Buellton and Santa Barbara County wine country will be injected with a healthy dose of nightlife next fall. Don Conner of Los Olivos-based Coast Development Partners told the Sun that by then his firm should be wrapping up construction on its ambitious inaugural commercial property project, The Commons. “We would describe it really as a […]
Spotlight on: Coast Development Partners
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Fighting by breeding: Millions awarded to California universities for strawberry research
To Dominique Pincot, farming is her family’s business. It’s the life her grandpa, uncle, and dad chose, and the work she never really wanted to do. But growing up around the fields of Betteravia Farms in Santa Maria, where Pincot’s family helps grow vegetables and strawberries, had a lasting effect on her life. “My dad […]
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Whittier Fire area may be dangerous during the wet season
The Whittier Fire may no longer pose a direct threat to nearby residents, but the effects from the blaze may be felt for years to come, particularly in the area’s main arteries of travel and at Lake Cachuma reservoir, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service report. On Aug. 29, Los Padres National Forest biologist […]
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Political Watch 9/7/17
• Both Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued statements following President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with a six-month delay. Sen. Harris, who is a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affiars Committee and co-sponsor of the DREAM […]
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Local Forest Service chief killed in truck crash
A Los Padres National Forest battalion chief stationed in Santa Maria was killed in a head-on collision on Aug. 31 while driving his truck home from the Railroad Fire in the Sierra National Forest. U.S. Forest Service Santa Lucia District Battalion Chief Gary Helming, 47, was driving southbound on State Route 41 when Antonio Avalos, […]
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Pioneer Valley High School students to raise money for Hurricane Harvey support
Every day during lunch until Sept. 8, the Pioneer Valley High School Student Council will accept cash donations to support Texans displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Students will play music on Pioneer Valley’s stage during lunch, according to a school district press release. Each class will have a designated donation bucket, and the class with the […]
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Cap-and-trade extension has mixed local support
When it comes to gauging the business community’s reaction to the recent developments with California’s cap-and-trade program, it depends who you ask. Mark Schniepp, director of California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara, told the Sun that the July 17 vote in the state Assembly to continue the program would most likely change little. “[Cap-and-trade] is […]
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Santa Maria Police investigate fatal shooting
A 19-year-old Santa Maria man was shot and killed on the 2000 block of North Lazo Way early Sept. 3. The homicide was Santa Maria’s second of the year. Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) officers responded to reports of gunshots fired near North Lazo at about 12:40 a.m., according to a department press release. There, […]
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Sky’s the limit: The Blue Sky Center works to empower the residents of rural Cuyama Valley with creativity and community
Things don’t move too fast in rural communities like New Cuyama, and they especially slow down when the midday sun bears down and the heat hits the high 90s. That is, except for Louie, the pit bull/black lab mix who bounded after a small lizard darting for the safety of the nearest desert shrub on […]
Posted inOpinion
What can be done to empower isolated, rural communities?
Chris Cucchiara realtor “I think supporting small businesses more and supporting each other a lot more.” Josh Caballero entrepreneur “I would say making water supplies easier to get out there. A lot of people I talk to have trouble getting water, so I think that would help a lot.” Humberto Tirado truck driver “They need […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians support local museums with golf tournament
The Alisal River Course in Solvang is the same color as the funds raised by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians at the 13th annual Chumash Charity Golf Classic: gorgeous green. The event took place Aug. 23 through 24 this year, when dozens of golfers raised thousands of dollars for local organizations. Since the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Jacqueline Higa
Aug. 21 was a day of celebration for Jacqueline Higa and her softball team—they won the 2017 Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department’s Summer League Championship. What made this particular softball league so much fun for Higa wasn’t the winning but rather the light-heartedness. Teams that play in the Recreation and Parks League are encouraged […]