Santa Maria Marine Corps veteran Steve Baird was a player for a local Marine Corps League softball team in 2015 when Navy veteran Brian Williamson, who was on an opposing team, noticed the marines proudly displaying their flag. In response, Williamson brought the Navy flag to a follow-up game and it caught the attention of […]
DAVID MINSKY
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Donor data: A breakdown of the outside cash Congressman Salud Carbajal received in the first quarter of 2017
Congressman Salud Carbajal announced in April that he raised more than $566,000 in the first three months of 2017, with at least 70 percent of those contributions coming from his district, the 24th Congressional District, along the Central Coast. Carbajal was officially sworn in for a two-year term in January and began raising money for […]
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SMPD Chief Ralph Martin to retire this summer
Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) Chief Ralph Martin announced on May 5 that he’ll be retiring after serving nearly five years with the city and more than 40 years in law enforcement. Martin was originally hired by City Manager Rick Haydon on Aug. 6, 2012, as the interim chief following a series of officer-involved shootings […]
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Santa Maria chooses official district map
On May 16, the Santa Maria City Council will formally adopt an official map to reflect the newly formed political districts for the upcoming council elections in 2018 and beyond. The council had made a preliminary vote of 4-1 to choose map “N-1” at its May 2 meeting. It was the fourth such meeting held […]
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Manning the missiles: The men and women of the U.S. Air Force missileer community provide a watch against an improbable nuclear attack
Men wearing green jumpsuits stand in the elevator, descending 60 feet into a bunker deep under the ground at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The door opens to a dim, cave-like structure. The ceiling is low, the air is cold, and the walls are painted with murals of custom-designed mission patches. Beyond the darkness is a […]
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Police point of view: Recent grand jury report reviews police body-worn cameras, doesn’t address release of footage
In a report released on April 18, the Santa Barbara County grand jury stated that police use of body-worn cameras had the “potential of providing greater transparency” for the public and police but did not mention that the footage is technically exempt from public disclosure. During the past few years, civil rights groups have called […]
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County board seeks clarification on reacquired state water use
On May 2, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve a tentative agreement to make the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA) the lead agency on reacquiring more than 12,000 acre-feet of surplus water from the state. But first, the supervisors wanted to know if the water was going to be used […]
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Third Santa Maria man accused of attacking police this year
On April 30, 32-year-old Antonio Sanchez was reportedly cruising in a silver SUV near the intersection of Benwiley and Fesler in Santa Maria, according to the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD), before being pulled over for speeding. He was later accused of ramming his vehicle into the officer’s patrol car. As the SMPD officer walked […]
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Fisherman loses appeal in civil rights cases involving panga boat
A fisherman who was cited by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies after refusing to turn over a panga boat he discovered off El Capitan Beach lost an appeal on April 24 to have his civil rights lawsuit reconsidered. Eric Bjorklund sued Santa Barbara County Senior Deputy District Attorney Lee Carter, the Sheriff’s Office, and […]
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Three maps chosen for prospective Santa Maria districts
Santa Maria got a taste of what political jurisdictions could look like on April 20, when three proposed district maps approved by the city were presented during a special City Council meeting at the Edwards Community Center. It was the third in a series of meetings about how to transition from at-large to district elections. […]
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Spotlight on: Santa Maria Downtown Fridays app
James Howell, developer
Transforming a bleak downtown urban landscape into a vibrant outdoor pedestrian mall with food, music, and fun—there’s an app for that. Downtown Fridays—the hugely popular event organized by Sofia Lopez and MEGA 97.1’s Ed Carcarey and put on by the city of Santa Maria in April 2016—is back and bigger than ever with a farmers […]
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District divisions: Santa Maria works to draw district maps for City Council elections as it abandons at-large voting
Local residents, City Council members, nonprofit organizations, and a professional demographer have all contributed marked-up maps of Santa Maria for proposed City Council districts which will take effect later this year. To recap: Local businessman Hector Sanchez and his attorney threatened the city with a California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) lawsuit at the Feb. 21 […]