With more people filling up classes and its membership rates growing every month, the Solvang Senior Center added new programs and more opportunities for seniors to explore their community and make new friends. “It’s important for people to socialize, and that’s something we also offer: the chance to socialize while they are also keeping healthy, […]
Taylor O'Connor
Posted inNews
County releases draft ag enterprise ordinance for public comment
Santa Barbara County is moving an ordinance forward that would expand some allowed uses or activities on agriculture land in an effort to ensure long-term financial sustainability for the industry, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann told the Sun. “I am very concerned about the resilience of agriculture under the conditions of climate change and what […]
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County Superior Court denies Rancho La Laguna subdivision project
After dedicating more than a decade of time, resources, and energy to fight what would be a historic development project in the Santa Ynez Valley, Carla Frisk finally saw a judge rule in favor of agricultural preservation. “It was really amazing. … We had worked on it for so long,” Frisk said. “This means that […]
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The United States Youth Volleyball League opens up registration for its fall youth leagues on the Central Coast
If you’re looking for a new sport for your child to try outside of school hours, the United States Youth Volleyball League has been on the Central Coast for 20 years, Executive Director Veronica Sanchez said. “We’ve been in Santa Maria for quite a few years, at least 15 years,” Sanchez said. “There was […]
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Cuyama residents launch carrot boycott as groundwater adjudication begins
A judge pushed back the Cuyama groundwater adjudication’s first phase to Oct. 9 because Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms failed to publish a notice in a local news outlet and still need to serve 314 landowners, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Firm Attorney Kay March told the Sun. California civil codes require those serving adjudications to […]
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Bureau of Land Management orders oil company to plug wells in Carrizo
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management began the next steps in a 2022 settlement by issuing an order to E&B Natural Resources to plug 11 dormant oil wells and remove the surrounding infrastructure within the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The settlement occurred after Los Padres ForestWatch and the Center for Biological Diversity sued the Bureau […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Education Today 2023: Filling the gap
With school starting, it’s time for the Sun’s annual Education Today issue. One of the most pressing issues in education—other than the remaining impacts of COVID-19—is a teacher shortage. But there’s a program on the Central Coast that’s aiming to do something about it. The Ticket 2 Teach program is all about learning on the job and helping potential educators make their way toward the certifications they need to teach in local schools. Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal from the Sun’s sister paper writes about it [6]. Also in this issue, read about a new club sport that your child can learn all about outside of school [7].
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Whose water?
Commercial carrot growers sued Cuyama Valley residents over groundwater and the first hearing is coming up
As the Cuyama Unified School District stepped out of a financial crisis after years of budget struggles, Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms sued the district over groundwater rights. And if the district didn’t join in the adjudication case, it risked losing water rights altogether, Superintendent Alfonso Gamino said. “We have it in our budget for […]
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County looks to future ag industry challenges after releasing 2022 crop report
Agriculture remains Santa Barbara County’s largest producing industry with a gross production value of more than $1.93 billion, according to the 2022 county Agricultural Crop Report—a 5 percent increase from the 2021’s numbers. “We are certainly seeing an increase as we are getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more and more people are going […]
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Newsom’s senior advisor on homelessness visits Santa Barbara County
Hafsa Kaka, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s senior advisor on homelessness, was scheduled to visit Hedges House of Hope in Isla Vista, Buena Tierra in Goleta, DignityMoves in Santa Barbara, and a future housing project, La Posada, in unincorporated Santa Barbara on Aug. 2, after the Sun went to press. Lucille Boss, Santa Barbara County’s encampment response […]
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County kicks off new mobile farmworker resource center
Employment, education, financial, emergency, and health and human services assistance are the main goals for Santa Barbara County’s new mobile farmworker resource center. “We want to do case [management] and have that discussion to figure out the true needs [they] have. Is it a day care situation, lack of food, or lack of training?” program […]
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Federal court rules that Pine Mountain tree removal project can move ahead
A federal judge ruled in favor of a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) chaparral removal project on Pine Mountain following a lawsuit brought forth by several environmental organizations and government agencies with concerns about environmental law violations. “The court concludes that the USFS relied on best available science … and concludes that plaintiffs have failed to […]
