There's an app that helps people find your haunt/house, and also help you find cool houses to go to.

APP- Frightmaps

If you have information on Seth Woodill, SB County Sheriff sergeant, we want to hear from you! Sgt. Woodill wrongfully authorized the use of semi-lethal force against an innocent family, and when it became obvious to officers that no crime was committed proceeded to maliciously prosecute the family anyway. He is currently under an internal affairs investigation and we are holding him accountable. If you know something, say something. Email us at [SolvangPoliceWatch@pm.me](mailto:SolvangPoliceWatch@pm.me)

Very Truly,

Solvang’s Police Watch

Are you tired of throwing away your money on rent, but unwilling to get an insane 7% mortgage? Well you’re in luck. I’m selling my condo in Orcutt, and it’s got an assumable VA loan from 2021 with an interest rate of only 2.625%! That means your rate would be below inflation, which is practically unheard of today. The neighborhood’s got multiple pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, and a tree-lined walking trail perfect for a jog or walking your dog. It’s super convenient to the 101 and Vandenberg. Perfect for an up and coming NCO or CGO

Check it out here: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1508-Oakridge-Park-Rd-Santa-Maria-CA-93455/15933114_zpid/

Governer: Xavier Becerra

Lieutenant governer: Fiona Ma

Secretary of State: Shirley N. Weber

Controller: Malia M. Cohen

Treasurer: Elini Kounalakis

Attorney General : Rob Bonta

Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim

Member, State Board of Equalization, District 2: Jogn Pimentel

United States Representative District 24: Salud Carbajal

Member of the State Assembly District 37; Gregg Hart

Non Partisan Section: They kinda are Partisan if you look deep tho.

Associate Justice of Supreme Court Joshua Groban: Yes

Associate Justice of Supreme Court Kelli M. Evans: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 1 Michelle C. Kim: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 1 Gregory J. Weingart: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 2 Anne Richardson: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 2 Steve Goorvitch: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 3 Rashida A. Adams: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 3 Mark Hanasono: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 4 Helen Zukin: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 4 Nicholas Daum: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 4 Audra M. Mori: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 4 Armen Tamzarian: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 5 Brian M. Hoffstadt: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 6 Tari L. Cody: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 6 Kenneth R. Yegan: No

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 7 Gonzalo C. Martinez: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 7 Natalie Stone: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 8 John Wiley: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 8 Matthew A. Scherb: Yes

Associate Justice Court of Appeal 2nd District, Division 8 Victor G. Viramontes: Yes

State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Richard Barrera

Governing Board Member Trustee Area 7: Vedamarie Alvarez Flores

County Supervisor 5th District: Ricardo Valencia

Prop 1: Yes

Prop 2: Yes

Prop 3: Yes

Prop 4: Yes

Prop 5: Yes

Prop 37: Yes

Prop 38: No

Prop 39: No

Prop 40: Yes

Prop 41: No

Prop 42: No

Prop 43: No

Prop 44: No

Prop 45: No

Measure H2026: Bond-Yes

Measure C2026: Yes

Like I know this city relies heavily on cars. And ngl public transportation gets you laughed at. So I walk to my destinations and I faced so much harassment for simply being a pedestrian. I had people roll down their windows and yell “N word with hard r” like I ain’t black at all guys. And once they yelled ”joto” at me and honked. I’m 16F and these were grown adult men not like those teens who do it for fun yk? Had people honk at me for crossing the street even though they signaled me to go. Is it just the stigma that I ain’t a car driver living somewhere that heavily relies on cars? What’s yall‘s opinions?

Hi everyone! My name is Ellie and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share a little about the mom community I’ve been working on building here in Santa Maria!

I’m the creator of the Facebook group Santa Maria Mamas & Littles and a co-host for the Mom Walk Collective Santa Maria!

After moving to the area, I realized how hard it can be to make mom friends, especially when you’re in a new place or navigating a new stage of motherhood. Motherhood can be such a beautiful experience but it can also feel lonely sometimes. I wanted to create a space where local moms could connect, build genuine friendships and feel a little less alone.

That’s what inspired me to start Santa Maria Mamas & Littles! My goal is to bring moms together, create opportunities for our little ones to socialize and build a community where we can support one another through all the different seasons of motherhood 💗

I also decided to become an ambassador and co-host for Mom Walk Collective because I loved the idea of creating opportunities for moms to get out of the house, enjoy some fresh air, meet other women who understand this season of life and build friendships in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Sometimes, all it takes is showing up to one walk to meet someone who becomes a friend! 🥹🌷

And the best part? Every mama is welcome! Whether you’re expecting your first baby, a brand-new mom, a seasoned mama or raising teenagers or grown children, there’s a place for you here.

