A new diversion program in Santa Barbara County aims to keep people suffering from mental health issues and substance abuse disorders out of jail and instead move them into treatment programs. During its Feb. 4 meeting, the county Board of Supervisors accepted nearly $6 million in grant funding from the Board of State and Community […]
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Supervisors deny appeals, move wind project forward
By the end of this year, an energy developer plans to build 29 wind turbines up to roughly 500 feet tall in a largely undeveloped area about 5 miles south of Lompoc. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to move the Strauss Wind Energy Project forward at its Jan. 28 meeting after […]
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Ag commissioner talks cannabis, pesticide issues
During the county Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 22, Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Fisher presented the findings of a working group that was charged with identifying solutions to issues some farmers have encountered when applying pesticides to crops near cannabis farms. The root of the issue stems from the strict state-mandated testing that […]
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Audacious Foundation funds new projects in Lompoc, Guadalupe
Since 2015, the Audacious Foundation has provided funding to schools throughout Santa Barbara County to pay for learning experiences that can’t be found in textbooks. The foundation started by partnering with five schools in South County, but it has since expanded to 12 schools countywide, including campuses in Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Guadalupe. Foundation Executive […]
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County leading regional effort to improve parks, outdoor resources
Residents in Santa Barbara County will soon have the chance to weigh in on future plans for new outdoor recreation projects in the area. For the first time ever, the county and local cities are working on a countywide recreation master plan that will identify what resources are missing throughout the county and how jurisdictions […]
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Humane society leader steps down amid merger talks
The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society announced that its executive director is stepping down a few days after an item appeared on a Santa Maria City Council agenda related to the nonprofit’s possible merger with the Santa Barbara Humane Society. On Jan. 21, the City Council approved a measure allowing the Santa Barbara Humane Society […]
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Santa Maria begins riverbed restoration project
The city of Santa Maria is cleaning up the riverbed east of Highway 101 prior to beginning a new program aimed at educating residents about the types of plants and animals found in the area. City Recreation Services Manager Dennis Smitherman said that California State Parks awarded the city a roughly $40,000 grant late last […]
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County Child Welfare Services experiencing caseload increase
The number of children in foster care in Santa Barbara County increased in 2019 after four years of steady declines. In 2015, there were 433 children in the county’s foster care system, but this dropped to 327 three years later, before increasing to 396 in 2019, according to a presentation from the Jan. 14 county […]
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Assessment outlines youth needs in Santa Barbara County
After hundreds of surveys and numerous focus group meetings, the Community Action Commission (CAC) of Santa Barbara County released a report in late 2019 that details some of the issues youth throughout the county are facing. According to the 2018-19 Youth Needs Assessment, most of the younger people surveyed are concerned about future job opportunities, […]
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After two decades in the physical therapy world, Wendy Smith is now a personal trainer
After more than 20 years working as a physical therapist assistant in different states throughout the country, Wendy Smith is embarking on a new venture that will allow her to continue doing what she enjoys: helping people get healthy. The transition took place last year after Smith began seeing changes in how insurance companies cover […]
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Santa Maria files leisure assessment, declines to adopt plan
For the first time since 2013, the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department has completed an assessment reviewing how the community feels about existing park services and what changes residents would like to see. Department Director Alexander Posada presented the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Leisure Needs Assessment and Action Plan at the City Council […]
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Groups are concerned that a proposed wind project could damage birds, plants
A couple of goats scamper down San Miguelito Road as George Bedford slowly drives in the opposite direction. He says it’s not the first time he’s seen animals on this road, before pointing to a spot where he once passed a mountain lion. Only a few miles south of Lompoc, the area feels worlds away. […]