Santa Maria City Council member Gloria Soto is extremely concerned about the school-to-prison pipeline. It was in full swing between 1997 and 2021 in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, if you take her comments at a recent board meeting at face value. “The last thing I want to do is perpetuate the […]
Orange-collar crimes
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C.A.R.E.4Paws begins offering pet wellness clinics to Oceano in August
Three mobile clinics rolled into Oceano on Aug. 6, aiming to treat animals in the community at no cost to town residents in need. Although Santa Barbara-based C.A.R.E.4Paws charges for its services on a sliding scale and does comp services for those who can’t afford to pay anything, the nonprofit is now able to help […]
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Political Watch: August 10, 2023
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced that his Ventura County district office is officially open for in-person appointments, according to an Aug. 2 statement. “If you are having trouble with a federal agency, have thoughts on a federal issue, or have concerns that you want to share with my team, I encourage you […]
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Bureau of Land Management orders oil company to plug wells in Carrizo
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management began the next steps in a 2022 settlement by issuing an order to E&B Natural Resources to plug 11 dormant oil wells and remove the surrounding infrastructure within the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The settlement occurred after Los Padres ForestWatch and the Center for Biological Diversity sued the Bureau […]
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Santa Maria Police Department plans to revive school resource officers initiative
Put on hold during the pandemic, a program that regularly stationed police officers at local high schools is being resurrected by the Santa Maria Police Department. Between 1997 and 2021, the department deployed up to five officers a year to act as school resource officers for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. These […]
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Cuyama residents launch carrot boycott as groundwater adjudication begins
A judge pushed back the Cuyama groundwater adjudication’s first phase to Oct. 9 because Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms failed to publish a notice in a local news outlet and still need to serve 314 landowners, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Firm Attorney Kay March told the Sun. California civil codes require those serving adjudications to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
NEW FLICKS: Kandahar
i>Kandahar What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Redbox and streaming platforms In their third collaboration, Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen, Greenland) directs Gerald Butler once again, this time as Tom Harris, a freelance special operator working for the CIA. He’s a world-weary mercenary with a young daughter he doesn’t see enough […]
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NEW FLICKS: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Apple TV Plus Now 62 and in the depths of his Parkinson’s disease, which was diagnosed at age 29, Michael J. Fox has been living with the reality of both his fame and his disease for most of his life. […]
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Meg 2: The Trench is a campy, implausible, preposterous but fun big budget B-movie
MEG 2: THE TRENCH What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande Ben Wheatley (Free Fire, Sightseers, Kill List) directs this sequel to 2018’s The Meg, about the research scientists exploring the Marianas Trench who encounter the […]
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Vineyards along Foxen Canyon Wine Trail offer Summer Passport tastings
Trailblazing For more info on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail Summer Passport, visit foxencanyonwinetrail.net. The annual promotion runs through Aug. 31. More than a dozen tasting rooms in Santa Barbara County have teamed up to create a passport that can be used for tasting flights rather than international flights. Scattered across a 30-mile stretch between […]
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American Pickers series seeks California-based antique collectors
The producers of American Pickers, an ongoing documentary series on the History Channel, are currently seeking California residents who collect valuable antiques and other unique items. The show is shot in different states throughout the year and will center on California during the month of September. The series does not highlight flea markets, museums, or […]
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Santa Maria Philharmonic Society welcomes new board president
On the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society’s board of directors since 2021, Sandra Dickerson (pictured, left) was announced as the group’s new board president in late July. Dickerson’s predecessor, Jed Beebe (right), was named president emeritus in recognition of his dedication to the organization over many years, according to press materials. “I am looking forward to […]