An ordinance that would have allowed Santa Barbara County officials to fine individuals for violating coronavirus-related health orders was tabled on Aug. 25, after it was criticized by several community members as being, at best, unnecessary, and, at worst, tyrannical. The proposed urgency ordinance, which the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors discussed at a […]
Kasey Bubnash
Posted inNews
Students will be learning from home this fall, but some Central Coast teachers will have to be on campus
Jennifer Dolan has been teaching English at Righetti High School in Santa Maria for more than two decades, and, like anyone, she has good and bad days. But for Dolan, the bad days are worse than most. About 15 years ago, Dolan was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes chronic muscular pain and can […]
Posted inNews
Local elementary schools eligible for in-person learning
Portions of Santa Barbara County are seeing major declines in active cases of COVID-19, and that could have significant impacts on the county’s reopening policies. In fact, it’s already freed local elementary schools to apply to open for in-person instruction. At a Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 18, Public Health Department […]
Posted inNews
Guadalupe passes strict tobacco control regulations
Guadalupe now has one of the most stringent tobacco control ordinances in Santa Barbara County, and it’s going into effect at the end of this month. Through the new ordinance, which Guadalupe City Council passed on July 28, retailers will have to obtain licenses to sell tobacco products. The sale of flavored tobacco—including menthol—is banned, […]
Posted inNews
Unsolicited seeds from China arrive locally
Within the last few years, Santa Maria resident Mike Brown has ordered hundreds of items from Wish, an e-commerce platform where Brown said you can order pretty much anything at lower than market rates, so long as you’re willing to wait longer than usual for shipping. Brown’s past orders through Wish have all come without […]
Posted inNews
Pismo Beach has the only police department on the Central Coast that adheres to rigorous CALEA auditing, but what does that mean for systemic issues?
At a time when there’s mistrust in government and law enforcement at all levels, some institutions have a solid history of transparency and accountability to stand on. The Pismo Beach Police Department has that on its side. Since 2007, the Pismo Beach Police Department has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement […]
Posted inNews
The political beliefs of local business owners are becoming harder to ignore, and it can make or break relationships with customers
As a few hundred Central Coast residents prepared to march through Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in early June, a few business owners were getting ready for what they feared could become violent riots. Some boarded up the windows of their businesses or closed up shop, […]
Posted inNews
Without toilet paper in stock, landlords and wastewater officials worry about what’s getting flushed
Unless you were involved in the early (and seemingly irrational) COVID-19 toilet paper stockpiling frenzy, you’ve probably noticed that the paper product we once took for granted has become nearly impossible to find. Grocery store shelves where hoards of toilet paper once sat are now empty, toilet paper vendors on Amazon and eBay are sold […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Cal Poly study focuses on women and strawberries to look at impact on heart and gut health
Women are often left out of clinical trials and studies in fields from medicine to city planning. The result is a world with buildings, cars, and medical procedures built with men in mind, making it generally less convienent for women to function in daily life. One big reason for this, according to Kari Pilolla, an […]
Posted inNews
State school bond shrouded by confusion unlikely to pass
Chances are looking bleak for a California school bond that would allow the state to funnel $15 billion into public school and college facilities improvement projects, and many Central Coast educators aren’t surprised. They’re blaming, at least partially, a confusing name—Proposition 13—for the lack of support. “Nobody wants to be called Prop. 13,” said Maggie […]
Posted inNews
Concerts, festivals at former Santa Maria Raceway stir controversy
Nearly three months after a group of about 10 Nipomo residents voiced concerns about what they see as the nuisance and safety hazards caused by the non-racing events at Stadium805, nothing has changed. But neighbors aren’t giving up. When Erika Bylund and Mike May bought their $700,000 Nipomo home in May 2017, they knew a […]
Posted inNews
A new generation of blood thinners is taking over the market, but the only approved antidote isn’t readily available on the Central Coast
The day Philip Ruggles died, he was the picture of health. Until, suddenly, he wasn’t. Nearly 34 years of teaching sales, estimating, marketing, and pricing in Cal Poly’s graphic communication department left Philip with a propensity for organization and a keen eye for detail. In the classroom, he was pragmatic, voraciously curious, and boundlessly devoted […]