Santa Maria

Guadalupe man gets four year prison sentence

A Guadalupe man accused of stabbing two men with a boxcutter-type knife has pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, and is serving a four-year prison sentence.

Christopher Teniente, 27, was sentenced to prison Oct. 26, according to court documents.

He entered the plea in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in September.

Guadalupe police have said that Teniente stabbed one man in the face and the other on his arms and torso in March.

Teniente reportedly approached the men, who were sitting on a stairway in the 800 block of Guadalupe Street, and began arguing with them before the assault.

Santa Maria

Free health screenings for seniors Saturday

Free health screenings and a health-information fair for area seniors, hosted by Marian Medical Center, are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in Santa Maria, hospital officials announced.

All tests and screenings will be held on the first floor of the Marian Hancock Building, 116 S. Palisade Drive. Health screenings are set to include glucose, bone-density, blood-pressure, oral, chiropractic and vision checks.

Marian is also offering a free CarFit testing for drivers 60 and older. The educational program is meant to check how well personal vehicles fit mature drivers.

To make a CarFit testing reservation, call 928-2552.

For more information on the health fair, call Marian Community Educator Sandy Underwood at 739-3593.

Santa Maria

Artists needed for the 2010 Library art exhibits

Local and regional artists are invited to submit their work to be part of the rotating art exhibit series in Shepard Hall of the Santa Maria Public Library, the city announced.

Selected artists will display their work for one-month periods between February 2010 and January 2011, the city said.

Work is judged by the library's Art Advisory Committee, and is selected for exhibition based on submitted images.

Applications and the library's exhibit-policy brochures are available at: the library circulation desk counter, 421 S. McClelland St.; by e-mail to dhildinger@santa-maria.ca.us; by calling 925-0994, Ext. 117; or on the Internet at www.ci.santa maria.ca.us/3096-03.shtml.

The deadline is 5 p.m. Dec. 11. Artists will be notified by the second week of January.

For more information, call Cultural Events Coordinator Deborah Hildinger at 925-0994, Ext. 117.

Santa Maria

City approves $340K bus grant

The Santa Maria City Council unanimously approved Tuesday night a $340,699 state transportation grant to the city's bus system.

Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) will use the funds to pay for some of the construction costs for the new downtown transit center. The proposed facility, at the southeast corner of East Boone and South Miller streets, is meant to provide more capacity and more efficient transfers between bus routes than the current hub in front of the Town Center mall on East Cook Street. The project is estimated to cost $9 million.

In another item, the council also unanimously approved a a grant application for $439,040 to the state Department of Parks and Recreation. The funding would come from Proposition 84 local assistance funding.

The money would be used to demolish outdated and inefficient lighting fixtures at the Simas Park softball field. Under the city's plan, new automated and energy efficient lights would be installed along the perimeter of the softball, soccer and Little League baseball fields.

Santa Maria

2009-10 fiscal year budget approved

A unanimous Santa Maria City Council approved 2009-10 fiscal year budget amendments Tuesday night.

Revisions to the current budget include: A $459,100 reappropriation from Water Fund reserves for operational expenses related to water delivery; a $10,589 transfer from Community Development Block Grant funds to the General Fund to mirror General Fund administrative support to Community Development Block Grant funds activities; a $169,545 decrease in Measure D estimated revenues and appropriations and a $169,545 increase in State Grant Fund estimated revenues and appropriations to match the exchange of Measure D funds for federal stimulus plan funds with the city of Guadalupe.

Santa Maria

Police to get new bulletproof vests

A unanimous Santa Maria City Council approved a $15,224 grant Tuesday night to buy police officers bulletproof vests.

The money is from the 2009 Bulletproof Vest Grant Program, a federal program that pays for up to 50 percent of an officers' total ballistic vest costs.

Los Padres Nat'l Forest

Adventure Pass not needed on Nov. 11

To mark Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the U.S. Forest Service is not requiring visitors to have the Adventure Pass while in Los Padres National Forest that day as a way to honor America's veterans and military personnel

The pass is normally required for day-use activities in most areas of the forest. Reservation fees and group site fees will still apply.

For more Information, visit www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres.

-From staff reports