A report from this year’s count of Santa Barbara County’s homeless population was released on March 20, and the data shows an increase in the prevalence of unsheltered homelessness. The county’s rates of unsheltered homelessness rose by 27 percent from 2017, when 893 residents were found to be living without a home and without shelter. […]
Kasey Bubnash
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Righetti wrestling coach launches free junior high league
Nearly 229 boys attending Santa Maria’s high schools during the 2016-17 school year signed up for wrestling—a higher turnout than both soccer and basketball, and second only to football. Yet the Santa Maria-Bonita School District doesn’t offer a wrestling program in its elementary or junior high schools. Now, after years of work and planning, Justin […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Samantha DeLaCruz
The key to Samantha DeLaCruz’s consistent success on the softball diamond is simple: hard work. That’s according to Santa Maria High School’s head softball coach, Greg Guerrero, who said that since DeLaCruz joined the school’s varsity team as a freshman, she hasn’t missed a single game. Now a junior, the third baseman is proving herself […]
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Animal Kingdom faces lawsuits and accusations of sourcing puppies from unethical mass breeders
It’s been less than a year since Jen Toste paid nearly $2,000 for a goldendoodle puppy she fell in love with at an Animal Kingdom pet store on the Central Coast. Since then, she’s spent roughly $10,000 on veterinary appointments, surgeries, and medications for that puppy, which was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia just months […]
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Local nonprofits distribute hundreds of Payless gift cards before store closures
Payless ShoeSource stores across North America will only be open for a few more weeks, and March 11 was the last day stores accepted gift cards. The deadline, which was announced on Feb. 18 along with news of the company’s bankruptcy filing and eminent store closures, left some local nonprofits with little time to use […]
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Plan developing for improvements to Santa Ynez Valley bicycling paths
It’s estimated that thousands of experienced road bicyclists pass through the Santa Ynez Valley every year, and yet the region lacks the bike paths and lanes necessary to support less experienced bikers, like kids going to school or adults commuting to work. In a community survey completed in the fall of 2018, 71 percent of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Saul Paz
It’s not often that 9-year-olds set personal goals for themselves, but Orcutt fourth grader Saul Paz isn’t your typical kid—he’s a state champion wrestler. Paz has been wrestling at All-American Elite Athletics for the past four years, and last year, Paz played a season of football before returning to the mat. He fought through a […]
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Approved transparency bill will impact local charter schools
A newly signed bill will require all California charter schools to adhere to the same transparency laws that public schools follow, and the soon-to-be state law is expected to impact Santa Barbara County’s charters in varying ways. Senate Bill 126, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on March 5, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, […]
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Santa Maria Public Library now accepting passport applications
After more than six months of preparation, the Santa Maria Public Library officially began accepting passport applications on March 11. The move, which took months of planning, staff training, and a lengthy verification process through the U.S. State Department, was made in an effort to provide Santa Maria residents with additional space and time to […]
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Former Olive Grove employee files wrongful termination suit
A Central Coast charter school system is facing legal trouble again, this time in the form of a lawsuit recently filed by a former employee alleging wrongful termination. The complaint, which was filed on March 5 by Santa Barbara-based law firm Anticouni and Associates, alleges that former Olive Grove Charter School employee Dawn Wilson was […]
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Monique Gomez
It’s been a slow start to the high school softball season so far thanks to the rainy weather, but Pioneer Valley High School student Monique Gomez is already showing a lot of promise on the field. Gomez, a junior and a third-year varsity softball player, is one of the hardest working players on Pioneer Valley’s […]
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Lizette Pompa
Pioneer Valley High School student Lizette Pompa is the captain and inspirational leader of the most successful girls wrestling program on the Central Coast. That’s according to coach RD Noel, who said Pompa, a senior and fourth-year wrestler, led her team to another CCAA League Championship, a CIFCS Regional Championship, and the State Championship tournament […]
