With the number of unsheltered homeless people on the rise in Santa Barbara County, the cities of Santa Maria and Lompoc are both officially on board with phase II of the county’s Community Action Plan (CAP) to Address Homelessness. Both city councils adopted the plan at their respective May 4 meetings. The first phase of […]
MALEA MARTIN
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Santa Maria-Bonita teachers are frustrated by a district mandate on how novels can be used in the classroom
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series on the Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s decision to not allow teachers to teach full novels in their classes. Eighth grade English teacher Kevin Foote can recall numerous moments in his 10 years teaching at Tommie Kunst Junior High when books left an inimitable impression on […]
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and CenCal Health has resources for those who need it
Raising awareness for mental health during May is an annual occurrence for CenCal Health, but this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month holds particular pertinence. After the past pandemic year, more people are struggling with their mental well-being than before. “COVID-19 has certainly had an effect on everyone: National, state, and local agencies have all documented […]
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Unemployment drops, some industries struggle more than others
As the unemployment rate in Santa Barbara County continues to improve, some industries are recovering more quickly than others, according to labor market data and local business leaders. According to the Employment Development Department’s most recent data released on April 16, Santa Barbara County’s unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in March, an improvement from 7.2 […]
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Teachers union, district at an impasse in contract negotiations
After a year and a half of contract negotiations between the Santa Maria-Bonita School District and the teachers union, there were some areas where the two parties could not reach an agreement, leading the union to declare a unilateral impasse. The last collective bargaining contract reached by the district and the union was valid from […]
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Santa Maria holds workshops to educate public about new mobile car washing regulations and answer questions
The city of Santa Maria held true to its promise to provide education and outreach around the recently passed mobile car washing ordinance, hosting two bilingual Zoom workshops on April 28 and 29. Local mobile washers had an opportunity get any confusion cleared up around the ordinance, and city officials said they will continue to […]
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Public Health officials urge vaccination as some appointments go unfilled
As Santa Barbara County races to vaccinate as many residents as possible and ward off the spread of more dangerous COVID-19 variants, public health officials say not all available vaccine appointments are filling up, and a significant chunk of community members remain on the fence about getting inoculated. “The scarcity of vaccine supply does not […]
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Some Santa Maria high school seniors return to classroom
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District seniors returned to in-person learning for the first time in more than a year on April 20, and school officials say all is going well so far. Some students opted to continue distance learning, and those who returned are on a hybrid model. For now, only 12th grade […]
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The Burn Cycle Project’s latest exhibit inspires fire prevention, celebrates the beauty of wildfire as natural and necessary
The smell of wood is first to hit my senses upon entering Walk Into Wildfire, an immersive multimedia exhibit on display at the Buellton Recreation Center. As I walk toward the centerpiece of the exhibit—careful not to trip, as it’s the only light source in the otherwise pitch-black room—I can feel the crunch of mulch […]
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Labor contractors, farmworker organizations agree that the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is the right step forward
Alexandra Allen, owner of Main Street Produce and Freshway Farms, has operated her Santa Maria-based businesses alongside her husband since the ’70s. But only in the last few years did they begin to use the H-2A program, which allows foreign agricultural workers to labor in the U.S. on a temporary visa. “The H-2A program has […]
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Santa Barbara County moves to orange tier for first time
For the first time since the state’s implementation of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy reopening guidelines, Santa Barbara County is in the orange, “moderate spread” tier, allowing an ease in restrictions for many business sectors. As of April 20, the county’s adjusted case rate sat at 4.5, its positivity rate at 1.8 percent, and […]
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Local schools, colleges, get millions from American Rescue Plan
Local K-12 schools, colleges, and universities are receiving millions of dollars in funds from the American Rescue Plan, aid that legislators and school officials say will help educational institutions stay afloat as the pandemic rages on. In Santa Barbara County, K-12 schools are receiving $208 million total, and in San Luis Obispo County, $68 million, […]