The California Highway Patrol identified the bicyclist who was struck and killed on Highway 154 near Lake Cachuma on Sept. 18 as Reyes Cabrera of Lompoc. According to the CHP, Cabrera was riding a bicycle at 9 a.m. on eastbound Highway 154 when a black Toyota 4Runner driven by 30-year-old Santa Maria resident Mikhail Panko […]
DAVID MINSKY
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Santa Maria police investigate triple shooting on Cypress Street
Detectives from the Santa Maria Police Department are investigating a triple shooting that occurred on Sept. 28. in the 1000 block of West Cypress Street. According to SMPD Sgt. Jesus Valle, police were called to the area around 11:20 p.m. Monday, where they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds. As of press time, police […]
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Panga boat carrying marijuana bails washes ashore on Gaviota coast
Another illicit-drug-carrying panga boat washed ashore along the Gaviota Coast. This time, a man taking his dog for an early morning walk on along a San Onofre Beach trail on Sept. 28 found a boat sitting among the rocks down below, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover. The boat […]
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Spotlight on: The Boys Restaurant
Francisco Marciel, owner
There’s nothing more American than a rags-to-riches story, and diners. Count The Boys Restaurant and its owner Francisco Maciel in both of these categories. At 19 years old, Maciel immigrated to Santa Maria in 1975 from his homeland of Jalisco, Mexico. He first found work picking strawberries. Feeling restless, Maciel soon got another job working […]
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Orcutt residents push back against a cell tower proposal
NIMBY—not in my backyard—is an acronym generally used to describe residents who are opposed to new development because it’s close to them, although they more or less believe that it may be somewhat necessary for society. And while those with pro-development sensibilities may refer to the residents surrounding the area of 4599 Kenneth Ave. in […]
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Former North County Jail project manager settles with Santa Barbara county
The North County Jail project just became $467,000 more expensive. Grady Williams, the former manager of the North County Jail project who sued the county for wrongful termination, recently settled with the county, receiving a $467,000 payout, the Santa Barbara Independent reported on Sept. 16. In November 2013, Williams—a former capital projects manager for the […]
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Missing Point Sal hiker may have two identities
The case of a hiker who went missing at a beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base in early September is taking a bizarre twist. It turns out that Santa Maria resident Andy Trejo Silva, who was reported missing on Sept. 6 after hiking the rocks at a Point Sal beach, either might be someone else […]
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Guards at Santa Barbara County Main Jail acquitted of using excessive force; lawsuit still pending
Two former jail guards accused of using excessive force on a pretrial detainee were acquitted of the most serious charge of violating the civil rights of the detainee. The federal trial of the two guards, Robert Kirsch and Christopher Johnson, concluded on Sept. 16 with the acquittal. Kirsch and Johnson, who were employed at the […]
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How much will a $15 per hour minimum wage increase affect Santa Maria?
Following the growing talk of stagnant wages and an ever-increasing cost of living, Seattle became the first city in the U.S. to bump up the minimum wage to $15 per hour, an increase from $9.47. Other major cities along the West Coast followed suit. Last November, voters in San Francisco chose to raise the city’s […]
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Santa Maria Police Department seeks leads on teenager’s homicide
The Santa Maria Police Department is investigating a Sept. 11 homicide. According to SMPD Sgt. Russ Mengel, police were notified of a shooting victim who arrived at Marian Regional Medical Center around 3:43 p.m. that day. The victim, identified as 17-year-old Robert Luna of Santa Maria, died from his injuries a short time later. The […]
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Credit card skimmers found in Lompoc and Santa Maria
Credit card skimmers found at ATMs in Santa Barbara County resulted in at least 20 complaints from Coast Hills Federal Credit Union customers who said their accounts were fraudulently accessed, according to Lompoc Police Department Sgt. Kevin Martin Police in both Lompoc and Santa Maria reported finding the card skimmers attached to the card readers […]
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Spotlight on: Healthy but Good
Helen Bloom, owner
Before 2001, Helen Bloom noticed that she had an “office body.” This is not a good thing, according to Bloom, who describes it as a condition of excess weight and poor posture she acquired after years of working as a financial manager and doing most of her work while sitting at her desk. She gained […]
