After a three-month-long investigation, the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health has issued six citations and $262,700 worth of fines against Merced Farm Labor Contractor, the Atwater-based employer of a 17-year-old farm worker who died of heat stroke in May. The fines are the largest assessed to an agricultural firm […]
News
Posted inNews
Santa Maria will get ‘specific’ about goals for downtown
Want to make an impact on community development in the downtown Santa Maria area? Staff members from the Santa Maria Community Development Department are holding an Aug. 14 meeting to update the public about the city’s Downtown Specific Plan. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Minami Community Center, 600 W. […]
Posted inNews
Plan your detours: Multiple road construction projects are slated for August
Remember to drive extra safely around Santa Maria for the next few weeks—there are three big road construction projects in the works. The city’s annual street maintenance chip seal program, which began Aug. 11 and is scheduled to last for four weeks, will treat approximately 100 street segments and cost about $800,000. Chip sealing involves […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County receives an award from a technology company
Santa Barbara County was recognized on Aug. 6 for its use of the geographic information system (GIS), by the company that makes it, ESRI. The award was presented at the 28th Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego. GIS combines computer hardware, software, and data to create a tool for analyzing and displaying geographic […]
Posted inNews
Director of utilities is key speaker at business luncheon
Rick Sweet, director of utilities for the city of Santa Maria, will be the featured speaker at the Business Development Luncheon on Aug. 19. Sweet has worked for the city for 21 years, starting as an assistant civil engineer, then becoming Santa Maria’s city engineer, director of public works, and finally director of utilities. Sweet […]
Posted inNews
Find a piece of Southern Italy in Orcutt
The Trattoria Uliveto, a new restaurant in Orcutt, is set to open its doors for the first time on Aug. 22. Owners Jim Spallino and Alfonso Curti, formally of Grappolo in Santa Ynez, have created a menu emphasizing the simple tastes of an Italian kitchen, from a salad of arugula and parmesan to a spinach […]
Posted inNews
New superintendent is ready to start the school year
Hometown educator Phil Alvarado is excited and ready for change
Phil Alvarado can trace his career in education back to one single moment. It was 1973, and Alvarado was leaving after his last day as an instructional aide at Oakley Elementary in Santa Maria. It was to be his last day as an educator—he was on his way to the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara […]
Posted inNews
Trial by peers
Santa Barbara County offers teens a second chance through its Teen Court program
The door opens, and the judge, draped in legal-grade black, enters the room. A bailiff gruffly commands everyone present to “please rise,” and proceeds to swear in the jury members. Silence settles on the courtroom as a fresh-faced youth and his mother are ushered in and seated at the defendant’s table. The trial is about […]
Posted inNews
A matter of great import
Locals may love or hate outsourcing and the impact it’s making on area businesses – but they can’t ignore it
What are you holding right now—besides this newspaper? A pen? A mug? Take a closer look at whatever you’ve wrapped your fingers around, and you might find these familiar words stamped into the bottom: Made in China. Sometimes those three little words—or variations on them—are a great thing: Cheap materials and cheap labor add up […]
Posted inNews
Get a good Head Start
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are currently recruiting children ages 3 to 5 for the Head Start program, and children ages 0 to 3 for the Early Head Start program. The program provides hands-on learning and child care to families of various backgrounds. The Early Head Start program is a home-based program and […]
Posted inNews
Registration deadline for Allan Hancock College fast approaches
Students interested in attending college classes in the fall, listen up! Online registration for Allan Hancock College continues through Aug. 13, and in-person registration is scheduled for Aug. 18 and 19 at all college locations. Also this fall, Allan Hancock College will offer more than 200 Fast Track classes at the Santa Maria campus, and […]
Posted inNews
WEV isn’t just for businesswomen
Always dreamed about opening up your own business or being your own boss? Women’s Economic Ventures is starting self-employment training classes in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in September. The classes are part of a 14-week, 56-hour program targeted at women (but also serving men) that provides guidance on how to start, operate, or expand […]
