When Shane Piper first began brewing homemade kombucha about five years ago, it was limited to a 1-gallon container in one room of his house. This setup didn’t last long. After experimenting with different flavors, he began expanding into another room to make space for additional containers. “The kombucha moved from the office to the […]
ZAC EZZONE
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Lompoc takes first step in holding sales tax election
After months of contentious debate and pleading from some residents, Lompoc is moving forward with holding a sales tax increase election in 2020. Lompoc City Council unanimously approved taking the first step toward an election at a special meeting on Aug. 22. As the city worked on its 2019-21 biennial budget, the council majority expressed […]
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Santa Maria moves to join Monterey Bay Community Power
Following in the footsteps of Santa Barbara County, the city of Santa Maria is moving forward with joining Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), as the public electricity provider continues to expand throughout the Central Coast. Community choice energy (CCE) agencies such as MBCP are governed by a board of directors made up of officials from […]
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West Cat Canyon oil project decision delayed indefinitely
Almost three months after oil company ERG requested to delay the discussion over its West Cat Canyon Revitalization Project, the company that recently purchased ERG has asked to do the same. Discussion over this project, which includes the development of 233 new steam injection wells, originally took place during the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission’s […]
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Lompoc moves to repeal residency restrictions for sex offenders
Following a lawsuit filed against the city by an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of registered sex offenders, Lompoc officials are moving to repeal its ordinance limiting where they can live in the city. In February, attorney Janice Bellucci, who is the founder and executive director of Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, filed […]
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Nonprofit seeks grant to fund countywide gang prevention initiative
There have been five homicides in the city of Lompoc since January, along with numerous other shootings and stabbings that didn’t result in fatalities. Many of these incidents involve juveniles, such as 17-year-old Daimien Davis, who was sentenced to eight years in a state juvenile detention center after pleading no contest to assaulting a rival […]
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Spotlight on: Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, Nancy Gastelum and Ilsa Toepfer
For 23 years, the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum has provided children with a space to play while learning about the Central Coast and developing important motor and social skills. Educating children has always been at the core of the museum’s mission, but since last year, the museum has worked on strengthening this effort, Executive […]
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Lompoc moves code compliance online following layoffs
Residents in Lompoc hoping to submit concerns to the city’s compliance division will now have to do so online because the division was eliminated when the city passed its 2019-21 biennial budget. According the city, Lompoc has added a code compliance concern form to its website that can be filled out online. In the statement, […]
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DA sues fire retardant company, claims false advertising
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley filed a lawsuit against a Marina Del Rey-based company over claims it made about the effectiveness of one of its fire prevention products. The company, Sun FireDefense, produces and sells a fire retardant called SPF 3000 Clear Spray, which can be applied to the exterior of homes to […]
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Spotlight on: Santa Maria Valley Railroad Rob Himoto, president
For more than a century, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad has helped local businesses ship products across the country. The railroad company picks up produce, lumber, and other items from businesses within the city and transports the products across 14 miles of local tracks to the train station in Guadalupe. From there, the railcars are […]
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County sues firm that bailed on North County jail project
Santa Barbara County filed a lawsuit against engineering and architecture firm Rosser International after the company told the county it can’t complete its work on the county’s Northern Branch Jail project. According to the lawsuit, on June 13 Rosser International informed the county that it’s going out of business and would “no longer be providing […]
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Company formerly known as Greka files for bankruptcy
After years of compliance violations, oil spills, and state-imposed fines, HVI Cat Canyon filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York U.S. Bankruptcy Court on July 25. In the petition, the company’s president and chief operating officer, Alex Dimitrijevic, cites numerous factors contributing to the company’s moving into bankruptcy. “The circumstances leading to […]