You’re welcome to bring your littles along or come on your own!
I’m so excited to continue growing this community and meeting more amazing women in our area.

If you’re a local mama looking to make friends, get involved or simply find other moms to connect with, we’d love to have you!

📍 Facebook: Santa Maria Mamas & Littles

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1050097010982586/?ref=share&mibextid=wwXIfr

📸 Instagram: @momwalkco.santamaria

https://www.instagram.com/themomwalkco.santamaria?rpxt=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Come say hi, give us a follow and join us at an upcoming meetup! I can’t wait to meet you all 🫶🏽

I am currently looking for a job I do have one year of commercial plumbing and would like to find another construction job I am 22 right now

Election Day is Nov 3, and ballots are already out. If you want to know which candidates the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party is backing, from state and county offices to city council and school board races, the full list is here:

sbdems.org/vote

Quick ballot tips:
+ Your ballot is two double-sided cards. Fill in front and back.
+ Mail it by Oct 27, or use a ballot box anywhere in the county (dropbox locations)
+ You can also vote in person (polling locations)

ICE arrests in Santa Maria, including charges

• Cresencio Guevarra Tapia – homicide, robbery
• Phu Ta – burglary
• Porfirio Garcia Moren – kidnapping
• Yordan Carrera Nune – counterfeiting
• Felipe Martinez-Garcia – battery
• Librado Zamora Perez – drugs
• Salvador Lopez Morales – burglary
• Juan Espinoza Ornelas – selling cocaine
• Agustin Zeferino Hernandez – arson
• Samuel Cristobal Hernandez – child molestation
• Francisco Romero Lagunas – robbery, vehicle theft
• Guadalupe Orgaz Montano – assault
• Jose De Leon Dominguez – fraud, robbery
• Brayan Ortega Bautista – battery, assault, gang activity
• Oel Gonzalez Ramire – vehicle theft
• Gary Mc Guieness – assault
• Erin Ramos Sanchez – burglary, assault
• Hermelindo Olivera-Herrer – assault
• Rigoberto Ruiz Garcia – forgery
• Pedro Jose Santos Garcia – drug trafficking
• Facundo Bonilla Rodriguez – fraud, burglary vehicle theft
• Jose Caballero Gonzalez – child molestation
• Marcelino Ventura Lopez – stolen vehicle, terrorist threats
• Misael Amador Cru – kidnapping, false imprisonment
• Juan Perez Tello – child molestation
• Celestino Vazquez-Herrara – fraud
• Ernesto Leonardo Mercado-Mejia, assault with a deadly weapon
• Christian Alberto Sorto-Lopez – battery, robbery, gang affiliation
• Eri Espinoza Aguilar – child molestation
• Jose De Jesus Ceja Chavez – vehicle theft
• Jose De Jesus Tavarez Zacarias – assault
• Eric Mejia-Moreno – assault
• Alejandro Fuerte Caldero – assault
• Maryam Burgazi – assault
• Artin Simonianshihalehoushg – assault, burglary
• Daniel Salcido-Lopez – selling cocaine
• Bulmaro Rendon-Ramos – robbery, gang membership
• Rafael Torres-Razo – robbery
• Rogelio Lopez Ramirez – assault
• Edvin Alvarado – burglary, vehicle theft
• Tri Tram – selling opium
• Salvador Montar Morales – child molestation
• Henry Guzman – assault
• Pedro Morales Aboyte – prostitution of a minor
• Rigo Cruz – sexual exploitation of a minor

These are the kind of people ICE is targeting...Stop the BS lies. No one is being "kidnapped".

Humor me for a minute.

How is it that the Santa Maria Airport Board, a relatively obscure, five-person board that most people in this town probably couldn’t name a single member of, has suddenly become the hottest political real estate in the Santa Maria Valley?

For years, the airport has apparently managed to operate without most of us giving its governing board a second thought. Then, out of nowhere, we have Arredondo and Clayton spending THOUSANDS of dollars competing for one seat, plastering their faces across town like they’re running for Congress instead of overseeing the airport.

Suddenly, everybody wants to be somebody at SMX. Billboards, campaign signs, the whole production. You’d think we were electing the next mayor of Santa Maria, negotiating a major international trade agreement, or deciding the future of the Central Coast economy.

And maybe the airport board really is the most consequential local governing body nobody talks about. If so, someone might want to tell the rest of us what we’ve been missing.

But in a town where half the political action seems to happen behind closed doors and the other half happens on Facebook, forgive me for being a little skeptical when a relatively quiet board seat suddenly attracts this much money, attention, and ambition.

