Cover Story
Captive patients: Central Coast jails struggle to care for sick inmates
Kevin Lee McLaughlin woke up in the early morning hours of April 13, 2017, feeling unwell. The 60-year-old inmate had been in custody in the SLO County Jail since late January awaiting sentencing on an assault charge. At 2:30 a.m., he saw a jail nurse for an evaluation. He complained of numbness, tingling, and pain…
Three artists share paintings of local birds in new Wildling exhibit
At first glance, the painting of a quartet of wild turkeys looks out of place on the walls of the Wildling Museum in Solvang. The new exhibit, Our Feathered Friends, features the paintings of three California artists who specialize in nature and bird paintings. But George Lockwood’s work, Spring Gobblers, looks so real it might…
Author Tony Piazza celebrates 50th anniversary of ‘Bullitt’ at Santa Maria Public Library
It is one of the greatest car chase sequences in the history of filmmaking. Approximately an hour into the film Bullitt, two cars begin a dangerous race down the streets of San Francisco, starting in Fisherman’s Wharf. What follows is nearly 11 minutes of heart-stopping action and suspense, a chase so bold and innovative for…
Local singer/songwriter Chris Lambert cuts to the heart of creativity with release of his 11th solo album
Almost every year since he graduated high school, Chris Lambert has released a new album of original music. But his latest album is different—it was a struggle. The Constant Education of Christopher Lambert was more than a year in the making and was released almost two years after his latest album, Lambert said. He took…
Spotlight on: Homes N Land and Treasures 1
Pure Saturday-morning light poured through the tall stained glass windows, casting magenta hues across the small crowd gathered in the sanctuary hall to listen to the speaker up front. Eddie San Jose wasn’t delivering a sermon, but rather an informative talk for those looking to buy a home. The event was held in a building…
Gray area: Santa Maria City Council votes against urgency ordinance restricting residential H-2A housing
Local farmers and property owners housing H-2A workers in residential neighborhoods can breathe easy—for now. The Santa Maria City Council voted on April 17 not to extend an urgency ordinance prohibiting property owners from housing more than six H-2A guest workers in units located in single-family and medium-density residential zoning districts. The ordinance, which was…
Santa Maria city manager gives presentation on district elections
As Santa Maria prepares to enter its first November using a district election formula, city officials and council members are attempting to show signs of unity. “The district boundaries are important for elections but not for the way we are going to govern the city,” Santa Maria’s City Manager Jason Stilwell said at an event…
More than 50 poll workers still needed in Santa Maria for June 5 election
Nearly 80 volunteers are still needed to work at Santa Barbara County precincts and polling places during the June 5 Statewide Direct Primary Elections, according to the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters Office. More than 50 of those positions are needed at Santa Maria locations alone. While about 25 of the positions still unfilled…
Jordan Cunningham hosts talk on human trafficking
California Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) came to Santa Maria on April 20 with one goal in mind—to spread awareness about human trafficking. “It’s the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world,” he told the Sun before speaking in front of a small crowd of concerned citizens, local politicians, and law enforcement officials at…
Owners Gregory and Daisy Ryan launch Bell’s in Los Alamos
It’s hard to grab a word with Greg and Daisy Ryan. That’s not just because their new restaurant, Bell’s, in Los Alamos, is so busy (customers were piled into every table and booth during my visit). It’s because the couple is inundated with well-wishers, many of them family friends who’ve come to support one of…
Driver carries no cash: Krider misses the days when cash was king
I grew up with money. Now, when I say I grew up with money, I don’t mean I actually had money. As a kid, my family was solid lower middle class, complete with a broken-down Chevrolet on jack stands in the driveway. When I say grew up with money, I mean that if I was…
Allan Hancock College hosts community poetry event
The Allan Hancock College Bookstore, in partnership with the college’s English Department, is celebrating National Poetry Month with a community event on April 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Student Center (building G, room 106A). During the event, called “13 Ways of Looking at a Poem,” the first hour will feature students from…
Santa Maria Arts Council to host presentation for grant winners
The winners of the annual Santa Maria Arts Council Individual Grants in the Arts are set to receive recognition on May 7 at the Marian Theater at Allan Hancock College. Twelve artists working in the media of dance, drama, music, and visual arts will share a prize pool of $13,900. First and second place winners…
Time for a new sheriff in Santa Barbara County
