A Lompoc man is facing a felony burglary charge after the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint in superior court alleging he broke into a Montecito home in the path of the Thomas Fire. Adam J. Smith, 32, was scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 21 for residential felony (first degree) burglary […]
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Spotlight on: Posh Pet Sitting
Joanne Trudeau, owner
When Joanne Trudeau took her two great danes to a nearby kennel before going on vacation a few years back, she knew at least one of the dogs was going to struggle with the experience. Instead, they both did. And by the time she and her husband, Michael, came home from their seven-day trip, the […]
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Seal the deal: Santa Barbara County government and cultivators work to hammer out recreational cannabis regulations for 2018
For the past two decades, California has regulated medicinal cannabis with a loose legal framework. On Jan. 1, 2018, all that goes up in smoke, and counties like Santa Barbara are scrambling to keep up as the state steadily releases its new set of rules for legalized adult-use recreational marijuana. The day will mark the […]
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Crews make gains against historic Thomas Fire
After two brutal, blistering weeks of burning, the Thomas Fire is finally slowing down. On Dec. 19, the incident’s command team released an update reporting crews were able to strengthen containment lines due to minimal fire activity the night before. As of the Sun’s press time, the fire’s size was 271,750 acres, or more than […]
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Honey oil lab found in path of Thomas Fire
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office raided a Montecito home on Dec. 13 in the Thomas Fire mandatory evacuation zone after fire crews noticed signs of a marijuana “butane honey oil” extraction lab. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies seized more than 300 to 500 pounds of cut marijuana, numerous cans of unopened butane fuel, […]
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Reused Falcon 9 to launch Iridium satellites from Vandenberg
The heaviest payload in SpaceX history is set to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base laden with low-orbit communication satellites on Dec. 22. Iridium CEO Matt Desch told the Sun in an email that the company is investing $3 billion to replace an older satellite network that dates back two decades. He said the […]
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EPA takes public comment before pushing forward with Casmalia Resources Superfund Site
The first time Terri Stricklin heard about the extent of the toxic waste dump just a mile or so north of the unincorporated community of Casmalia was in 1980. “It was funny,” she told the Sun at her family’s steakhouse, The Hitching Post, one of the town’s only attractions. “This guy was painting trucks for […]
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Witness helps Sheriff’s Office nab sexual assault suspect
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested an 18-year-old Santa Maria man on Dec. 6, after a witness reported seeing him assault and attempt to rape a 15-year-old girl. The Sheriff’s Office stated that Nicholas Padilla, 18, was driving on the 2600 block of West Main Street on Dec. 6 when he “became angry with […]
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Firefighters make gains with Thomas Fire
Mild winds on the night of Dec. 11 helped fire crews across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties make significant gains on establishing a perimeter around the flaming behemoth known as the Thomas Fire. The frenetic fire spun out of control on Dec. 4 in Ventura County and burned 234,000 acres—266 square miles—by Dec. 12, making […]
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Spotlight on: Hans Duus Blacksmith
Hans Duus, owner
Hans Duus, 66, has been working with metals for more than 50 years. “I like being around a forge,” he told the Sun. “I grew up in it.” Duus first sank his teeth into the craft when he was just a teenager, when he joined a welding class in high school. It was during that […]
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Attorney adds context to detainment lawsuit against Marian Medical, county
The attorney for a San Luis Obispo couple who attempted to sue Marian Regional Medical Center for wrongful detainment added clarity to the complex case while responding to an article published in the Sun on Nov. 30 (“Wrongfully detained?”). “To be detained involuntarily is among the most traumatizing thing that can occur to a person. […]
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County status report shows Greka responsible for majority of petroleum violations
Santa Barbara County Planning and Development staff found that Greka Energy led the pack in terms of violations and fines compared to other oil and gas producers in the county. In an annual report presented to the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 5, county petroleum staff noted 161 violations were issued following petroleum unit inspections […]