When the Chumash Foundation was looking for a beneficiary for its 2015 Charity Golf Classic, the organization’s team saw a need for funding to upgrade technology resources in Santa Ynez Valley schools and classrooms. “Technology is ever-present in our world, and we realize that teachers and administrators are expected to educate without vital resources they […]
Taylor O'Connor
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U.S. Forest Service lifts 60-day Los Padres closure
Hikers and outdoor recreators can now hit the trails again in Los Padres National Forest as the U.S. Forest Service opened up access where it could. But the agency is still keeping severely damaged roads, trails, and campgrounds closed off to the public, Los Padres spokesperson Andrew Madsen told the Sun. The new order follows […]
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Central Coast energy agencies offer incentives to electrify home and heating systems
Recent extreme natural gas prices had a huge impact on Central Coast residents, with SoCalGas’ rates tripling from $1.05 per therm in December 2022 to $3.45 in January 2023. Three energy agencies are offering opportunities to switch to cleaner, more sustainable sources for heating. The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN), Central Coast Community Energy, and […]
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The U.S. Forest Service works with several nonprofit organizations to repair Los Padres National Forest trails and roads after significant storm damages
A “tidal wave” of water ripped through Colson Canyon Road, wiping it out entirely after the area received 10 inches of rain in one day during the January storms that drenched Santa Barbara County, Paul Antolini said. “There’s 30-feet sheer walls where the road used to be,” Antolini said. “It’s going to take quite a […]
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Pipeline proposal raises concerns about resuming oil operations
After six hours of debate, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission decided it needed more information before making a decision on a plan to update the Plains All American Pipeline that caused the Refugio oil spill in 2015. Plains Pipeline L.P. proposed installing 16 new safety valves along the existing pipeline system that hasn’t operated […]
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Federal court orders HVI Cat Canyon oil company to pay $65 million
In the 15 to 20 years that HVI Cat Canyon operated in Santa Barbara County, Errin Briggs saw one issue after another but never saw any improvements to the oil company’s operational behavior. As the Santa Barbara County Planning Department’s supervising planner overseeing oil and gas permits and leases, he and his staff would interact […]
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Carbajal wants California coast off ‘Big Oil’s shopping list’
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently reintroduced the California Clean Coast Act to the House of Representatives in order to protect the state from future offshore oil drilling. The bill aims to permanently ban future offshore oil and gas leasing off the Central Coast and the rest of California. Carbajal first introduced the bill […]
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County blizzard warning went into effect for the first time in decades
For the first time since 1989, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Santa Barbara County and snow fell at elevation levels as low as 1,500 feet. Robbie Munroe, a Los Angeles National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Sun that the system traveled from the Gulf of Alaska and Western Canada, bringing […]
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County residents receive food relief after January storms
Santa Barbara County received 1,129 CalFresh food benefit applications from residents claiming that they were impacted by the January storms, County Public Information Officer Kelsey Buttitta told the Sun. The California Department of Social Services opened up eligibility for individuals and families affected by the January storms to receive disaster CalFresh food benefits as part […]
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WomenHeart Champions hosts monthly meetings for Santa Barbara County women facing heart disease
After being a nurse working in cardiac rehabilitation for 30 years and a cardiac patient herself, Marsha Griggs decided to help other women facing heart disease by becoming a WomenHeart Champion. “Women tend to have different symptoms than men, and they’re more subtle,” Griggs said. “They are not diagnosed as easily as men; they’re misdiagnosed, […]
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Santa Barbara County’s taking public input on future housing development
Jobs-housing imbalance, long commutes, short-term rentals, and affordability issues are all Santa Barbara County problems. Each issue came up during the Feb. 14 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, when the governing body reviewed the county’s 2023-31 Housing Element. California requires local jurisdictions to look at housing needs every eight years and identify space […]
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North County disaster recovery center to close on Feb. 26
The Santa Barbara County storm disaster recovery centers are closing their doors after several weeks of operations, with Santa Maria’s Allan Hancock College location scheduled to close on Feb. 26, county Public Information Officer Kelsey Buttitta told the Sun. Both centers opened on Jan. 28 after President Joe Biden’s federal emergency declaration to provide a […]
