Taylor O'Connor

toconnor@santamariasun.com
Posted inSpecial Issues

Volunteers for a CAUSE

MICOP, CAUSE volunteers give back to historically underserved communities and rally for change
by Taylor O'Connor

Get involved For more information on volunteering with the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), reach out to ana.huynh@mixteco.org. To learn more about Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), visit causenow.org. CAUSE Santa Maria is located at 120 E. Jones St., No. 120. Email zulema@causenow.org or daniel@causenow.org to learn more about becoming a […]

Posted inNews

Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approves new rooster ordinance

by Taylor O'Connor

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 (with 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson dissenting) to approve an ordinance that regulates the number of roosters on private properties to address noise complaints and illegal cockfighting concerns.  “When I was asking [my predecessor] about things that were tough on this board, he said, ‘You are […]

Posted inNews

CASA Santa Barbara County wants to recruit more volunteers so it can help more children in the foster care system

by Taylor O'Connor

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County served an estimated 509 children going through the court system in 2023, Executive Director Kim Colby Davis said. CASA becomes involved in a child’s life after the court and county social workers have decided that they need to intervene for the child’s safety and well-being. […]

Posted inNews

Judge rules in AMR’s favor in ambulance services lawsuit against the county

by Taylor O'Connor

Santa Barbara County’s current ambulance provider, American Medical Response (AMR), can continue serving the community until July 2024 after a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge ruled in the company’s favor.  Earlier this year, AMR sued Santa Barbara County for its decision to make the County Fire Department the new ambulance provider starting in March […]

Posted inNews

Santa Barbara-based tutoring center expands services into Lompoc

by Taylor O'Connor

With more than 64 percent of Lompoc Unified School District’s population considered socioeconomically disadvantaged and students in historically marginalized communities scoring below state learning standards in test scores, Connie Alexander and Audrey Gamble saw a need for additional educational support and services.  Alexander and Gamble own and operate Gateway Educational Services, a tutoring center founded […]

Posted inNews

No beds available

A lack of facilities, mental health providers cause Santa Barbara County to delay implementation of new state law
by Taylor O'Connor

Hospitals and emergency departments are going to “fail miserably” if Santa Barbara County implements new state legislation without giving the county’s health systems enough time to set up the support needed to manage a potential influx of patients, Denise McDonald told the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12.  “There’s nothing harder for an ER [emergency […]

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