Laying a Lompoc egg farm’s tax appeal to rest recently divided local officials, who simmered over the issue across two lengthy hearings this summer. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ reception to Dare 2 Dream Farms’ plea to forgive about $65,000 in unpaid taxes was nearly split down the middle before a 3-2 vote […]
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Guadalupe caps stipends for next year’s council at $150
What began as a hearing for Guadalupe’s leaders to consider decreasing the monthly pay for seven elected roles by $300 each ended with more reductions—including a $600 cut for the mayor. “It’s not because you guys don’t do a lot. You guys have a lot on your plate, obviously,” City Administrator David Trujillo told the […]
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Free K-8 learning center opens at Buellton Garden Apartments
Some Buellton students now have access to after-school activities at a classroom located in their apartment complex. People’s Self-Help Housing opened a learning center at the Buellton Garden Apartments on Sept. 8, according to the organization. A maximum of 20 students from kindergarten to the eighth grade can head to the classroom after regular school […]
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Santa Maria court bomber pleads guilty
The 22-year-old man arrested for detonating a bomb inside of a Santa Maria courthouse pleaded guilty to the crime, about one week shy of the incident’s two-year anniversary. As part of a recent plea agreement, Nathaniel James McGuire admitted that he walked into Santa Barbara County Superior Court’s Santa Maria division on Sept. 24, 2024, […]
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Political Watch: September 17, 2026
•U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) were among the co-signers behind a recent amicus brief in California v. Wright. This pending case in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California challenges the Trump administration’s use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to facilitate the restart of the […]
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Life Steps Foundation hosts its annual inclusive 5K fundraiser
Learning a bus route, deciphering important pieces of mail, and calculating tips at restaurants are tasks that many people don’t have to think twice about. At Life Steps Foundation in Santa Maria, staff currently help 22 people who have developmental disabilities successfully complete those activities and countless more. “We’re person-centered,” the site’s program manager, Cynthia […]
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Up in arms: County looks at revising gun shop zoning in unincorporated areas
Stationed at his cash register behind a jar of orange foam earplugs, the manager of Get R Gun in Santa Maria doesn’t agree with Santa Barbara County’s newest policy on firearms. He believes the recent action raises more red flags than the local controversy that triggered it. “We didn’t see a problem with Goodland Guns,” […]
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Lompoc Valley Middle to restore a school resource officer position
With a $1 million state grant and City Council approval, the Lompoc Police Department will send a school resource officer to Lompoc Valley Middle School as early as next school year. The goal is to provide early intervention and cannabis education, as the money pulls from a public safety grant associated with Proposition 64 that […]
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County considers new solar, battery project standards
Santa Barbara County is one step closer to adopting new requirements for solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects. Set for the Board of Supervisors’ second and final reading in late September, a policy package to amend multiple county ordinances for consistency with proposed standards addresses battery units of various sizes—ranging from industrial BESS […]
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Buellton motel seeks relief for long-term tenants weeks ahead of housing ban
An ongoing lawsuit prompted a two-month grace period for long-term tenants of Buellton’s Farmhouse Motel, before new housing restrictions kick in. While a recent city ordinance to help ramp up redevelopment efforts in town requires motel properties along Avenue of Flags—including Farmhouse—to convert units that house long-term renters to traditional motel rooms by October, a […]
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Political Watch: September 10, 2026
•On Aug. 31, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1253, designed to expand recreational access at Santa Margarita Lake, “while maintaining strong water quality protections, according to a release from State Sen. John Laird’s (D-Santa Cruz) office. Drafted by Laird and sponsored by San Luis Obispo County, SB 1253 includes safeguards to protect the reservoir […]
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Hancock’s Fire Academy wins grant from Metallica’s workforce education program
For the second year running, Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy won a grant through the Metallica Scholars Initiative, which will cover scholarships and the cost of textbooks, protective gear, and other training materials. “When I first heard it, I was like, ‘Wait, Metallica, like the band?” first-year Fire Academy student Conner Lee said. “I listen […]
