It’s been nearly two years since the last Santa Maria Strawberry Festival, a beloved and emblematic annual tradition in the valley. Last year’s event was canceled on March 21, less than a week after the county reported its first case of COVID-19. While the festival in its usual form can’t return just yet, the Santa […]
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Santa Barbara County reaches orange tier metrics, but won’t move up just yet
While all of Santa Barbara County’s COVID-19 metrics now meet the orange tier requirements in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, it won’t be able to officially move into the less restrictive tier just yet. Meanwhile, hospitalizations continue to decrease as the county progresses with its vaccine rollout. As of April 13, the county’s test […]
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Central Coast organizations like Casa of Hope in Santa Maria and RISE in SLO are committed to supporting survivors of sex trafficking
Casa of Hope is a nonprofit in Santa Maria that’s dedicated to providing safe housing for survivors of sex trafficking, and Executive Director Ellen Torres understands the importance of this resource from personal experience. She survived sex trafficking in Santa Maria when she was a teenager. “When I was 16 my family moved here from […]
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Santa Maria City Council passes mobile car washing ordinance despite public opposition
After catalyzing community protests and lengthy discussion among elected officials, a Santa Maria ordinance that will regulate mobile car washers narrowly passed at a recent City Council meeting. As council members listened to public comment and discussed the ordinance on April 6, the sound of protesters was audible over the meeting’s livestream. Two weeks earlier, […]
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County public safety departments want better data, technology capabilities
Budget workshops in Santa Barbara County are underway, the last step before the county releases a recommended budget in May and begins budget hearings in June. Workshops kicked off on April 12 with public safety department heads each making cases for their financial needs to the Board of Supervisors, a conversation that largely centered on […]
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Santa Maria delivery drivers successfully vote out union, but union officials say members were swayed
Workers at a Santa Maria delivery driving company recently voted to remove their union from representing them. While the workers’ legal representatives called it a case of “unwanted monopoly ‘representation,’” union officials say the vote is the result of a “massive anti-union campaign” by one of the largest private companies in the United States. The […]
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With more allocations and a new registration system, more Santa Barbara County residents can get COVID-19 vaccines
If you’re wondering when it will be your turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the answer may soon be found on My Turn, a state-run vaccine scheduling platform that’s being onboarded by providers in Santa Barbara County and across California. “The state envisions My Turn as the single point where communities across the state can […]
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Teachers union, Santa Maria-Bonita district are back at the bargaining table after months of tension over in-person plans
When Adam Elementary PE teacher and mother Desirae Felix heard that teachers were being asked to teach from their classrooms at the start of the school year last fall—despite students still being at a distance—her mind immediately went to who was going to watch her own kids. As a member of the Santa Maria Elementary […]
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Leadership Santa Maria Valley class unveils mobile observatory, children’s bedtime story as legacy projects for community
Local residents will be able to access a new mobile observatory and have the opportunity to purchase a Santa Maria-themed children’s bedtime story, thanks to a collaborative project between Leadership Santa Maria Valley class of 2020 and the city Recreation and Parks Department. The mobile observatory, which was unveiled March 20, is part of the […]
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Carbajal says border facilities are improving, but work remains
After a recent visit to a border facility that temporarily houses unaccompanied minors, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) said he noticed a large improvement in conditions when compared to facilities he visited in the past. However, Carbajal and local immigration justice advocates both say there is still work to be done. “I can tell […]
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SMBSD seeks to address inequities between student groups
Mixteco-speaking and English learning students in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District are behind their peers in certain subjects, according to data presented at a recent school board meeting. The data was introduced at a March 24 school board study session centered on equity, where board members and district officials discussed how they can work to […]
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A coalition of local business owners is demanding change to COVID-19 restrictions
As the end of the workday nears on March 16, people holding protest signs began to gather outside of Santa Maria City Hall. One man carried a camping chair with an American flag printed on the canvas and set it up among the growing crowd. A woman held a white sign with “We are essential” […]