Whether it’s sipping on a sweet agua fresca, munching on smoky roasted corn, or chowing down on a juicy burger and crisp fries, Lompoc residents can find a variety of goodies at the city’s new Food Truck Collective. “This is a great opportunity for families to come out to experience some of the wonderful food […]
Taylor O'Connor
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Farm stays, camping, events approved as part of Ag Enterprise Ordinance
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first-of-its-kind Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance, closing years of time and effort poured into one document. “The AEO [Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance] supports the continuation of farming and ranching on agricultural lands,” Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann told the Sun. “It will allow for activities […]
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Bird, bat deaths take Strauss Wind project back to Planning Commission
At least 47 animal deaths, including one known golden eagle fatality, brought the Strauss Wind Energy Project back to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission to see if the project’s operations need to be adjusted to better preserve birds and bats. However, the Planning Commission decided that it needed more data before any significant operational […]
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office promotes its text-to-911 feature for emergencies
There are emergencies where calling 911 isn’t possible. “An example we had in 2021 was [a] passenger with a drunk driver,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Raquel Zick told the Sun. “They can’t just say, ‘Hey, this person is driving me down the San Marcos Pass and they’re drunk’ … situations where […]
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Restoring resources: While repairing damage from Lake Fire suppression efforts, the Forest Service and the Chumash protect Indigenous cultural sites
Chumash Fire Department Capt. Quntan Garcia placed a stalky beige plant into my hand and slowly trickled water from his Kirkland water bottle over it. My hands were slightly coated with dust after spending a dry October day outside on Sierra Madre in Los Padres National Forest. “This is soap plant,” he explained as he […]
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Telecommunication project permit changes raise public participation concerns
Local residents need more local authority when it comes to approving cell towers in neighborhoods, not less, Janet del’Giudice wrote to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission in a public comment letter. “I and thousands of people like me oppose installations of unneeded, overpowered cell towers, often without proper notification to occupants and without proof […]
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Santa Barbara County K-12 students invited to submit to Air Pollution Control District art contest
Playing outside, practicing sports, riding bicycles, and hiking on trails are a few of the activities highlighted in artwork Santa Barbara County students submitted for the Air Pollution Control District’s inaugural art contest. “It’s a way to bring awareness of the importance of clean air in our community and the progress we’ve made,” Air Pollution […]
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Heat shock: Cuyama Valley farmers lost crops due to extreme temperatures over the summer
White jujube flowers shriveled up and fell off Alisha Taff’s trees during the summer, and all she could do was watch. “The type of fruit tree I have is really resilient,” Taff said. “It’s the perfect tree to grow out here but the extreme duration and heat temperatures in July were very impactful. … When […]
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Board of Supervisors extends senior mobile home park protections as overlay develops
Senior mobile home parks will be protected from conversion to all-ages for 10 more months after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a moratorium extension during its Dec. 10 meeting. “The issue of senior mobile home park conversion mostly directly impacts my constituents in my district, especially in the Orcutt area—which has […]
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Hotel bed tax passes in county, Buellton and Solvang
Santa Barbara County’s visitors will soon see a higher bill at the end of their stay as local voters approved hotel bed tax increases throughout the region. In the face of slowed budget growth at the county level and high impacts from tourism in the Santa Ynez Valley region, Buellton, Solvang, and Santa Barbara County […]
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County Education Office, YouthWell train education staff assisting homeless and foster students
More than 13 percent of students enrolled in Santa Barbara County K-12 schools are considered homeless, and more than 260 students were in foster care during the 2022-23 school year. “In our county, the biggest issue that we face with our foster and homeless youth is that they are changing schools a lot, and so […]
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Santa Maria-Bonita and Lompoc Unified bond measures pass
Four North County school districts placed bond measures on the ballot this year to make site improvements or build a new school—with two passing the 55 percent voter approval threshold. The Santa Barbara County Elections Office certified elections on Dec. 3, with more than 187,000 voters casting their ballots for the general election—which is nearly […]