The Lucia Mar Unified School District is the only public school system in SLO County with a full three weeks off for winter break. Colleen Martin has been pushing to change that for years. “It’s been one of my pet peeves for a really long time,” Martin told the Sun. Martin is a college […]
Kasey Bubnash
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Hancock and Cal Poly collaborate to minimize illnesses associated with romaine lettuce
In the spring of 2018, an E. coli outbreak that was linked to contaminated romaine lettuce caused nearly 210 reported illnesses, 96 hospitalizations, and five deaths across 36 states. Just months after that outbreak was declared over, a different strain of E. coli spread across the nation—again through romaine—causing 62 reported illnesses and 25 hospitalizations […]
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Proposed restoration plan in the Guadalupe Oil Field could limit harmful emissions and save Chevron millions
It’s a picture perfect day in this slice of the Nipomo Dunes, where rolling hills of shrub-peppered sand run directly into the misty ocean, creating a coastline habitat perfect for a number of endangered and rare species. This seems like the ideal spot to get outside and enjoy nature, but there aren’t tourists or Central […]
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State Parks held to more stringent dust mitigation efforts at Oceano Dunes
A public workshop was canceled in October after California State Parks failed to complete an adequate work plan for dust mitigation in the Oceano Dunes. Now the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District is cracking down, and about 48 acres of the park are expected to be closed to vehicles by 2020. At […]
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Planning Commission gives green light to Nipomo cannabis grow
Cannabis will continue to be farmed on a 29-acre lot in Nipomo after a fervent debate over the project’s proximity to a local elementary school. At a meeting on Sept. 12, the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to approve a conditional use permit for the cannabis grow, a project widely disliked by […]
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Advisory Council opposes cannabis grow near Nipomo school
A local agricultural company wants to grow cannabis on a 29-acre lot in Nipomo, but the project is facing scrutiny because of its proximity to an elementary school. At its meeting on Aug. 26, the South County Advisory Council discussed the proposed grow, which would be run by Nipomo Ag LLC and include a 22,000-square-foot […]
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Recently passed law will change the way thefts of agricultural property are handled
Santa Barbara County law enforcement officials were investigating the theft of $17,000 worth of agricultural chemicals from a farm outside Santa Maria in 2017 when they uncovered a local black market for stolen farming equipment. Investigators with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office found that the chemicals—pesticides and fertilizer—were being stored at a facility where […]
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As Santa Maria debates an ordinance to help those displaced by H-2A conversions, locals compete with temporary workers for shelter
It’s just past 6 p.m. when Francisca Vargas walks down the stairs of her house and takes a seat on the edge of an ottoman in the living room. Kids scatter from the room as she reaches for the remote and turns off the TV. She takes a deep breath, and gathers herself after a […]
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UC Davis releases disease-resistant strawberries
Researchers at UC Davis released new varieties of strawberries for the first time in several years in July—some that are specifically designed to flourish in the Santa Maria area while helping farmers manage diseases and cut production costs. The Public Strawberry Breeding Program at UC Davis has long been working to identify and produce strawberry […]
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Crop values in Santa Barbara County decline, SLO sees record highs
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties both recently released their 2018 crop reports, and while Santa Barbara County’s farms and ranches saw a decrease in crop value from the year before, San Luis Obispo’s reached record highs. In 2018, strawberries still led the way as Santa Barbara County’s highest grossing crop by hundreds of […]
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Circle V Ranch Camp opens for first time since 2017
Circle V Ranch Camp opened for business this month for the first time since its campus was badly damaged by the Whittier Fire in July 2017. On July 12, the campgrounds opened up to more than 110 campers and 30 staff members. Campers and staff participated in Space Week, one of four themed summer camp […]
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Summer school is changing in Santa Maria, and districts are finding different ways to help struggling students
It’s early on a cloudy July morning and Bruce Elementary School in Santa Maria feels like a ghost town. School is out, and aside from a few roosters crowing in the distance, the campus is almost silent. But inside some of the classrooms, small groups of students are working diligently, getting extra help outside of […]