The artificial turf played on by children, teens, and professional athletes in California might be getting a government-mandated makeover, thanks to a recent lawsuit filed by the California Attorney General’s Office. The lawsuit alleges that three major producers of artificial grass—FieldTurf Tarkett, Astro Turf, and Beaulieu Group—“have knowingly and intentionally exposed individuals within the State […]
Government officials question the safety of artificial turf in California
Posted inNews
U.S. Department of Transportation halts funds to all states
On Sept. 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that, effective Sept. 8, the Federal Highway Administration will delay financial reimbursements from the Federal Highway Trust Fund to all states. In the past, DOT had estimated it would remain solvent until summer 2009. However, tax receipts have been dropping sharply in recent months due […]
Posted inNews
Better late than never
The launch of the Delta II rocket carrying a GeoEye 1 satellite was rescheduled for Sept. 6 due to Hurricane Hanna affecting the availability of key launch personnel at Cape Canaveral, according to a press release from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 around noon that day. The […]
Posted inNews
Schools are waiting on the budget, but doing okay
The budget for the state of California is usually enacted in the beginning of July. That was two months ago. Now, things are getting a little sticky for government agencies across the county, for agencies that are counting on that money. Imagine working hard and then not getting paid for two months in a row. […]
Posted inNews
Counties court Paso for facility approval
On Sept. 18, officials from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and San Benito counties will go before a review panel of employees from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Their joint mission: to convince the state to fund the construction of a tri-counties prisoner re-entry facility in Paso Robles. In exchange for bringing […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts Briefs
A Hancock student wins big for his take on student life Dustin Peterson, an Allan Hancock College photography student, beat out 340 contestants to take grand prize in the Foundation for California Community Colleges contest, College Seen II. The photo contest was sponsored by Adobe and challenged entrants to depict the life of a community […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
It’s independence time!
The United States celebrates its independence on July 4 with fireworks, and the beginning of the school year in September with a sigh of relief. For many Latin countries, however, September is the time for celebrating independence. Las Fiestas Patrias is the national celebration of two holidays, Cinco de Mayo (which technically happens in May) […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The active artist
In an artists’ world, nothing is really ever complete. Everything can be improved upon or changed. The smallest details can be an artist’s harshest enemy and most difficult challenge. Such is the case with Santa Maria artist Hattie Stoddard. Sitting in her dining room, sipping Crystal Light, Stoddard reflected on her mural work at the […]
Posted inOpinion
Poor delivery service aided newspapers’ decline
Daily newspapers have only themselves to blame for their demise. The publishers have missed one of the most important reasons why subscriptions have gone down: deterioration in delivery service. And now with the Internet in almost every household, it is probably too late to change. When we began a home in ’51, the morning and […]
Posted inOpinion
Be kind to Mother Nature
When the paved asphalt ends, so does the road. Why do trucks continue into areas where children make sand castles and people happily run their dogs and enjoy a peaceful hike? The Nipomo Dunes are such a unique display of Mother Nature’s genius that the roar of trucks, ATVs, and the RV city really does […]
Posted inOpinion
Survey the surveyors
I had two uninvited, and ultimately unwelcome, visitors knock on my door recently. Their stated intentions were to “conduct a survey” about Proposition 8, the upcoming ballot measure that would reverse recent judicial and legislative decisions that open the state of marriage to any couple seeking it. The visitors soon revealed that they were not […]
Posted inOpinion
Where is the outrage?
When the Chinese government silenced the voice of dissent during the Olympics, the media and many Americans expressed outrage at their tactics. Now, when producers of the news show Democracy Now, filming a peace march at the Republican National Convention, are manhandled and bloodied by law enforcement coordinated by the FBI, where is the media […]