The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is investigating yet another officer-involved shooting, the seventh overall—and the sixth fatal incident—involving local law enforcement this year. Police say 37-year-old Robert Padilla Reyes confronted officers with a fake gun after leading authorities on a multi-county chase on Aug. 2. The pursuit began just after 6 p.m., when the […]
JEREMY THOMAS
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Girl power
Locals say inclusion of women’s boxing in the Olympic Games could encourage more girls to take up the sport
Dismissed as a sideshow by some in the boxing world even a decade ago, women’s boxing marks an important milestone in 2012. On Aug. 5, the sport will make its debut in the Olympic Games with three events: the women’s fly, women’s middle, and women’s light. USA Boxing dropped several men’s divisions to accommodate the […]
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A line in the sand
Beach parking fees draw the public’s ire at an initial county meeting
It’s still early in the discussion, but Santa Barbara County leaders mulling over charging fees to park at seven county beaches are already facing a groundswell of opposition from locals. At the first of three public meetings held by the Santa Barbara County Park Commission on July 26, about 20 speakers lined up in Santa […]
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Man killed in Santa Maria officer-involved shooting
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is investigating another fatal officer-involved shooting in Santa Maria, which came after a low-speed chase through the city. According to a press release from the department, at around 9 p.m. on July 30, deputies responded to a 911 call from a woman claiming a man with a gun was […]
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Walmart to open more stores in Santa Maria
Leaders of the big-box retailer Walmart announced on July 25 plans to add two new grocery-style Neighborhood Markets in Santa Maria. The stores are planned for 500 S. Blosser Road, near the intersection of Boone Street, and at 2240 S. Bradley Road, next to the existing Walmart Supercenter in the Crossroads Shopping Center. In a […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
To the depths
Some of the best scuba diving in the world is just a hop, skip, and a boat ride away
Want to get away from it all without going too far from home? Consider scuba diving as your next ticket. At Ocean Sports in Lompoc, Shaun Crouse and fiancée Kimberly Park steer beginners through the process of becoming certified scuba divers. A veteran of more than 2,000 dives, Crouse takes students off South Coast beaches […]
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Solvang city officials consider playing host to the 2013 Tour of California
The Solvang City Council on July 23 directed its city manager to look further into a proposal for serving as a host city for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, one of the world’s most prestigious cycling events. City Manager Brad Vidro will meet with the city’s Conference and Visitors Bureau and local organizing committee […]
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Trespassing violations shutter Lompoc’s Surf Beach until October
The lone public access gate to Surf Beach west of Lompoc stood chained and padlocked July 21, the result of a temporary closure enforced by Vandenberg Air Force Base officials. Authorities said the closure came after Vandenberg reached a cap of 50 trespassing violations into the habitat of the endangered snowy plover, in concordance with […]
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Santa Maria man shot by Highway Patrol officer
A Santa Maria man was still listed in critical condition as of press time after being shot by a California Highway Patrol officer near Los Alamos on July 15. Investigators alleged 18-year-old Michael Ledesma threatened his girlfriend with a knife while they were driving along Highway 135, and that he later approached a CHP officer […]
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NASA announces future Vandenberg launches
On July 16, NASA named Vandenberg Air Force Base as the site of three future Delta 2 launches, following its $400 million rocket contract with the United Launch Alliance. The announcement breathed new life into the reliable Delta 2, which wasn’t included in the last NASA contract with the ULA in 2010. “ULA is honored […]
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Guadalupe searches for a new city administrator
The city of Guadalupe is on the hunt for a new top administrator with the departure of Regan Candelario, who has accepted a city manager position in Fortuna. Guadalupe’s city administrator since 2010, Candelario was officially hired to a three-year contract by the Fortuna City Council on June 27. He’ll start work in his new […]
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Escape from the Con!
Zombies, wizards, Browncoats, and geeks unite in San Diego for Comic-Con 2012
“Don’t get contaminated! Keep running!” With a drill sergeant’s tone, a FEMA worker in a hazmat suit yells at me and my photographer, New Times columnist Nick Walter, spurring us on around barriers, over rope ladders, and through various obstacles. We’re navigating the spooky, labyrinthine corridors and stairwells of San Diego’s Petco Park, home of […]