In his fifth year as head basketball coach at Allan Hancock College, Ralph Gorton is on a mission to change the culture of the program—and the philosophy is producing results. “We call it the new Allan Hancock,” Gorton said. “You can turn it around pretty quickly at a two-year school, and that’s what’s happening.” Hancock […]
The Righetti Warriors enjoyed a stellar water polo season in 2011-12, winning the Pac-7 title outright and finishing 28-4 overall. Much of their success they owed to senior utility player Jeremiah Morales. For the second straight year, Morales was rewarded for his efforts at season’s end, winning the Pac-7 league MVP award on Dec. 12. […]
When it comes to keeping your personal items safe, Fortress-Secure Mini-Storage in Santa Maria is one protector with staying power, celebrating its milestone 10th anniversary on Jan. 2. “I can’t believe it,” said managing general partner Todd Plastino. “It’s gone by fast.” Founded by Todd and his father Robert in 2002, the Santa Maria location […]
A plan for a network of multi-use trails in Orcutt cleared a major hurdle on Dec. 13, when Santa Barbara County supervisors voted unanimously to accept an offer of more than 300 acres from a local housing developer. For Luis Escobar, a distance runner and cross-country coach who spearheaded the idea of building a recreational […]
Lacey Strange—the 18-year-old woman facing a vehicular manslaughter charge in the death of a Lompoc woman—changed her “not guilty” plea to “no contest” on Dec. 15. Strange’s attorney, Catherine Swynsen, entered the plea on the defendant’s behalf before Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Frank Ochoa, who is presiding over the case in Santa Barbara […]
Now it can be told: Los Alamos’ Luke Branquinho truly has a handle on the sport of steer wrestling. Competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the 10th time since 2001, Branquinho won his third world championship at the 10-day professional rodeo event in Las Vegas, which concluded on Dec. 10. “It’s been the […]
While it may not look like much from the outside for the time being, Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant rewards the senses with a true taste of Guadalajaran cuisine inside. Oscar Lucatero and his wife Orquida Cortez opened the family-run eatery in April, their first entrée into the restaurant business. Lucatero’s father ran a seafood restaurant, […]
With hopes of reopening the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park to vehicles by the spring, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted on Dec. 6 to allocate $300,000 to repair the park’s damaged access road. The majority of the money—$250,000—will come from Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund grants. The remaining $50,000 will be appropriated from […]
Dressed in a light blue jumpsuit, Frank Godinez is led into the Inmate Reception Center at Santa Barbara County Jail. Once locked inside, he turns around, stoops low enough for the guard to remove his handcuffs through a slot in the door, and approaches the jailhouse phone. Brow furrowed, his voice carries tinges of anger […]
To put it succinctly, Hayes Dunn loves to run. At the CIF State Cross Country Meet on Nov. 26, the St. Joseph senior finished the 5K course at Woodward Park in 16:17. While it was shy of his personal best, it was good enough for 14th place in the entire Division 5. “I wanted to […]
Throwing jabs, landing kicks, and finally submitting his sparring partner in a session-ending chokehold, Ruben Perez was hard at work in the boxing ring at the Santa Maria Athletic Club, preparing for his first-ever main event fight. Perez and other local amateur mixed martial artists are heading to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville […]
With its spacious, neatly manicured grounds and farmhouse-style architecture, Magnolia Home Care in Orcutt doesn’t look like your typical assisted-living center. Co-owners Chuck and Margie Halsell, with their respective backgrounds in construction and home care, decided to turn their country barn into a residence for seniors with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease after seeing a […]
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