Hundreds of inmates have been released from the Santa Barbara County Jail to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the facility, and county leaders would like it to stay that way. A lower population and a felony diversion program are some of the changes the county Board of Supervisors said it would like to see […]
Santa Barbara County looks to permanently reduce the number of inmates held in jail
Posted inNews
Settlement reached in county jail conditions lawsuit
Parties in the Murray v. County of Santa Barbara jail conditions case reached a “groundbreaking settlement” on July 17, a press release from Disability Rights California, Prison Law Office, and King & Spalding LLP announced. These legal firms represented hundreds of incarcerated people at the Santa Barbara County Jail in a class action lawsuit that […]
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County governments begin regional housing needs process
Local governments in Santa Barbara County are beginning to analyze the region’s housing needs over the upcoming decade. State law requires regional government boards, such as the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), to manage the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process. Through this, the state sets housing goals for each region, after which regional […]
Posted inNews
County bans cannabis cultivation in Tepusquet Canyon, other rural neighborhoods
A change in regulations further limits where cannabis farms can operate in Santa Barbara County. During its meeting on July 14, the Board of Supervisors approved a package of ordinance amendments that it developed during a previous hearing in June. Among the four changes is one that prohibits cannabis cultivation in existing developed rural neighborhoods, […]
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Solvang solves its trolley problem
A contentious Solvang City Council vote on a businesses license renewal ended with a broken gavel and a council member leaving the meeting early. The Solvang Trolley and Carriage Company’s one-year license to operate its seven trollies—six of which are horse-drawn and one is motorized—expired on June 30. According to city regulations, only the council […]
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H-2A guest workers infected in COVID-19 outbreak rises to 50
After reports that Leo Begario Chavez-Alvarado, a 51-year-old agricultural worker from Salinas temporarily living in local H-2A housing, died on July 7 after contracting COVID-19, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department confirmed the death was connected to an outbreak at the congregate housing setting where he lived in Santa Maria. As of July 20, […]
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Building trades unions provide specialized training, negotiate living wages, and create local opportunity, but the community, they say, is unsupportive
Initially, the pressure to go to college overshadowed Santa Maria High School 2016 graduate Lizbeth Hernandez’s true passion. She attended Fresno State University after high school, but, “It didn’t work out,” she said. “I knew college wasn’t going to be great for me. It just didn’t seem that I wanted it.” Now, she’s an apprentice […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Rockfish are on the menu straight out of the Pacific Ocean
A Pacific rockfish by any other name is cod, snapper, and any one of the more than 70 species that swim about in the waters between Alaska and Baja California. There are red ones, blue ones, black ones, and yellow ones. Olive ones and striped ones. Those species with giant ugly, bulging eyes and those […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Barbara County-based artists encouraged to apply to the inaugural Awards for Responsive Works
If you’ve been working on any art projects since the early days of quarantine back in March, you just might be eligible for a new countywide stipend. The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission is currently accepting submissions for consideration into its newly launched artist awards program. The deadline to enter is Aug. 3, and up […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Globetrotting landscape photographer Nic Stover hosts a variety of virtual workshops
During the run of COVID-19 mitigation measures, beginning in mid-March, San Luis Obispo-based photographer Nic Stover has had his fair share of ups and downs. While he was able to develop a successful series of online photography tutorials, Stover—like many professional artists—was still hit hard financially over the course of quarantine. “The pandemic absolutely gutted […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA Plays On expands free summer programming online
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is expanding its PCPA Plays On program, a selection of free, virtual theater-arts-based classes for both youth and adults. Part of the new programming includes Community Enrichment, a series of workshops and virtual tours organized by Kitty Balay, PCPA’s director of engagement, which kicked off on July 8 with “The […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc cancels annual Mother Son Luau due to COVID-19 concerns
The city of Lompoc Recreation Division officially canceled the 2020 Mother Son Luau, the annual two-night dance party originally scheduled to take place on July 24 and 25 this year. The event has been canceled “as a precautionary measure due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak,” according to a press release from the city. All other […]