Power tools whirred atop the roof of a modest Santa Maria home as a work crew of 10 volunteers mounted a set of solar panels on a sunny November afternoon. Once installed, the new solar grid would reduce the family’s electric bill by as much as 80 percent, the workers said. Their efforts, like the […]
SPENCER COLE
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Central Coast super region touted by local politicians and business leaders
The idea is a simple one: Stop competing with your neighbors, share information, work collaboratively, and in turn foster growth. This is the sales pitch from a newly unveiled organization backed by 13 Central Coast chambers of commerce that aims “to tackle the region’s systemic economic challenges” by creating a “super region” from Lompoc to […]
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County taking public comment on proposed Cat Canyon oil field
After four years of waiting, Aera Energy’s environmental impact report (EIR) for its East Cat Canyon Oil Field redevelopment project is available for public inspection. The Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department released the draft document on Nov. 30. Aera, which is owned by the Exxon Mobil Corporation and the Shell Energy Company, is […]
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SpaceX helps complete historic launch at Vandenberg
Hundreds of people lined West Ocean Avenue just outside of Lompoc and Vandenberg Air Force Base on Dec. 3 to witness a historic SpaceX rocket launch. Viewers were greeted with clear skies as the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket carried 64 different spacecraft from 34 separate organizations as part of the Spaceflight Industries SSO-A: SmallSat Express […]
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Cal Poly cube sats help NASA stay in touch with InSight lander
NASA’s InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars on Nov. 26 to enormous fanfare worldwide. The mission’s engineers, including a team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, were able to stay in contact with the vessel thanks to two cube satellites that were tested and prepped by Cal Poly engineers and students just […]
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Central Coast Chambers of Commerce announce new partnership
A new nonprofit economic development organization says its intended goal is to create a Central Coast “super region” spanning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc to Camp Roberts north of Paso Robles. More than a dozen Central Coast chambers of commerce, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria Valley, Solvang, and Templeton, rolled out the […]
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Local fire artists find peace in the middle of infernos
Engulfed in flames
Engulfed in flames Local fire artists find peace in the middle of infernos “Don’t try this at home,” Shayne Mastriano says before guzzling a mouthful of highly refined lamp oil. He’s careful not to swallow the liquid that his peers claim tastes like a combination of candle wax and coconut oil. Mastriano sidles over […]
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Spotlight on: EcoWatch Movie Nights
Mikel Robertson, co-owner, Green Goods
To close out the year, four Central Coast companies are holding three separate screenings of environmentally conscious themed films. “We choose films that may cover ‘eco’ or ‘green’ topics, including water quality issues, natural resource preservation, animal protection, waste issues, globalization, recycling, and sustainable agriculture,” said Mikel Robertson, co-owner of Green Goods. He told the […]
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Final H2-A meeting filled with opposition to city’s current plan and timeline
The final of five community meetings held by Santa Maria city officials focusing on seasonal farmworker housing was met with fierce opposition from the local ag community on Nov. 15. Of greatest concern among the several dozen residents gathered that night in a small room at the Minami Community Center was how quickly the city […]
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Santa Barbara County collects first pot taxes while tightening enforcement
It’s still a long and windy road before commercial cannabis regulations are set in stone in Santa Barbara County, but officials are already seeing dividends in the form of tax revenue. According to Assistant CEO Dennis Bozanich, the county’s lead on cannabis enforcement, compliance, and regulation, around $1.8 million in taxes were collected from 30 […]
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County supervisors hear report on Lompoc’s homeless triage center
The Lompoc homeless emergency shelter, or triage center, closed on Oct. 9 of this year but not before county social workers were able to assist some 70 affected individuals. According to Lompoc Police Capt. Deanna Clement, about half that number made what she called “positive moves.” At least three were relocated to permanent housing; […]
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Business community eyes diversified approach to keeping and bringing “living wage” jobs to Santa Barbara County
It was a packed house at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott on Nov. 8, and the topic at hand was jobs and how to bring more to Santa Barbara County. Business ranging from Pacific Coast Energy to Halsell Builders to communications giant Comcast shelled out $750 per table and $85 a plate to hear how […]