Christopher Miller, a 67-year-old Los Alamos resident, pleaded guilty in Santa Barbara County Superior Court for failing to complete lobster commercial fishing records and paid $19,340 in restitution to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and a partnering nonprofit agency to remove at least 156 abandoned lobster traps around Santa Cruz Island. Lobster […]
Taylor O'Connor
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The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum hosts its annual Kite Festival for families to spend time together
The Santa Maria Family Kite Festival is one of Jenn Malone’s favorite days of the year. “There’s something about hundreds of kites in the air flying harmoniously at the same time. It’s a miracle they don’t get tangled, but I love the joy these kids are expressing [during] their fun and learning,” said Malone, the […]
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Das Williams behind, fellow incumbents lead in Santa Barbara County supervisor races
A round of applause and shouts burst out in the Santa Maria Country Club as preliminary election results loaded on a big screen, showing Santa Barbara County 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson ahead of challenger and Los Alamos resident Krishna Flores. “I’m floored to be honest,” Nelson told the Sun on March 5. “There’s been […]
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‘Long overdue’
Santa Maria Fire Department implements annual physicals and seeks additional funding for preventative care
Santa Maria Fire Battalion Chief Evan Scott got his third physical exam in his 20-year career as a Santa Maria firefighter after he helped establish the department’s health and wellness program. “It was a big deal. It was the goal I was shooting for before I retired,” Scott told the Sun. “I banged that drum […]
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LA Superior Court rules on Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin boundaries
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge confirmed that the Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin is one connected basin—not separate subbasins—allowing for the groundwater adjudication to move forward following a year-and-a-half of delays and litigation. “The court has been scrupulous to confine phase one of this adjudication to the boundaries of the court’s in rem [personal […]
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Lompoc man found guilty of fentanyl distribution resulting in death
A Los Angeles jury found Kaelen Jacobkeali Wendel—a 32-year-old Lompoc resident and northern Santa Barbara County jail inmate—guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death and serious injury of two inmates, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. According to court documents, Wendel smuggled fentanyl into the North County Jail’s D unit on […]
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Los Olivos-based nonprofit gives college scholarships to North County students studying natural sciences
Nancy Stearns was a longtime volunteer with NatureTrack, a K-12 program that helps kids experience the outdoors through field trips and accessibility programming, NatureTrack Founder Sue Eisaguirre told the Sun. “She was a dedicated volunteer; she loved being out there with the kids and just getting them to use all of their senses. She would […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Weddings Issue 2024
In this year’s annual issue, you can find the latest dress fashion, traditions and where they came from, and the vintage cake trend
Wedding season is almost here, and we’ve got some information for those of you still trying to decide what to do for yours. In this year’s annual Weddings Issue, Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor speaks with wedding dress purveyors and planners about what’s on-trend in bride and bridesmaid fashion; Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey from the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Unique expression
Central Coast wedding planners and dress shop owners say wedding fashion is both classic and changing
Call the pros Check out Moondance Bridal’s styles or book an appointment at moondancebridal.com. Reach out to Perfect Timing by Danette Castillo through perfecttimingbydanettecastillo.com and Brenda Cali at Gatherings for Good through gatheringsforgood.com. Weddings are about fashion, style, and individual expression as much as they are about bringing two people together. Every person getting married […]
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State budget deficit shadows Assembly race
Facing a projected $73 billion budget deficit, state Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) adjusted his priorities going into the March 5 primary, Hart told the Sun. “There’s no rosy way to describe the situation; we’ve had very strong budgets for more than … 10 years, and we want to do what we can to protect […]
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Santa Maria union gets contract, firefighters seek talks
Salaries and benefits should have been considered when the Santa Maria City Council discussed long range planning for the Fire Department, Firefighters Local 2020 union President and Fire Capt. Matthew Chircop said. “The message we’ve been communicating with the City Council and the public: because our pay is falling farther and farther behind the market, […]
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County Sheriff’s Office highlights program that finds missing at-risk individuals
A man with dementia was reunited with his family after having been missing for an entire day, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “If you’ve had someone who’s gone missing or prone to confusion or wandering because of some sort of medical condition, [Project Lifesaver] would be a good thing to consider,” Sheriff’s […]
