Leaves turn from green to crimson and pumpkins smile a bright orange, signaling that the end of harvest is near. As wine growers across Santa Barbara County gather the last of their juicy, ripe grapes, they weigh in with their thoughts on the merits and promise of the vintage of 2009. Despite some uneven temperatures, […]
Good harvest
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Welcome to Santa Barbara-Psych!
It’s a busy day in the bullpen of the Santa Barbara Police Station. Officers swarm about the room—a blur of navy blue and paperwork—absorbed in their latest cases. There’s a steady hum of a department at work: the shrill chorus of ringing telephones, the urgent murmur of detectives deliberating motives, the rustling of case files. […]
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Local Red Cross members deploy to Samoa
The Santa Barbara chapter of the Red Cross has deployed seven volunteers to help with the group’s tsunami relief effort in the American Samoan Islands. Before leaving, the volunteers attended a briefing at the county chapter headquarters in Santa Barbara. The volunteers will help to provide shelter for people who’ve been displaced, provide mental […]
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United Way collects a bus full of bounty for local students
The bus was officially stuffed at the Northern Santa Barbara County United Way’s annual “Stuff the Bus” event, during which local community members donated more than $16,225 in school supplies to classrooms in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District. Several local businesses, such as UPS and Toyota of Santa Maria, pitched in by holding special […]
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OfficeMax delivers goods to one lucky Santa Maria teacher
On Oct. 6, Shannon Verbryke, a 6th grade teacher at Robert Bruce School, received a surprise visit from employees of the OfficeMax in Arroyo Grande. The chain is donating $1,000 worth of school supplies to 1,300 teachers nationwide as part of the store’s “A Day Made Better” program, designed to support teachers who spend money […]
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Public to pay for power line mistakes
As September came to an end, a portion of the hills surrounding Vandenberg Air Force Base ignited into flames and burned into October—for about six days—charring more than 600 acres. The blaze began, officials later announced, because of sparks from crossed power lines. Unlike past local fires, the Pine Canyon flare-up claimed no victims, […]
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Grants fund new fire stations
The city of Santa Maria has successfully secured two grants totaling more than $4 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The money will go toward the construction of two new fire stations. “There were 8,000 applicants nationwide, and there were only seven grants awarded here […]
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Celebrate peace with Marian Medical Center
A feeling of peace and well-being will envelop the communities of Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Guadalupe the week of Oct. 12 when the People for Nonviolence Committee of Marian Medical Center hosts the 13th annual Peace Week. The event will feature a variety of activities and programs designed to bring Santa Maria Valley locals […]
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Both sides claim victories in forest ruling
More than a million acres of wildland in the Los Padres, Angeles, Cleveland, and San Bernardino national forests have been at the heart of a legal battle between seven environmental groups and the U.S. Forest Service. And a late September ruling in the case seems to have been met with favor from both sides. […]
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Firefighters snuff out blaze near Vandenberg Air Force Base
In less than a week’s time, Santa Barbara County firefighters have doused the flames of a brush fire burning near Vandenberg Air Force Base. As of Oct. 5, the Pine Canyon fire was at 100 percent containment. Approximately 617 acres burned, according to joint press releases from Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Santa […]
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Holiday Inn snags top award
InterContinental Hotels Group recognized Holiday Inn and Suites Santa Maria for its superior guest satisfaction, making the hotel one of just four in the state to receive the group’s award for quality excellence. The award is based on scores compiled from guest surveys, in which visitors evaluate hotels on the quality of product, service, […]
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Cook out with the Lions
The Orcutt Lions invite the public to have a spooky old time at the club’s Halloween cook-your-own dinner event on Oct. 16. Taking place at 126 S. Broadway, the fun begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes a costume contest, prize raffles, a 50-50 drawing, and a no-host bar. The cost is $10 per person. […]