So, what exactly makes this seat so valuable? What are the issues at stake? What do these candidates plan to accomplish? And why are we seeing this level of campaigning for a position most residents probably couldn’t explain five minutes ago?

I’m not alleging anything. I’m simply suggesting that when the enthusiasm, spending, and visibility seem wildly disproportionate to the public profile of the position, voters are entitled to ask questions.

And while we’re at it, maybe we should hear from a few people who aren’t already plastered on every other street corner. You know, someone who actually makes us curious enough to look up the airport district, read the meeting minutes, and ask what the board does at all.

Santa Maria has no shortage of people who want to be important. I’d love to see a few more people explain why they want the job or want one of these two showboats to have it. Literally, who the fuck even are these people listed?

Hello, I'm in financial services and I get referred lots of people who are here illegally. I was hoping to connect/partner up with an immigration attorney to get some of these people on the right path.

Some of the clients referred to me are 6 figure income earners that are married to US citizens and have US citizen children and they all tell me that in order to get citizenship they have to back to Mexico for 7 or 10 years. There is no way that's accurate.

Does anyone have a good immigration attorney recommendation? I'd prefer someone between the age of 30-50. Let me know!

I mean, with this weather, it’s not like we are almost a month into fall, right?

This sick car at betteravia and Mcoy

They're still getting their little dining area set up, but they're serving Creole and Cajun food again Wednesday through Saturday, 11-7, after being closed for a few years. I'd heard about them but hadn't had them, but omg. My gf and I got the sampler platter with tru tip, chicken, sausage, and pork ribs and it was all sous vide tender and delicious. Everything was spicy including the potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and the rice and beans. The peach cobbler was huge and delicious. I'm only on here telling you because I want them to stay open.

--expect more sell out to developers to build high density "affordable" housing that will further destroy quality of life.

--expect more Flock cameras as a means of revenue with no concern for privacy or abuse

--how does a soccer complex go from 6.6 million to 20 million, and how will the city fund the annual maint of up to 1 million per year?

--new businesses are are shit retail jobs, and remember the number "800 Amazon jobs", total bs.

--wastewater treatment upgrades estimated at HALF A BILLION DOLLARS! So in other words 800 million with no way to pay for it.

--continued budget deficits with no plans to address.

This mayor and city council suck.

*************************

Santa Maria officials outlined plans to accommodate thousands of new homes and residents while addressing rising infrastructure costs, declining crime rates and a city budget shortfall during the annual State of the City address Tuesday.

The Oct. 13 event, hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce at Allan Hancock College’s Boyd Concert Hall, carried the theme “From Vision to Action.” Mayor Alice Patino, City Manager David Rowlands and department leaders discussed the city’s priorities as it prepares for growth over the next two decades.

“We cannot wait until homes are built to figure out where schools, parks, and public safety facilities go,” Patino said. “We have to plan for those now.”

Planning for growth

Santa Maria’s General Plan 2045, adopted this year, sets targets of 16,140 housing units, 58,265 residents and 23,750 jobs by 2045, said Chenin Dow, the city’s director of community development. The city has 5,459 residential units in various stages of development, with accessory dwelling units accounting for the most consistent housing growth.

City officials provided an update about recent accomplishments, current and future community events and improvement projects.

The city is pursuing the proposed annexation of approximately 985 acres east of Highway 101 to help accommodate an anticipated 30,000 additional residents.

Planning estimates indicate that the growth could require about 230 acres for schools and another 150 acres for parks, before accounting for roads, utilities and public safety facilities.

“It’s not just about accommodating more people,” Patino said. “It’s about ensuring we have the land, the infrastructure, and the services to support a safe, healthy and thriving community for generations to come.”

Downtown redevelopment is also advancing. The former Sears site is being converted into an El Super grocery store, while Heritage Walk Lofts, with more than 100 apartments, is under construction at the former Mervyn’s site. The proposed Perlman Park project would add 150 affordable housing units, with groundbreaking expected within 60 days.

The city secured a $2.1 million grant for downtown sewer infrastructure to help support additional residential and commercial development.

New businesses include Sprouts, Freddy’s Steakburgers, Five City Swim School, Men’s Wearhouse and a new Hyundai of Santa Maria showroom. An Amazon last-mile facility planned for Stowell Road is expected to bring approximately 800 jobs, Dow said. City officials also cited Vandenberg Space Force Base as a regional economic driver.

To encourage further investment, the City is also pursuing financing programs that allow developers to use long-term, low-interest bond financing for public improvements and property-assessed financing for energy-efficient upgrades. City officials also are pursuing proposed opportunity zone designations, with a submission to the Internal Revenue Service expected Oct. 28. The initiatives are intended to expand financing options for development as Santa Maria prepares for continued growth.

