Picking fruits and vegetables on a farm is hard work, and so is raising five children as a single parent. Reina Mendoza has been doing both for more than a decade. Mendoza, a Santa Maria resident, has been working on farms in the area for the past 11 years, tending to and harvesting local strawberries, […]
Kasey Bubnash
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Some local divisions of federal programs dodge shutdown
The nation is nearly three weeks into a partial government shutdown, and while many local federal employees are out of work, some federally funded programs have found ways to keep their offices staffed. As negotiations between the Trump administration and Democratic Party leaders over funding for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico continue, […]
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Fire leads to evacuation at main jail, northern branch to open late summer
The outbreak of an electrical fire at the Santa Barbara County Jail on Jan. 4 led to the immediate evacuation and temporary relocation of several inmates. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to the jail at about 5:40 p.m., after a caller reported seeing smoke and small flames coming from an electrical outlet in […]
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Trenton Mitchell
Allan Hancock College sophomore Trenton Mitchell has been a force for his school’s flourishing basketball program this season. Towering over the competition at 6 feet 6 inches, Mitchell has proven himself as both a consistent rebounder and scorer, averaging about eight rebounds and seven points a game, according to Anthony Cooper, Hancock’s sports information specialist. […]
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Residents impacted by disasters could get student loan relief
College students who were impacted by Santa Barbara County’s recent natural disasters could have their monthly federal student loan payments temporarily suspended or reduced. Some already have. Any current or former college student who borrowed a federal student loan and is currently involved in the repayment process could be eligible for a forbearance if impacted […]
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Flavored milk no longer allowed in Happy Meals, but OK in school lunches
While some local restaurants are preparing for a new and more stringent regulation on kids’ meals, schools are seeing rollbacks of Obama-era nutrition standards for meals served on campus. A bill that requires California restaurants to serve water, unflavored milk, or a nondairy milk alternative with kids’ meals was signed into law in September 2018 […]
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New state senate bill aims to keep some drunk drivers away from firearms
Individuals who have been convicted of some alcohol-related crimes are four to five times more likely to commit violent or gun-related crimes later on, according to a study published in 2017 by UC Davis. Now, some state legislators are hoping to keep guns away from those who have been convicted of a few crimes involving […]
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Suspect in triple homicide killed by Sheriff’s Office deputies
An armed Orcutt man and former Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot and killed by current deputies on Dec. 28 during a standoff that ensued after the man allegedly murdered two of his relatives and another individual earlier that day. David McNabb, 43, was found by deputies inside his Orcutt home on the […]
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Few Santa Barbara County crops test positive for illegal pesticide residue
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation released its most recent study on pesticide use on Dec. 27, and some Santa Barbara County growers were forced to destroy food products that tested positive for illegal levels of pesticide residues. During its 2017 survey of pesticide use, the Department of Pesticide Regulation collected and tested 3,695 samples […]
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Eric Vera
Last season, Pioneer Valley High School student Eric Vera took seventh in the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championship. This year, Vera’s coach said he has a good chance of fighting his way up to the very top. Vera, now a junior at Pioneer Valley, is remarkably coachable, according to coach Kent Olson. The 160-pound […]
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New year brings new rule for junior livestock competitors
Kids who show animals will have more than just resolutions to fill out this new year. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced in a letter on Nov. 30 that it would soon require all kids participating in junior livestock competitions at California fairs to first complete the Youth for the Quality Care of […]
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Farm Bill approved by Congress, addresses issues faced by Central Coast farmers
After months of negotiations, failed drafts, and a prolonged stalemate, Congress finally passed a farm bill this month, one that will almost certainly be signed into law by President Trump before the new year. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the $867 billion bill with a 386-47 vote on Dec. 11, a day after it […]
