For 10 years, the Pacific Pride Foundation has offered youth programs, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and a syringe exchange program in Santa Maria. Those programs are about to be a little more easy to access following the opening of the foundation’s newest location at 123 S. College Drive. The 17,000-square-foot space has several rooms […]
SPENCER COLE
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Iridium completes first launch of year with SpaceX
A SpaceX rocket carrying 10 state-of-the-art communications satellites successfully blasted into low orbit on March 30 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, treating much of California’s coast that morning to views of a single contrail shooting straight toward the heavens. The satellites belong to Iridium Communications, a company that boasts it is the only one of […]
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Brian Olmstead gathers support in bid for Santa Barbara County Sheriff
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Lt. Brian Olmstead was the sole challenger to Sheriff Bill Brown. Lt. Eddie Hsueh is also running as of March 8, 2018. The current favorite to derail Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown’s continued tenure is Lt. Brian Olmstead, 48, a New Cuyama native with nearly […]
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Spotlight on: My805Tix
Alex Zuniga, art director/publisher, New Times Media Group
A new ticketing portal for live events is now available to Central Coast residents. The recently launched My805Tix owned by New Times Media Group (the Sun’s parent company) promises to provide a one-stop shop for locals to find and purchase tickets to local concerts, events, and shows. The media group, which also includes the New […]
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Lompoc City Council shoots down proposed cannabis tax
The nearest legal marijuana dispensary is currently some 120 miles from Santa Maria proper. That number promises to drop once the industry slowly establishes a foothold in Lompoc, which is just a 20-minute drive away. Santa Maria and Lompoc stand in stark contrast to each other on the issue of the cannabis industry. The Santa […]
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Former Lompoc Mayor John Linn accuses local papers of libel
A retired Central Coast city politician is crying foul following the publication of an article he claims is both defamatory and libelous. Former Lompoc Mayor John Linn, through attorneys at the law firm Lynberg and Watkins, sent a letter—obtained by the Sun—to the Santa Maria Times, the Lompoc Record, and local columnist Ron Fink alleging […]
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Spotlight on: Chick-fil-A
Joey Hickox, operator
Another new restaurant has opened its doors at the Enos Ranch shopping center in Santa Maria. On March 15, the Southern fried chicken restaurant chain, Chick-fil-A, officially began serving up order upon order of comfort food. “My team members and I can’t wait to serve our guests in the surrounding communities as we’re not just […]
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Santa Barbara County braces for massive winter storm
Emergency responders and planners in Santa Barbara County braced themselves for the worst as the largest storm of the year slowly made landfall beginning on March 20. That day, a mandatory evacuation order went out for the Thomas, Whittier, and Sherpa fires burn areas. As much as 10 inches of rain was expected to fall […]
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Santa Barbara County braces for massive winter storm
Emergency responders and planners in Santa Barbara County braced themselves for the worst as the largest storm of the year slowly made landfall beginning on March 20. That day, a mandatory evacuation order went out for the Thomas, Whittier, and Sherpa fires burn areas. As much as 10 inches of rain was expected to fall […]
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Lompoc to public: Stop setting dumpsters on fire
What’s that smell? It’s burning garbage, according to a statement issued by Lompoc’s public information officer, Samantha Scroggin, on March 19. “Five dumpster fires have been reported across the city to emergency dispatch since 2:30 a.m. Monday morning,” she wrote later that afternoon in an email. Scroggin said the city’s police and fire departments were […]
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Lompoc councilmember’s poop emoji bumper sticker brings up questions of ethics
A crude bumper sticker on the back of an elected official’s pickup truck in Lompoc sparked a dialogue in recent weeks about how representatives should conduct themselves in public. “I think it’s important to have in most any sort of elected body some sort of standards of conduct,” local columnist Ron Fink told the Sun. […]
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Lompoc YMCA names widow and late husband as honorary chairs
Before Jim Dixon passed away from esophageal cancer early last year, he asked his wife, Shelly, to do one thing for him. “He made me promise I would continue to support the Lompoc YMCA,” Shelly told the Sun. In March, Shelly and Jim were honored as the local YMCA’s honorary chairs, which represents the “essence […]