Cover Story
County public school districts are taking steps ahead of a state Assembly bill to provide Narcan at school sites
Carolyn Kleinsmith lost her nephew to fentanyl poisoning when he was 29 years old. “The effects of that affect our entire family all the time. He was like a brother to my son, and he struggles deeply,” Kleinsmith told the Sun on Feb. 1. “This epidemic is like nothing we’ve ever faced, and it will…
BINGEABLE: THE LAST OF US (2023-present)
BINGEABLE: THE LAST OF US (2023-present) Where’s it playing? HBO Max What’s it rated? TV-MA We’re now halfway through the first season of this video game-based zombie TV series, and if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? This very compelling drama has continued to improve exponentially after the first…
BINGEABLE: POKER FACE (2023-present)
BINGEABLE: POKER FACE (2023-present) Where’s it playing? Peacock What’s it rated? TV-MA The concept is no stranger—a human lie detector uses her powers to right wrongs. I think of the show Lie to Me from 2009 about the guy who read and analyzed micro expressions. We don’t know where Charlie’s (Natasha Lyonne) gift comes from…
Political Watch – February 16, 2023
• The Disaster Recovery Centers/Local Assistance Centers will be closing later this month in both North and South Santa Barbara County, according to a Feb. 8 announcement from the county. Santa Maria’s Allan Hancock College center will be closing Feb. 26. Direct Relief in Santa Santa Barbara’s last day in operation was Feb. 15. Santa…
Santa Barbara County’s taking public input on future housing development
Jobs-housing imbalance, long commutes, short-term rentals, and affordability issues are all Santa Barbara County problems. Each issue came up during the Feb. 14 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, when the governing body reviewed the county’s 2023-31 Housing Element. California requires local jurisdictions to look at housing needs every eight years and identify space…
Buellton City Council delays decision on new library budget
Hoping to lower the estimated cost of a new library, Buellton officials recently considered cutting one aspect of the project that some consider essential to its success. During its Feb. 9 meeting, members of the Buellton City Council discussed a budget and design proposal to retrofit a city-owned property—the historic Willemsen House on Dairyland Road—into…
North County disaster recovery center to close on Feb. 26
The Santa Barbara County storm disaster recovery centers are closing their doors after several weeks of operations, with Santa Maria’s Allan Hancock College location scheduled to close on Feb. 26, county Public Information Officer Kelsey Buttitta told the Sun. Both centers opened on Jan. 28 after President Joe Biden’s federal emergency declaration to provide a…
The oil industry puts its profits ahead of your health, again
On Feb. 3, California’s secretary of state certified that oil companies got enough petition signatures to cancel the state’s oil well health and safety setbacks law until a referendum vote on the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot. Or, as state Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), author of the bill that was going to become a law…
Good Samaritan Shelter receives the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara’s 2022 Outstanding Partnership Award
Starting as a temporary evening shelter for the homeless in Santa Maria churches in 1987, Good Samaritan has since expanded in to multiple shelter programs, sobering centers, detox centers, mental health services, and more throughout Santa Barbara County. “It’s really exciting; we’ve had to grow at a quick pace but it’s exciting to have new…
Even Steven
Equilibrium. Balance. Equity. These are the things that 2nd District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps is very concerned about when it comes to housing. “How do we achieve an equilibrium of balance for these impacts?” Capps asked county Planning and Development Director Lisa Plowman during her Feb. 14 presentation on the 2023-31 Housing Element.…
Better planning at no cost
County Planning and Development is tasked with smoothing the way for thousands of new homes. Especially in unincorporated towns, which have little say in their own affairs, the process could be improved. A single green-lighted development in a small town like Los Alamos could increase its population by 10 percent or more. That has a…
Painters capture oceans, lakes, fountains in Grossman Gallery’s Water exhibition
Every painting currently on display at the Grossman Gallery in Lompoc centers on a body of water, in one form or another. The venue’s latest exhibit, simply titled Water, showcases a collection of artworks that explore sea life, rivers, pools, and other H20-laden subjects. “Some of the works are more traditional representations of water and…
Pacific Conservatory Theatre presents ‘The River Bride’
On Thursday, Feb. 16, the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) will debut its production of The River Bride, which is scheduled to run at the Severson Theatre in Santa Maria through Sunday, March 5. Written by Marisela Treviño Orta, The River Bride has been performed on stages across the U.S. and the U.K. since its premiere…
Air Supply holds upcoming concert in Santa Ynez
The Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez presents Air Supply live in concert in the venue’s Samala Showroom on Friday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. The soft-rock duo—composed of English singer-songwriter and guitarist Graham Russell (pictured, left) and Australian lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock (right)—is performing as part of its current tour, The Lost in Love…
Lompoc’s 2023 Restaurant Week features unique offerings from several venues
Time is best measured in love, according to the opening number in Rent. Between Feb. 20 and 26, Mi Amore Pizza and Pasta and several other eateries in the Lompoc Valley are hoping for residents to show their love for local dining, by taking advantage of this year’s citywide Lompoc Restaurant Week offerings. Participating restaurants,…
