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You better watch out: Santa Maria Police and county organizations use state support to battle impaired driving
It was nearly midnight, and Todd was drunk again. His addiction to drinking had cost him almost everything over the years, including his marriage, several jobs, and four driving under the influence (DUI) citations, which he said cost about $10,000 each. By Jan. 18, 2016, his parents were fed up, too, and they kicked him…
Nipomo man accused of murdering his girlfriend convicted of immigration violation
NOTE: This article was corrected to reflect that Alonso Mata’s prison sentence was longer than one year. On May 30, 24-year-old Paulina Ramirez-Diaz was found stabbed to death in her Nipomo home. Six months later, the man once accused of ending her life received a sentence of just over two years in prison. That’s because…
Are you excited for legal recreational cannabis on Jan. 1?
Morgan Quitugua customer service “I don’t smoke it personally, but it makes people happy. I’m just neutral about it.” Shannon Monroe hairstylist “I’m excited because people I consider family have used recreational weed for a really long time, and it’s helped them! Some of it’s to just chill them out, so if not for that,…
Political Watch 12/14/17
• Gov. Jerry Brown (D) visited Ventura County to survey the damage wrought by the Thomas Fire on Dec. 9, where he thanked firefighters from near and far and others for their efforts in battling the blaze. Brown characterized the historic year of wildfires as the “new normal,” thanks to climate change. “We’re facing a…
Central Coast teen plays legendary bully in Fox’s ‘A Christmas Story Live!’
While other Central Coast kids are busy dreaming up their Christmas wish lists, Sacha Carlson is still glowing from a gift he got months ago. Just two days before his 14th birthday back in October, San Luis Obispo-based Carlson got his big break as an actor: the role of bully Scut Farkus in Fox’s A…
Let’s stop fighting
We need to stop fighting about Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) issues. We must come to a compromise. There are many parties involved, and each needs to win something: off-roaders, Mesa residents, endangered species in the creek, and Oceano residents. Health needs come first and need to be met fully. I suggest fencing…
No pot in my backyard
Editor’s note: This letter was written in response to Angela Bacca’s commentary, “Support Lompoc’s cannabis ordinance,” on Dec. 7. Legalizing cannabis under Proposition 64 reflects the incredible stupidity of the voters in California. Because of their deranged actions we all have to deal with the potheads around us who want to be legal now at…
Dear Canary
Little bird, I do look forward to your weekly column (“*Cough cough*,” Nov. 30). My observation: It appears, unfortunately, that a lot of people, including law enforcement, in the two counties regard Reefer Madness as a documentary.
Responding to Salud
You just have to laugh at the continual whining of liberals and our local representative. I just read Salud Carbajal’s entire letter concerning the GOP’s tax plan (“The Central Coast can’t afford the GOP tax plan,” Dec. 7) that was full of “possibilities” of problems, but nothing he or any of his cohorts have introduced…
Edible Hanukkah event comes to Santa Ynez Valley
Chag Sameach! That basically means “happy festival/joyous holiday,” depending on which strict translation script you like to stick to. In this case, the happy festival is Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights celebrating the time a small group of Jewish people held out in a battle against the Greeks for their right to observe their…
LOCAL NOTES: Ron Helman plays jazz trumpet at The Bear and Star in Los Olivos
The world of wine and jazz music are intertwined, and it’s easy to see why—they make a perfect pairing. That’s why trumpeter and jazz musician Ron Helman was surprised when he moved to the Santa Ynez Valley, the heart of the Central Coast’s wine country, and found a lack of jazz music in local venues.…
Michelle Castle’s prints recall a bygone era of recording botanicals in the wild
As she wound through the smoky streets of Santa Barbara while the Thomas fire loomed beyond the horizon, Michelle Castle pondered history and art. “I’ve always been inspired by the old historical etchings in general,” Castle said. “Whether it’s plants or animals, I love things that deal with actual history and facts. I love when…
Spotlight on: Shaun Boyd Made This
Local woodworker Shaun Boyd didn’t come to the age-old craft directly. He was an economics major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before working in businesses, and then went back to school to study film. But after trying different jobs and traveling, he turned to a skill that was “more creative, doing something with my…
FDA clears new valley fever diagnosis process
A Utah-based molecular diagnostics company, DxNA, began the process of manufacturing equipment for its new testing process for rapid detection of valley fever after the company announced on Dec. 6 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the test for marketing. The test, according to DxNA Vice President of Marketing and Sales Lori…
Smoke from wildfires spurs school closures
The particles of drifting smoke and ash from the Thomas Fire did more than ominously rain down from the sky and pile up on cars on Dec. 10 and in the days following—it caused air quality so poor that schools across Santa Barbara County closed mid-December and local fire departments distributed free N-95 facemasks to…
Humor: Rebecca Rose dives into the La Mer cream frenzy