The men and women of the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriffs Association spoke loud and clear when they chose to endorse another candidate for sheriff. The men and women of the Santa Maria Police Officers’ Association spoke loud and clear when they endorsed another candidate for sheriff. The County Firefighters union spoke loudly when they…
The whole picture
Some problems are so big, you need a wide-angle lens to see them. That’s how bad conditions are at the Central Coast’s county jails. The Sun and New Times examined both the Santa Barbara County Jail and the SLO County Jail for this week’s cover story. New Times Staff Writer Chris McGuinness landed the 2017…
Ricky Smith
It’s been less than a year since 12-year-old Ricky Smith’s grandfather, Mike Smith, died. Growing up in Cooperstown, New York, made Mike an avid Yankees fan and a lover of baseball in general, a gene that later trickled its way into Ricky’s blood, too. Ricky, a seventh grader at Tommie Kunst Jr. High School, pitches…
Teens share personal experiences with gun violence at April 20 protest in Santa Maria
The group was small, but their voices were loud. Although only about 20 Santa Maria Valley high school students gathered at the intersection of Clark Avenue and Bradley Road in Orcutt on April 20, the intimate local adaptation of another national gun violence protest made a striking impact. As thousands of students at schools across…
Hobnobbing with Helen: Rain won’t cancel
April showers bring May flowers, as well as popular and fun hobnobbing opportunities. An event that I call “Twenty Shades of Teal” was held on Saturday afternoon, April 14, at the Santa Maria Inn. The official name was the Teal Journey Ovarian Cancer Foundation third annual Fashion Show and Luncheon. The show attracted a crowd…
Clarification
In the April 19 Eats story “Ch-ch-changes,” the Sun incorrectly stated the name of the food truck BBQ in the Stix. Also, Chef James Gentry used to co-own the food truck with his brother, Ronny Cavazos, who is now the sole owner of BBQ in the Stix.
Carbajal touts new grant program for ‘resilient’ water systems
There’s not a single group in California more aware of the state of its aging water systems than its local agency water managers. It’s part of the reason why Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) hosted a roundtable on April 23 in Santa Barbara to alleviate concerns and present a draft of a new bill he…
Five Oceano men arrested after alleged kidnapping outside Santa Maria nightclub
Five Oceano men were arrested on April 22 after Santa Maria Police responded to an alleged kidnapping with intent to rape early that morning. Santa Maria Police were dispatched to West Main Street and Bonita School Road at about 2:30 a.m., where they found the five suspects detained by Guadalupe Police, according to the Santa…
Feds should enact gun control
A recent opinion article in the Sun’s March 29 issue (“Not the NRA”) blamed those “liberal Democrats” for the recent protests and opposition against gun violence and the NRA. The rhetoric in the letter is similar to what we’ve read or heard before. The NRA is in the business of making money, especially from gun…
Reply to Canary
The Yellow Canary seemed to be very concerned about housing for farmworkers in Santa Maria in its April 12 column (“Making it Worse”). Yes, we need the workers. Our experience in Lompoc is worth noting. In the past year we have had two visits from Mexican workers who work in our fields. They come in…
To drivers on Highway 1
Every workday, I commute from Lompoc to Santa Barbara via the Clean Air Express. I usually sit on the left side of the bus. I sit comfortably during the commute listening to my music or I watch various downloaded media on my smartphone as we traverse the highways of 1 and 101. This statement is…
Boycott the NRA
Recent arguments that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is not to blame for the mass shootings plaguing our schools and country are full of holes. How? Because whenever sensible citizens even propose regulation of the military-style assault weapons used in these massacres, the NRA dangles its cash until just enough legislators acquiesce and block or…
A reply to Fina and Ford
To Sean Fina, the school shootings are a very despicable act (“Students want safety,” April 12). You want to “ensure” that you are safe at school. How is banning one type of weapon, the AR-15, going to “ensure” that you are safe? There are millions of them out there. There are an estimated 100 million…
Congress, do your job!
Congress needs to repeal the Authority for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which was passed by Congress giving the president the authority to attack Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York. There have been 37 military operations in 14 countries since the original AUMF passed. Congress seems to…
Political Watch 4/26/18
• Gov. Jerry Brown ordered up to 400 California National Guard troops to deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border to “combat transnational crime” on April 18 after a request from President Donald Trump’s administration to post National Guard at the border. In the opening of the memorandum to send the troops, Brown argued that arrests at…
