Lightning does strike twice in the same place. Yes, it does at the Lompoc Unified School District’s (LUSD) board, which has placed on the June 5 ballot a requirement for a new school bond for the second time in two years. This bond, titled Measure Q2018, is designated for $79 million to be spent over […]
Vote ‘no’ on Lompoc Unified School District bond
Posted inOpinion
A leadership change is needed for Sheriff’s Office
As a resident who grew up in Santa Maria and has dedicated 32 years to keeping the public safe, I regret to say that our Sheriff’s Department needs a leadership change to face our mounting public safety challenges. That’s why I’m running for sheriff. From patrol to training recruits and leading crisis intervention training to […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County governments push forward despite less than expected pot tax haul
For the time being, Santa Barbara County and its cities are reacting with tepid optimism to the news that California will not lower its 15 percent excise tax on cannabis. “It’s actually not surprising to me that the revenues are fairly low at this point,” Santa Barbara County Deputy CEO Dennis Bozanich said, adding that […]
Posted inNews
UCSB workers join statewide strike
Service and patient care workers at University of California campuses across the state participated in a three-day strike from May 7 to 9, protesting what workers call “widespread” employment inequalities in the university system. The strike, which hit campuses including UC Santa Barbara, was a direct response to a years-long, failed bargaining effort between the […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 5/17/18
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) said on May 14 in a statement that she would not vote to confirm Gina Haspel as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and pointed to Haspel’s involvement in the agency’s “Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation Program” as the disqualifier. “The United States must send a message to […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc Unified School District $79 million bond measure on June 5 ballot
It’s been 16 years since residents passed a bond measure that funded infrastructure improvements to schools in the Lompoc Unified School District. Now a $79 million bond measure is on the June 5 primary election ballot, and if passed, the disct’s Assistant Superintendent for Business Services John Karbula said it would still only fund about […]
Posted inNews
Sheriff election heats up following grand jury report
The race for Santa Barbara County sheriff-coroner reached a boiling point after the release of a 2017-18 Santa Barbara County grand jury report stating the Sheriff’s Office mandatory overtime had “become a de facto element” in its personnel and budget management practices, costing the office and county millions of dollars and affecting recruitment efforts. “Substantial, […]
Posted inOpinion
Christensen for auditor/controller
Jennifer Christensen is the county’s chief investment officer and an experienced financial professional. It is no secret that Santa Barbara County is heading into some serious financial budget and fiscal issues. We need an experienced and well-qualified individual as our auditor-controller. That is why a number of past and current local mayors and the county […]
Posted inNews
Find your tribe: There’s a place for everyone at the Live Oak Music Festival
Good morning and welcome to Sociology 101, an introduction to the study of society and social behavior among homo sapiens. Humans are social animals. We naturally create and maintain social networks. Some of us have very tight and often exclusive social circles whiles others have large overlapping networks, moving between and belonging to a number […]
Posted inNews
Up for grabs: Two Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office lieutenants challenge Sheriff Bill Brown’s bid for re-election
It’s not every year that Santa Barbara County voters to choose a new sheriff. It’s every four, of course, but this year’s election is different from those in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office’s recent history. That’s because Sheriff Bill Brown—who’s running for re-election for his fourth consecutive term—is facing not one, but two challengers […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Affordably priced rolls at Ha Ha Sushi in Orcutt aren’t the only reason to stop by
The sign outside Ha Ha Sushi in Orcutt is almost too good to believe. I actually had to convince my coworkers that it wasn’t just a one-time special deal or that we had show up at 3 a.m. and chant ancient Sumerian texts backwards under the light of a full moon in order to qualify […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Dancers with Allan Hancock’s Youth Dance program present a performance of ‘Tarzan’
It was an Academy Award-winning song that sparked the idea for Allan Hancock College Youth Dance’s new show. Madison Yolar-Groppetti, a choreographer for the annual Magical Moments and spring recital performance, said the song “You’ll Be In My Heart,” written by Phil Collins for the Disney film Tarzan, led them to consider tackling the classic […]