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California responds to the Roe v. Wade decision with a constitutional amendment and legislation to protect reproductive decisions
Nine weeks into Lauren’s pregnancy, doctors detected a weak heartbeat during an ultrasound. Two weeks later, Lauren started bleeding, and she went back to her doctor’s office for a second ultrasound. “Sure enough on the ultrasound screen you could tell it was a fetus disintegrating,” said Lauren, who asked the Sun to change her name.…
Roscoe’s Kitchen dishes out all-day breakfast, burgers, chili, fried favorites, and more in downtown Santa Maria
With more than four decades of restaurant experience under his belt, Anthony Burns was eager to help “carry the torch” for a longtime friend who dreamt of owning a diner someday. For the past three to four years, Burns, 61, and Roscoe Holloway, 86, have talked on and off about opening a restaurant together. The…
Flying Goat Cellars showcases cactus and succulent paintings from local artist Deborah Breedon
A lompoc tasting room is inviting guests to enjoy their wine flights with a complimentary feast—a feast for the eyes, that is. June marked the debut of a new pastel exhibit at Flying Goat Cellars, where visitors can peruse paintings by Deborah Breedon through mid-August. “It’s very welcoming to walk in and find a comfy…
Martin Espino presents music showcase, Ancient Homelands, in Santa Maria
Touring musician and educator Martin Espino is bringing his Ancient Homelands program—a bilingual showcase of music styles from North, Central, and South America—to Santa Maria, with two performance dates. Espino will perform at Rotary Centennial Park on Friday, July 8, at 4 p.m., and in the Santa Maria Public Library’s Altrusa Theater on Saturday, July…
Lompoc Valley of the Flowers Half Century Club hosts upcoming craft show
On Saturday, July 23, the Lompoc Valley of the Flowers Half Century Club will host its Christmas in July Craft Faire. The show will be open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and is slated to feature about 19 different craft vendors. Leather crafts, wood crafts, sewn goods, crocheted items, jewelry, and other handcrafted media…
Lost Chord Guitars brings two Portland-based musicians to Solvang
Songwriters at Play presents its next group concert at Lost Chord Guitars in Solvang on Thursday, July 21, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The show will feature performances from local singer-songwriter Steve Key and guest artists Hayley Lynn and Blair Borax. Both Lynn and Borax are based in Portland, Oregon. Tickets to the concert are…
Pray for separation
You know what it takes for federal policy to change? Prayer. At least if you’re a God-fearing American citizen! Right to Life of the Central Coast’s prayers were answered by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling upholding a Mississippi abortion law and overturning Roe v. Wade. “In a country founded on the truth that we…
The left and right only have righteous anger about government intrusion when it aligns with their cause
While the ideological divide between right and left seems as deep as the ocean and just as hard to bridge, in terms of personal health care, we all seem to want the same thing. We want respect for our decisions; we want government to stay out of our affairs; and we want to be treated…
Santa Maria developer eyes Fallas building for a proposed housing complex
A vacant department store in Santa Maria could be the future site of about 100 new apartments if city officials decide to approve a local developer’s recent proposal. The Vernon Group, a Central Coast-based real estate firm, is hoping to transform a 72,000 square-foot building—formerly occupied by Fallas Discount Store in downtown Santa Maria—into a…
Lompoc fire chief retires shortly after domestic dispute arrest
Lompoc Fire Chief Alicia Welch submitted her retirement to city officials effective July 20, following her recent arrest in SLO County on domestic violence suspicions. Battalion Chief Scott Nunez was appointed to act as the fire chief for the transition period, Lompoc Public Information Officer Samantha Scroggin said in a statement. “Chief Welch, who has…
Congress passes first gun safety legislation in 30 years
Barely two days after the Supreme Court repealed a New York gun law that regulated who could carry concealed weapons in public, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan gun safety package on June 25 that deals with red flag laws. The package has some ties to the Central Coast, too, with U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal…
Political Watch: July 7, 2022
• In late June, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined a bipartisan majority of the House Armed Services Committee to send a comprehensive defense policy bill for fiscal year 2023 to the House floor, according to the congressman’s office. There will be multiple provisions included to support operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base, promote…
A Santa Maria- and Oxnard-based nonprofit hosts its annual backpack drive
Backpacks are a source of pride for students. It’s something they take with them to school and see every day, said Genevieve Flores-Haro, the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project associate director. “We are currently fundraising dollars to purchase backpacks and backpack supplies—but we’ll also take new school supplies. Pens, paper, notebooks, coloring pencils, markers crayons. It’s…
