Not wanting their home to be disturbed by the nearby development of 29 wind turbines in a largely undeveloped area about 5 miles south of Lompoc, George and Cheryl Bedford continue their fight against the project. The couple, who live on a ridgetop near the project’s location in San Miguelito Canyon, appealed the Santa Barbara […]
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State and local leaders are working to protect the homeless from COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to change the daily lives of people throughout the world, local and state leaders are trying to protect the most vulnerable in our society, including those experiencing homelessness. Unsheltered people living outside without consistent access to hygiene supplies as well as those in large shelters where it’s more difficult to keep distance […]
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Local chamber of commerce aims to help businesses stay afloat amid COVID-19 closures
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce’s mission to help local businesses hasn’t changed since the spread of COVID-19, but closures related to the pandemic have prompted a new sense of urgency. As new local, state, and federal orders roll out aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, most businesses have had to close […]
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Supervisors approve eviction moratorium during COVID-19 pandemic
Santa Barbara County residents anxious about their ability to pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic have received some relief through a moratorium on evictions now in place in the unincorporated areas of the county. At its March 24 meeting, the board unanimously approved an urgency ordinance that temporarily prohibits any evictions involving people who have […]
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Latest homeless count shows progress in some areas, but not all
In its latest census of homeless individuals, Santa Barbara County found some improvements compared to last year, despite an overall increase in the number of people counted. The county’s Housing and Community Development Division released the 2020 point-in-time count results on March 10. According to these numbers, 1,897 people were identified as homeless when the […]
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Plains All American agrees to pay $60 million for 2015 spill
The company responsible for an oil spill that occurred five years ago near Santa Barbara reached a civil settlement with the federal government that requires it to pay more than $60 million in penalties and damages. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Plains All American Pipeline after the company’s pipeline near Refugio […]
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County allocates $5 million more to jail project amid delays
After several delays, the construction of Santa Barbara County’s Northern Branch Jail is nearly complete, but additional funding is needed to finish the job. During the March 17 Board of Supervisors meeting, General Services Assistant Director Skip Grey told the board that construction of the jail, which began in 2016, is 98 percent complete. Initially […]
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Canadian executives purchase Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record
After purchasing the newspapers in 2005, Lee Enterprises recently sold the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record, and Santa Ynez Valley News to a group of executives who have purchased a number of publications throughout the state and country in recent years. Lee Enterprises, which owns nearly 80 publications in the U.S., announced the sale on […]
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Youth center leaders hope to change Lompoc one life at a time
After years of working for various nonprofits and community organizations in Lompoc, Chuck Madson and Tim Harrington are tackling their most ambitious project yet. Madson—who has developed substance abuse treatment programs in Santa Barbara County for years—and Harrington—who has spent the latter years of his career mentoring college students and serving on the boards of […]
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Mental health facility opening in Lompoc
In November this year, 80 mental-health beds are slated to open in Lompoc, which accomplishes a long sought-after goal for Santa Barbara County. Private mental-health provider Crestwood Behavioral Health, which operates throughout the state, is entering into a lease with the Lompoc Valley Medical Center to take over Champion Healing Center on South C Street […]
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Cuyama Valley vendors will sell goods at the second swap event
Drivers traveling on Highway 166, or people looking to purchase some locally made products, can check out what vendors in the Cuyama Valley have to offer at a swap meet on March 15. This is a follow-up to the valley’s first swap meet last fall, which came about after the Blue Sky Center hosted a […]
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Through its podcast series Food as Medicine the foodbank is teaching people about nutrition
After earning her Ph.D. in nutritional biology from UC Davis and completing a few years of research—including some time in West Africa—Lacey Baldiviez knew she wanted to return to Santa Barbara County to share her expertise with the community. Baldiviez worked as the executive director of Fairview Gardens Center for Urban Agriculture in Goleta before […]