On March 15, Old Town 4-H held its general meeting. Old Town 4-H is a local club based in Orcutt with approximately 80 members. The meeting began with an ice cream social fundraiser. Members enjoyed their sundaes while the officers talked about upcoming events, and the beef project gave a presentation, according to Jacqui Huebner, […]
Orcutt’s Old Town 4-H holds general meeting
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Santa Maria Joint Union High School District members honored
Four Santa Maria Joint Union High School District team members have been recognized as 2016 Classified School Employees of the Year. Recently retired bus driver Virginia Villa, grounds maintenance worker Richard McKinley, Delta High School career technician Jamie Ellis, and Righetti High School instructional aide Alma Cervantez were honored and given special plaques by the […]
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May Faire to take place in Los Olivos
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church Preschool will host its May Faire from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the campus at 2901 Nojoqui Ave., at the corner of Alamo Pintado Avenue in Los Olivos. The event celebrates the spring season with fun for the entire family; with all proceeds benefiting the preschool scholarship […]
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Pioneer Valley student achievement recognized
Four Pioneer Valley High School students are now part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) after scoring within the top 2.5 percent of all Hispanic and Latino PSAT test takers in the Western Region. The recognition allows 11th graders Erik Ruiz, Joseph Soria, Daniel Segura, and Analiese Ramirez to highlight their outstanding accomplishments to […]
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Spotlight on: Talley Farms Fresh Harvest
Talley Farms is known for shipping wholesale crops across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Particularly bell peppers, of which the company can expect to ship up to 12,000 boxes per day at peak season, according to Andrea Chavez, manager of Talley Farm’s Fresh Harvest program. But did you know they also sell directly to […]
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Lompoc residents question council member at transparency forum
A small crowd gathered in the Grossman Gallery at the Lompoc Public Library, where Lompoc City Councilmember Jim Mosby—donning a cowboy hat, jeans, boots, and a button-down over a T-shirt—stood at the front of the room. Before him, binders and stacks of government documents spread over a fold-out table. Mosby was about halfway through his […]
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Santa Maria Joint Union High School District approves student voter registration proposal
On April 12, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District unanimously approved a proposal that makes the voter registration process easier for high school seniors. According to AB 30, a bill passed in 2009, 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote as long as they turn 18 before the next election. Under the new proposal, teachers […]
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SLO Coastkeeper drops water quality lawsuit against Santa Maria
On April 14, nonprofit San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper dropped its lawsuit against Santa Maria challenging the city’s management of storm-water drainage from its landfill. SLO Coastkeeper sued Santa Maria in federal court on Nov. 4, 2015, alleging the city’s discharge permit wasn’t adequate to prevent rainwater from carrying pollution from the landfill into nearby streams. […]
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Lawsuit alleges police illegally entered the home of a Lompoc woman
A woman in Lompoc is suing the Lompoc Police Department (LPD) after she said officers entered her home illegally, according to a lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on April 8. The lawsuit, which was filed in Santa Maria’s Cook Division, stems from an incident on April 9, 2014, when Jari Blake said […]
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Orcutt Union School District hikes teacher salaries, ending negotiations
Never say never—that’s what we’ve learned from the salary negotiations between Orcutt Union School District and the Orcutt Educators’ Association (OEA). After months of discussion, a seeming stalemate, and intervention from a state mediator, the district and OEA finally reached an agreement on April 13: The district will grant its faculty a 6 percent pay […]
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Santa Maria-Bonita School District hires superintendent
Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) announced its selection of Luke Ontiveros as new superintendent on April 13, following a months-long search to fill the position. SMBSD Board President John Hollinshead told the Sun the board was most impressed with Ontiveros’ collaborative leadership style, which makes him receptive to suggestions from other administration and staff. “That’s […]
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The most wonderful time of the year
I love a sense of the incongruent. Irony. Those situations that make you laugh at the absurdity. For instance I chuckled when I got a press release from Santa Barbara County Association of Governments announcing an April 21 unmet transit needs meeting that would give people a chance to suggest new bus routes or service […]