The arrest of five people in Northern Santa Barbara County as part of a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweep of Southern California that began on Feb. 6 set off alarms in the local undocumented immigrant community. The operation, which concluded on Feb. 10, targeted those who the agency considered serious threats to public […]
DAVID MINSKY
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Trump’s recent EPA policies won’t affect Casmalia Superfund site
The road leading southwest from Santa Maria to the Casmalia Superfund site is inconspicuously marked with a sign reading “Casmalia Landfill.” It cuts through a cow pasture, and ends at a guard shack at the top of a hill. Past the gate is a small office building, and beyond that is the opening of the […]
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Dozens gather in Santa Maria to protest Trump’s travel ban
More than 50 people gathered on the corner of Broadway and Main streets in Santa Maria on Feb. 3 to protest President Donald Trump’s recent executive order temporarily barring incoming foreign citizens from several countries in the Middle East. The order affects seven countries—Syria, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen. Hassan Murshed with the […]
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No clear answers: One year later, the parents of Ivan Nunez still have questions about their son’s disappearance and death, which local police ruled a suicide
The day Ivan Nunez turned 16 years old, he threw a party and invited family and friends to his house in the 500 block of West Hermosa Street. It was the day after Christmas. There was music and dancing in his backyard that evening and everyone was having a good time, except for Ivan. Without […]
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Santa Ynez Community Services District won’t challenge Los Olivos CSD
The Santa Ynez Community Services District (CSD) will vote to include Los Olivos into its service area on Feb. 15 but won’t challenge the county’s decision to form a similar district in Los Olivos. A Jan. 27 letter from Santa Ynez CSD General Manager Jeff Hodge to Santa Barbara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) […]
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Spotlight on: Guadalupe electric car charging station
John Lizalde, mayor
Guadalupe is situated along the picturesque California Highway 1, which stretches more than 650 miles from Mendocino County in the north, to Orange County in the south. Frequently traveled by motorists, including those who drive electric vehicles, the scenic and historic route hasn’t enjoyed a place for electric vehicles drivers to receive a charge if […]
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Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office names inmate who died in jail last December
The name of an inmate who died while incarcerated at the Santa Barbara County Jail last December has been released. The inmate has been identified as 69-year-old Benjamin Karsokas of Isla Vista, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, which withheld the name for a month until next of kin was notified. Karsokas died […]
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Two shootings, no deaths, Santa Maria police say
Two people were shot in Santa Maria in a period of three days, according to the Santa Maria Police Department, sparking concerns that the city will return to the violence it faced a year ago. In both incidents, the victims suffered non-life-threatening wounds, Lt. Marc Schneider with the police department told the Sun. The first […]
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County sues feds over Camp 4
Santa Barbara County filed a lawsuit in federal court on Jan. 28, seeking an injunction to block the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) recent decision to annex new land into the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ reservation. The Board of Supervisors voted in a closed session meeting in January to take legal action should […]
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Gifting guidelines: Santa Maria establishes accounting procedures for accepting donations
On Jan. 18, the Society of Professional Journalists and more than 60 other journalism groups sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence requesting a meeting to discuss access to government. “We urge you to publicly affirm your commitment to transparency, to issue an executive order prohibiting the restrictive public information […]
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Reports say county spends federal money wisely, but deficiencies remain
Two reports presented to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 24 showed the county was properly spending federal grant money, though the reports weren’t without critique. One report, published by the county’s auditor-controller, is an annual assessment required by various state, federal, and local agencies. The other is an independent report of […]
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Carbajal attends inauguration of President Trump
Before getting down to business in his first press conference with reporters on Jan. 21, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer took a few minutes to discredit the news media for inaccurately reporting the size of President Donald Trump’s inauguration crowd. The Sun contacted an actual witness to the ceremony—California 24th District Congressional Rep. […]
