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Otters are making waves

State legislators and local conservationists celebrate Sea Otter Awareness Week
by AMY ASMAN

Starting Sept. 21, the California Legislature and dozens of zoos, aquariums, and other organizations from Monterey to Melbourne, honored one of the Golden State’s biggest celebrities: the southern sea otter. Last month, the state Legislature, led by Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), approved an initiative officially declaring the last week in September to be Sea […]

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There’s a new general manager in town

Kevin Harlan has been hired to helm KCOY and KKFX
by SARAH E. THIEN

A lot has changed at KCOY and KKFX in the last year. There are new owners, different anchors, and more than a few new employees. Despite all of the changes, however, the stations have been missing one thing: a boss. Not anymore. Kevin Harlan has been appointed the general manager of KCOY-CBS 12 and KKFX-FOX […]

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First 5 Santa Barbara County will host an annual Champions for Young Children Conference

by AMY ASMAN

On Oct. 1, First 5 Santa Barbara County will welcome two of the nation’s leading child development experts to its annual Champions for Young Children Conference in Buellton. The daylong conference is designed to provide Santa Barbara County parents, teachers, and childcare professionals with the latest information to support the healthy development of young children. […]

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A dirty not-so-little secret

The first-ever peer-to-peer child porn sting leaves a community with unanswered questions
by AMY ASMAN

Last month, federal authorities successfully wrapped up an eight-month-long sting operation that resulted in the arrests of 55 people accused of using peer-to-peer computer software to trade and view child pornography. Led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the sting marked the first time law enforcement agencies have […]

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YMCA provides ‘Stepping Stones’ to a good education

by AMY ASMAN

Whoever said educational accreditation was only for college programs? The Santa Maria Valley YMCA’s Stepping Stones Center recently earned its accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), one of the nation’s leading organizations of early childhood professionals. “NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program […]

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What do shoes and books have in common?

by AMY ASMAN

Footwear and reading material don’t share a lot of common bonds—unless you consider a child’s typical reaction when he or she first gets a new book or pair of shoes. The Shoes for Students charity organization recently donated $12,000 to the Santa Maria-Bonita School District to help purchase books for all 13,200 students three times […]

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Legal Resource Center opens in Lompoc

by SARAH E. THIEN

The city of Lompoc now has its own Legal Resource Center, located inside the courthouse. The new self-help center will assist self-represented litigants in better understanding their legal rights, according to a press release from the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County. Legal Resource Centers in the county provide information on civil matters, such […]

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Political Watch

by Sun Staff

• U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) joined the Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley for its Election 2008 campaign kickoff on Sept. 13 at the club’s headquarters in Santa Maria. At the meeting, Capps spoke of the significance of the fall election and the club’s involvement in promoting the Democratic ticket. “The Santa Maria […]

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