Santa Barbara County officials recently filed an eminent domain lawsuit against Walmart to obtain land owned by the corporation to complete the Union Valley Parkway extension. However, representatives for the county and Walmart will continue to negotiate in hopes of coming to an agreement over details regarding the three parcels of land needed to connect […]
JASON BANANIA
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Athlete of the Week: Todd Rogers
In any office setting, you can find a cubicle with a calendar. On that calendar might be a picture of an exotic beach—a reminder of what lies beyond the computer monitor, or maybe a motivator for an upcoming vacation to escape the routine. For Solvang resident and Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball Todd Rogers, […]
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Mission Hope
The new Mission Hope Cancer Center brings cutting-edge technologies in cancer treatment to Santa Maria
The rain didn’t stop nearly 600 people from attending the late-April celebration for the grand opening of Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria. The integrated treatment center is home to state-of-the-art medical technology on par with that of UCLA and Stanford. “Our goal is to create something equivalent that can serve the coast. Our […]
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The next stop from Santa Maria could be Hawaii
Construction on the Santa Maria Public Airport’s 8,004-foot runway extension is complete; the extended landing strip is set to be operational by May 3, according to General Manager Chris Hastert. However, the new feature won’t be fully usable until later this month, after an instrument landing system is installed on the runway, which will help […]
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Spotlight on: Uncle Tom’s Salsa
The newest business venture in Los Olivos will soon have the town getting spiced up and saucy. (If your train of thought is somewhere around your taste buds, then you’re on the right track.) Full Steam Ahead is a tomato-less salsa crafted by Los Olivos native Thomas Palmer. Uncle Tom’s Salsa is a simple blend […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The art of stick fighting
Local Eskrima students prepare for an international competition
For most people, the sight of someone wildly wielding a weapon is a great opportunity to test how fast their legs can move in the opposite direction. Not Willy Soriano’s students. These rare individuals are practitioners of a martial art called Eskrima, a weapons system based on stick fighting. Part of their training involves a […]
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SOS pit bull sanctuary
The Sheltering Oak Sanctuary has been what its name implies for neglected and abused pit bulls since its creation in 2010. The organization’s ultimate purpose is to rehabilitate dogs mentally and physically and make them fit for adoption. However, sanctuary staffers are still waiting to find out if they will be able to keep their […]
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Council approves small apartments ordinance
The Santa Maria City Council voted March 5 to approve amendments to the municipal code that will allow motel owners in commercial districts of Broadway and Main streets to revamp their structures and turn them into small apartments. City Planner Larry Appel presented the council with a matrix that simply laid out the options and […]
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Athlete of the Week: Hunter Walker, Righetti
The Sun spoke to Righetti High School’s Hunter Walker as he laced up his kicks in preparation for taking on the area’s best basketball players at the Kiwanis Central Coast All-Star Basketball Spectacular on March 31. Walker has been playing basketball for as long as he can remember, but it wasn’t until junior high, after […]
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A full-filling 30 years
Even the Occupy movement would have to agree that not all banks are evil. The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County gathered some of its current and former board members, together with top contributors, at the Santa Barbara Club last week, in honor of its 30th anniversary. Part of the event was spent looking back at […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Athlete of the Week
Softball player Vanessa Gonzalez, 16, isn’t on her high school varsity team. Her school’s softball coaches didn’t take her twice in the three years she’s tried out. She’s never played a full season of high school softball. So why is she our Athlete of the Week? Even gifted athletes struggle with maintaining the perseverance and […]
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Have lunch with grandparents
St. Joseph High School’s highly anticipated annual Grandparent Luncheon will be taking place on March 23. Alumni Director Karen Jaeckels said this event is one of her favorite to hold. “It’s so much fun catching up with grandparents and seeing them connect with their grandchildren. Many of these grandparents are parents to alumni that I […]
