Santa Maria

An annual celebration of Oaxacan culture on the Central Coast has been canceled this year. Organizers say immigration raids have left local indigenous communities feeling unsafe.

A sewer improvement project in downtown Santa Maria kicked off this week. Crews have started their work between Broadway and Depot Street.

Most of the workplace raids took place in Oxnard on Tuesday with one happening in Santa Maria.In those raids, a total of 40 people were taken to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Oxnard, according to the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, or CAUSE.

Public transit in Northern Santa Barbara County is getting a major boost. Guadalupe’s bus service will soon merge with the Santa Maria Regional Transit system (SMRT).

A new nursing bachelor degree program is set to launch at the Santa Maria Hancock College campus in collaboration with Cal State University Channel Islands.

In a 4-1 vote, Santa Maria city council this week approved a new pay and benefits package for local firefighters.

Santa Maria is tightening its rules on where large battery energy storage systems can be built, following a series of fires at energy storage facilities across California.

The Santa Maria Strawberry Festival wrapped up another celebration of the annual harvest over the weekend. But for some in the community, it was a time to unite and advocate for a living wage for people who work the fields and pick the strawberries.

A proposed ordinance that would regulate battery storage facilities in Santa Maria is heading to the City Council following a recommendation from the Planning Commission.

For the first time, the state has designated parts of the city as fire hazard risk areas.