It’s her second year in Santa Maria’s only dual-immersion language program, and second-grader Arianna Rodriguez can already speak, read, and write in Spanish. Though her dad, Leo Rodriguez, is bilingual in Spanish and English, her mom, Tiffany Rodriguez, speaks only English. Arianna often hears her dad and grandparents communicate in Spanish, but at her house, […]
Kasey Bubnash
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Owner of Sergio’s Furniture and Mattress discusses new location and plans for future after devastating fire
Two workers ripped open a large cardboard box that they’d just rolled in slowly on a dolly. As the men unloaded the tissue paper and Styrofoam packaging surrounding the cream-colored, rustic dresser inside, others were busy organizing high thread-count bed sheets and pillows near the mattresses on display. It was Feb. 27, and although the […]
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Shoes for Students rushes to use Payless gift cards
Payless ShoeSource announced on Feb. 18 that it would be closing all its U.S. stores by the end of May, leaving some local organizations scrambling to use up swaths of pre-purchased and donated Payless gift cards while they still can. Shoes for Students, a decades-old nonprofit that provides families throughout the Santa Maria Valley with […]
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Santa Maria Fairpark cancels fair poultry shows
There won’t be any chickens or turkeys at the Santa Barbara County Fair this summer, and the kids who typically show those animals will likely be absent, too. The Santa Maria Fairpark board of directors voted on Feb. 19 to cancel the poultry shows scheduled for this year’s fair. The decision, which was based on […]
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Construction to begin on much-needed elementary school
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District planned to break ground on a new elementary school on Feb. 28, a first for the district since it started work on Roberto and Dr. Francisco Jiménez Elementary School in 2013. The new school, a 10.76-acre campus that will sit on a portion of Enos Ranch property, is expected to […]
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Prescribed veggies: Local researchers want to know why diabetes impacts Latinos at disproportionately high rates and whether a healthy diet is the best treatment
The sharp smell of apple cider vinegar wafted through the air as Christine Bisson poured some into a small stainless steel bowl. She threw in a dash of salt and a helping of black pepper, squeezed in half a lemon, and whisked them all together. Several attendees had gathered in seats around the table where […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Nickolas Equihua
The boys’ volleyball season has only just begun, and Pioneer Valley High School senior Nickolas Equihua is already “killing” it. The past two years have been seasons of total transformation for Equihua, who has worked tirelessly to improve his blocking and hitting skills. Coach Ralph Quintana said Equihua gathered up about 71 kills—well above average—and […]
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Little has changed since Parkland
When 17 students and adults were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a year ago, students across the nation staged school walkouts to protest gun violence, hosted memorials to commemorate the victims of the shooting, marched for their lives, and fought for further restrictions on firearms. In Santa Maria, […]
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Rumors of homeless person starting Shaw’s Steakhouse fire illuminate bigger issue
Shaw’s Steakhouse and a neighboring furniture store, Sergio’s Furniture and Mattress, have both been closed since Jan. 3, when a fire that started just outside the buildings grew into a blaze that destroyed two-thirds of the restaurant and the entirety of the store. The fire was initially described by first responders as a “rubbish fire,” […]
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Camp 4 taken from Chumash reservation in federal court ruling
A ruling by a federal judge on Feb. 13 overturned the 2017 decision to take Camp 4 into trust for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, pulling the land off the Chumash reservation and returning the case to the Department of Interior for further action. In the decision, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson […]
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Santa Maria high school district and Faculty Association reach tentative agreement
After more than a year of contract negotiations, Santa Maria’s high school district and its teachers union reached a tentative agreement on Jan. 31, during a fact-finding hearing that lasted until about 2:30 a.m. The agreement, which was ratified by the Faculty Association on Feb. 5, has not yet been approved by the Santa Barbara […]
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Marlen Carrillo
On average, it takes Lompoc High School wrestler Marlen Carrillo about 30 seconds to pin her opponents. And on average, she wins every match. Coach Cheyenne Amaro said it’s a combination of Carrillo’s natural athletic ability and quick feet that have allowed her to lay so much of her competition out on the mat. Carrillo, […]
