Three Orcutt teens are being investigated by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for their suspected involvement in a recent string of car vandalism incidents in Santa Maria and Orcutt. The suspects were stopped by a sheriff’s deputy just after midnight on June 9, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release, while they were sitting […]
Kasey Bubnash
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U.S. House of Representatives to revisit 2018 Farm Bill after recent bipartisan rejection
After months of nationwide community outreach and internal negotiations, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down the 2018 Farm Bill on May 18, leaving the Central Coast’s agricultural industry facing various uncertainties. The bill, which acts as the federal government’s primary nutrition and agricultural policy-making tool, is updated by Congress every five years. This year’s […]
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City rejects legal claims filed by family of woman killed by Santa Maria Area Transit bus
Santa Maria city officials recently rejected several claims filed by the family of a woman who was hit and killed by a city bus in April. Santa Maria resident Veronica Perez, 43, was seriously injured when she was hit by a Route 7 Santa Maria Area Transit bus just before 6 p.m. on April 2. […]
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Schaffer to be crowned county’s auditor-controller
Longtime accountant Betsy Schaffer will take Theo Fallati’s place as Santa Barbara County’s auditor-controller in January 2019 after a substantial victory in the June 5 election. Despite allegations of “self-dealing” and corruption from her challenger, assistant-auditor controller Schaffer beat out former county attorney and current Chief Investment Officer Jennifer Christensen by more than 26 percent […]
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Class certification granted in Santa Barbara County Jail lawsuit
A U.S. District Court judge granted a motion for class certification on May 31 to the complainants of a federal class action lawsuit against Santa Barbara County and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint, which was originally filed on Dec. 6 last year, includes detailed accounts of the county’s alleged poor treatment of […]
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Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run
Athletes running in the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, an 11,000-mile torch relay aimed at promoting world peace, passed through Santa Maria early on May 30. The 12 runners from seven countries covered 91 miles that day, according to media coordinator Prakhara Harter. The athletes ran along Highway 1 from Santa Maria to Paso Robles, […]
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Righetti Animal Lovers complete animal emergency training
When Genete Bowen hit and killed a loose dog with her car in early 2007, her life changed. She didn’t know how to help the dog, and quickly realized that there is no emergency number to call when an animal needs immediate medical attention—there are no animal ambulances or first responders specializing in animal care. […]
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Inspire Business Program lets businesses support foster families
Santa Maria resident Jessica Wasylychyn has temporarily cared for more than 35 children since she became a foster parent four years ago, and even in that short time, Wasylychyn said she’s learned to count her blessings. “It’s so mind-blowing what these kids have not experienced that we take for granted,” Wasylychyn told the Sun. “Like […]
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Will Rodgers
Solvang native Will Rodgers was inducted on May 15 into the NASCAR Next class of 2018-2019, a program that spotlights the best and brightest young drivers in NASCAR racing. Rodgers, 23, won his first and second NASCAR K&N Pro Series East events—Watkins Glen and New Jersey Motorsports Park—in 2017, according to Matt Humphrey of NASCAR’s […]
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Hundreds of Allan Hancock College students win scholarships, graduate
More than 300 Allan Hancock College students received 410 scholarships worth a total of nearly $500,000 at the Allan Hancock College Foundation Scholarship Banquet on May 24. Hundreds of Hancock faculty, staff, scholarship donors, and students and their families filled the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium to celebrate another round of scholastic awards. “I’d like to […]
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Big Truck Foods up and running despite destructive truck fire
An accidental fire caused an estimated $25,000 in damages to a local food truck on May 27, but the owners plan to get back to business as soon as possible. Robert Slores, owner of Big Truck Foods, said his favorite of two food trucks was parked in the driveway of his house on the northwest […]
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Santa Barbara County District Attorney declares officer-involved shooting of armed robber justifiable homicide
An officer-involved shooting that led to the death of an armed bank robber in August 2017, was deemed a justifiable homicide by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced her conclusion in a statement released on May 21, which also stated that the determination followed an extensive […]
