The gun-control debate has mostly revolved around interpretation of the Second Amendment. It would be more productive, instead, to focus on societal ramifications of the prevalence of guns. The Violence Policy Center analyzed the data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics for a five-year period (2007-2011). It revealed that average annual “defensive” gun […]
Debating fire
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Spotlight on: Medical cannabis dispensary drivers
Editor’s note: The last names of delivery drivers were withheld. The Compassionate Use Act (CUA), or Proposition 215, gives medical marijuana patients an exemption from criminal prosecution in California and was passed by voters in 1996. It’s a milestone against the prohibition of cannabis in the U.S., becoming the first ballot initiative of its type […]
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Reclaiming a community: Santa Maria’s skyrocketing street gang violence is met with resilience and hope by local government, organizations, churches, and citizens converging in the One Community Action Coalition
The boardroom of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District was packed wall to wall with people on Jan. 28. They gathered there in an attempt to address a dire situation in Santa Maria: the eruption of street violence leaving local youth and adults bleeding in the streets. It was the first One Community […]
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Santa Barbara Animal Services to fix, microchip cats for free
Santa Barbara County Animal Services is offering free spay, neuter, and microchip services to cat owners for the month of February, thanks to the county’s Project PetSafe program. Project PetSafe outreach coordinator Jessica Ortega-Wiebe said PetSafe runs the free offer, called “Snip N Chip,” twice yearly because that’s how often female cats go into heat—usually […]
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Laurus College holds commencement
Laurus College held its semi-annual commencement Jan. 23 at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, located next to Laurus College’s campus, in Oxnard. The ceremony recognized the achievements of students who completed their certificate and/or associate degree programs in 2015. While the majority of Laurus College graduates don’t reside in Oxnard, that didn’t prevent 41 graduates and […]
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Sandoval reappointed to California State Board of Education
Gov. Jerry Brown has reappointed Nicolasa “Niki” Sandoval, the education director for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, to the state Board of Education. Sandoval, who’s been director of the tribe’s education department since 2009 and a lecturer at University of California, Santa Barbara since 2007, was first appointed to the state board in […]
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Santa Maria High School Robotics Club teams with Zodiac engineers for competition
The Santa Maria High School Robotics Club and a few engineers from Zodiac Aerospace participated in the Lego NXT Sumo Competition on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Members were divided into several teams and used the robots they constructed to battle each other. Students Michael Salas and Sammy Lagunas, said the club has made them want to […]
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Political Watch 2/4/2016
• The city of Santa Maria is currently accepting applications for the Recreation and Parks Commission until 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Appointments will be made at the City Council meeting of March 1. Applications also are being accepted for the Block Grants Advisory Committee, Board of Appeals, Commission for Senior Citizens, Area Agency on Aging, Landmark Committee, Measure […]
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Community Notebook 2/4/16 – 2/11/16
MONDAY, FEB. 8 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at […]
Posted inOpinion
What is your biggest fear right now?
Alma Miranda EAOP coordinator for Righetti High School “I have an 8-month-old, and she is everything in my life right now; I think my biggest fear is for her to grow up in a community that is tainted by crime and injustice in general. I want to her to be able to grow up feeling […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen: Saying goodbye
The often-seen-about-town Georgia Shore is retiring as general manager of the Sun. This is not the kind of upbeat, fun news that readers have come to expect from Hobnobbing. If you feel a pang in your heart, read no more until you compose yourself. The decision for Georgia to depart was not rash. “I have […]
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Asian citrus psyllid treatment kicks up controversy in Santa Barbara County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) treatment for the Asian citrus psyllid is underway in Santa Barbara County, drawing mixed responses from affected residents. The psyllid is a small insect that feeds on the young chutes, stems, and leaves of citrus trees. CDFA representative Jay Van Rein said that while the insect itself […]