Los Olivos can take the next steps to form a community services district thanks to Santa Barbara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), which approved the Santa Ynez Valley town’s application at an April 13 meeting. The application also includes a $20 million estimate to build a new water reclamation facility and sewer system to […]
DAVID MINSKY
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County first responders to begin carrying drug to combat opioid overdoses
First responders in Santa Barbara County are now trained to carry naloxone nasal spray as part of a new program between the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency and the Sheriff’s Office that’s intended to save the lives of anyone who’s suspected of overdosing on opioids. The program comes following a spike in opioid overdose deaths […]
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Easter weekend a violent one in Northern Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria saw a particularly violent Easter weekend this year that left local law enforcement investigating a homicide, a stabbing, an attempted murder, and the discovery of a charred body, which is being considered a suspicious death by local law enforcement. The busy weekend began at 9:25 p.m. on April 14, when officers from the […]
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Operation Matador defense attorney wants gag order against the local press
Journalists and the rest of the public waited more than two hours outside a second story courtroom on April 7 at the Santa Maria Courthouse to see the arraignment of 12 alleged gang members accused of committing multiple gang-related homicides in the city. Much to the frustration of journalists, the public portion of the hearing […]
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District Attorney report finds police justified in Gaona shooting
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office released its official report on April 3 regarding the investigation of the officer-involved shooting of Javier Gaona, finding that Santa Maria Police Department officers were justified in using lethal force. Gaona, who was 31 years old at the time, died shortly after being shot multiple times on the […]
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Panga boat linked to Sinaloa Cartel operative
Court documents filed in March connect a panga boat found in 2012 along the southern coast of Santa Barbara County with a man allegedly working for the Sinaloa drug cartel. Fisherman Travis Lobo discovered the abandoned boat one April morning in 2012 and claimed it as salvage. It was confiscated by local law enforcement, but […]
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Santa Maria Police Department installs more crime cameras
Ever feel like you’re being watched? It’s probable that you are, at least if you’re standing somewhere near one of Santa Maria’s crime cameras. The Santa Maria Police Department announced on April 9 that it recently acquired 11 new camera pods, according to Sgt. Russ Mengel. The cameras—metal boxes with multiple cameras attached, which the […]
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Spotlight on: Ca’Del Grevino Winery
Kristin Vemo, estate manager
Ca’Del Grevino is a winery with three tasting rooms: in Los Olivos, Orcutt, and Santa Barbara. Soon, they’ll get a fourth tasting room located at the winery itself. The winery estate—where the grapes are actually grown—will get a new, “decent-sized” tasting room, said estate manager Kristin Vemo. The tasting room will be part of a […]
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Bloodline: A woman fights the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to get tribal membership for her family
While the recent news cycle has been filled with stories of U.S. politicians and their constituents taking a stand against “illegal” immigrants, there’s a smaller, more internal struggle for citizenship happening in the heart of Santa Barbara County. On March 8, a federal appeals court in California affirmed a decision denying Rosanna Miranda’s appeal to […]
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Operation Matador suspects to appear in court April 7
Fourteen suspects arrested in connection to Operation Matador will formally face their charges in a Northern Santa Barbara County courtroom on April 7. Senior Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen confirmed with the Sun that the defendants will be arraigned starting at 8:30 a.m. in Dept. 6 in the Cook Division of the Santa Barbara County […]
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Orcutt sanitation’s fee increase ‘justified,’ says grand jury
The more than $400 yearly increase in fees charged to customers of the Laguna County Sanitation District (LCSD) in Orcutt is considered justified, according to a report released on March 23 by the Santa Barbara County grand jury. In 2010, sanitation district customers paid $551.47 per year for sewer service, but in 2016 they were […]
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Drone zone: Vandenberg AFB is in the running to host (more) drones
On Sept. 30, 2011, a Hellfire missile rained down from the sky over southern Yemen and obliterated its target—U.S.-born Muslim cleric and al-Qaeda associate Anwar al-Awlaki. According to retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley in his book, Hunter Killer, the missile was fired from a remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper drone. Vandenberg Air […]
