The Santa Maria Public Airport District is a bit closer to filling a vacancy on the Board of Directors, but board members will still need more time to narrow down their pick from six viable candidates. At the July 14 board meeting, the four directors held a vote on who would fill the seat. The […]
MATT FOUNTAIN
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Buellton chimes in on SmartMeter controversy
The city of Buellton will send a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission requesting the state regulator mandate that Pacific Gas & Electric offer a no-cost opt-out clause for its controversial SmartMeter program. On July 14, the Buellton City Council voted 4-1, with Mayor Ed Andrisek dissenting, to send the utilities commission a letter […]
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Amazon’s leading the charge against an online sales tax
One of the nation’s largest online retailers is seeking a referendum to bring before voters the issue of whether such companies are required to charge sales tax for their products, even if they do not have a physical presence—a brick-and-mortar retail location—in the state. Seattle-based retail giant Amazon.com filed a petition July 11 to bring […]
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‘There’s nothing new or different here’
PG&E tweaks terminology used to describe the Hosgri Fault
It was less than an hour after sunrise on a brisk and gloomy June morning, and a lone reporter with a skull heavy from a serious case of Monday morning delirium trudged sleepily down the desolate streets, ultimately slumping into his chair in a dark, empty office. The reason for this unusually early start to […]
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Judge orders protection plans for 27 local species
In response to a long-simmering lawsuit, a federal judge has ordered the U.S. Forest Service to enact additional protections for 27 threatened local plant and animal species within the Los Padres National Forest. The order follows a 2008 civil suit filed by a coalition of environmental conservation groups, including Los Padres ForestWatch, the Sierra Cub, […]
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Lompoc City Council members speak before redistricting commission
After a citizens commission charged with redrafting state representative boundaries released a preliminary draft essentially splitting the city of Lompoc in half, city officials have been trying to send the commission a message of disapproval—but it hasn’t been easy. On June 10, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission released its first draft of new congressional, state […]
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Santa Barbara County budget receives deep cuts, again
The latest cuts proposed in the Santa Barbara County 2011-12 budget have many people working in social services and law enforcement warning of an unprecedented hard year. The county Board of Supervisors, tasked with covering a $72 million budget shortfall, made especially deep cuts to the county Sheriff’s Department, prompting a written statement released by […]
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Lompoc City Council discusses a redistricting draft
On June 10, the California Citizens Redistricting Committee released its first draft of new political boundaries throughout the state. The nonpartisan commission is aiming to redraft fair and clear-cut U.S. Congressional, state Assembly, and state Senate districts, while keeping cities and communities intact. But if approved, the new lines could create quite a headache for […]
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First draft redistricting maps released
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission has approved a first round of draft maps for new U.S. Congressional, state Senate, state Assembly, and state Board of Equalization districts. The maps are now available for public viewing, and will precede a public comment period to allow for citizen participation in the redistricting process. The commission released the […]
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Long-time Santa Maria Public Airport board member dies
Airport administrators, the business community, young golfers—they’re not so much mourning the loss of a friend and colleague as they are celebrating the life of one of the community’s most widely regarded civic leaders. Ted Eckert, 75, passed away June 7 after a prolonged illness, but according to the many community members who knew him—and […]
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County planning commissioner gets state education gig
Since taking office in January, Gov. Jerry Brown has made a host of appointments to state offices and commissions. And now, yet another candidate has been selected–this time from the Central Coast. Santa Barbara County Planning Commissioner Michael Cooney, 66, who represents the county’s 1st District, has been picked to become one of the top […]
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Capps joins call for Afghanistan withdrawal
Following the assassination of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the U.S. congressional call for a political settlement and an accelerated exit strategy from Afghanistan has increased in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, a recent vote in the capitol to mandate such a strategy failed by only a handful of votes. On May 26, U.S. […]
