SAINTE MARIE
2 brothers arrested after search warrant reveals gun and drugs
Two Santa Maria brothers were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of illegal possession of firearms and drugs charges following an investigation and after a search warrant was served at a residence.
The investigation was led by the sheriff’s office’s cannabis compliance team and concluded Thursday after the warrant was served at an unspecified location in Santa Maria, according to Lt. Robert Minter of the sheriff’s office.
Minter did not say when the investigation began, but said it involved someone illegally selling marijuana in and around Orcutt.
After serving the search warrant at the residence, detectives located 20-year-old Nathan Mediano and 33-year-old Salvador Mediano, both of whom were arrested without incident, according to Minter.
During the search, detectives reportedly found over 2 ounces of cocaine; 2,000 M30 pills, which Minter says frequently contain fentanyl; more than $5,000 in cash; a short-barreled assault rifle, high-capacity magazines and ammunition.
The two Mediano brothers were incarcerated in the North Branch prison. Each of their bail amounts are listed at $100,000, according to Minter.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
13 county jail inmates test positive for COVID-19 during outbreak
Thirteen Santa Barbara County jail inmates tested positive for COVID-19 during an outbreak that began last month at the main Calle Real jail facility, a spokesperson said Friday.
The outbreak was initially detected May 25 in the West Jail’s main accommodation pod and includes a total of 50 inmates who have been infected, according to sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Robert Minter.
Of those 50 inmates, Minter said 31 remain infected with the coronavirus, while 19 have recovered. Eleven inmates in total reported having symptoms, while 39 were asymptomatic, according to Minter.
Additionally, Minter said an outbreak of the coronavirus was detected on May 28 at the Northern Branch Jail facility on Black Road near Santa Maria and infected 14 inmates in the E housing unit.
Of those 14 inmates, 13 inmates have made a full recovery and one inmate has since been released, according to Minter, adding that there are no active coronavirus infections at the North Branch prison.
Minter said a total of nine inmates reported coronavirus symptoms and five were asymptomatic.
Visits to correctional facilities have been suspended due to the outbreaks and the sheriff’s office is coordinating with Superior Court officials and the public defender’s office to adjust appearances to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, according to Minter.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
The paving project along Route 154 will continue throughout the summer
A paving project underway on Highway 154 overnight this week is expected to continue for the next two months, Caltrans District 5 said.
Work will take place at various locations between Cold Spring Canyon Bridge and San Antonio Creek Bridge, where motorists will face traffic control from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.
Delays should not exceed 15 minutes, officials noted.
Over the next four weeks, contractors are expected to carry out shoulder work and install rumble strips. Additionally, a high-friction surface treatment will be applied to curved sections of Highway 154 for a period of two to three weeks beginning in July, according to the announcement.
The project is expected to be completed this summer, officials said.
Granite Construction of Santa Barbara is the contractor for the $3.3 million project.
For traffic updates on other Santa Barbara County National Highways, call the Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs Office at or visit https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5.
SAINTE MARIE
Library to accommodate poetry reading, creative writing workshop
The Santa Maria Public Library is hosting a multilingual poetry reading and creative writing workshop on Saturday.
The library welcomes authors Amy Shimson-Santo and Jenise Miller at 11 a.m. to introduce reading, explore stories of families and the concept of home. Both Shimson-Santo and Miller represent CREO Changemakers, a California-based nonprofit committed to building a just society, amplifying community knowledge, and catalyzing big ideas into action.
Families are invited to return to the library, 421 S. McClelland St., at 2 p.m. to write, discuss, and explore these topics with Shimson-Santo and Miller in a creative writing workshop. It is designed for people of all ages.
For more information, contact the library’s youth services division at , ext. 8564.
CENTRAL COAST
805 UndocuFund receives $10,000 grant to change disaster relief for immigrants
805 UndocuFund announced that it has received a $10,000 grant from The Fund for Santa Barbara to support its advocacy for the inclusion of Central Coast undocumented workers in local and national relief and recovery policies in disaster.
The grant funds will allow 805 UndocuFund to build partnerships and consolidate lessons learned in disaster relief with other local and state immigrant-serving organizations that have responded to the COVID 19 pandemic, wildfires and other disasters, a spokesperson said.
The organization distributed one-time emergency financial assistance to undocumented residents affected by the crises but excluded from federal disaster relief and other social safety nets, the spokesperson said.
Maria Melo, executive director of 805 UndocuFund, said the impacts on immigrants of exclusion from federal disaster relief and social safety nets are compounded by factors such as low-wage jobs, job barriers, linguistic accessibility, fear of local authorities and housing insecurity.
Melo said 805 UndocuFund will use the money to examine what has been learned in disaster relief and fight for policy change.
Since its inception in 2018, the organization has raised, managed and distributed more than $8 million to more than 17,000 undocumented Central Coast disaster-affected residents.