Dear readers, my life is about to change forever. Don’t be surprised if you no longer hear from me or that when you do it’s on the arm of our most handsome and famousest movie stars, because I just bought my very first jar of Creme De La Mer beauty cream. Oh you don’t know…
Artists invited to apply for residency pilot program
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative (SBAC) invites Santa Barbara County-based artists to apply for the artist-in-residence program, based at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW), for artwork that meets community needs, bridges societal barriers, and fosters civic engagement with local issues. Projects will be awarded grants of between $3,000 and $6,000, and will receive a month…
Righetti Film Festival calls for student films
High school students interested in filmmaking are encouraged to submit their films for the Righetti Film Festival in April of 2018. Featured award categories include best director, editor, screenplay, cinematography, best of show, audience choice, and teacher’s choice. All films must be G-rated, and all genres are included. As tradition, this student-produced public event will…
State Street looking for sculpture artists
Submitted proposals are currently being considered for the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture for a new sculpture installation on State Street in Santa Barbara. The call to artists is open to all professional artists or teams aged 18 years or older working or residing in Santa Barbara County. The work needs to…
Lompoc Library features Marilyn Stankewich
The Grossman Gallery is displaying the work of oil landscape artist Marilyn Stankewich at the Lompoc Library. The public is invited to a reception event, which will be held at 501 E. North Ave., Lompoc, on Jan. 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. Painting landscapes from the California coastline, and the woods and mountains of…
Zane Sheckherd
Righetti High School senior Zane Sheckherd, and the rest of the Warriors girls’ basketball team, got all geared up for their first games of the 2017-18 season on Dec. 8 for a preseason tournament in San Marcos. But then the Southern California wildfires broke out, and plans changed. “It got canceled,” Sheckherd told the Sun.…
Orcutt vet and her husband take home five medals at U.S. Dressage Federation championships in Kentucky
Orcutt Veterinary Hospital owner Brenda Forsythe has an unorthodox and longstanding routine for her lunch break. After a long morning of treating animals at the clinic, Forsythe hops in her car and heads for the stables. Her husband meets her there. “I eat lunch on the way out there and then ride my horse during…
Happy apocalypse-mas
I heard the classic holiday tune “White Christmas” on the radio the other day, but I don’t think what we’re dealing with here on the Central Coast is what Irving Berlin or Bing Crosby had in mind. It’s been days now of brown skies, deep orange sunrises, and a blood red sun looming over us,…
EPA takes public comment before pushing forward with Casmalia Resources Superfund Site
The first time Terri Stricklin heard about the extent of the toxic waste dump just a mile or so north of the unincorporated community of Casmalia was in 1980. “It was funny,” she told the Sun at her family’s steakhouse, The Hitching Post, one of the town’s only attractions. “This guy was painting trucks for…
Witness helps Sheriff’s Office nab sexual assault suspect
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested an 18-year-old Santa Maria man on Dec. 6, after a witness reported seeing him assault and attempt to rape a 15-year-old girl. The Sheriff’s Office stated that Nicholas Padilla, 18, was driving on the 2600 block of West Main Street on Dec. 6 when he “became angry with…
Firefighters make gains with Thomas Fire
Mild winds on the night of Dec. 11 helped fire crews across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties make significant gains on establishing a perimeter around the flaming behemoth known as the Thomas Fire. The frenetic fire spun out of control on Dec. 4 in Ventura County and burned 234,000 acres—266 square miles—by Dec. 12, making…
Allan Hancock College refinances Bond Measure I as projects move forward
Allan Hancock College recently refinanced Bond Measure I, which was passed by voters in 2006 and used to fund $180 million in facility and technology improvements on the college’s campus. The refinancing process is expected to save taxpayers nearly $10.3 million over the bond’s lifetime. The bond refinancing process is similar to home mortgage refinancing,…
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians donates laptops to local schools
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians recently delivered laptop computers and mobile charging carts to two Santa Barbara County schools as part of its Technology in Schools Program. The Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy and Cabrillo High School each received 35 Google Chromebooks and a mobile charging cart, which were wheeled into class by…
Stoners aren’t stupid
Editor’s note: This letter was written in response to the Ruhge’s letter, which Bacca received via email along with the Sun. I am unsure why you have sent me this message, I strongly disagree with your stance and rhetoric. First, I would encourage you to do a little bit of scientific research, so you understand…
Stop using God as an excuse
Alabama state auditor Jim Ziegler, when defending Roy Moore’s behavior, stated, “Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.” The “defense” of Roy Moore by members of the religious right dragging Mary and Joseph into the controversy while distorting the birth of Jesus…
