When Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps first appeared at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, his entire upper torso was covered in dark red circles the size of oranges. Lots wondered why. It turns out that Phelps underwent cupping therapy. Emilio Maysonett, certified cupping therapist at Holistic Health Group in Santa Maria, said cupping […]
DAVID MINSKY
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Court upholds county closure of recreation complex
A bid by Lompoc City Councilmember Jim Mosby to operate a sports/recreation complex on a piece of land zoned for agricultural use was denied by an appellate court on Jan. 17. Mosby petitioned the California Second Appellate Court in 2015 after Santa Barbara County ordered him to close the complex, which included a paintball course […]
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Cartel ‘hitman’ sentenced to life in prison
An alleged cartel hitman responsible for murdering several people in California, including a Santa Ynez man, will be sentenced to life in prison, according to officials from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. As part of an October plea agreement, Jose Manuel Martinez will be spared the death penalty for the murders of nine men, […]
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Hancock students push to make campus a ‘safe haven’ for undocumented peers
On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to terminate an executive order made by President Obama, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which gave undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children the right to stay if working or in school. Trump said in a recent interview with Time magazine that he’d “work […]
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Buellton passes moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses
Buellton adopted an emergency ordinance on Jan. 12 that placed a 45-day moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses. All five City Council members voted for the ordinance, which was proposed by City Attorney Steve McEwen as a measure to protect the city and avoid potential legal issues that may arise before proper business regulations are in […]
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Second trial scheduled for Orcutt rapper accused of threatening victims in a song
A second criminal trial was scheduled in the case of Anthony Murillo, the Orcutt rapper accused of making threats to two victims of sexual assault in a song he posted to the internet in 2013. Murillo’s attorney Bill Makler appeared before Judge Gustavo Lavayen on Jan. 11 to ask for another delay in the case, […]
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Lawsuit alleges Santa Barbara County Jail denied inmate medical care
An inmate who said a Santa Barbara County Jail deputy forced him to carry heavy items following his hernia surgery and denied him proper medical care afterward is suing the county Sheriff’s Office and jail staff for medical malpractice. In the hand-written lawsuit filed on Jan. 5 in the Anacapa Division of the Santa Barbara […]
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Coast Guard volunteers share the burden of protecting the Central Coast by sea
Volunteers appointed to the service of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are often paid, but then there are those who aren’t, like the men and women in the USCG Auxiliary. Established by Congress in 1939, and then later re-designated in 1941, the auxilary supports all missions by the USCG except for direct law enforcement or […]
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Spotlight on: Skyway Center
Julie Sanchez, Province Land Company
The corner of Skyway and Broadway languished for several years following the Great Recession, but construction of the new Skyway Center there will bring a facelift and new commercial and retail space to the valley. The Skyway Center is not yet finished, and already there is interest in the new complex, which brings more than […]
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Restricted access: Use conflicts and lack of funding affect access to public recreational spaces in Santa Barbara County
It’s hard to play sports in the rain, but it’s even harder to play at a park that’s ankle deep in water—or even deeper by the time you read this. Recent rains flooded several of Santa Maria’s public fields, a few of which double as water retention basins, limiting access to city parks during the […]
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Marian Regional Medical Center fined for botched hysterectomy
The California Department of Public Health cited Marian Regional Medical Center on Dec. 17 for a surgical operation in 2014 that left a medical device inside a woman’s abdomen. The fine comes following a report that detailed an investigation into a bungled hysterectomy surgery. According to the report, a 54-year-old woman was admitted to Marian […]
Posted inNews
Coast Guard volunteers share the burden of protecting the Central Coast by sea
Volunteers appointed to the service of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are often paid, but then there are those who aren’t, like the men and women in the USCG Auxiliary. Established by Congress in 1939, and then later re-designated in 1941, the auxilary supports all missions by the USCG except for direct law enforcement or […]
