A Santa Maria police officer is on paid administrative leave and awaiting word whether he’ll be charged after his domestic violence-related arrest in early October. Israel Diaz, 25, a sworn officer with the Santa Maria Police Department, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence by sheriff’s deputies at his Santa Maria Valley residence shortly after […]
MATT FOUNTAIN
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Hospital provider pays out in discrimination suit
Catholic Healthcare West (CHW)—which owns Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria and dozens of other hospitals throughout the nation—has agreed to a landmark settlement in a lawsuit alleging it imposed discriminatory hurdles to employment for immigrant job-seekers. The Department of Justice announced on Oct. 19 that the hospital provider—the eighth largest in the nation—agreed to […]
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Lompoc wine center a no-go?
Developers cite a chaotic permit process for sticking their Old Town project in the mud
The developers of a proposed Lompoc wine and entertainment center—which many locals hoped would be a catalyst in revitalizing Old Town—now say the project may be abandoned. Lompoc business partners John Linn, Nick Gonzalez, and Ruben Solorzano have put more than $135,000 into the project in the past year for equipment and repairs, but repeated […]
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Santa Barbara County’s partnership with First 5 shows success
For situations involving child abuse, it’s too often said, “If only someone had caught the signs of trouble early on, before the problem developed.” But with the help of the state First 5 program, the Santa Barbara County Child Welfare Services’ Front Porch program has been putting forward a set of responses for preventing child […]
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Ballot measure to address state parks cuts
The latest state budget has proponents of state parks emphasizing the need for the passage of Proposition 21, the November ballot initiative that attempts to create an annual fee to keep the park system afloat. The proposition seeks to counteract this year’s $7 million cut in state park funding by creating a new, stable source […]
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Foster care legislation awaits governor’s signature
Despite two years of back and forth and several last-minute amendments, a bill to extend benefits for former foster youths passed through the California Assembly and the Senate and now sits on the governor’s desk. The response to Assembly Bill 12 was largely bipartisan in both houses, passing through the Assembly 73-2 and the Senate […]
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The public clamors over access to dunes committees
When it comes to the often contentious battle over off-roading at the Oceano Dunes, residents of the Nipomo Mesa and recreational riders rarely find common ground. On July 28, however, the two sides were able to agree on something: They want to be involved. At its July 28 meeting, the San Luis Obispo County Air […]
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Our own fault
Much remains uncertain about a newly discovered fault, including its implications
The devastating earthquake in Haiti, the massive rocker in Chile, small offshore quakes in Northern California, and the 7.2 temblor that hit Mexicali in recent months have heightened concerns about local geologic faults, especially the potential for damage to the nuclear reactors at the Diablo Canyon power station and the storage casks for spent fuel […]
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Dust kickers
Look more into the debate around the study that blames off-road vehicles for air pollution
For some SLO County residents, the presentation by Air Pollution Control District (APCD) representatives to the SLO County Health Commission vindicated their concerns about poor air quality on the Nipomo Mesa. For others, namely those who drive off-highway vehicles (OHVs) at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, it came as a shock—that a state […]
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Poor air quality in Nipomo Mesa linked to off-road vehicles
It’s official: Off-road recreational vehicles are messing with the air quality of the Nipomo Mesa. That’s according to a scientific study by the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution District, released Feb. 22. High levels of coarse airborne particles—small enough to breathe in—are the root cause of the problem, and they’re not necessarily vehicle exhaust […]
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Time served?
After 38 years in prison, a former Manson follower has been recommended for parole
Can a person ever find redemption after participating in murder? Bruce Davis’ supporters think so. Now, apparently, so does a state parole board. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Board of Parole Hearings on Jan. 28 recommended parole for Davis, a former associate—or “Family member”—of the notorious Charles Manson. Davis, 67, has been […]
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Water waste?
Legislators passed a ‘historic’ water package, but voters may be reluctant to approve more debt
Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee persuaded enough of his Republican colleagues to narrowly pass comprehensive water legislation, the Senate followed suit, and the five-bill package—including an $11.1-billion bond measure—has been signed by the governor. Now the real fight begins. The package includes auspicious steps to conserve and regulate water usage in the state and examine […]
