The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District announced on Sept. 7 the ratification of its retroactive 1 percent salary increase for all employees, effective July 1. Leaders of the Faculty and California School Employees associations tentatively agreed on the salary increase just before Aug. 18, after months of negotiations with the school district. Both […]
Kasey Bubnash
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Lompoc Fire Department appoints new chief
Lompoc announced on Sept. 15 that fire service veteran Gerald Kuras was chosen to lead the Lompoc City Fire Department. The announcement comes about six years after Kuras’ retirement from fire service in 2011. Kuras, 63, will take the place of former Lompoc Fire Chief Kurt Latipow, who retired from the force in May, and […]
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Santa Maria man sentenced to 10 years for meth trafficking scheme
A Santa Maria man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Sept. 13 by a federal judge in Montana for possessing and plotting to traffic more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine through several states. Keith Coffin, 32, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, after he […]
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Guadalupe preschool offers special needs services with an outdoor twist
Imagine an outdoor area with a garden. There are tables protected by the shade of trees surrounded by soft green grass. Near the garden sits a carburetor, tools, milk crates, dirt, and plywood. What is this place? It’s an outdoor preschool, and now Guadalupe has one. Pupil Services Coordinator Anne Rigali said the Guadalupe Union […]
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Undocumented and unprotected: Local DACA recipients deal with Trump Administration’s announcement to rescind the program
To Valeria, getting a driver’s license meant freedom. But compared to most teens living in the United States, her definition of freedom was a bit different. It was her senior year of high school, and Valeria (last name omitted by the Sun at her request) didn’t care about getting away from her parents or skipping […]
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Santa Maria road work will cause delays through October
A series of road construction projects in Santa Maria is slated for the coming weeks, and because much of the work will be done on busy streets, local drivers will need to practice patience. The city’s annual street maintenance chip sealing program began on Sept. 11, and this year’s affected roads include West Cook Street, […]
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Highway 101 crash during heavy rain kills 12-year-old girl
A 12-year-old Encino girl was killed in a crash on Highway 101 near Buellton on Sept. 10, just after the National Weather Service issued warnings of severe thunderstorms and flash flooding to Santa Barbara County. Erasmo Vargas, 35, lost control of his 2003 Lincoln Navigator at about 10:55 p.m. while driving southbound on Highway 101, […]
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California EPA investigating protections on widely used pesticide
The California Environmental Protection Agency announced Aug. 18 that two environmental agencies are pursuing health protections on chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, which could lead to increased statewide restrictions on chlorpyrifos use. After scientists at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) discovered possible public health risks associated with chlorpyrifos, the department released an updated […]
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Santa Maria police investigate possible gang-related shooting
The Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) initiated an investigation into an attempted murder on Sept. 11, after a man was shot and injured on the 900 block of West El Camino Street in Santa Maria early that morning. Police say the shooting, which was Santa Maria’s second in eight days and third in less than […]
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Our County Our Kids works to improve the foster system despite severe lack of resources
There are more than 400 kids rotating through the foster system each month in Santa Barbara County, but only about 175 families are accepting children. In an effort to tackle this issue, Our County Our Kids—a division of the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services—will watch as the Righetti Warriors take on the Dos […]
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Fighting by breeding: Millions awarded to California universities for strawberry research
To Dominique Pincot, farming is her family’s business. It’s the life her grandpa, uncle, and dad chose, and the work she never really wanted to do. But growing up around the fields of Betteravia Farms in Santa Maria, where Pincot’s family helps grow vegetables and strawberries, had a lasting effect on her life. “My dad […]
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Pioneer Valley High School students to raise money for Hurricane Harvey support
Every day during lunch until Sept. 8, the Pioneer Valley High School Student Council will accept cash donations to support Texans displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Students will play music on Pioneer Valley’s stage during lunch, according to a school district press release. Each class will have a designated donation bucket, and the class with the […]