The county Fire Department will begin prescribed burns around the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys with a nearly $1 million grant from Cal Fire. “It’s one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to reduce fuel,” Santa Barbara County Fire Marshal Fred Tan told the Sun. First, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will […]
News
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Solvang City Council upholds delay of ‘whimsical’ hotel development
During a routine inspection of a Solvang hotel in the building process, the city ordered its owner to halt construction after discovering inconsistencies between approved blueprints and the project as it now stands. “We did issue a stop work order for the on-site work which went beyond the scope of the permit,” Solvang Community Development […]
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County Planning Commission approves 99-unit affordable apartment complex in Orcutt
Described as a win-win project by some local officials, an affordable housing development set for East Foster Road in Orcutt will cause the surrounding area to lose its “overall character,” in the eyes of one homeowners association. “We absolutely understand the need for more affordable housing. Our concern isn’t about who will live there,” Edgewood […]
Posted inPolitical Watch
Political Watch: October 16, 2025
• On Oct. 7, U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and Alex Padilla (D-California) partnered with state representatives from Oregon and Illinois on a joint statement that addresses National Guard deployment concerns related to each officials’ respective state. “Whether in Los Angeles, Chicago, or Portland, the Trump administration continues fabricating claims of chaos and crime on […]
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New children’s computers with educational games are at the Santa Maria library
Connecting the dots, learning colors, and solving jigsaw puzzles are some of the activities kids now have access to on bilingual learning computers at the Santa Maria Public Library. The computers provide safe, engaging educational content for ages 2 to 12. Set up in the children’s area on the first level of the library at […]
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Cleared out: Lompoc, county clean up Santa Ynez Riverbed encampments with aim to keep it that way
Santa Barbara County’s tally of tents and forts made of tarps and wooden planks in the Santa Ynez Riverbed is 85 fewer than seven months ago thanks to an ongoing cleanup initiative. In her role as the county’s encampment response coordination manager, Katherine Soto-Vasquez doesn’t often dwell on those stats during a typical work day, […]
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Board of Supervisors delay decision to make layoffs in health and social services department
Santa Barbara County supervisors pushed making a decision on budget rebalancing plans for the Public Health and Social Services departments. The plans discussed at the Oct. 7 supervisors meeting would eliminate more than 175 positions across both departments effective in January. “We’ve been receiving a lot of frustration for a lack of information,” 2nd District […]
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Sable considers restarting Santa Ynez Unit via offshore tankers if onshore pipeline ‘delays’ continue
Like oil and water, Sable Offshore and local jurisdictions’ visions for the future of three rigs off the Gaviota coastline are fundamentally incompatible—prompting recent pivots from both sides of the fence. The California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a civil lawsuit and criminal charges, respectively, against the Texas-based oil company […]
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LAFCO aims to increase sphere of influence engagement with cities
Of the eight incorporated cities in Santa Barbara County, six have expressed a desire to expand their respective spheres of influence, according to Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Executive Officer Mike Prater. Guadalupe and Carpinteria are the two outliers, he told LAFCO commissioners during the board’s Oct. 2 meeting. Although LAFCO’s due for its next […]
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Old Town Orcutt’s Vida Yoga celebrates three years of dishing out detox
Things are about to heat up at Vida Yoga. Literally. The Orcutt studio just installed new infrared heaters, which owner Jenn Gagarin plans to fire up for the first time on Oct. 11, as part of the venue’s third anniversary celebration. Describing the nuanced sensations and benefits of hot yoga to someone who’s never held […]
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Political Watch: October 9, 2025
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently reintroduced legislation with an aim to reduce the cost of higher education for students across the country. The Degrees Not Debt Act would double the maximum Pell Grant award—which supports more than 6 million current students throughout the U.S.—to $14,800 and adjust that award cap to inflation […]
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Guadalupe asks the public to weigh in on urban forest management plan
The city of Guadalupe is in the process of finalizing its first urban forest management plan with grant money from the state to help maintain healthy trees. The plan is set to be finalized in February, but first the city is asking for suggestions from the public about their priorities for the city’s canopy. An […]
