Santa Barbara County’s Board of Supervisors adopted its recommended budget of $1.1 billion for the 2018-19 fiscal year on June 11, a 2.5 percent increase from last year’s iteration. “The board adopted a balanced budget with no layoffs, few service reductions, replenishment of reserves, and increased maintenance funding, while continuing a commitment to long-standing priorities […]
Supervisors adopt balanced budget for 2018-19 fiscal year
Posted inNews
Growing pains: From cut flowers to cannabis, Lompoc grapples with its past while eyeing economic opportunity
Dan Vordale’s boots crunch loose dirt and crumpled dead grass as he stomps through a neat row of waist-high flowers. “Ever since we came into this valley, the one flower we’ve grown is called stock,” he says. “It’s a big part of our company’s sales.” Vordale is a vice president for Ocean View Flowers, a […]
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Santa Maria-Bonita School District hosts first meeting in Mixteco
Roughly 10 percent of families with children attending schools in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District speak Mixteco as their primary language. That’s about 1,800 Santa Maria-Bonita School District students, according to Assistant Superintendent Mark Muller, who said the population of Mixteco-speaking students within the district has doubled in the last five years and more than […]
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Orcutt teens suspects in rash of car vandalism incidents
Three Orcutt teens are being investigated by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for their suspected involvement in a recent string of car vandalism incidents in Santa Maria and Orcutt. The suspects were stopped by a sheriff’s deputy just after midnight on June 9, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release, while they were sitting […]
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Oxnard’s Chief Financial Officer tapped to manage Lompoc
The search for Lompoc’s new city manager is over. Jim Throop, formerly the chief financial officer for Oxnard, will take over the position vacated by Patrick Wiemiller, who resigned in November 2017 following months of budget deadlock between members of the City Council, two of which called for the review of Wiemiller’s performance on three […]
Posted inOpinion
Trumpflation!
People are worried that President Donald Trump’s economic policies could overheat the economy. When he was elected, the stock market exploded. Now, many economists fear runaway inflation could harm our economy. Gas prices are on the rise, groceries will be next. The real danger is we’ll find inflated numbers everywhere. Tucson could become Threecson, and […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc, a city in decline
I keep trying to remain optimistic that there will be a dramatic turnaround of new growth and an influx of prosperity and wealth in Lompoc, but all the signs point in the opposite direction. In many ways a tone-deaf City Council majority has contributed to a reversal of improvements that have been made by previous […]
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Political Watch 6/14/18
• Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers reached a $200 billion budget agreement on June 8, which Brown’s office stated “makes record investments in schools and universities, creates the state’s first online community college, fully fills the Rainy Day Fund, boosts child care, and combats homelessness and poverty.” “After detailed discussions, California is on the […]
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County launches cannabis regulation and licensing website
There’s now another resource prospective cannabis business owners in Santa Barbara County can utilize to get their operations up to snuff. The new website, cannabis.countyofsb.org, offers a step-by-step guide to legally running a marijuana-related business, along with maps for zoning and permitting, as well as information on business and state licensing. The site also has […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos open new Cultural Center, realizing a longtime goal
Marina Washburn, director for the Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos (DANA), lived in Nipomo until she left for college at UC Santa Cruz. “It was time, and I was ready to get out of this little town,” Washburn said. As DANA prepared for the grand opening of its new cultural center on May 20, Washburn reflected on […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Artist Taffy French-Gray brings her seaside portraits to Valley Art Gallery
Taffy French-Gray is ready for her close-up. After some hesitation and few quick adjustments, the artist proudly poses next to her work, a series of deceptively charming seaside portraits. She is bubbly and happy to chat about her new exhibit, which runs through June at the Valley Art Gallery in Orcutt. French-Gray is the featured […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc Youth Theater to perform benefit concert for upcoming production
When you have a group of young people starving for the stage, it’s not that hard to rope them into an extra performance. At least, that’s what Lompoc Youth Theater (LYT) Producer and Director Sarah Raines figured after she auditioned a group of youngsters to join the summer program, which is set to perform a […]