Locals looking to get around in a hybrid car can now stop by the Santa Maria-based Zynk Rentals. The new company has a selection of hybrid vehicles available for business or leisure travel. It also offers VIP service and delivers the rental car right to the customer’s home or business and picks it up when […]
New car rental company offers fuel-efficient hybrids
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Political Watch
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded a federal grant worth $289,150 to the Santa Barbara County Department of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health. The money will go toward funding the department’s methamphetamine recovery services.The county is expected to use the funds to improve the drug court system, and to expand […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen
Five lithesome L.A. Laker Girls added sparkle and fun to the inaugural Toys for Tots golf tournament on Sept. 8 at the Santa Maria Country Club. The Central Coast Toys for Tots held the outing in order to shore up their sagging coffers before the holidays. “This event will be a giant help to Toys […]
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Creating a support system for cancer patients
Central Coast patients in need of specialized cancer treatment soon won’t have to travel out of the area, thanks to the shared vision of local oncologist Robert Dichmann and a local businessman and cancer survivor, Atul Patel. The two men, along with Patel’s father, are in the beginning stages of building an all-in-one, comprehensive cancer […]
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U.S. House passes bill approving offshore oil drilling
Late on the evening of Sept. 16, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 236-189 to approve a bill that would relax a longtime ban on offshore drilling. The bill would allow drilling 100 miles off of both the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. That distance would be cut in half to 50 miles if a state’s […]
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Paso City Council conditionally approves tri-county re-entry facility
On Sept. 16, officials from three counties let out sighs of relief after the Paso Robles City Council conditionally approved construction of a state-run re-entry facility on land adjacent to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport. The council voted 4-0, with Councilman John Hamon absent, in favor of building a 500-bed facility to rehabilitate inmates from […]
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Santa Barbara County Fire Chief announces his retirement
Santa Barbara County Fire Chief John Scherrei will soon be passing the firefighting torch to someone else, following his retirement from county service in January 2009. On Sept. 22, Scherrei confirmed his pending retirement plans with County Executive Officer Michael F. Brown and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The county human resources department […]
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Land of the frogs
Earlier this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended designating almost two million acres in 28 California counties as protected habitat for the California red-legged frog. In Santa Barbara County, approximately 170,00 acres would be set aside for the multi-colored amphibian. The habitat would include areas in the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys, […]
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Otters are making waves
Starting Sept. 21, the California Legislature and dozens of zoos, aquariums, and other organizations from Monterey to Melbourne, honored one of the Golden State’s biggest celebrities: the southern sea otter. Last month, the state Legislature, led by Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), approved an initiative officially declaring the last week in September to be Sea […]
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There’s a new general manager in town
A lot has changed at KCOY and KKFX in the last year. There are new owners, different anchors, and more than a few new employees. Despite all of the changes, however, the stations have been missing one thing: a boss. Not anymore. Kevin Harlan has been appointed the general manager of KCOY-CBS 12 and KKFX-FOX […]
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First 5 Santa Barbara County will host an annual Champions for Young Children Conference
On Oct. 1, First 5 Santa Barbara County will welcome two of the nation’s leading child development experts to its annual Champions for Young Children Conference in Buellton. The daylong conference is designed to provide Santa Barbara County parents, teachers, and childcare professionals with the latest information to support the healthy development of young children. […]
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Migration will take center stage at a Hancock lecture series
Teachers, public officials, students, and community members will discuss all things migration at Allan Hancock College’s fall 2008 Faculty Lecture Series, to be held every Friday at 6:30 p.m. through Oct. 24 on the Santa Maria campus. The series begins on Sept. 26 with Migration Stories, featuring a faculty panel that will discuss personal stories […]