After a three-month-long investigation, the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health has issued six citations and $262,700 worth of fines against Merced Farm Labor Contractor, the Atwater-based employer of a 17-year-old farm worker who died of heat stroke in May. The fines are the largest assessed to an agricultural firm […]
Farmworker deaths prompt fines, more investigations
Posted inNews
Santa Maria will get ‘specific’ about goals for downtown
Want to make an impact on community development in the downtown Santa Maria area? Staff members from the Santa Maria Community Development Department are holding an Aug. 14 meeting to update the public about the city’s Downtown Specific Plan. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Minami Community Center, 600 W. […]
Posted inNews
Plan your detours: Multiple road construction projects are slated for August
Remember to drive extra safely around Santa Maria for the next few weeks—there are three big road construction projects in the works. The city’s annual street maintenance chip seal program, which began Aug. 11 and is scheduled to last for four weeks, will treat approximately 100 street segments and cost about $800,000. Chip sealing involves […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County receives an award from a technology company
Santa Barbara County was recognized on Aug. 6 for its use of the geographic information system (GIS), by the company that makes it, ESRI. The award was presented at the 28th Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego. GIS combines computer hardware, software, and data to create a tool for analyzing and displaying geographic […]
Posted inNews
Director of utilities is key speaker at business luncheon
Rick Sweet, director of utilities for the city of Santa Maria, will be the featured speaker at the Business Development Luncheon on Aug. 19. Sweet has worked for the city for 21 years, starting as an assistant civil engineer, then becoming Santa Maria’s city engineer, director of public works, and finally director of utilities. Sweet […]
Posted inNews
Find a piece of Southern Italy in Orcutt
The Trattoria Uliveto, a new restaurant in Orcutt, is set to open its doors for the first time on Aug. 22. Owners Jim Spallino and Alfonso Curti, formally of Grappolo in Santa Ynez, have created a menu emphasizing the simple tastes of an Italian kitchen, from a salad of arugula and parmesan to a spinach […]
Posted inNews
New superintendent is ready to start the school year
Phil Alvarado can trace his career in education back to one single moment. It was 1973, and Alvarado was leaving after his last day as an instructional aide at Oakley Elementary in Santa Maria. It was to be his last day as an educator—he was on his way to the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara […]
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Trial by peers
The door opens, and the judge, draped in legal-grade black, enters the room. A bailiff gruffly commands everyone present to “please rise,” and proceeds to swear in the jury members. Silence settles on the courtroom as a fresh-faced youth and his mother are ushered in and seated at the defendant’s table. The trial is about […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts Briefs
Sorpresa! comes to Comcast Santa Maria households can say 8hola! to a new 24-hour kids’ programming station for Hispanic children. 8Sorpresa! is America’s fastest-growing Spanish-language children’s network, and will be introduced on Comcast’s Hispanic digital tier. 8Sorpresa! is a 24/7 children’s cable network televised exclusively in Spanish. The network is geared toward reaching the young […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Spirited saint
In a time of plague, war, famine, and greed, a young girl stood up for her convictions and followed a path of unselfish servitude to those in need. Her actions in the 14th century made her revered today. Her service to the church made her a saint. Now, St. Catherine of Siena’s story lives on […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Get a heavy dose of the tonic of laughter
Anyone incapable of appreciating the absurd would do well to stay clear of PCPA’s adaptation of MoliÀre’s The Imaginary Invalid. From the basic plot premise—a family’s antics to prevent the hypochondriac patriarch from forcibly marrying his daughter to the son of a doctor—to the characters themselves, the tale is incredulous and very, very funny, particularly […]
Posted inOpinion
Arnold is holding us hostage
The legislators gridlock has created a complete mess. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community health clinics are no long being paid. Schools are trying to plan a new school year without knowing how many staff they will be able to keep. This is irresponsible. It has to stop. State workers making $6.55 an hour are not […]