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 […]
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Buellton Planning Commission reinstates former 4th District representative
With new blood on the Buellton City Council after August’s mail-in election, a familiar face returns to the Planning Commission. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue serving,” three-year Buellton resident Daniel Contreras told the Sun. “Having previously served on the commission, I look forward to building on the experience.” In early 2024, the […]
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Political Watch: October 9, 2025
• In a Sept. 26 statement, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) commented on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) recent cancellations of bargaining agreement contracts with correctional workers nationwide, including at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC), Lompoc. The canceled contracts will impact about 35,000 employees nationally, according to Carbajal’s office. […]
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Righetti High senior spruces up OASIS Senior Center during his Eagle Scout service project
Ansh Vinchhi recently joined the roughly 4 percent of scouts in the country who achieve Eagle Scout ranking, the highest achievement in the program. He demonstrated that he is trustworthy, helpful, brave, kind, and all the other characteristics that scouts should exemplify, as outlined by scout laws. The Ernest Righetti High School senior celebrated his […]
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A position’s worth: Unsatisfied by a 1 percent raise, Santa Maria-Bonita employees enter mediation with the district
This October marks Cheryl Ausan’s 31st year making breakfast and lunch for hundreds of schoolchildren a day. She’s been stationed in cafeteria kitchens within the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) for all 31 of those years. For the past 20, she’s held the title of food service worker at Ida Redmond Taylor Elementary School on […]
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Political Watch: September 25, 2025
• On Sept. 17, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland), and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act. According to Padilla’s office, the bill would repeal two executive orders, while restoring collective bargaining rights and workplace […]
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Santa Barbara Humane scores first nonprofit award from the Santa Maria Valley Chamber
In the grand scheme of Santa Barbara Humane’s century-long history, the nonprofit’s five-year presence in Santa Maria feels as fresh as a newborn pup. The animal welfare agency’s paw prints on the area recently caught the attention of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, which picked Santa Barbara Humane as its nonprofit of the […]
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Breaking the silence? A recent Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decision aims to get more information about what ICE is doing locally
Hoping to score a vantage point that gives Santa Barbara County a clearer view of local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, the Board of Supervisors recently asked the Sheriff’s Office to publicly disclose its interactions with the federal agency on a regular basis. Disclosures of this kind were previously limited to annual reports, mandated […]
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Federal changes disqualify 7,500 county residents from Medi-Cal at county clinics
New federal policy will prevent Santa Barbara County health care centers from providing services to certain immigrants with Medi-Cal starting next year. County clinics won’t see patients who Medi-Cal determines have “unsatisfactory immigration status” including undocumented individuals, most people with temporary status, and those with Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, according to the county. […]
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District Attorney’s Office takes Sable Offshore to criminal court
Three oil rigs. Five felony counts. More than a dozen misdemeanor violations. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office joined the list of agencies Sable Offshore is under fire from in courtroom settings after filing criminal charges against the Texas-based oil company on Sept. 18. Each of the 21 separate criminal counts are centered on […]
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Solvang drafts policy updates that regulate vacation rentals
Left untouched since 2015, the rules that govern vacation rentals in Solvang are overdue for a makeover, according to the City Council. In August, the council directed staff to research two separate policy amendments for elected officials to consider moving forward with. One option bans short-term rental use anywhere outside of Solvang’s downtown village district, […]
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Practice paradox: Orcutt youth football coach sues Central Coast league after his team was disqualified from competition, he was suspended
After John De Marco received a five-year suspension from coaching, he took the Central Coast Youth Football League (CCYFL) to court, seeking a trial by jury to examine the incident that kicked off the conflict earlier this summer. On Aug. 17, seven young footballers from the volunteer coach’s team—made up of 24 kids total, between […]
