On Oct. 18, Allan Hancock College’s Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to give President Jose Ortiz a raise and a three-year extension to his contract, retaining him as the college’s top administrator until 2014. The 2.1 percent “longevity increase” is retroactive to July 1, and increases Ortiz’s base salary to $210,133. It resulted from a […]
JEREMY THOMAS
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‘Just a pawn on a chessboard’
Engaged in a battle for his life, a Santa Maria Army veteran speaks out about Iraq, Afghanistan, and the war within
Head shorn and wearing a light blue jumpsuit, Silas Kanady shuffles into the Santa Barbara County Jail visitation room, led by an armed guard. His heavily tattooed arms rest behind his back, though they’re not cuffed. He takes a seat on a metal barstool behind double-paned glass and picks up the receiver of the jailhouse […]
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Restoring hope
AmpSurf’s ‘Operation Restoration’ provides peace of mind to injured veterans and other people with disabilities
In 2003, while deployed in Iraq, Army captain Andrew Chavez of Santa Fe happened to be inside a Mosul building when it was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, trapping him in the rubble. He survived the attack, but months later, while skiing in Austria, Chavez fell, reopening an old appendix injury and causing his stomach […]
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‘It just happened’
A Santa Maria man is determined to clear his name in the 2010 death of a SLO mechanic
Rene Rosas wants you to know he’s not perfect. But he also wants you to know he wasn’t drunk when a horrifying accident claimed the life of his friend, Ronald “Tuffy” Kelsey of San Luis Obispo. Police arrested Rosas, who lives in Santa Maria, on Aug. 24, while he was riding his bicycle. His arrest […]
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Barbecue to raise funds for Lompoc Motorsports Park
The public is invited to help make the Lompoc Valley Motorsports Park a reality by attending a barbecue to raise money for the project on Oct. 7. From 5 to 7 p.m., Bruce’s Prime Cuts will provide tri-tip, chicken, and sodas for $8. There will also be a car show, where attendees are encouraged to […]
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Getting them back in the game
Area athletes benefit from free physical therapy sessions at Santa Maria clinic
On any given weekday morning, just after sunrise, the lobby of Sims’ Physical Therapy Center in Santa Maria resembles a MASH unit. Student-athletes from Santa Maria to Morro Bay, some bruised and bandaged, line up to receive care from specialists trained in sports-related injuries. And the best part is, it’s all free. Therapists Doug Sims […]
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Farming a debate
The E-Verify bill co-sponsored by Rep. Gallegly ignites heated response from agricultural community
It’s called the Legal Workforce Act, and local farm worker and agribusiness groups contend that if it ever becomes law, it would negatively impact thousands of undocumented workers and employers in Santa Barbara County. Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in June by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the legislation mandates that […]
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Double vision
A longtime area tennis coach has a powerhouse in the making at Orcutt Academy
Starting from scratch, in just four short years, Orcutt Academy’s head tennis coach Patrick Ortiz has built his girls’ team into a feared playoff contender. This year marks his second varsity squad, a group beginning to turn heads and intimidate opponents who once overlooked them—not bad for a young charter school with just about 500 […]
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A true tragedy
Sides search for a judge to take on a vehicular manslaughter case involving police officer’s daughter
On Sept. 20, marking what would’ve been Rebecca Vegas’s 57th birthday, her surviving family members gathered at a cemetery plot in Lompoc to remember the good times, placing flowers and writing a message on a balloon before letting it drift away into the clouds. The following day, Vegas’s widowed husband Dan Vegas, Jr., a retired […]
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In lieu of moratorium, county will require tighter scrutiny on ‘fracking’ operations
After exploring a moratorium on fracking, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors instead voted unanimously on Sept. 20 to amend the county’s land-use plan to require a special permit for oil drilling operations employing the technique. For all future fracking at new or existing wells, oil companies will now have to submit a detailed […]
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An age-old question
As more seniors join the job hunt, many of them wonder: Is ageism still an obstacle?
For the last three months, John has been pounding the pavement, searching in vain for a job. He’s currently on food stamps and depends on friends for housing and transportation. He’s teetering on the verge of despair. “I’m very depressed, very worried about the future,” he said, the frustration evident in his voice. “All my […]
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Skydiving event to raise money for charities
If you’ve ever wanted to parachute out of a plane, but never had the guts, it’s time to ready your nerves. Tickets are on sale for the second annual “Fallin’ 4 A Purpose” VIP skydiving event on Oct. 9, sponsored by Roblar Winery and Skydive Santa Barbara. VIP jumpers will be pampered with private access […]