New kid on the block Located at 705 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria, the new Children’s Resource and Referral Discovery Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit crrsbc.org or smvdiscoverymuseum.org. The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum and Children’s Resource and Referral of Santa Barbara County […]
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Cutting enforcement: Santa Barbara County supervisors take cannabis tax revenue away from Sheriff’s Office
Deemed overdue for a trim, Santa Barbara County’s budget to enforce against illegal weed is too big, the Board of Supervisors recently concluded. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino described the board’s unanimous June 17 decision to disband the Sheriff’s Office cannabis compliance team as “redistributing the manpower where it’s most needed.” “Having that strong of […]
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Guadalupe officials raise foot traffic concerns tied to Highway 166 and a new middle school
In mid-August, the newly built Guadalupe Junior High School’s doors will open for the first time to incoming seventh and eighth graders. The school on Arroyo Seco Road is near the Pasadera housing community. While most of Guadalupe—including its downtown area and the majority of housing within city limits—lies on the north side of Highway […]
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Man found dead in his Northern Branch Jail cell
A 54-year-old Santa Maria man was found dead in his cell at the Northern Branch Jail on June 28. A custody deputy conducting a routine security and welfare check found Juan Lara unresponsive in his cell in the B Unit around 10:45 p.m., according to a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office press release. Deputies and […]
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Buellton City Council scrutinizes proposed $500 hourly fee for library meeting areas
Bounce houses. Cocktail hours. Knitting clubs. Members of the Buellton City Council were recently torn on which types of uses it should allow during temporary rentals of the Buellton Library’s meeting rooms and spacious front lawn. However, all four council members came to a quick consensus on one crucial aspect of city staff’s proposed rental […]
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Political Watch: July 3, 2025
• On June 30, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) introduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order Expansion Act—legislation to prevent people who are in crisis from accessing deadly weapons, according to Carbajal’s office. The bill would establish grants to support the implementation of extreme risk protection order (ERPO) laws, also known as “red flag” laws, […]
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Local nonprofit buys livestock from ag students to help feed the food insecure
Hundreds of animals that have trotted across the Santa Maria Fairpark’s auction grounds over the past three years were raised by young participants of a local charity initiative. Elementary, middle, and high school students who take part in the annual Santa Barbara County Fair’s livestock exhibitions for 4-H, FFA, and Grange programs are eligible for […]
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Solvang renews Goleta Library partnership with $100,000 fee increase
For the past six years, the city of Goleta has operated, staffed, and furnished the Solvang Library thanks to a county decree. Prior to the summer of 2019, Santa Barbara County managed the facility before contracting with Goleta to take the helm of Solvang’s library and three others across the Santa Ynez Valley. The current […]
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Santa Maria postpones decisions on spending thresholds and three employment contracts
Proposed inflation adjustments and contract renewals raised red flags for Santa Maria City Council members, who spent most of their June 17 meeting dissecting the consent calendar. Councilmember Maribel Aguilera-Hernandez pulled one item, while Councilmember Gloria Flores pulled two. The council ultimately tabled their decisions on all three—each of which were related to city spending—until […]
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Political Watch: June 26, 2025
• State Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), vice chair of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus, was recently selected to serve as the 53rd president pro tempore of the California Senate. Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), the co-chairs of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus, issued statements on June […]
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Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm to celebrate peak bloom with second annual festival hosting artisan market
Tucked away along the Tularosa Road offramp of California Highway 246 lies a quaint purple slice of heaven. Buried deep within the greens of the Santa Rita Hills, a field of bushes showcases violet buds so densely packed that from a distance they look like an amethyst-colored sheet. Lizards scurry, bees buzz, and hummingbirds and […]
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Targeted tactics: Northern Santa Barbara County cities try to get a handle on illegal fireworks in the sky and on the ground
Whether the risk of being fined $1,000 discourages illegal fireworks use in Guadalupe or not, two longtime residents said they’re hoping to make the city feel like less of a “warzone” when July 4 rolls around by targeting offenders’ hearts rather than their wallets. “We sort of went with the approach that we appeal to […]
