After Santa Maria Public Airport District directors failed to elect a fifth member to their board, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to fill the vacancy with a familiar face, thereby avoiding a possibly expensive special election. The supervisors unanimously voted on Sept. 6 to appoint Santa Maria industrial welder Donald Lahr to […]
MATT FOUNTAIN
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Will Lompoc officials woo the Amgen tour?
It will be a lot of work, city officials admit, but if Lompoc can pique the interest of officials for the famed Amgen bicycle tour, the payoff could be considerable—both in exposure on the international scene and in terms of tourism revenue. As of press time, the Lompoc City Council was scheduled to consider submitting […]
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Turbine project near Santa Maria Airport rejected
It’s not easy being green. That’s essentially what the president of a local renewable energy consulting firm said after federal and local officials rejected a proposal to construct a set of turbine towers near the western boundary of the Santa Maria Public Airport. The Santa Barbara-based firm Community Renewable Solutions, LLC, proposed building seven wind […]
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Burning through the sky
A hypersonic vessel disappears after its Vandenberg launch, but was it really a success?
It travels at speeds in excess of 13,000 miles per hour, weathering extreme temperatures of more than 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Engineers and analysts expect this hypersonic glider to one day be capable of delivering a conventional warhead payload to a target anywhere around the globe within 60 minutes. It’s the fastest aircraft ever built, a […]
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RTA bus driver arrested after dropping off passengers
A San Luis Obispo Regional Transit bus driver was arrested Aug. 22 on suspicion driving under the influence of alcohol on a route from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo. According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department, at approximately 2:40 p.m., dispatch received a call from a passenger, reporting that the driver of the […]
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Lompoc accepts completion of wastewater upgrade
Lompoc officials signed off on the completion of the city’s Regional Wastewater Reclamation Plant Upgrade project, which included a $5 million settlement over a critical design error. The private company responsible for the error—not the city and, therefore, local taxpayers—will be on the hook to pay for the overrun. On Aug. 16, the Lompoc City […]
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Medicinal cannabis club proposed for Oceano
The proposed facility is likely to face opposition��” but could it be approved?
For the third time in four years, a medical marijuana facility has been proposed in San Luis Obispo County. But whether it will make it past the county planning commission is anyone’s guess. On May 25, Grover Beach resident Tammy Murray applied with the county’s Department of Planning and Building to open a facility in […]
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Former Lompoc police chief and mayor dies
Jimmy Dean “J.D.” Smith, a former police chief and mayor for the city of Lompoc, passed away on the morning of Aug. 12 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital following heart surgery. He was 80 years old. Smith spent more than 27 years serving the city in a variety of roles in law enforcement and city […]
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Redistricting Commission approves final draft
The historically significant citizens committee tasked with redrawing political districts across the state has voted to move its final draft to the public review stage before it’s expected to finalize the maps later this month. On July 29, the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted 13-1 to release the final preliminary draft of new state […]
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Airport District fails to agree on director
Despite optimism expressed by board members, appointing a new director to fill the seat left by vacant on the Santa Maria Airport District Board of Directors by the death of Ted Eckert has proved far more difficult than anticipated. On July 28, the district’s Board of Directors was scheduled for a second chance at appointing […]
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Judge blocks Myers defendants’ motions
The five defendants accused in the kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old Dystiny Myers were back in court on July 25, pursuing a couple of legal options—including a request for dismissal of the cases against four of the defendants. Attorneys for defendants Cody Miller, 22, of Fresno; and Frank York, 20; Jason Greenwell, 21; and Rhonda […]
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Officials seize pot worth $36.7 million in Los Padres National Forest
Members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department recently destroyed two major marijuana grows in Los Padres National Forest, the first in a number of expected efforts to come as the illegal harvest season begins to bear fruit, so to speak. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Drew Sugars confirmed July 25 that the department—in conjunction with the […]
