An armed Orcutt man and former Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot and killed by current deputies on Dec. 28 during a standoff that ensued after the man allegedly murdered two of his relatives and another individual earlier that day. David McNabb, 43, was found by deputies inside his Orcutt home on the […]
Suspect in triple homicide killed by Sheriff’s Office deputies
Posted inNews
Few Santa Barbara County crops test positive for illegal pesticide residue
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation released its most recent study on pesticide use on Dec. 27, and some Santa Barbara County growers were forced to destroy food products that tested positive for illegal levels of pesticide residues. During its 2017 survey of pesticide use, the Department of Pesticide Regulation collected and tested 3,695 samples […]
Posted inNews
County responds to LA Times report, issues emergency debris flow mitigation permit
Santa Barbara County spent the weekend before Christmas defending its actions prior to the Montecito debris flow after an extensive LA Times report said county officials didn’t do enough to help mitigate the disaster. According to the report published on Dec. 20, county officials “did not heed decades-old warnings to build bigger basins” above Montecito […]
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No age limit: Senior substance abuse presents unique challenges and concerns for those seeking to get them support and treatment
At around 10:30 a.m. in a small room at the SLO County Veteran’s Memorial Building, Colin Quennell was telling a story. The story was a personal one. Quennell, a licensed therapist and program supervisor for the SLO County Health Agency’s Drug and Alcohol Services Department, was talking about an elderly family member that fell on […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Talent showcase set for Santa Maria
A spotlight on local performing artists is set for Jan. 13 at the Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria, with a top cash prize of $500. Local artist and entertainer Lezlie Thoroddsson presents The Showcase of Talent, an outlet for creative artists in the Santa Maria Valley. Performers range in age from 13 to 65 performing […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
CORE Winery welcomes SLO and Santa Barbara poets
Cal Poly Professor Sarah Grieve and Santa Barbara poet Gudrun Bortman are set to present readings from their work on Jan. 12, as part of CORE Winery’s ongoing Second Saturday poetry night. Grieve, who holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University, is a lecturer in the English department at Cal Poly. Her poetry has appeared […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Public Library offers local history series
The Santa Maria Public Library announced a new free local history series, titled “Heart of the Valley,” in partnership with local historian Shirley Contreras. The history series will feature a speaker every month, focused on local history in the Santa Maria Valley. Jay Hardy, CEO of Hardy Diagnostics and owner of Moxie Cafe, will kick […]
Posted inOpinion
Exxon’s lump of coal
At the start of our Christmas season, Exxon Petroleum (aka Aera Energy), dropped a lump of coal into Santa Barbara County’s stocking. They submitted a draft environmental impact report to the County Planning Commission to dramatically increase oil and gas extraction below the Santa Maria groundwater table. With hundreds of new wells, Exxon plans to […]
Posted inOpinion
Armendariz is wrong about oil, county coffers
Joe Armendariz writes that Santa Barbara County could generate more in annual property taxes from increased oil and gas production (“Man-made disaster and unforced error,” Dec. 13), which is needed because our county is in a “chronic financial crisis.” I respectfully disagree on several points. The number of tax dollars from increased oil production cited […]
Posted inOpinion
Why the school bonds failed
The 2018 election season saw the taxpayers in Lompoc and Santa Maria being asked to approve two school bonds, each for $79 million. Both the Lompoc Union School District (LUSD) and Allan Hancock College were asking for more from us. The former was designated Measure E, the latter Measure y. This was the third time […]
Posted inOpinion
Grim predictors
When tragedy hits a community, words like “unbelievable,” “unexpected,” and “unthinkable” get thrown around by public leaders, media, and citizens alike. But for those of us who listen closely to experts, many of these issues aren’t unexpected at all, and in fact, they’re predictable. Look at the recent, extensive LA Times report that charged Santa […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 1/03/19
• Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Dec. 21 and discussed California’s deadly and unprecedented wildfire season, pointing to the role climate change has played in the fight against wildfires. “It’s bigger because fire season, instead of being a few months around the summer, a little bit in the fall, […]