• On May 12 the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on Rep. Lois Capps’ (D-Santa Barbara) California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act (H.R. 3565), which would expand the California Coastal National Monument by adding several locations along the coast to the monument, including the Piedras Blancas Light Station near San Simeon. During the hearing, Capps, who is […]
Political Watch 5/19/16
Posted inNews
Community Notebook 5/19/16 – 5/26/16
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 • The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Planning Commission Hearing Room, 123 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The agenda is available at www.sbcountyplanning.org. • The Santa Maria Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria searches for another company to convert wastewater biogases into electricity
Besides treating the city’s wastewater to make it reusable, Santa Maria’s Wastewater Treatment Plant also has a secondary function, part of which is collecting methane gas from the biosolids and converting it into useful electricity. It’s called cogeneration and it helps the city maintain its role in contributing to a healthy environment. Or at least […]
Posted inNews
Democratic presidential candidates go head-to-head in California’s June 7 primary
It’s not over until it’s over. That’s what we keep learning from the Democratic presidential primary. Bernie Sanders—the democratic socialist, millennial favorite, and underdog—takes on Hillary Clinton, the “establishment candidate,” superdelegate magnet, and consistent frontrunner. With the Republican primary all but decided, the spotlight is on the Democratic camp. At first glance, the primary polls […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria rolls out new fireworks rules
Memorial Day is fast approaching, ready to kick off the season of daytime barbecues and nighttime fireworks. And while barbecuing remains encouraged in Santa Maria (always), residents will need to slow their roll with the fireworks plans—the city is implementing its new “safe and sane” rules. The City Council voted in favor of the tighter […]
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Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s custody deputies injured in jail fracas
On May 11, two custody deputies from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office were injured at a court holding facility on Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, according to Todd Johnson, vice president of the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Johnson said the incident occurred when the two deputies were transporting an inmate for a […]
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Santa Maria Joint Union High School District educators on verge of strike
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) teachers will likely move forward with extreme measures after rejecting the district’s final offer to address educators’ grievances on May 11, effectively ending five months of negotiations between the district and its Faculty Association. Faculty Association President Mark Goodman said those extreme measures could include a strike, […]
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Plains All American Pipeline indicted in Refugio oil spill
A California grand jury indicted Plains All American Pipeline and one of its employees for alleged violations of state law in connection with the Refugio oil spill. The charges came on May 16, just three days before the spill’s first anniversary and narrowly within the one-year statute of limitations for criminal filing. The indictment comprises […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Be healthy, not bored: The best spots in Santa Maria to cheat on your diet without totally ruining it
Diets never fail to fail. You know what I’m saying, because it’s happened to you, too: You make a big deal out of your new commitment to plan out meals and pack healthy lunches for work. Come noon on Monday, you pop the lid off your food container to a reveal a bed of crisp […]
Posted inOpinion
What do you think of the presidential primaries so far?
Eva Villa Allan Hancock College student “There’s nothing good about it. There’s not one good candidate.” Alexis Bendixen Allan Hancock College student “It’s bullshit. There isn’t really a good candidate in my opinion.” Juan Palacios Allan Hancock College student “No good candidate. Even though Bernie is probably the most honest one, he’s not the best […]
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Michelle Minetti-Smith named Santa Barbara County’s Teacher of the Year
Michelle Minetti-Smith, a first-grade teacher at Mary Buren Elementary School in the Guadalupe Union School District, has been named the 2017 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. Minetti-Smith is in her 20th year of teaching at Mary Buren. Not only is teaching “in the genes” for Minetti-Smith, so, too, is the very building in […]
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SMHS student Jose Rios earns agricultural mechanic award
Demonstrating superior achievement in the development and application of agricultural mechanics, Santa Maria High School FFA member Jose Rios earned the Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement Proficiency Award at the 88th State FFA Leadership Conference in Fresno. Rios has been working at the PRO Diesel Service and Repair shop where he performs basic tractor […]
