The city of Lompoc’s budget is a renewed point of contention amid public safety concerns following two deadly shootings in the city over the last two months. On June 24, the City Council passed the 2019-21 biennial budget, which included numerous cuts to cover a roughly $3 million deficit. Mayor Jenelle Osborne cast the lone […]
ZAC EZZONE
Posted inNews
Uncertainty remains four months after shooting, explosion in a Santa Maria mobile home park
On a quiet street in the back of a mobile home park in Santa Maria, a chain link fence wrapped in green netting hides the remnants of an explosion and fire that destroyed three homes and damaged a fourth earlier this year. Garage doors, a burnt-out car, and a stone fireplace remain mostly intact among […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria halts sports field conversions
City staff is pressing pause on a move to change the purpose of sports fields at two parks in Santa Maria after some residents demanded the city to reverse its actions at a recent City Council meeting. In early October, the city’s Recreation and Parks Department began removing the dirt and other infield material from […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Library nonprofit reopens its book store in the mall
After leaving the library building, the Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library was without a location for its bookstore for more than a year. The nonprofit left its space in the building’s lobby following numerous disagreements with the library over contracts and lease agreements. During the past year, the Friends primarily sold its books […]
Posted inNews
Supervisors discuss county redistricting process
During its meeting on Oct. 15, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors discussed what the county’s redistricting process will look like over the next two years. In November 2018, county voters approved Measure G, which establishes an 11-person commission to adjust the boundaries of the county’s five supervisorial districts. The commission will be made […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc puts off safe parking program, citing funding shortage, future court case
Cars, RVs, and vans line the streets in parts of Lompoc. They can serve as both a means of transportation and a place to sleep. As a participant in the last Point-In-Time homelessness count, Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne told the Sun that her group found between 30 to 40 people living in their cars in […]
Posted inNews
County agency weighs future of commuter bus service
Amid ridership declines and funding challenges, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) released a plan recommending potential changes to its Clean Air Express commuter bus service. SBCAG has operated the service since 2001—although it was briefly operated by Santa Maria and Lompoc—which provides North County residents who work in South County with a […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc looks to grant funds to replace playground equipment
With budget constraints hindering its ability to fund certain projects, the city of Lompoc is looking toward state grant funds to improve its parks. In August, the city submitted grant applications for millions of dollars in improvements at Pioneer and Johns-Manville parks through California’s Proposition 68 grant program. On a smaller scale, the city is […]
Posted inNews
County holds preliminary hemp regulation discussion
While the federal government is still crafting a regulatory framework for industrial hemp, Santa Barbara County is beginning to figure out how the crop will become part of the local agriculture industry. Hemp is a variety of cannabis with a THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent. THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana, which […]
Posted inNews
County delayed cannabis-permit appeal hearings
It will be almost another two months before the county Planning Commission hears appeals filed over two cannabis cultivation projects. The appeals, filed by winemaker Blair Pence over the proposed cannabis projects off Highway 246 in Buellton, had been continued to Sept. 13 from the commission’s Aug. 8 meeting, when despite a nearly nine-hour meeting, […]
Posted inNews
Supervisors change directions on cannabis retail plan
Santa Barbara County scrapped its plan for rolling out cannabis retail stores throughout the county, weeks after it was supposed to be implemented. The county plans to allow a maximum of eight retail stores to operate. One store is allowed in each of the county’s six community plans, such as Orcutt, and two stores are […]
Posted inNews
Cannabis farmers argue their crop is compatible with other crops, despite winemakers’ concerns
In the early morning, low-lying fog rolls into the Santa Rita Hills, obscuring the view of the vineyards and farms dotting the countryside. Quails, rabbits, and squirrels scurry to safety as the occasional car zips by on Santa Rosa Road, which cuts through the area, connecting Lompoc to Buellton. Almost 8 miles down the road, […]