Almost exactly a year ago this week, the California State Lands Commission announced before a packed Santa Barbara hearing room that it would not approve the now infamous Tranquillon Ridge Oil and Gas Project. The product of an agreement between Texas-based Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP) and three Santa Barbara environmental groups, the project […]
PXP revisited
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Arrested development
Nipomo’s Aaron Adams thought he’d found his dream home when he moved into Maria Vista Estates, an 84-acre hilltop development complete with dazzling views of the valley’s lush rolling hills. That was in July of 2007. Today, as he walks through his neighborhood of vacant million-dollar homes—the sidewalks cracked and yards overgrown with weeds—he wonders […]
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Viva la VITA
VITA has an offer for seniors who have a family income of less than $49,000: The group will prepare your taxes for free. The tax-preparation service will be offered in both English and Spanish. Call 211 to make an appointment for service, which will available through April 3. There are four VITA sites: one in […]
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Suspected cockfighting ring busted; 123 fighting cocks likely to be euthanized
Who says there’s nothing to do in unincorporated Arroyo Grande on a Sunday morning? Police raided an alleged cockfighting tournament south of Arroyo Grande on the Nipomo Mesa on Jan. 31, sending more than 300 participants fleeing into the adjoining countryside. San Luis Obispo sheriff deputies, Arroyo Grande police, and California Highway Patrol officers moved […]
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Correction
In the Sun’s Jan. 28 cover story, “Where have all the wood shops gone?” the number of students enrolled in career and technical classes in 2007 was misstated. Enrollment jumped from 9.6 million students in 1999 to 15.6 million students in 2007. News Briefs is compiled by Sun staffers from staff reporting and local and […]
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A local politician aims to reverse a Supreme Court campaign financing ruling
Assemblyman Pedro Nava is sounding the bugles against the U.S. Supreme Court. The Santa Barbara Democrat recently announced he’s planning to ask Congress to pass a constitutional amendment overturning the head court’s Jan. 21 decision to grant corporations the right to make campaign contributions through political action committees, or PACs. The 5-4 ruling in Citizens […]
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Santa Barbara County District Attorney retires due to health problems
After serving almost three years as Santa Barbara County’s district attorney, Christie Stanley is retiring. “Given the uncertainty of her health, Christie Stanley will formally retire within the next two weeks,” acting District Attorney Joshua Lynn announced in a press release on Jan. 25. The decision was set to be confirmed at the Santa Barbara […]
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Betteravia Center expansion gets county OK
Despite a worse-than-expected budget forecast, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Feb. 2 to move forward with a planned expansion of the Betteravia Administration Building. According to 5th District Supervisor Joe Centeno, “the climate is right” for the project because interest rates and bids for construction projects have never been lower. […]
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Almost, but not quite
On Jan. 31, the Missile Defense Agency conducted a flight test of its ground-based ballistic missile defense system. A target missile was launched at around 3:40 p.m. from the U.S. Army’s Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Approximately six minutes later, an interceptor missile was launched from Vandenberg […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Daytripper: La Purisima Mission
To escape the incessant buzz of technology and tumult of society, a trip to a place of solace is a good and necessary thing. Hey, not even Superman was capable of juggling journalism and crime fighting without retreating to his Fortress of Solitude. But where to go? If I could, I would buy my own […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A new way to picture it
Whether you’re an artist or just enjoy beautiful things, a few rules apply when it comes to art. First, the choice of frame can make or break an image. And second, art can’t be considered good, bad, or excellent if no one ever gets to see it. As a photographer and owner of Gold Coast […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Scottish play comes to PCPA
PCPA Theaterfest will present the William Shakespeare play Macbeth in the Marian Theatre Feb. 18 through March 7. The tale of a Scottish heir’s fall from grace, through spellbound seduction and the unrestrained pursuit of power, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies. The play follows Macbeth’s triumph, the bloody assassination that gains him […]