• Etta Waterfield, Republican candidate for the 33rd California Assembly District, recently announced she has raised more than $160,000 for the first half of 2009. “Etta Waterfield has excited the business community, and they’re providing the backbone of her campaign’s finance team,” campaign strategist Tim Clark said in a press release. For the past six […]
Political Watch 8-6
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Community Notebook 8-6
MONDAY, AUG. 10 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. TUESDAY, AUG. 11 • The Guadalupe City Council has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 […]
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Santa Maria Valley students shine
More than 200 local high school graduates have been named to Allan Hancock College’s dean’s honors list for the spring 2009 semester, according to a release from the college. A total of 613 students achieved status on the dean’s honors list, and more than a third of those students graduated from Righetti, Santa Maria, […]
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Blochman District opens new preschool, playground amid cuts
Parents in the Santa Maria and Orcutt areas will soon have a new option when it comes to preschool for their children. Blochman Union School District—which encompasses the unincorporated towns of Sisquoc, Garey, and Tepusquet—will host an open house event at its new preschool on Aug. 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Benjamin […]
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Marian employee marks a half-century of service
Evelyn Dias’ retirement reception at Marian Medical Center on July 31 wasn’t just another cake-and-soda send-off party. The event marked a milestone in Marian’s history as the spry, “ageless” 92-year-old became the facility’s first employee to reach 50 years of service. About 100 of Dias’ co-workers, friends, and family gathered at the hospital’s […]
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City governments will take a hit
On July 24, when state legislators ended months of partisan bickering and reached a new budget agreement, news reports showed images of lawmakers smiling, shaking hands and congratulating each other on a job well done. But for local governments all across the state, there was little cause for celebration. A provision included within […]
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Armijo objects
He might have resigned from his position with Santa Barbara County, but Gil Armijo, former executive staff assistant to Supervisor Joe Centeno (5th District), will still be interacting on a personal level with another county agency: the District Attorney’s office. In a recent interview with the Sun, Armijo said he plans to withdraw all […]
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Suspected murder-suicide investigation is ongoing
Lompoc Police officers are investigating the shooting deaths of two adults on Aug. 1. The bodies—which were discovered at a residence in the 500 block of North F St.—have been identified as Alberto and Maria Buenrostro. Officers responded to a call of suspicious circumstances at approximately 9:30 p.m. Investigators are awaiting the results […]
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City of Santa Maria seeks funding input from local nonprofits
Need funding? Santa Maria officials are asking qualified nonprofit organizations to recommend programs that should be considered for funding under the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program. The program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Earlier this year, the […]
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Santa Barbara County sheriff denies leaking Michael Jackson information to TMZ
On July 27, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, District Attorney, and County Counsel received letters from an attorney alleging the sheriff leaked seized information on the late pop star Michael Jackson to TMZ, a celebrity gossip website. Howard King, attorney for F. Marc Shaffel, said in the letter the sheriff inappropriately released a videotaped […]
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Fire season sparks stronger camping and fire restrictions in Los Padres National Forest
Facing the increasing possibility of a wildfire, Los Padres National Forest officials announced effective Aug. 5 that they’re enforcing additional fire restrictions. According to a press release, the restrictions will stay in effect until the end of fire season, when the forest receives at least two inches of rainfall. Recreational target shooting is prohibited […]
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Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees remembered as a ‘friend to all’
During a somber press conference to announce the passing of popular Lompoc mayor Dick DeWees, city councilmembers and friends remembered DeWees for his love of the community and sense of humor. Lompoc City Administrator Laurel Barcelona called DeWees a “friend to all,” saying he was supportive of the council staff and did all he […]