Hilda Zacarías, the sole Democratic candidate for the 33rd State Assembly District seat, recently announced that she’s received endorsements from four former San Luis Obispo County supervisors: Shirley Bianchi, David Blakely, Evelyn Delaney, and Bud Laurent. “I am humbled by the growing momentum for our campaign to change Sacramento,” Zacarías said in a release to […]
Political Watch 07.15
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Community Notebook 07.15
FRIDAY, JULY 16 • The Santa Maria City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from 10 a.m. to noon at the Betteravia Government Center conference room, 511 East Lakeside Parkway. • The Lompoc City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from noon to 1 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen
It was the night of “The Big Musical!” Big musical sounds certainly came from the Maestro Brass, a group of five retired teachers, under the direction of Gary Thompson. They entertained at Community Partners in Caring’s (CPC) 10th annual Clergy Waiters night at the Radisson Hotel on Saturday evening, June 26. More big sounds came […]
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Money to make the county greener
The Santa Barbara County energy conservation program, emPowerSBC, recently received a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The program aims to provide low-interest loans to homeowners trying to make their homes more environmentally friendly and finances related projects—think installing solar panels or new insulation. It also encourages people to make their homes […]
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California Space Center is go for launch
It’s hard to picture, but in less than a decade, an abandoned mobile-home park on Vandenberg Air Force Base property will transform into a massive visitors’ complex, celebrating the state’s space enterprise. The California Space Center, a 71-acre project conceived by the Santa Maria-based nonprofit California Space Authority, is now blasting headlong toward reality after […]
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Agribusiness as usual?
Few, if any, people left the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors June budget hearings with smiles on their faces. While the supervisors did scrape together about $5 million to pad the county’s strategic reserve, they still had to make more than $15 million in cuts to balance the 2010-11 budget. Since then, confusion over […]
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Let the campaigning begin
Ever thought of becoming a public servant? The Santa Maria City Clerk’s office is busy preparing for the Nov. 2 general election, through which voters will elect two members of the City Council. People interested in running for office must be at least 18 years old and a registered voter in the city of Santa […]
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Multi-agency drug ring investigation ends with arrests
After four months of stake outs and information gathering, a team of local and federal law enforcement officials broke up what it calls a “sophisticated drug trafficking ring” that spanned three counties. On July 2, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit—with help from the Santa Maria Police Department, San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department, and […]
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Methyl iodide generates buzz at the state level
California officials have received a record number of public comments regarding the use of methyl iodide, a controversial pesticide that could be used by the state’s strawberry and flower growers. In a recent interview with the Sun, Department of Pesticide Regulation spokesperson Lea Brooks said her office is in the midst of reviewing more than […]
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Close call
On July 11, while driving to back up another officer chasing a burglary suspect, a Santa Maria Police Department officer crashed his cruiser into a tree in a center median near the 100 Block of North Broadway. The officer was transported via ambulance to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara with serious injuries. As of press […]
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Local school district mourns one leader, searches for another
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District is now accepting applications from the public to fill the Board of Education seat formerly held by Ken Milo, a longtime district advocate who died in June. Milo had two years left of his four-year board term when he passed away. Applications for the position must be submitted to the […]
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Foodbank tour featured at meeting
The Santa Maria Manufacturers Association, a group promoting local industry and economic development, will hold its next monthly meeting at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County on July 27. Foodbank Executive Director Erik Talkin and Director of Operations Kathy Hayes will be the featured speakers at the event, which includes a factory tour. The meeting […]
