Santa Maria
March set to support driver's license bill
Hundreds of people are expected to march on the streets of Santa Maria Sunday in support of a bill that would give illegal immigrants the ability to obtain a driver's license.
Several local organizations, including the Mexican American Political Association and Indigenous Oaxacan Binational Front, are holding the march, said Jesus Estrada, spokesman for the Oaxacan group.
The march, which Estrada described as a peaceful request to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign the bill, is expected to begin at 9 a.m. at the Donovan Road and Broadway intersection and end at Preisker Park, he said.
The controversial bill, authored by Sen. Gil Cedillo D-Los Angeles, would allow applicants who live in the country illegally to get a license, but they will have to pay a hefty fee and undergo a background check. The bill is expected to go to the governor's desk in the next few weeks.
Santa Maria
Wanted parolee
arrested after chase
A Santa Barbara man, a wanted parolee, was arrested after a brief pursuit Wednesday evening in Santa Maria.
Police arrested Ruben Regalado on suspicion of parole violation, possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of a loaded firearm, and being under the influence of a controlled substance, said Santa Maria Police.
Officers spotted Regalado in the 300 block of North Western Avenue at 5 p.m. and attempted to contact him, but he allegedly ran away. He was caught a short while later, and taken to Marian Medical Center for treatment.
Lompoc
Liberties documentary to be shown Sunday
Documentary filmmaker Christine Rose will present "Liberty Bound," a film that examines the state of civil liberties and the country's possible move toward fascism, in Lompoc Sunday night.
The film attempts to look at whether Americans understand what the government is doing, if civil liberties are being lost, if there are elements of fascism in our society, and how the media affects opinions.
The film documents people who have been interrogated by the Secret Service and threatened with arrest for sending e-mails, turning around during a Bush speech, or having a philosophical discussion on a train.
The film will screen at 7 p.m. at the Grossman Gallery of the Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave. The Lompoc Coalition for Peace and Justice is hosting the free event.
Santa Barbara County
Volunteers sought for Coastal Cleanup
Santa Barbara County is looking for volunteers for the 20th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day.
From 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 18, cleanups of trash and debris will take place at county beaches. Volunteers may show up at Surf, Jalama, Guadalupe, or other county beaches and a beach captain will provide instructions and supplies.
Last year, 47,000 volunteers cleaned more than 1,800 miles of shoreline and waterways in California, collecting approximately 700,000 pounds of debris.
For more information, call Dana Green at 882-3615.
Lompoc
Penitentiary inmate's sentence extended
An inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lompoc had his sentence extended after assaulting another inmate last January, the FBI said Thursday.
Jorge Garcia, 33, was given an additional 51 months in prison last month after pleading guilty to slashing an inmate with razor blades, said the Santa Maria office of the FBI. The Mexican national had been serving a 33-month sentence for illegally re-entering the country after he was deported. He was originally scheduled to be released March 2003.
- Staff reports
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