Last December, the Sun revealed that the Santa Maria Police Department issued a fake press release in February 2016 that was reported as fact by numerous local news organizations (not including the Sun). But despite the press release’s fraudulence, the department has yet to remove the post from its Nixle account—an internet-based notification service used […]
DAVID MINSKY
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Price of Neverland Ranch drops to $67 million
Sycamore Valley Ranch, the Los Olivos-area property formerly known as Neverland Ranch once owned and occupied by late entertainer Michael Jackson, just got a price cut. In February, the going price for the ranch dropped by tens of millions of dollars to $67 million, according to joycerey.com, the website of the Los Angeles-based realtor who […]
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Lompoc High School on lockdown after vehicle crashes on front lawn
Lompoc High School was briefly placed on lockdown March 7 after a vehicle being pursued by the California Highway Patrol crashed on the school’s front lawn, according to the school’s public information officer, John Karbula. Officers from the CHP in Buellton were in pursuit of the vehicle, according to CHP Public Information Officer John Ortega, […]
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Spotlight on: Dignity Health
In addition to government grants, nonprofits rely on the charity of individuals and organizations from the local private sector and sometimes from not-for-profits. On Feb. 13, Dignity Health awarded $271,821 in checks to community nonprofit organizations across the Central Coast. Dignity Health, a San Francisco-based organization, is a not-for-profit that operates Marian Regional Medical Center […]
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Democracy 2.0
In 2015, Santa Barbara made the historic move of ditching at-large elections for City Council members and implementing a district election system instead. Now, Santa Maria—Santa Barbara County’s largest and most populous city—is taking the first steps to get rid of the at-large system it’s used since incorporating in 1905 and implement district elections before […]
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Another Vandenberg AFB protestor convicted of trespassing
When it comes to trespassing on Vandenberg Air Force Base, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon McCaslin doesn’t seem to be very lenient. McCaslin and her team of assistant U.S. attorneys recently prosecuted Michael David Omondi on Feb. 16 for stepping foot on the base during a vigil last August commemorating the 71st anniversary of the atomic […]
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Spotlight on: Morris and Garritano
Sara Holloway, marketing coordinator
Insurance—that life necessity many people dread paying for. But it’s necessary—for cars, houses, health, and life itself. Many laws, whether state or federal, compel residents to buy insurance, but many of us buy it willingly. Insurance is usually purchased from an insurance agency, such as Morris and Garritano, a San Luis Obispo-based company that recently […]
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Santa Maria looks to curb stormwater pollution
Now that the Central Coast is getting drenched in rain, the potential for pollution in stormwater runoff isn’t lost on the city of Santa Maria. On Feb. 21, the Santa Maria City Council considered a resolution to match dollars for a Proposition 1 grant from the State Water Resources Control Board to treat stormwater runoff. […]
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Lompoc ordinance prohibits unauthorized use of new city logo
Lompoc introduced a new city logo at its last City Council meeting and gave the first reading of an ordinance that would make it illegal to use the logo without permission. The change to the new logo comes 17 years after its last update, which was Aug. 15, 2000. It is meant to reflect that […]
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License to hitch: Getting a marriage license in Santa Barbara County isn’t hard, but there is a process
Before considering you and your partner an actual married couple, you technically need permission from the government. In Santa Barbara County and the rest of California, this means getting a marriage license. There’s really nothing to getting a marriage license, except for a little money and some planning. Unlike some states, you don’t have to […]
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Spotlight on: Choice Images Photo Booth
Brenda and David Tallmadge, owners
A properly planned party has many elements, but should it include a photo booth? The answer is yes, according to Brenda and David Tallmadge, owners of Choice Images Photo Booth. Based in Santa Maria, the Tallmadges have provided their services for weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and other parties throughout the Central Coast for two years. […]
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Gang member accidentally shoots himself
A man who was reportedly shot on Jan. 31 in Santa Maria is a convicted gang member who shot and wounded himself, said Detective Paul Flores with the city’s police department. Initially, the department received a report of an 18-year-old man who checked himself into Marian Regional Medical Center after getting shot in the calf […]
