For 35 years, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District has been helping residents and business owners replace old equipment with newer, more environmentally friendly versions through its Clean Air Grants. “It’s been interesting to see how the technology has evolved over time and how the options have grown for cleaner engines, and also […]
Taylor O'Connor
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Taking out the trash
Santa Barbara County approves a contract with a new waste hauler, concerning Waste Management employees
Marisol Aldana began her career with Waste Management in 2017 as an account representative, but her history with Waste Management began when she was a child. Her father had just lost his job while going through a divorce and raising four children on his own, she said during public comment at the July 11 Santa […]
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Jail mental health provider and Sheriff’s Office need better communication, grand jury says
A 2022-23 Santa Barbara County grand jury report found that the Sheriff’s Office needs to improve the delivery of jail mental health services, mental health crisis prevention training, and interagency communication with its service provider, Wellpath. The jury looked into the death of a 40-year-old inmate, referred to as “NM,” who had a history of […]
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SMPD seeks City Council approval to receive donation for drones
The Santa Maria Police Department launched its drones program a few years ago in order to improve officer safety, diagram large crime scenes, and deploy during search and rescue operations, Cmdr. Jesse Silva told the Sun. “It’s just a piece of technology. We constantly look at better, safer ways to do things, and technology is […]
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Lompoc has a track and field that everyone in the community can use this summer
The revamped Lompoc Community Track and Field provides an outdoor exercise zone for people to work out and spend time with friends and family. “The idea was to create a safe space that was well lit when it was dark, that was free, that was accessible and centrally located in the heart of the community,” […]
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Local officials will host Guadalupe storm recovery update
The Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve remains closed seven months after the Santa Maria River shifted off its natural path in Guadalupe following the January storms. “People were asking questions about access to the dunes because the river wiped out access,” Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian told the Sun. “The county is working on getting it back […]
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Supervisors want to extend ‘death penalty’ cannabis tax measure to 60 days
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to revisit its “death penalty tax” on cannabis businesses to give operators more time to file their taxes and the treasurer-tax collector more time to process the filings. The supervisors unanimously voted on June 27 to require cannabis operators to file their quarterly taxes within a 30-day […]
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The Santa Barbara County Education Office offers externship programs to CTE teachers
Career technical education courses give students the opportunity to learn from professionals in fields like engineering; business and finance; agriculture; and media, arts, and entertainment, said Noelle Barthel, director of curriculum and instruction for the Santa Barbara County Education Office. “Many students participate in career technical education classes; there are different academies and stand-alone courses […]
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Welcome every baby
As a postpartum home visit program shuts down, Planned Parenthood takes on the task of restarting it
Traile Easland provided her first home nurse visit with Welcome Every Baby nearly 20 years ago. At first, she said she didn’t know what she was getting into as it felt like there wasn’t much of a plan when nurses approached new families. “I went back to my supervisor and said, ‘If I’m going to […]
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Supervisors amend county code to better protect renters
Toni Leon told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors that she had an eviction notice taped to the front door of her apartment on March 16. During the last few months, Leon said, she’s been looking for alternative housing that would meet her needs. As an elderly woman who has a medical issue, she’s […]
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SYV Pride receives state, local recognition for LGBTQ-plus advocacy
Through months facing community backlash, advocating for the LGBTQ-plus community on local and international levels, and a second Pride flag theft in Los Olivos, Santa Ynez Valley (SYV) Pride came out on the other side with a very successful Pride month, Vice President Alyce Barrick said. “This has probably been the most emotionally fulfilling month […]
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Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm celebrates the flowers’ peak bloom and grand opening with July events
The lavender at Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm is coming into full bloom just in time for the farm’s grand opening, Lucas Neumann said. Neumann works as the vice president of the Lompoc-based farm alongside his mother, Denise. The pair held a soft-launch for their farm in 2022 with property tours and private events because […]
