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Mosby tries again

Jim Mosby, Jenelle Osborne, and Lydia Perez face off for Lompoc mayor in November general election
by Taylor O'Connor

Jim Mosby and Jenelle Osborne are again fighting to become Lompoc’s next mayor. This time around, the two veteran local politicians will be joined by newcomer Lydia Perez.  Incumbent Osborne has served on the City Council since 2016, becoming mayor in 2018.  Mosby, a former City Council member, was first appointed to the council in […]

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Dance avenues

Allan Hancock College’s dance program gives students a chance to pursue the art
by Taylor O'Connor

Jolene Moreno rediscovered her love for dance at Allan Hancock College.  The dancer and Lompoc native had been practicing the art since she was 3 years old, but her former dance studio became a toxic environment for Moreno, she said as she sat outside of one of Hancock’s dance studios. “It was a competition in […]

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Park protection

Senior residents advocate for zoning protections after management group plans to convert a Santa Maria mobile home park to all-ages
by Taylor O'Connor

Rhonda Anderson moved from Casa Del Rio to Del Cielo Mobile Estates after a corporate property management company took over and hiked her rent up by $300.  Now, she’s scared it might happen again.  Del Cielo, an Orcutt-based 55-and-older mobile home park, fell under new ownership just 10 days after Anderson purchased her home and […]

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Oil tanker tussle

Environmental groups highlight trucking hazards as reason to deny Sentinel Peak Resources’ transport proposal
by Taylor O'Connor

Three days after Ken Hough told county planning commissioners about “the dangers of crude oil tankers,” a semi-truck carrying 150 barrels of crude oil crashed into another vehicle a half mile from his home. The Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN) co-executive director had filed an appeal on the county’s approval of Sentinel Peak Resources’ […]

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Best of NSBC 2024

You Voted for ’Em, and We’ve Got the Winners
by Sun Staff

Are you ready to catch all the top dogs and cool cats as they fly by into the winners’ circle? You better hold on, because there are a lot in Northern Santa Barbara County! With more than 160 restaurants, bars, businesses, and community members in this formation, we barely had room in this issue for […]

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Protecting workers

U.S. EPA suspends the use of an herbicide commonly used on broccoli, including in Santa Barbara County
by Taylor O'Connor

Broccoli contributed $86.7 million of Santa Barbara County’s $1.8 billion agriculture industry in 2023, sitting in fourth place among the county’s top 10 agricultural commodities, according to the 2023 Santa Barbara County Crop and Livestock Report. It’s also a crop that growers use dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) on for weed treatment—an herbicide that was […]

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Education Today 2024

Schools in need: School districts across North County ask voters to approve bond measures in November
Avatar photo by Taylor O'Connor and Libbey Hanson

School is about to be back in session for the 2024-25 school year, which means summer is almost over—sad. But it also means a new school year for all of those students, new learning, new friends, new experiences—rad! For this year’s annual Education Today issue, Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor speaks with school districts that are […]

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55 Fiction 2024: The winners of our annual short story contest are in!

The world’s shortest stories, with a twist
by Sun Staff

Tiny tales: A hallmark of the 55 Fiction stories submitted to our annual short story contest is the “surprise” at the end that ties the preceding sentences together. They show up in stories about murders, love, food, animals, cars—really, you can craft a tiny twist into any tall tale. We’re here to publish the best […]

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Protecting Midland: Los Olivos boarding school evacuates as the Lake Fire continues to spread

by Taylor O'Connor

Following the fire Visit readysbc.org to sign up for Lake Fire alerts or download the Watch Duty app for more, up-to-date information. Before Midland School received mandatory evacuation orders for the Lake Fire, Midland Dean of Academics Ellie Moore drove back to the property several times to retrieve photos and memorabilia from fellow faculty members’ […]

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Deciding what’s public: Local governments grapple with Zoombombers who make hateful comments during public meetings

Avatar photo by Libbey Hanson

Since 2020, city councils have grappled with the phenomenon of Zoombombing as virtual trolls disrupt public comment with hate speech.  League of California Cities Regional Public Affairs Manager David Mullinax said this issue started during the COVID-19 pandemic as councils attempted to make meetings accessible and socially distanced for the public. “We are grappling with […]

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