Alice Patino threw her hat in the ring for a fourth term as Santa Maria mayor “to keep the continuity going.” “I want to continue to represent the interest of the communities in Santa Maria,” Patino said. “It’s important for Santa Maria to have a voice at the regional and state level of issues that […]
Taylor O'Connor
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Santa Barbara, SLO counties begin Santa Maria Riverbed encampment cleanup
Santa Barbara County 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson has supported efforts to resolve homeless encampments since he took office in 2021. However, he said that because multiple jurisdictions oversee portions of the Santa Maria Riverbed—including Caltrans, Santa Maria, and SLO County with the majority—it’s been difficult to facilitate any cleanup of the area. “It’s been […]
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Lake Fire 92 percent contained, restorative efforts begin
Midland School faculty and animals returned to campus after the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office lifted evacuation orders for the 2024 Lake Fire. “By the end of the fire, we did not have any structures that burned, which was great,” Head of Midland School Hannah Nelson told the Sun. “Looking at maps, a fair bit […]
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Nonprofit affordable housing developer celebrates Buellton senior housing project groundbreaking
Buellton Village Senior Apartments is ready to break ground after nearly a decade of delays. The affordable housing development features 50 units dedicated to serving seniors and senior veterans, which was proposed by Ventura-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and services provider Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, said Derrick Wada, Cabrillo’s director of real estate development. “There […]
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Lompoc City Council moves two similar measures to the ballot
Despite early concerns regarding voter confusion, the Lompoc City Council voted 3-2 (with councilmembers Jeremy Ball and Dirk Starbuck dissenting) during its July 16 meeting to leave two measures on the November general election ballot that would discontinue public use of 82 acres of city-owned land that includes Ken Adam Park. “I think that when […]
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Santa Maria Recreation and Parks encourages residents to take advantage of summer services
While July is coming to an end, and with it local Recreation and Parks Month celebrations, Recreation Services Manager Dennis Smitherman encourages residents to use Santa Maria’s parks and take advantage of its recreation and parks programming. “Recreation and parks have such a huge impact on the community,” Smitherman said. “The first is [socializing] and […]
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Santa Maria City Council wants more action to resolve homeless encampments
Facing an increased population of individuals experiencing homelessness, multijurisdictional conflicts in managing the Santa Maria riverbed, and higher volumes for service near its new interim shelter, the Santa Maria City Council wants changes. The City Council heard an update about the city, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County’s efforts to resolve encampments in […]
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Protecting Midland: Los Olivos boarding school evacuates as the Lake Fire continues to spread
Following the fire Visit readysbc.org to sign up for Lake Fire alerts or download the Watch Duty app for more, up-to-date information. Before Midland School received mandatory evacuation orders for the Lake Fire, Midland Dean of Academics Ellie Moore drove back to the property several times to retrieve photos and memorabilia from fellow faculty members’ […]
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Maria Salguero to face Carlos Escobedo in Santa Maria Council race
Launching her campaign on July 16 at Santa Maria City Hall, Maria Salguero made her debut in local politics by running for Santa Maria City Council’s District 1 seat. “What makes me particularly excited about running for District 1 at this time is that the stakes are very high at a national level; these elections […]
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County union members advocate for higher wages for future contracts
Santa Barbara County Public Works employee Angel Lopez had to relocate to Lompoc after living in Santa Barbara his whole life because he’s struggling to keep up with the cost of living in his hometown, he told the Board of Supervisors during its July 16 meeting. “It’s getting rough out here, too. I don’t want […]
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Youthwell showcases student summer and school year volunteer opportunities
Since high schoolers often need volunteer hours in order to graduate, Youthwell provides resources to help connect teens and youth with nonprofit organizations that pique their interests while meeting their extracurricular requirements, Executive Director Rachael Steidl said. “The idea is so that volunteering doesn’t become a checklist item. We know volunteering can improve stress and […]
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County and nonprofits deploy services to protect residents during high temperatures
With the first heatwave in what’s expected to be a scorching summer, Santa Barbara County officials and local nonprofits are taking action to keep residents safe from high temperatures. Good Samaritan Shelter Director of Homeless Services Kirsten Cahoon told the Sun that the organization deployed its outreach teams on July 5 to provide unsheltered individuals […]
