The fiscal future of Lompoc is now in the hands of its residents. At its meeting on Sept. 17, Lompoc City Council unanimously voted in favor of holding a 1 percent sales tax increase election on March 3, 2020. If approved by voters, this would raise the city’s sales tax rate to 8.75 percent, which […]
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Alzheimer’s Association’s annual and ongoing events raise funds and shine light on the disease
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 5.8 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. The association projects this number will increase to nearly 14 million by 2050. #img15118 Donna Beal, vice president of the Alzheimer’s Association Central Coast Chapter, said it’s hard to pin down an exact cause for this increase. However, she […]
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Investigators release preliminary report on Conception boat fire
The investigation into the boat fire that killed 34 people on Sept. 2 reached a turning point on Sept. 12, a day after divers found the body of the final victim and the U.S. Coast Guard finished pulling the boat’s remains from the water. During a press conference on Sept. 12, Santa Barbara County Sheriff […]
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Santa Barbara County opioid abuse higher than state average
Recent state data shows Santa Barbara County continues to struggle with opioid abuse rates and deaths higher than the state average. Over the last decade, the county has had a higher rate of non-fatal emergency room visits linked with drug usage compared to the state average. This trend continued in 2018, during which the county […]
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Santa Maria proposing water, sewer rate increases
Water users in Santa Maria may have to pay higher rates over the next four years if the City Council approves water and sewer rate increases proposed by the city’s Utilities Department. According to a public notice announcing the increases, the current rate charge for the lowest tier of water consumption—up to five units monthly—is […]
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County moves to loosen solar panel regulations
There’s enough private and public land in Santa Barbara County to install solar panels that could generate power for up to 1 million homes. But so far only a small percentage of this potential has been installed, according to a strategic energy plan that county staff presented to the Board of Supervisors at its Sept. […]
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Fischer’s Fine Jewelry continues to thrive after 40 years in business
Business is still booming for Katherine Fischer and her husband, Neil, who have operated a jewelry store in downtown Santa Maria for 40 years. When Fischer’s Fine Jewelry opened in 1979 in the 600 block of South Broadway, it didn’t have a storefront. The business started as a trade shop where Fischer and her husband […]
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Fire north of Buellton burns 200 acres; thousands lose power
About 20,000 residents near Buellton and the Santa Ynez Valley lost power on Sept. 9 after a fire broke out east of Highway 101. At the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 10, county Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said the 200-acre McMurray Fire was about 20 percent contained as of that morning. […]
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The county is studying possible trail routes connecting Gaviota to Guadalupe
State and local officials are attempting to overcome the remaining roadblocks to finish the 1,200-mile trail connecting the California coast. It’s been 40 years in the making, and about 60 percent of the project is currently finished. Many of the remaining gaps in the California Coastal Trail are in northern Santa Barbara County and other […]
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Santa Maria gas station owner settles lawsuit with county DA
The owner of two gas stations in Santa Maria and Lompoc is required to pay more than $15,000 in civil penalties to Santa Barbara County following a settlement agreement he reached with county District Attorney Joyce Dudley’s office. Dudley’s office filed a compliant against Saleem Patel, who owns Spirit Gasoline on South Broadway Road, on […]
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Boat fire near Channel Islands under investigation
Around 3 a.m. on Sept. 2, a 75-foot commercial diving boat with 39 people onboard became engulfed in flames before sinking to the ocean floor off the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. The Santa Barbara-based boat Conception was being chartered for a Labor Day weekend diving trip near the Channel Islands. Five people managed […]
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Lompoc City Council, city staff disagree over implementation of the city’s grease-trap ordinance
Three times in as many months, the Lompoc City Council voted against city staff’s recommendations and upheld appeals from local business owners protesting the need to install grease traps in their restaurants. During the appeal hearings, the majority of City Council members raised concerns about staff’s recent approach to implementing the city’s grease trap ordinance. […]
