About 140,000 gallons of crude oil gushed out of a corroded pipeline and into the ocean just off the coast of Santa Barbara in May 2015, killing wildlife and blackening beaches. The pipe was owned by Plains All American Pipeline—the Texas-based oil company that was later convicted of a felony for failing to properly maintain […]
Kasey Bubnash
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Unfair practices case expected to impact Guadalupe’s budget
A judge recently ruled that the city of Guadalupe acted unlawfully when it suddenly announced in 2017 that employees would no longer be eligible for merit-based salary step increases, and the decision is expected to impact the city’s ongoing budget discussions. In the proposed decision, which was filed by a California Public Employment Relations Board […]
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Grant will fund county probation’s youth diversion efforts
Kids struggling with behavioral issues will be able to access services aimed at keeping them out of the juvenile justice system at no cost because of a $795,000 grant that was recently awarded to the Santa Barbara County Probation Department. Santa Barbara County has been working to better aid at-risk youth and their families through […]
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Already difficult-to-meet rules on heavy diesel vehicles to become more stringent
California businesses with fleets of heavy, diesel-fueled vehicles will have to begin meeting more stringent environmental protection regulations on July 1, a process that could prove difficult for many—including at least one local business—that already struggle to adhere to the current requirements. California’s Periodic Smoke Inspection Program became effective in the ’90s and was developed […]
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Spotlight on: Med Plus Central Coast
Before there were walk-in clinics and urgent care centers, there were family doctors—the doctors grandma talks about, who spent years looking after the health needs of entire families; made house calls; and, on the less rosy side of things, worked about 100 hours a week. Those long weeks proved unsustainable for most, leading many family […]
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Grand jury finds county’s mental health services for children lacking
A Santa Barbara County grand jury released a June 13 report on the county’s Department of Behavioral Wellness and its handling of children experiencing mental health crises. The report outlines much of what the county already knew—there isn’t enough space in the county for children, and people in general, who are in need of immediate […]
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While statewide pesticide use declines, chlorpyrifos use increases
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation released its 2017 Pesticide Use Report on June 11 and found that while pesticide use dropped across the state from 2016 to 2017, the use of the controversial pesticide chlorpyrifos actually increased. Throughout the state, a little more than 3.7 million pounds fewer pesticides were used on farms, in […]
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Recipients of supplemental income payments are now eligible for CalFresh for the first time in decades
There are roughly 8,388 Santa Barbara County residents who receive supplemental income payments from the government because they are either disabled, over the age of 65, or both. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and State Supplemental Payment (SSP) programs use tax revenue to help disabled and retired individuals—who may not be able to work long […]
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Grand jury releases two reports on Santa Barbara County Jail
The Santa Barbara County grand jury released reports on two of its investigations into the Santa Barbara County Jail on June 11—one looking into the prevalence of contraband inside the jail and another exploring the reasons behind an inmate’s death in March 2018. In the first report, the jury found that despite efforts to keep […]
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Judge orders Guadalupe to give employees salary increases
A judge recently ruled that the city of Guadalupe acted unlawfully when it suddenly announced in 2017 that employees would no longer be eligible for merit-based salary step increases. In the proposed decision, which was filed by a California Public Employment Relations Board judge on May 24, the judge wrote that the city of Guadalupe […]
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Local farmer discusses new regulations for lettuce growers in wake of E. coli outbreaks
Last year wasn’t an easy one for U.S. lettuce farmers. In the spring of 2018, an E. coli outbreak that was linked back 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, in June 2018, another strain of E. […]
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Bill to keep firearms from drunk drivers passes Senate
A bill that would keep guns away from those who have been convicted of some alcohol-related crimes passed the state Senate on May 23, the fifth anniversary of the Isla Vista shooting, which left six dead and 14 injured at the hands of 22-year-old Elliot Rodger. Senate Bill 55, which state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa […]