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Air of Spring: A few hot spots for you to chill out now that the weather is clear (sort of)
Well, it finally stopped raining—for a few days anyway. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the liquid relief that’s poured down like mana from heaven, because it’s been a rough few years. By the time April rolls around, though, it feels like enough is enough! Being cooped up all winter certainly has its costs. Everyone…
Local schools prioritize financial aid applications
There wasn’t a big push for high school students to complete applications for federal financial aid when Chad Conrad graduated from Pioneer Valley High School in 2007. He went straight to Allan Hancock College after graduation, then took time off to work and save money. He moved away and tried college a few more times…
Most Santa Barbara County special needs staff will transfer to high school district despite remaining uncertainties
It’s been more than a year since Santa Maria’s high school district announced plans to retake control over its most severe special needs classes, leaving teachers and staff working in those classes with difficult choices to make and major changes to process. While most staff members have made their unofficial decisions and will continue working…
Sheriff’s Office receives DEA grant to combat illegal cannabis in Santa Barbara County
When it comes to tackling illicit cannabis grows in Santa Barbara County, 2019 has been a busy year for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Since the beginning of the year, the Sheriff’s Office—its cannabis compliance team specifically—has carried out at least nine operations to shut down cannabis production and grow operations, seizing plants, bud,…
Appeal denied for teen mom’s infanticide conviction
California’s 2nd District Court of Appeals denied an appeal for a Santa Maria teen found guilty of killing her newborn son in January 2016. The court upheld the second-degree murder conviction against the teen, identified only as M.S., who was found guilty and sentenced to confinement in a group home. The court handed down its…
Chamber offers harassment trainings in compliance with new law
Businesses are now required to provide their employees with some form of sexual harassment prevention training, and to help in that effort, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is launching two such programs, which will be offered at discounted prices to chamber members. In September 2018, former Gov. Jerry Brown approved a new state…
Woman charged with murder in Lompoc stabbing death
A 35-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of a 55-year-old man in Lompoc in March. Lompoc Police say they believe the woman, identified as Darlene Rachelle Ybarra, stabbed Lompoc resident Eric Larsson to death on March 24. Ybarra is currently in custody and is facing a charge of felony…
Olive Grove sues public school districts
Olive Grove Charter School is fighting another legal battle, and this time the charter is suing two Santa Barbara County public school districts for payments it claims are required by state law. In the lawsuits, which Los Angeles-based attorney Gregory Bordo filed on Olive Grove’s behalf on March 18, the charter school alleges that Lompoc…
SLO-based artist Ynana Rose brings her own brand of Americana to Orcutt
“It’s a hymn to desire, a blessing of ghosts, an invitation to a cup of tea,” San Luis Obispo-based singer/songwriter Ynana Rose said in press materials to describe her latest album, Tea Leaf Confessions, which was released at the end of last year. There’s no such time as a bad time for tea in my…
Love locked
When the weather is pleasant, my wife and I spend our Saturdays riding our beach cruisers all around town. The pedaling is good exercise for our hearts; however, our bicycle cruises are a bit hard on our livers as we tend to ride from one local bar to the other. Every ride needs a destination,…
Teal Journey holds fashion show in memory of Valentina Martins
The Teal Journey Ovarian Cancer Foundation invites locals to the Valentina Martins Memorial Fashion Show and Luncheon on Saturday, April 6, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria. The event, dedicated in memory of Martins, features a runway fashion show, a silent auction, and a door prize giveaway. Guest…
Central Coast Film Society granted nonprofit status
The Central Coast Film Society (CCFS)—a Santa Ynez-based organization that hosts film screenings and lectures and offers creative opportunities to local filmmakers—was officially granted its nonprofit status by the IRS. “It’s a really exciting time. I feel like we can finally get to work in getting funds and grants so we can really help out…
Corazón del Pueblo officially opens in Santa Maria
On March 31, the Corazón del Pueblo Cultural and Creative Arts Center of the Santa Maria Valley officially opened. The center’s mission is to promote creative expression in all areas of art—performing, visual, and literary—and to offer the community a place to celebrate culture. Executive Director Alma Hernandez and board President (and writer/poet) Samuel Duarte…
Ann Foxworthy Gallery hosts artist Michael E. Long’s haunting handmade boxes
Some of the publicity material for artist Michael E. Long’s new show simply calls his unusual work “a conversation starter.” Talk to the artist himself, and that conversation will drift anywhere from growing up around the world, to his vivid dreams, to Dadaism, and a lot more. The conservation Long hopes his work will spark…
Poke bowls are a fun, affordable, flexitarian option for lunch
I love poke bowls! That’s not a confessional or anything; it’s just a bold declaration of my giddy love for one of the best food items in the world, which you can get at several places here in the greater Santa Maria Valley. I’ve been meaning to write this story forever, so hallelujah, let’s talk…
Robert Madrigal
It’s been a rough season for the Santa Maria High School boys’ volleyball team, and a number of injuries have left many of the team’s players benched, forcing younger students to step up and take over. Sophomore Robert Madrigal is up for the challenge. The former right-side hitter is now setting for the team, a…
Spotlight on: Keys 2 The Coast
A Central Coast couple was driving down to San Diego one summer when an epiphany struck. Donna Polizzi and her husband, Tony, didn’t know the area too well, so they checked Yelp for recommendations on where to find the best restaurants and happy hour spots. But after trying a few highly rated establishments with disappointing…
Political Watch 4/4/19
• State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) was appointed to the California Coastal Conservancy by Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. “It is an honor to be selected to serve on the California Coastal Conservancy,” Monning said in a press release. “We must continue to use creative approaches to ensure Californians have access to our coastal…
Corruption of the environmental quality act process
After reading the final environmental impact report and the staff recommendation regarding the ERG application for expanded oil development in Cat Canyon, I spoke with Mr. Errin Briggs, the energy specialist in the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department. Our conversation was enlightening and troubling. First of all, the consultant that provided the analysis…
Canary, you don’t have independent thoughts
Crude oil tankers described as bombs (“Oil tankers are bombs on wheels!” March 28): I’ll let someone else point out the flammability difference between crude oil and gasoline, because my head already hurts from trying to comprehend how someone doesn’t notice how gasoline gets to gas stations. People drive cars and trucks, using up to…
Raids ‘R’ Us
Cannabis is so confusing. Not because I’m high or anything. I’m not, I swear. I just use a little bit of CBD ointment on my right wing sometimes because it gets sore—and I definitely don’t inhale. I was driving up to Grover Beach to buy my muscle relaxation potion from 805 Beach Breaks until almost…
Show me the evidence
So who are the liars? Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, all California’s finest, Chuck Schumer, one of New York’s greats, all the mainstream media mouths or is it Robert Mueller? Each of these, except Mueller, stood directly in front of TV cameras and stated they had evidence that President Donald Trump had colluded with…
