The California Nurses Association (CNA) joined parents and students in a rally on May 19 outside of the Lucia Mar Unified School District’s board meeting to continue protests against the Phillips 66 rail spur project. “As advocates for patient health, RNs have serious concerns about the health and safety implications of the proposed oil by […]
SEAN MCNULTY
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Santa Maria City Council considers synthetic drug ban
The Santa Maria City Council was scheduled to vote on an ordinance to ban the possession, distribution, and sale of synthetic drugs within city limits on May19. The results of the vote weren’t available as of press time. The ordinance includes provisions to suspend or revoke the business licenses of businesses involved in the selling […]
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Berry boycott: Labor disputes in Baja California spill onto the Central Coast
Rows of green-topped fields are a staple on the Central Coast, and as soon as red starts showing up between the forest-colored leaves, those acres flood with workers running empty boxes to spots where they hover with hands that deftly seek out tart, sweet berries the color of blood. It’s part of the landscape, commonplace, […]
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Santa Barbara County’s ag industry brings in almost $1.5 billion in 2014
Santa Barbara County’s agricultural industry grew to almost $1.5 billion in 2014, according to a report released by the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. The report marks the ninth year in a row that agriculture surpassed the billion-dollar line. The numbers from 2014 are higher than 2013’s by some $53 million dollars—an increase which […]
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El Camino students hospitalized after smoking spice
A group of students from El Camino Junior High School ended up at Marian Regional Medical Center the morning of May 8 after reportedly smoking spice, a synthetic cannabinoid, before school. Maggie White, a spokesperson for Santa Maria-Bonita School District, told the Sun that five students had smoked spice at a student’s home before going […]
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Matt Sauer
Matt Sauer, Ernest Righetti High School sophomore and pitcher for the school’s baseball team, allowed no walks and four hits during the Warriors’ game against San Luis Obispo High School on May 4. He threw a complete game and struck out 11 batters, leading his team to a 4-0 shutout. So far this season, he’s […]
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife releases a draft recovery plan for the California tiger salamander in Santa Barbara County
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently pinned a tentative price tag on what it could cost to save Santa Barbara County’s California tiger salamanders. The draft recovery plan, published on April 24, calls for more than $46 million to purchase and protect more than 30,000 acres of salamander habitat in the county. The […]
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Hancock alum Artis-Payne drafted by the Carolina Panthers
Allan Hancock College alum Cameron Artis-Payne was recently drafted by the Carolina Panthers during the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Artis-Payne was the 17th running back selected and the 174th pick overall. He could not be reached for comment as of press time. Artis-Payne is the first former Hancock football player drafted since […]
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Lucia Mar’s superintendent is leaving
After seven somewhat contentious years at the head of the Lucia Mar Unified School District, Superintendent Jim Hogeboom announced plans to move on to another district. He’s likely leaving for a superintendent position with Novato Unified School District in the Bay Area. In a statement to district staff, Hogeboom said that he and his wife […]
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APCD takes a stand on greenhouse gases
The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, which governs the parts of our air too small to see but big enough to worry about, recently decided to strengthen the threshold for greenhouse gases. In a special meeting on April 30, the APCD’s board voted to adopt a bright line of 10,000 metric tons of […]
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Hancock pushes toward comprehensive aquatics program, adds women’s water polo
Allan Hancock College will introduce a women’s water polo program come fall. The team will be funded in part by money formerly allocated to Hancock’s women’s cross country team. Practices are set to begin on Aug. 15, and the team will begin competition in September. Ben Britten, assistant coach for Hancock’s nascent swim team, will […]
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Driscoll’s Berries faces Strawberry Festival protest
Protestors gathered outside the gates to call for a boycott of the Santa Maria Strawberry Festival over the weekend of April 25. Colorful signs painted with strawberries and “HULEGA!!”—meaning ‘strike’ in English—waved as sharply-dressed families walked by. They picketed in solidarity with massive strikes in Baja California, Mexico. Tens of thousands of berry pickers walked […]
