Starting 2012, Santa Maria could be home to the only licensed veterinary technician program on the Central Coast. A veterinary technician—vet tech for short—is the animal-serving equivalent of a nurse practitioner. And similar to nurses, vet techs are in high demand. Currently, locals interested in becoming licensed vet techs have to travel as far away […]
Nurses of the animal world
Posted inNews
No death penalty sought for Myers defendant
One of the five defendants in the ongoing Dystiny Myers murder trial learned she won’t face the death penalty. At a March 17 preliminary hearing in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, prosecutors announced they will not seek capital charges against Rhonda Wisto, 47, of Nipomo, who is accused of being the leader of a […]
Posted inNews
Arroyo Grande cross burning is being investigated as a hate crime
In the early morning hours of March 18, an 11-foot-cross was set ablaze outside the window of a 19-year-old African American woman in Arroyo Grande, according to police reports. The Arroyo Grande Police Department is investigating the cross burning as arson and a hate crime. Arroyo Grande Police Chief Steve Annibali said two FBI agents […]
Posted inNews
Rain pummels Santa Barbara County, prompting an evacuation and an air rescue
Stormy weather across the Central Coast had government and law enforcement officials working overtime the weekend of March 20. The Santa Barbara County Emergency Operations Center was busy monitoring flooding in Guadalupe and water flowing from Lake Cachuma into the Santa Ynez River. As a precaution, Guadalupe city officials evacuated approximately two dozen residents living […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Spring in wine country
Although wine may rest in French oak and age quietly in bottles, activity within the wine world never really ceases. The growing season requires constant vigilance in the vineyard, harvest brings a flurry of labor, and winter entails racking, blending, and endless peeks into aromatic barrels. In early spring, just as the next vintage emerges […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Decades of dance
Each year, one aspect of the Allan Hancock College dance program’s annual spring and fall dance concerts gets overlooked. As performers practice and teams of people pay attention to every nuance of each upcoming show, posters go up all over town. Those posters are works of art themselves and make up a special part of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Strawberry queen contest opens
Be queen for a year. The 2011 Strawberry Queen Contest, put on by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau, is now accepting entries. The contest allows local girls the opportunity to vie for the crown while earning scholarship money and supporting their community. To participate, each girl must sell […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Library recognizes arts winners
The winners of the 2011 Small Works juried exhibition at the Santa Maria Public Library have been announced. “There are many great pieces in this exhibition, from clever presentation, elegant simplicity, to indefinably lively,” said judge Martin Johnsen. Awards included Best in Show: Sheryl Knight for November in Sonoma, oil on linen; Award of Excellence: […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Art of Recovery show calls for artists
Transitions-Mental Health Association, partnering with the Healing Arts Council of Santa Barbara County, invites people of all ages with a connection to mental illness to submit entries of artistic expression for the 2011 “Art of Recovery” show. People recovering from substance abuse, mental illness, and their family members are encouraged to submit work in any […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Sending a message
It was a cold, gray, overcast day in Arroyo Grande, but Merrell Fankhauser’s sunny surfer style said otherwise as he stepped into his tiki lounge. Fankhauser still sports the long, white-blond hair he had when he ushered in the 1960s wave of surf music with his song “Wipe Out.” Everything about Fankhauser seems amiable, from […]
Posted inNews
Meet the Class of 2011
It’s the dream of almost every varsity athlete who’s ever laced up a pair of cleats, picked up a bat, or thrown on a set of shoulder pads: a college scholarship. Out of the thousands of high school students who participate in sports area-wide, each year only a chosen few have the distinction of making […]
Posted inOpinion
What book can’t you finish?
Amy Molina mom “Frankenstein in high school. I just couldn’t read it. It was too boring.” Tim Derkson ad sales “Darkly Dreaming Dexter, because of work.” Waylon Hatcher professional actor “The Bible. I’ve picked it up here and there, but I’ve never finished it. I get a quarter through, and then I lose my spot […]