While living in Hollywood several years ago, Robert Silverman spent many days as a recluse inside his apartment. He had a severe case of agoraphobia—or the fear of open spaces—which kept him from going outside. He was what people called a “shut-in,” according to Silverman. He moved to Santa Maria to live with his family […]
DAVID MINSKY
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House fire causes Lompoc officials to consider indoor pot growing regs
The house at 1040 N. Jasmine Street in Lompoc is sealed, with a sticker on the front door saying, “UNSAFE TO OCCUPY.” A pile of burnt wood, insulation, and debris sits in the driveway, covered with a tarp. Inside the converted garage are the remains of an indoor medical marijuana garden. On the morning of […]
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Santa Maria ICE facility will be ready by summer
Construction on the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Santa Maria is nearly complete and on schedule, according to ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley, who added that the facility should be operational by this summer. The new facility, sited near West McCoy Lane and South Depot Street, will be used for interviewing and briefly […]
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The FCC investigates a dispatch impersonator, according to Santa Barbara county officials
On at least two occasions in 2014 (once in November and again in December), anyone listening to Santa Barbara County Fire’s radio frequencies would have heard someone apparently impersonating a dispatch operator. Joe Ayala, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office dispatch supervisor, said county officials asked the Federal Communications Commission to help investigate the matter. […]
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Spotlight on: Blue Sky Vapes
Frank Compston and Kristi Allen, owners
Frank Compston stands by e-cigarettes. Not only does he think they helped him kick a cigarette and cigar smoking habit, but he said they also helped his son stop using chewing tobacco. After seeing a lack of shops along the Central Coast that sell e-cigarettes, or electronic vaporizer pens, Compston decided to open a shop […]
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Former Santa Maria police lieutenant Dan Ast wins his appeal to be reinstated; federal lawsuit still awaits resolution
Dan Ast is a former Santa Maria Police Department lieutenant who was fired due to his involvement in a series of incidents that ultimately led to one officer shooting and killing another officer in an arrest attempt gone wrong in January 2012. Ast later appealed to get his job back—a move that recently went in […]
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Santa Maria officers make an arrest in connection with a pellet gun shooting spree
One Santa Maria teenager was arrested after three suspects in a car drove around the northwest part of the city, allegedly shooting at car windows with a pellet gun on Feb. 11, according to the Santa Maria Police Department. Police said one of the suspects shot into a vehicle that was occupied by a father […]
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Lompoc teenager shot after allegedly charging police officer while holding a fork
An alleged fight between two brothers on Feb. 6 evolved into a 17-year-old being shot as he allegedly charged a Lompoc police officer with what turned out to be a very long metal fork, according to the Lompoc Police Department. The reported fight started that morning near the teenager’s home on the 800 block of […]
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Hancock basketball players enter not guilty pleas on murder charges
On Feb. 3, Ali Mohammed and Lavell White entered not guilty pleas to the charge of murdering a former Allan Hancock College student, Terence Richardson, in late December. Mohammed and White both stood before the Santa Maria court judge wearing collared shirts, shackled in handcuffs that were chained to a thick leather belt at their […]
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Santa Maria couple says ‘I do’ in Costco frozen food aisle
View a slideshow of photos from the Santa Maria Costco wedding. Robert Bonilla was walking down the frozen food section at the Costco in Santa Maria. It was Dec. 21, 2013, days before Christmas and the aisles were crowded with shoppers eagerly stacking their carts full of those gigantic Costco-sized containers of food for their […]
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Lompoc takes steps toward negotiating terms for a potential theme park
The Lompoc City Council unanimously passed a resolution during its Feb. 3 meeting, giving more time to a group of corporations refining the terms of a negotiation to build a possible multi-million-dollar space-themed park on 82 acres of city-owned land. The council passed the resolution despite what it considered to be an incomplete proposal submitted […]
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Spotlight on: William James Cellars
Robin Bouge, owner
All it took was one Facebook post to announce that William James Cellars was opening its Orcutt tasting room’s doors on Jan. 23, and the people came flooding in. Formerly located in Santa Ynez, William James owner Robin Bouge has built up a small following over the years. Prior to moving, she set up shop […]