BUELLTON
Suspects arrested for shooting outside Buellton
Two suspects have been arrested for a felony charges related to a shooting outside of Buellton last week. On Friday, Sept. 20, at approximately 8:56 a.m., deputies responded to a shooting that just occurred at an agricultural field in the 1000 block of Highway 246. When deputies arrived, they learned that a male and female suspect demanded money from several agriculture workers. When they were denied, they returned to their white BMW sedan and fired several gunshots from their vehicle into an unoccupied parked van. No victims were physically injured during this exchange.
Through their investigation, deputies identified the suspects as 29- year-old Stephanie Solis Garcia from Santa Maria and 43-year-old Jason Matthew Zepeda from Santa Maria. In the days that followed, deputies continued their investigation and authored a warrant for Garcia and Zepeda.
On Sunday, Sept. 22, at approximately 12:43 a.m., Garcia and Zepeda were located and arrested in 3000 block of Telegraph Road in Ventura in the white BMW. Both suspects were booked at the Main Jail on felony warrants. Garcia was booked for attempted robbery and conspiracy and is being held on $500,000 bail. Zepeda was booked for attempted robbery, vandalism, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and conspiracy, and is being held on $500,000 bail.
SOLVANG
Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary holding fundraiser/dinner
Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary is holding a “Rock for Horses” fundraising event starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Buttonwood Farm Winery. The event includes dinner, a silent auction, beer, and wine. Music will be provided by Bad Habit.
Wear warm cowboy attire — no heels please.
Tickets are $75. Deadline for dinner tickets is Saturday, Oct 5. For tickets, call (805) 448-7138 or visit givebutter.com/EvPdky
Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Buttonwood Farm Winery is at 1500 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang.
SANTA MARIA
Santa Maria man arrested for court bombing
Nathaniel McGuire
Sheriff’s detectives have arrested 20-year-old Nathaniel McGuire from Santa Maria for exploding an improvised explosive device at the Santa Maria Courthouse on Wednesday, Sept. 25. At approximately 8:48 am on that day, the Sheriff’s Office received a report of an explosion at the Santa Maria Court House near Department 9
Sheriff’s deputies, along with Santa Maria Police officers, California Highway Patrol, fire, and medics responded to the scene where a male suspect, later identified as McGuire, had just entered the facility, threw a bag at the screening station, and the bag exploded in the hallway. Four victims were transported from the scene to an area hospital, and one victim arrived at the hospital on their own. Three of the five victims seen at the hospital were physically injured with non-life-threatening injuries, including burns. All the victims were treated and have since been released by the hospital.
Immediately after throwing the backpack, McGuire ran to the southeast parking lot, where he was detained by a court security officer, a Sheriff’s deputy and CHP officers as he tried to enter his red sedan. McGuire was alone when he was apprehended and was wearing body armor underneath a jacket. He did not have any physical injuries from the explosion.
Responders established a perimeter of approximately five blocks around the court compound and evacuated the courthouse, surrounding homes, businesses and a school. The Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded to the scene. In the hours that followed, the Bomb Squad worked to render the scene safe and check for any additional, unexploded devices in the courthouse, the suspect’s vehicle and his residence. Roadways in the areas surrounding the courthouse and the suspects residence were closed for several hours and have since been reopened.
Through their investigation, detectives learned that McGuire’s motivation appeared to have stemmed from a recent arrest by the Sheriff’s Office on July 28 for firearms violations. In that case, McGuire was arrested for possession of a loaded and concealed revolver that was not registered to him. His arraignment for that arrest was schedule for Sept. 25 in Department 9 at the Santa Maria Court campus.
Detectives are working with SBC Fire investigators to explore if the suspect is associated with several recent arson fires, and they are in the process of serving search warrants for McGuire’s car and home. McGuire has been booked at the Northern Branch Jail for felonies including attempted murder, manufacturing an explosive device and use of an explosivedevice for attempted murder.
At a press conference earlier today, Undersheriff Craig Bonner said, “Although this is an ongoing investigation and we are exploring all possible angles, at this point in time, we believe this to be a local incident committed by a local individual, with a local grievance stemming from his arrest. We are not absolutely ruling out that there is something larger at play, but at this time we believe this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and there are no outstanding community safety concerns. We will be sharing his booking photo and are asking the public to contact our detectives with any information relative to this investigation.”
Anyone with information about McGuire that could assist in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’sOffice Anonymous tip line at (805)681-4171.
Film writer Gerald DiPego to give lecture on becoming a writer
Local Valley author and film writer Gerald DiPego (“Phenomenon,” “Message in a Bottle”) will address The California Writers Club Coastal Dunes branch at 2:15 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13 with a Q&A to follow. The event is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepherd Room, and the gathering is free and open to the public.
DiPego said he has been asked to talk about how and why he became a writer, and what writing means to him — in a career that has spanned 50 years. Other speakers at the event include California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick, author Mary Firestone, who wrote “Trusting the Dawn,” and best-selling fiction authors Lisa Sideris and Mara Purl.
The Santa Maria Public Library is at 421 South McClelland St., Santa Maria.
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE
VSFB lifts seasonal beach restrictions
All sections of Surf, Wall, and Minuteman Beaches on Vandenberg SFB were officially declared open by the base on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Seasonal restrictions are enforced annually on all three Vandenberg beaches from March 1 through Sept. 30 to protect the nesting habitat of the Western snowy plover, which is federally listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. To lift restrictions before Sept. 30, Vandenberg Western snowy plover biologists have documented the last Western snowy plover chicks on Vandenberg beaches have fledged, or left the nest, and are able to care for themselves without assistance from their parents.
