Going against an independent arbitrator’s opinion, Santa Barbara County recently rejected a property tax exchange offer from the city of Santa Maria after a year of negotiations. Mediation between the county and the city over the agreement—necessary for the Richards Ranch development project in Orcutt to move forward with a 44-acre annexation application—began during the […]
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Santa Maria-Bonita sites transition to community schools
About 90 percent of Santa Maria-Bonita School District students fall into at least one high-needs category. They might be a foster youth, a special needs student, a second language learner, or part of a low-income household. The district aims to better support students with a holistic approach called community schooling, made possible by more than […]
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In-N-Out pitches Buellton location three years after rejected bid
A popular burger chain is trying again to win Buellton’s blessing for a new drive-through proposal. In 2023, In-N-Out’s plan to bring a new restaurant to town—on McMurray Road next to a McDonald’s—fell through after the Buellton City Council nixed it due to traffic congestion concerns. With a new address in mind, at the corner […]
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Caught on camera: New evidence based on bus video footage led to mistrial, guilty plea in deadly forklift crash case
Nearly two years after pleading not guilty to vehicular manslaughter, Santa Maria resident David Baskett agreed to plead guilty to killing a local resident while driving a forklift. Baskett’s March 24 plea followed new evidence that Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Ryan Clausen said contradicted what the 83-year-old originally told Santa Maria Police Department […]
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Historical landmark policy complicates Pea Soup Andersen’s demolition
Pea Soup Andersen’s future demolition hinges on how Buellton decides to preserve parts of the more than 100-year-old building. Designated by elected leaders as an official city landmark in 2020, the restaurant has been closed since early 2024. That year also marked its centennial. For Buellton to approve the shuttered eatery’s demolition, staff told the […]
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SBCAG wants more people to use its guaranteed ride home program
Thousands of people commute on public transportation every day in Santa Barbara County, but there even more who could make the switch. For some, fears of delayed buses or family emergencies mean residents drive themselves to work. But officials want more of the workforce to use public transportation and vanpool to reduce traffic congestion. An […]
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Steve Bridge’s sons are witnesses in felony fraud case
Receipts for fixing leaky pipes and installing lights are at the heart of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s investigation into Lompoc Councilmember Steve Bridge’s invoices. In late 2025, Bridge was arraigned in Santa Maria Superior Court for eight felony counts, including forgery, identity theft, grand theft, and fraudulent use of a contractor’s license. A […]
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The Return of Downtown? Santa Maria’s aim for a more pedestrian-friendly downtown and other stories that have been around since the Sun’s first issue
Some stories stick. They unfold slowly over time and are a constant source of news. We’ve been covering some of those in the Santa Maria Valley since this paper was founded in 2000. For 26 years, Sun reporters have watched and written about Santa Maria’s downtown—complaints about how the mall killed it, how the city […]
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Some of the Sun’s earliest story subjects are still making headlines
Within its first year of publication, the Sun shined a light on local issues, leaders, and lore that continue to make headlines 26 years later. Santa Maria’s desire to make its downtown core more walkable and attractive to pedestrians, for example, graced the cover of the Sun’s premiere issue, which hit stands on March 31, 2000. Today, […]
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For 26 years, the Sun has pursued thoughtful coverage, welcoming and including all voices
Since 2000, the Santa Maria Valley’s population has grown by more than 30,000 people. It’s gained school campuses, a county jail, and more box stores and chain restaurants than it probably needed to. Cannabis is now legal. Politics is über-polarized. Ideology, more entrenched. Social media has changed the way we interact with one another. The […]
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Santa Maria high schools implement first set of AI guidelines
When ChatGPT was publicly released in 2022, students in public Santa Maria high schools weren’t allowed to use it on school-issued devices. The artificial intelligence ban created a discrepancy because students with cellphones or technology at home could still access the chatbot, but others couldn’t. Since 2023, the Santa Maria Joint Union High Schol District […]
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Solvang debates perceived conflicts about a new phone app
Before stepping out of the Solvang City Council’s March 23 meeting, Mayor David Brown playfully handed his gavel to Councilmember Louise Smith. “We’re going to need it,” Smith joked, followed by some laughs on the dais, including from Brown. As the council’s mayor pro tem, Smith didn’t resort to gavel-slamming at the hearing—which Brown recused […]