Photos by Brenna Swanston. Read the whole article at santamariasun.com!
The Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) responded to a house in the 800 block of E. Mariposa Way where they say there was a man wanted on domestic violence-related charges who refused to surrender to police, according to SMPD spokesman Sgt. Russ Mengel. The police arrived at the scene around 8:30 a.m. A Special Weapons and Tactics team was called to assist. Several blocks surrounding the immediate area were roped off. Three hours later, police removed the door and fired tear gas into the house. The house eventually caught on fire. Fire department officials have said they are still investigating the exact cause of the fire. The man, identified as 29-year-old Eddie Dominguez, surrendered shortly before noon and was taken into custody.
Firefighters from Calfire, Ventura and Santa Barbara County fire departments battle the western edge of the Sherpa Fire on June 16.
The massive brush fire broke out two days before, during the afternoon of June 14. So far, the fire has burned more than 4,000 acres, forcing the temporary closure of parts of Highway 101 on the South Coast on two occasions, according to Dave Zaniboni, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Even though the fire broke out on the Scherpa Ranch, officials are calling it the "Sherpa" fire.
Current 24th Congressional District incumbent Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) announced her retirement in April 2015, opening up a seat she's held for the last 18 years. Nine candidates are running for the position. They range from local and state politicians, to businessman types, and even a couple of former university professors with doctorate degrees. The Sun met with each of them for a one-on-one interview. Besides their ideas, we got to know a little bit of their personalities. Although not considered a contentious district, history has shown that anything can happen. The field will most likely be narrowed after the state's June 7 primary.
Photos by Brenna Swanston
A heavy rainstorm pounded Santa Maria on Monday, March 7, causing slight flooding in some parts of the city and surrounding areas. Other places experienced hail, such as in Lompoc and Santa Maria, although it melted almost immediately as it touched the ground. A report of an overturned vehicle on Harris Grade Road was reported Monday morning over emergency radio frequencies. Was it El Nino, or just random extreme weather?
A brief history of the rise and fall of John Wallace. Wallace was a long-time manager of the South County Sanitation District, who resigned amid allegations of conflict of interest. An audit revealed that his engineering firm had raked in millions of dollars from the district while he was running it. It also raised the possibility of criminal conduct, which could land the well-respect Wallace in court.
This week, the Sun taps into the beer scene to find the latest brews news. Here's what's going on: Byron Moles, owner of Santa Maria Brewing Company, is set to open his tasting room on Oct. 2 in time for the Autumn Arts Grapes and Grains Festival.
We also managed to score a press pass to the Great American Beer Festival (and you didn't) this year in Denver. Local breweries, including Carpinteria's Island Brewing, Cental Coast Brewing, Firestone Walker Brewing, and Figueroa Mountain Brewing companies all took their beers to the GABF to showcase to crowds of beer enthusiasts across the U.S. Once again, our local brewers took home a slew of medals for their beers. This time, Firestone Walker took home the grand award of Best Mid-Size Brewing Company and Best Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year.
Back in July, the Sun interviewed Air Force Pararescueman Mike Maroney, a Santa Maria native who was sent to New Orleans to help those who were stranded by the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina, whose 10th anniversary is on Aug. 29, 2015.
Due to the secret nature of his job, Maroney is not one to talk about his missions. But he did about this one. Maroney opens up about the people he rescued in the first week following the hurricane, including a little girl embracing Maroney in an iconic photo that was taken in the middle of rescue operations. He never got her name.
Ten years later, Maroney is still searching for the little girl and hopes for the chance to reunite with her again.
Photos by Mike Maroney, Kaori Funahashi, and David Minsky
The issue of illegal immigration once again caught the national spotlight, this time in Santa Maria. The murder of 64-year-old Santa Maria resident and Air Force veteran, Marilyn Pharis, allegedly at the hands of an undocumented immigrant with a criminal history, spawned protests on the corner of Cook and Miller streets in Santa Maria on Thursday, Aug. 13. On one side of the street, individuals and groups, such as the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform (FAIR), called for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants. However, groups such as the Central Coast United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), provided a counter protest, accusing the other side of using a tragic death to further an agenda. Supporters of both sides of the debate showed up in numbers.
Two suspects have been charged with torture and first-degree murder in the death of Pharis: 29-year-old Victor Aureilano Martinez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, and 20-year-old Jose Villagomez.
All photos by David Minsky.
The symbolic archetype bronze sculpture of artist Joseph L. Castle shows in the exhibit The Things We Carry in Allan Hancock College's Ann Foxworthy Gallery, 800 S. College, Santa Maria. The show features themes of life, death, regeneration, and transformation through a series of bronze relief sculptures. More information is available at hancockcollege.edu.
PCEC is planning to double its cyclic steam injection operations on Orcutt Hill, increasing from 96 oil wells to 192. The project is still in the planning stages and a draft environmental impact report on the plan is currently out for public review. The Sun toured the operation on March 9 and looked at historical sites, such as the schoolhouse built in 1908; current operations, including infrastructure for both steam injection and conventional wells; and the empty space where future wells are slated to be drilled.
In February and March of 2014, thousands of Santa Maria residents showed up at a series of Santa Maria Planning Commission and City Council meetings to demonstrate opposition to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Santa Maria. City officials approved the ICE facility, and community organizers responded with an attempt to place a measure on the 2014 election ballot that would have divided Santa Maria into districts for City Council elections. The petition for the measure was rejected by the city, and now organizers such as CAUSE's Hazel Putney-Davalos say they are looking at filing a potential California Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the city.
If you blink, you'll miss the dirt lot that leads to the Willow Spring trailhead off Highway 166. It's 18 miles east of Highway 101 in the Los Padres National Forest, and the wildflowers are popping right now. For a quick day trip, this 5 to 6 mile hike is perfect, and it's a good excuse to have a beer on the deck at the Santa Maria Brewery as you head back into town!
Allan Hancock College's Children's Center Lab School serves as a demonstration site for the Outdoor Classroom Project, which keeps small children learning in a holistic and natural environment.
First launched in 2010, San Luis Obispo put out calls to artists to paint utility boxes spread throughout the city for a $1,000 to $1,500 stipend. Artists had to submit an application, and win approval from a public art jury; as well as the Architectural Review Commission and, in some cases, the Cultural Heritage Committee. Phase two of the project went into effect in 2012. To date, 32 boxes have been painted. PHOTOS BY MORGAN CHADWELL AND STEVE E. MILLER
Robert and Meredith Bonilla tied the knot at the Costco in Santa Maria in front of family and friends on Dec. 21, 2014. They were married in the frozen food section, where they met a year before. Instead of having the ceremony, then the reception. the Bonillas did it in reverse with the reception first. During the wedding, Costco employees were busy restocking the shelves for the busy holiday shopping season, according to Robert.