Once numbered in the thousands, fewer than 2,400 breeding Western snowy plovers remain on the Pacific Coast, and Vandenberg SFB beaches are one of the few suitable breeding habitats remaining in the state.
Throughout the year, the Vandenberg environmental team collaborates closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other coastal land managers to manage, monitor, and assess the population and breeding success of Western snowy plovers on base beaches.
During the breeding season, Western Snowy Plover eggs hatch in approximately 27 days, and within hours, the chicks begin foraging for insects and other beach invertebrates. The chicks become independent after about 30 days. However, surviving those critical first two months presents a significant challenge, one that the Vandenberg environmental team actively monitors and protects.
A crucial aspect of the Vandenberg Western Snowy Plover management program is educating beachgoers on how to enjoy these areas while adhering to seasonal beach restrictions. During the 2024 Western snowy plover breeding season, Vandenberg beach keepers and volunteer Western Snowy Plover docents interacted with over 20,000 visitors at Surf Beach and Ocean Park.
Additional year-round restrictions will continue to be enforced on all beaches and can be found here www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/Environmental/.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Flood Insurance Rate Map appeal period begins this week
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report reflecting proposed flood hazard determinations within Santa Barbara County and the cities of Santa Barbara, Solvang, Buellton, and Carpinteria.
These flood hazard determinations include adding or modifying Base Flood Elevations, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries or zone designations, and the regulatory floodway. Before the revised FIRM panels become effective, there is a 90-day appeal period from Sept. 19 to Dec. 18. During that time, residents or businesses with supporting technical and scientific information, such as detailed hydraulic or hydrologic data, can appeal the revised flood risk information on the preliminary maps. These maps can be viewed at fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata.
Flood hazards are dynamic and can change frequently for many reasons, including weather patterns, erosion andcommunity development. These changes may affect future building standards or insurance requirements. The revised flood maps can also help building officials, contractors and homeowners make effective mitigation decisions, thereby contributing to safer and more disaster-resilient communities. FEMA encourages residents to review the preliminary flood maps to learn about local flood risks, potential future flood insurance requirements, and identify any concerns or questions about the information provided.
If you live in the cities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Solvang, and Buellton, please contact your local floodplain administrator for comments. If you would like to submit an appeal or comment regarding the preliminary map in the unincorporated parts of the county, you may contact the Santa Barbara County Flood Control & Water Conservation District at (805) 568-3440 (main line) or email fccontact@countyofsb.org.
For more information, please visit www.floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/BFE_Status/bfe_main.asp and www.countyofsb.org/2158/FEMA-Remapping. You may also contact the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange toll-free: 1-877-FEMA MAP (1 [877] 336-2627) to ask about the National Flood Insurance Program, flood insurance, or flood hazard mapping. FMIX also connects customers with experts in subjects like modeling, GIS mapping, insurance underwriting and claims, and the HAZUS loss-estimation software.
County Fire awarded grant funding for the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBCFD) is proud to announce a grant award for the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project, where SBCFD
will serve as the lead agency. Funding for this project is provided by CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program. This multi-year project is funded as part of the State’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Strategy, in part with Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds administered by the California Climate Investments (CCI) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
This crucial project aims to enhance the safety and resilience of the Lompoc Valley and surrounding communities, an area with a significant history of large wildland fires, including the 1977 Honda Canyon, 2002 Sudden, 2010 Bear, 2014 Miguelito, and 2016 Canyon fires, among others.
The proposed treatments cover a total of 1,135 acres in the State Responsibility Area and include key efforts to create community defensible space around Vandenberg Village and Mission Hills.
The project will also involve 22.1 miles of roadside fuel reduction along San Miguelito Canyon Road, Harris Grade, Rucker, and Burton Mesa Roads, in addition to an 18-mile fuel break ranging from Vandenberg Air Force Base to the outskirts of Buellton. This fuel break will have a width of 150 to 300 feet and is designed to protect communities, reduce fire ignitions, and limit the size and intensity of fires in the older age class fuel beds of the Lompoc Valley region.
“The Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project is a critical step in our ongoing efforts to protect our communities from the increasing threat of wildfires,” said Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig. “This project will create defensible space, reduce roadside fuel, and establish fuel breaks, significantly reducing the
potential for large and destructive fires in this high-risk area.”
Phase II also includes the maintenance, widening, and improvement of the Phase I treatment areas. Due to significantregrowth of vegetation spurred by the rainfall over the last two years, maintenance is critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the original treatments. Moreover, the project will contribute to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the potential for
large-scale wildfires.
The total grant funds awarded for the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project are estimated at $2,950,142.94.
Have you received your Santa Barbara County Voter Information Guide?
Registered voters throughout Santa Barbara County were to receive a County Voter Information Guide in the mail around Thursday, Sept. 26.
The guide provides the voter’s polling place location and hours, contains an image of what the ballot looks like, including candidates and local measures as well as instructions for completing the ballot.
Receipt of the Voter Information Guide is also a good reminder for voters to verify that their voter registration is up to date.
Voters can verify the accuracy of their voter registration, including residential and mailing addresses, at the California Secretary of State’s website at sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status or the Santa Barbara County Elections Office website at sbcvote.com. To make address and other updates to voter registration, or for eligible citizens to register to vote, go to registertovote.ca.gov.
Santa Barbara County Elections can be reached at www.sbcvote.com or by calling (800) 722-8683.
