Elizabeth Schneider - Santa Maria

On Dec. 15, 2017, a gasoline tanker flipped on Highway 101 near Goleta, causing a major spill and shutting down the highway as hundreds of local residents were evacuating due to the Thomas Fire. The 101 was closed while hazardous materials crews worked to clean up the 5,000-plus gallon spill. The road, disintegrated by corrosive […]

In 2016, the worst California drought in 1,200 years ended with a once-in-a-century rainy season in Northern California. Last winter’s “atmospheric river” rainstorms produced lots of grass and brush that dried out completely during an extremely hot summer. The largest fire in California history, the Thomas Fire, has burned more than 280,000 acres in Santa […]

I just read the findings of a study called “Politics and Global Warming, May 2017,” that looked at party affiliation and how voters view climate policies. Here are a few findings: Over half of registered voters expect their leaders, including the president and Congress, to do more to address global warming. And 52 percent of […]

To the writer of “Let the people decide” (April 6), Robert Scott, you’re about three steps behind where we are now. The first step happened in the ’90s, when Santa Maria was sued over its citywide elections. The city defended its citywide elections, which cost the taxpayers $1 million. Step two resulted in the California […]

WOW! You must believe that illegal immigrants have enormous powers, Sally Rodriguez (“Illegal immigration comes with a cost,” March 30)! According to Sally, 11 million illegal immigrants are responsible for bankrupt hospitals, crowded classrooms, declining water supplies, polluted air, and half a dozen other big problems that our country faces. You forgot to blame them […]