The Guadalupe City Council unanimously renewed a temporary ban on “adult-oriented businesses” during its Jan. 27 meeting, keeping any such business out of the city for another year. The ban was passed as an urgency ordinance and extends a similar ban passed a year ago. The original ban was passed in March 2014 and prevents […]
DAVID MINSKY
Posted inNews
Righetti High School mourns the loss of Breanna Rodriguez
Ernest Righetti High School in Santa Maria is usually busy with the everyday hustle and bustle of its students. But the mood on Feb. 2 was particularly somber. That morning, the school learned that one of its students died in a Santa Maria car wreck over the weekend. Righetti senior Breanna Rodriguez, 17, was the […]
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Spotlight on: CovenTree Books and Gifts
Elizabeth Acosta and Darren Colton, owners
Where can you find dragons, chain mail, and idols of ancient gods all in one place? At CovenTree Books and Gifts, which recently opened a location in the La Brea Plaza at 722 E. Main in Santa Maria. CovenTree is an obligatory stop for anyone who has an affinity for the mythological and the metaphysical. […]
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The Santa Maria Police Department forms task force to combat auto theft problem
Editor’s note: Darlene Carpenter is the mother of Sun Arts Editor Joe Payne. For our story, she recently opened up about her experience of having her car stolen. On the night of July 31, 2012, in a suburb near McCoy and Miller, Darlene Carpenter decided to park her dark red, pristine 2005 Chrysler 300C on […]
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Allan Hancock College won’t be offering a four-year degree
Allan Hancock College was not among the 15 colleges selected on Jan. 20 by the California Community College Board of Governors to begin pilot programs offering bachelor’s degrees to students. “I can’t say we’re not disappointed,” Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin Walthers said in a statement shortly after the official word came out. “The selected degrees represent […]
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Attorneys in Ibarra trial cross-examine a crime scene technician
Now in its third week, the trial for the alleged murder of Anthony Ibarra resumed in Santa Maria Juvenile Court the morning of Jan. 27 with defense attorneys cross-examining a crime scene technician videographer. Angela Jorge, a crime scene tech with the Santa Maria Police Department, testified that on March 18, 2013, she filmed inside […]
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Spotlight on: Connect Fitness Studio
Rosie Fortner, owner
After spending the last four years teaching Zumba at several different venues around Santa Maria and searching for a more permanent location, Rosalie Fortner is now proud to now have a place of her own: Connect Fitness. Fortner opened Connect Fitness Studio in early January on the corner of Skyway and Fairview. Just a few […]
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The art of combat: Use martial arts to shape the mind and body
Before a small crowd of onlookers and guests at the Rising Sun Martial Arts Academy on Orcutt Road, owner Jim Risinger puts on a demonstration with each of his students on Jan. 15. He pretends to strike the midsection of his students with his hand while they pivot, block, and counterstrike with their bokutos, or […]
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Man arrested on suspicion of assault with a fire extinguisher
On the afternoon of Jan. 15, officers from the Allan Hancock College Police Department arrested a man who they said entered an apartment without permission in the 900 block of East Jones and began spraying a person inside with a fire extinguisher. According to a press release issued by Santa Maria Police Department, Jose Luis […]
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Witness describes moments before Ibarra’s death in ongoing murder trial
The trial for the alleged killers of 28-year-old Anthony Ibarra began its second week of testimony on Jan. 20 at the Santa Maria Juvenile Court, with Angel Escobar being called to testify. Occasionally mumbling his answers and slouching in his seat, Escobar, 29, testified that he was inside his sister’s house in the 1100 block […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Judy Hearn
Judy Hearn isn’t your typical athlete. She doesn’t climb mountains or run marathons. In fact, she doesn’t compete in any sports. However, at 76 years old, she’s extremely active. She does pilates four mornings per week with Andy Conway in Pismo Beach. And once a week, preferably on Wednesdays, she can be found walking the […]
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Spotlight on: Ms. Cardel Planner and Event Design
Susana Cardel, owner
Susana Cardel is starting 2015 on a different foot. She’s been the owner of Flower Carriage and Gifts since 2008, and this year she’s branching out with a new venture: Ms. Cardel Planner and Event Design. The Flower Carriage itself isn’t changing any time soon. In fact, Cardel wants to keep it just as it […]