Spotlight

Getting a child into a barbershop can be a chore, but that’s not the case with Whipper Snippers, the newest addition to the Santa Maria Town Center.   The full-service salon specializes in children’s trend-setting styles, and comes equipped with fun styling chairs. Each station is outfitted with video games and movies, and kids can […]

A California State Fair exhibit promoting Santa Barbara County’s agriculture and tourism industries—the first all-county exhibit to do so in more than 10 years—won the fair’s Gold award and Best Marketing award.   This year, 35 of 58 counties entered exhibits, and judges selected the county as a blue ribbon recipient and winner of one […]

Stressing the multiple benefits of maintaining family farms and ranches, a coalition of California farm organizations has endorsed tax-reform legislation that would exclude farm assets from the federal estate tax.   The Family Farm Preservation Estate Tax Act, H.R. 3524, would exempt farm and ranch assets from estate taxes as long as the property remains […]

The Franchise Tax Board released the 2009 state tax brackets, indexed each year by adjusting them to reflect changes in the California Consumer Price Index.   Filing requirement thresholds, standard deduction, and certain credits were adjusted, along with income tax brackets, based on the deflation rate of -1.5 percent.   The standard tax deduction will […]

Local employers are invited to sign up for Allan Hancock College’s Career Exploration Day, taking place this year on Oct. 2.   Businesses will be able to share information on careers and meet with more than 1,000 high school and college students to excite them about employment opportunities within local companies.   Exhibit registration forms […]

Santa Maria business owners in need of a server have a new option besides buying and configuring their own system. TekTegrity, Inc., an IT strategies and management company based in San Luis Obispo, has expanded to include hosted virtual servers.   The company offers entry-level systems for small businesses and e-commerce, e-mail, and database servers […]

The public is invited to a business mixer hosted by the Santa Maria Business Enriched Network group on Aug. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stinky’s Bar and Grill.   Mix and mingle over food and drinks and meet the business members of B.E.N., an organization of business leaders that helps its members grow […]

The Santa Barbara County Chapter of the American Red Cross recently announced Dr. Paul Myers as its new director of Emergency Services.   Myers previously served on the chapter’s Board of Directors and as a disaster volunteer. He was actively involved in the Gap, Tea, and Jesusita fire responses and was director of the La […]

After 30 years in business, Central Coast-based Solarponics announced the opening of a new home office in Santa Ynez that will service Santa Maria, Orcutt, Lompoc, and the Santa Ynez Valley.   The alternative-energy company hired Todd Burnett to offer solar electric engineering and servicing to the area. Burnett worked in the electrical industry before […]

Achieve the perfect fit and a natural look for mastectomy bras and forms from a certified mastectomy fitter at Barely Nothings Lingerie. The store’s second location in Santa Maria, Heart’s Desire, will soon offer the service as well.   Most personal fittings are covered by insurance and the store will bill the insurance company.   […]

While still in the building stage, RockStar Fitness is rolling out the red carpet for its inaugural members.   The fitness club doesn’t open until October, but is already offering memberships. The first 100 people to sign up will become founding VIP members, eligible to participate in a private party before the club opens to […]

Contractors, Realtors, and anyone in the building trade looking to benefit from the county’s implementation of energy efficiency legislation are invited to attend an upcoming workshop by the Community Environmental Council.   Issues to discuss include property-assessed customer financing for AB811, Green Building Certification programs, and how to become a LEED professional.   The workshop […]