Curry, knocking him unconscious, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court on May 20. Hours later, Curry woke to find that he had a […]
