When Amanda James’ mother passed away last Christmas, it made her want to do something to give back to her community. As someone who’s always been into health and fitness and as a special education teacher at Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s Tommie Kunst Junior High School, she said wanted to do something that would benefit […]
Taylor O'Connor
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The future of food
The federal government points to the Santa Barbara Channel as an area for potential fish farms
Environmental advocacy groups, local fisheries, chefs, and law firms are working their way up the food chain to get President Joe Biden to revoke a Trump-era executive order allowing fish farms in federal waters—with eight potential sites identified in the Santa Barbara Channel. “This is your backyard, and they are treating your backyard like a […]
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Santa Ynez High School principal announces plan to resign
Once he finishes his one-year term as Santa Ynez Valley Union High School principal, Michael Niehoff plans to resign, according to a statement from Niehoff that was read out loud during the April 18 school board meeting. “My goal was to be an instructional leader first and foremost. I worked hard to model and live […]
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Local, national harm reduction organizations ask for an extension on an essential state grant set to end in December
A lot more people are going to die from overdoses if harm reduction funding stops, Lois Petty said. “We’re on the front line; our participants are saving lives, not law enforcement, not the EMTs. Our people are on the front lines and they are the ones who are going to suffer from all of this,” […]
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Santa Maria residents demand justice after off-duty officer-involved shooting
Cries for justice echoed throughout Santa Maria’s streets during an April 9 march for José Manuel Reyes Rios, a 19-year-old Santa Maria resident who died during an off-duty Santa Maria Police officer-involved shooting in late March. Residents, community organizations, and nonprofits like One Community Action—an organization dedicated to addressing inequities and violence and promoting community-centered […]
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Copenhagen mayor writes to Solvang supporting LGBTQ-plus community
Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, lord mayor of Copenhagen, Denmark, wrote a letter to her Solvang counterpart, Mark Infanti, urging him to give his local Pride full support, according to Copenhagen Pride. Andersen’s letter followed Copenhagen Pride’s meeting with Santa Ynez Valley Pride in March to discuss the City Council’s February denial of a proposal to hang […]
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Allan Hancock College’s rodeo team looks for new coach and new practice space
Allan Hancock College didn’t have a rodeo team until 2019 when Erin Krier heard from potential students that they were going to Cuesta College instead for opportunities to compete at a collegiate level. Krier explained that the notion of a Hancock rodeo team had come up in previous discussions with the Allan Hancock College Boosters—a […]
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LAFCO denies Lompoc proposal to annex farmland for housing development
Environmental advocates and farmers called a recent local agency decision a victory for preserving agricultural land, while Lompoc city officials called it a loss for housing opportunities. Lompoc submitted a proposal to annex 148 acres of farmland—in the county’s jurisdiction along Bailey Avenue—for residential development to the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), a […]
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Political Watch – April 13, 2023
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado) sent a letter to the CEOs of 27 major companies accused of exploiting migrant children for labor, urging them to take immediate steps to stop any unlawful exploitation or ill treatment of children, according to an April 5 statement from Padilla’s office. Some […]
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As high schools face the local fentanyl problem, parents want better communication about on-campus overdoses and more awareness for kids
Poisonous problem
Pioneer Valley High School parent Vanessa Valadez first heard about possible drug overdoses on campus from her daughter, a freshman, rather than getting notified by administration. “For me, it wasn’t that it was very surprising, but it was very concerning because we had no information,” Valadez said. “If we had more information, it would be […]
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Santa Maria’s Downtown Fridays return and expect continued growth as the city continues to approve revitalization projects
Ed Carcarey and his partner wanted to create a community event that allowed Santa Maria residents to gather downtown eight years ago, but Carcarey said he didn’t think it would ever be possible. “At the time, the economy wasn’t doing great, and I [knew] enough about the city’s finances so I didn’t think it would […]
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Good Samaritan Shelter advocates for grant funding from Santa Maria
For the first time in more than 20 years, Good Samaritan Shelter didn’t receive a Santa Maria public services grant allocation, and it could potentially impact how certain services can operate, Executive Director Sylvia Barnard told the Sun. She planned to approach the Santa Maria City Council during its April 4 meeting, which was held […]