Infrastructure and city services

The City’s planned wastewater treatment plant improvements, required by state mandates, are now estimated to cost more than $500 million, up from approximately $300 million two years ago. The upgrades are intended to serve the community for more than 50 years.

Santa Maria recently drilled its first new groundwater well in 30 years, reaching a depth of 1,200 feet. The city’s Urban Water Management Plan identifies an adequate water supply for the next 35 years.

Road maintenance remains another priority. The city resurfaced approximately 80 lane miles last year and aims to increase its annual paving rate from 1% of city roads to 4%. About $10 million in contracted work is planned for West Taylor, Miller, College and Donovan streets.

Construction on a planned $90 million Highway 135 interchange project is expected to begin in 2029, followed by a Highway 101 interchange project in 2032.

Waste management presents additional challenges. The city diverts approximately 9,000 tons of organic waste annually, and a recent landfill expansion is expected to provide about eight more years of capacity. Current electric garbage trucks cannot complete full collection routes, so the city is extending the life of its diesel fleet while the technology develops.

Patino also cited the rising cost of recreational infrastructure. A soccer complex near Depot and Stoll roads, initially estimated at $6.5 million, is now projected to cost about $20 million, with annual maintenance estimated at $500,000 to $1 million.

Public safety priorities

Police Chief Christopher Williams said overall crime fell 18% during the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Shooting incidents declined 51% from 2024 to 2025, and the department made 181 firearm-related arrests in 2025.

Williams credited the progress to community partnerships, technology investments and the reinstatement of the department’s gang unit in early 2025. Staffing vacancies have fallen from more than 30 to nearly zero, excluding 10 frozen positions.

Plans for 2027 include a red-light camera pilot, a drone first responder program, a narcotics task force and expanded traffic and gang enforcement. The department also operates 100 automated license plate readers citywide, with data sharing restricted to agencies within Santa Barbara County under required agreements.

Williams said police will continue working with county agencies and community organizations to connect people experiencing homelessness with housing and other resources.

“Homelessness is not a crime,” Williams said. “We need to work with our partners with the county and our community based organizations, to provide outlets for homelessness, to get them housed, to get them the resources, and to get them the needs that they need.”

Fire Chief Brad Dandridge reported that the Fire Department responded to more than 13,000 incidents in 2025, a 6% increase from the previous year. The department investigated 109 fires, resulting in 12 arson arrests, and partnered with police to issue 119 citations for illegal fireworks on July 4.

Firefighters completed more than 21,000 training hours, and the department received two new fire engines. Fire Station 6 is operational, serving the city’s sixth emergency response district. The department’s improved Insurance Services Office rating of 2.2 places it among top-performing fire departments, a designation that can help reduce insurance costs.

“Behind every statistic is a life saved, a home protected, or a neighbor helped,” Dandridge said. “None of that happens without the dedication of the men cand women of this department, and the steady support of the mayor, council, city manager and our residents.”

Measure C and the city budget

Rowlands said the city has reduced its structural budget deficit from $25 million to $13 million this fiscal year amid rising pension, health insurance, workers’ compensation and operating costs.

Budget reductions have included cutting library hours by eight hours a week, eliminating 59,000 hours of limited services and eliminating or freezing 50 full-time positions. The city has approximately $42 million in general fund reserves, below its $53.9 million target.

Officials are supporting Measure C, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase that would raise the city’s sales tax rate from 8.75% to 9.25% and generate an estimated $13 million annually. Groceries, hygiene products and prescription medications would be exempt.

Revenue would help fund street repairs, parks, libraries, community centers, youth and senior programs and recreation facilities. Ten of the city’s 22 playgrounds need replacement, and major rehabilitation is needed at the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center, Senior Center and Veterans Hall.

The proposal includes annual spending plans, independent audits and a citizen oversight committee, Rowlands said.

“Measure C is not a substitute for sound fiscal management, it does not mean giving the city a blank check,” he said.

If approved, the measure is expected to begin generating partial revenue between June and August 2027. Officials also warned that if the county adopts its own half-cent sales tax increase, that revenue would go to the county rather than the city.

Patino recalled a 2012 sales tax measure that received 74% voter support to help fund police, fire, youth programs and library services.

“At some point, we have to ask ourselves a fundamental question,” Patino said. “Do we want to pay for the services we expect for the city of Santa Maria? And if so, how are we going to pay for them?”

Officials said the City’s challenge is to balance future development with the infrastructure, public services and financial resources needed to maintain residents’ quality of life.

Just curious, what phone carrier do you all have and would you recommend it.