A 19-year-old Santa Maria man was shot and killed on the 2000 block of North Lazo Way early Sept. 3. The homicide was Santa Maria’s second of the year. Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) officers responded to reports of gunshots fired near North Lazo at about 12:40 a.m., according to a department press release. There, […]
Kasey Bubnash
Posted inNews
California Highway Patrol hosts school bus safety enforcement operation
California Highway Patrol (CHP) hosted a school bus pedestrian safety operation on Aug. 29 in Santa Barbara County after a one-day California Department of Education survey of 137 state school districts found that more than 26,000 motorists failed to properly stop for school buses loading and unloading students. In response to the survey and California […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department wins national recognition
After winning several statewide awards this summer, the Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department was selected as the Outstanding Secondary School Agricultural Education Program, a national award given by the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE). It is the first time the department has been nationally recognized. The award recognizes excellence in instructional strategies, experimental […]
Posted inNews
Benefits cost: Santa Maria high school district projects cost of retirement will rise by nearly $1 million each year
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) announced on Aug. 18 its tentative agreement to increase all employee salaries by 1 percent for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The raise, according to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kevin Platt, could have been higher if it weren’t for the district’s rising cost of retirement pension […]
Posted inNews
No free rides: Detainees released late at night from Santa Barbara County Jail don’t get a ride home anymore, including those from North County
It was almost midnight, Dan was 7 miles from home, and all he had was his wheelchair. He didn’t have a phone, money, or a coat. He had just spent almost all of Aug. 9 in Santa Barbara County Jail sobering up, after being caught, yet again, drinking a beer on West Carrillo Street in […]
Posted inNews
Students voted to represent youth for city’s task force
Santa Maria Valley students Janet Cruz-Reyes and Monserrat Nolasco were chosen over 11 other candidates to represent the city’s youth in various community projects, including the Task Force on Youth Safety. The Aug. 25 election was hosted by the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Coast Future Leaders, and Just Communities, […]
Posted inNews
Hancock appoints interim police chief
Ronald Schram, a veteran law enforcement officer with nearly 40 years of experience, was named interim police chief of the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District on Aug. 14 at a Hancock board of trustees meeting. The hire came less than a month after the district’s previous chief, Paul Grohowski, resigned after seven months on […]
Posted inNews
Buellton City Council to loosen its grip on recreational vehicle parking
Buellton resident Roger Ayala was left without a choice. After a city letter informed him earlier this year that a new addition to an old city ordinance would make it illegal for him to park his ’92 Winnebago Sunrise Itasca in his driveway, he thought he’d have to sell it. Without affordable storage options available […]
Posted inNews
Deputy shot and killed suspected robber in Orcutt
An unnamed Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed a suspected bank robber just before 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 22. The Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported robbery at CoastHills Credit Union on Clark Avenue in Orcutt at 9:14 a.m., according to a press release. The suspect had reportedly fled from the bank […]
Posted inNews
‘Hancock Promise’ offers high school graduates first year at AHC free
High school students graduating from the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District who immediately enroll to Allan Hancock College will receive a year of free tuition and fees starting with the Fall 2018 semester. The school’s newest program, known as the Hancock Promise, will save incoming students an estimated $1,200 in tuition and fees each […]
Posted inNews
Amber Alert issued for child abducted after fatal shooting
The Santa Maria Police Department issued an Amber Alert for a child who was reportedly abducted on Aug. 21 after a fatal shooting at 230 North College Drive. The alert was issued just after 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 22. Daniel Morozov, 9, is 4-foot-5 with brown hair and eyes, according to the alert. He is […]
Posted inNews
Meeting shows correlation between childhood trauma and adult violence
A person who has experienced four or more traumatic events during childhood, also known as adverse childhood experiences, is seven times more likely to spend time in prison, according to Edwin Weaver, executive director of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley. Weaver was just one of several experts who spoke to an audience of 50 at […]