Daily Briefs


Irish students trashing Santa Barbara

Irish college students spending the summer in California on work visas are getting a bad reputation after one group caused $20,000 in damages to a Santa Barbara resort. [Irish Times] William Sanchez, property manager of the Breakpointe apartment complex in... (Continue reading)

Cash flows into Blakeslee-Laird race

During the last two months, both Republican Sam Blakeslee and Democrat John Laird have each raised about $1 million for their campaigns in the special state Senate election. [Santa Cruz Sentinel] An additional $2.5 million has been contributed by special... (Continue reading)

Finally! Blakeslee and Laird debate

After weeks of charges and counter charges over who is willing to debate whom, and where, Republican Sam Blakeslee and Democrat John Laird finally had a face-to-face, one-on-one debate. [Mercury News] The two major candidates in the upcoming Aug. 17... (Continue reading)

Committee forms to fight Measure H in San Luis Obispo

The debate over Prado Road took a major turn Thursday with the announcement of a new committee, formed to fight Measure H on the November ballot in San Luis Obispo. The controversial measure, which recently qualified following a successful petition... (Continue reading)

Heritage Oaks Bank reports huge losses

Heritage Oaks Bancorp on Wednesday reported a second quarter loss of $5.8 million and said it was continued to work through its problem loans and reduce its level of total non-performing assets. [MarketWatch] In comparison, during the second quarter of 2009,... (Continue reading)

Jerry Brown flying high–in a state-owned plane

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown may boast of flying Southwest Airlines, but a review of government records shows the state Attorney General often using a state-owned plane. [AP] Records reviewed by the Associated Press shows that Brown has used the... (Continue reading)

Sacramento wants to limit debit card fees

The state Assembly is expected to take up a bill this week, already passed in the Senate, that would make it illegal for merchants to charge debit card fees. [Chronicle] The legislation, originally introduced by state Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-Long... (Continue reading)

Times: Prop 8 ruling “changes the debate over same-sex marriage forever”

Wednesday’s historic court ruling in San Francisco, striking down Proposition 8 and giving gays and lesbians the legal right to marry, prompted a newspaper editorial to suggest the decision “changes the debate over same-sex marriage forever.”[LA Times] “When the evidence... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara County supervisors try to halt Diablo Canyon re-licensing

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors wants the federal government to not relicense the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in Avila Beach. [AP] Supervisors voted Tuesday to send a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, asking for a halt... (Continue reading)

Maldonado struggling in lieutenant governor race

New financial reports indicate that Abel Maldonado’s campaign for California lieutenant governor is tens of thousands of dollars in debt, while the Republican still struggles to make himself known to voters. [Mercury News] A Field Poll from July shows Maldonado... (Continue reading)