Abraham Lincolnās decision in 1861 to appoint three of his political opponents to his cabinet should have helped steer Santa Maria officialsā approach to filling a recent City Council vacancy, in resident Gale McNeeleyās view. āMayor Patino, you can be the Abraham Lincoln of Santa Maria. I know you donāt look like him, but you […]
1st District
Steve Bridgeās sons are witnesses in felony fraud case
Receipts for fixing leaky pipes and installing lights are at the heart of the Santa Barbara County District Attorneyās investigation into Lompoc Councilmember Steve Bridgeās invoices. In late 2025, Bridge was arraigned in Santa Maria Superior Court for eight felony counts, including forgery, identity theft, grand theft, and fraudulent use of a contractorās license. A […]
Lompoc City Councilmember Steve Bridge pleads not guilty to felony charges
Charged with embezzlement and misuse of city funds, Lompoc 1st District Councilmember Steve Bridge showed no intention of stepping down from the dais after one of his peers called for his resignation. āI will be found not guilty. Therefore, Iāll continue to support and represent every member of the community and District 1,ā Bridge said […]

