

Cover Story
Creating space: The Santa Maria Valley lacks dedicated places for the LGBTQ-plus community
In the early days of the Allan Hancock College Pride Alliance, students wrote on name tags preferred names and pronouns, with the understanding that the names would only be used during meetings for safety reasons, said Jackie, a student and Pride Alliance member. The student organization is dedicated to helping LGBTQ-plus students through events and…
We need to end the killing of Palestinian children and families
I am profoundly moved by United States soldier Aaron Bushnell who recently burned himself to death in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. I feel deeply grieved but also all the more determined to preserve life. Aaron Bushnell self-immolated, saying he could no longer be complicit in the U.S.-backed genocide against the Palestinian…
SLO REP takes on emotions and deep thinking in What the Constitution Means To Me
Go see it What the Constitution Means To Me will run from March 29 through April 14, Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. SLO REP is located at 888 Morro St. in San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit slorep.org. With the nation smack-dab in the middle…
Catch The Fish Whisperer onstage in Oceano
The Great American Melodrama in Oceano presents The Fish Whisperer, which is scheduled to run Friday, March 22, through Saturday, May 11. Set in the small town of Shewauga, Wisconsin, The Fish Whisperer is a musical “brimming with hope and romance,” according to the Great American Melodrama’s website. The show opens during a rough patch…
Santa Maria Civic Theatre presents A Comedy of Tenors
Performances of A Comedy of Tenors—the Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s latest production—run through Sunday, March 24. Currently onstage, this fast-paced comedy is set in 1930s Paris and follows “four tenors, two wives, and three girlfriends,” according to press materials. Tickets to A Comedy of Tenors are available online in advance at my805tix.com. For more info…
Damsel proves a distressed lady can save herself
Damsel What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee Where’s it showing? Netflix Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) directs this dark fantasy about dutiful Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown), a royal from an impoverished kingdom, whose father, Lord Bayford (Ray Winston)—in exchange for wealth—arranges to marry her to Prince…
Preliminary election results show low voter turnout during March 5 primary
While ballots are still being counted, Santa Barbara County election results show lower voter turnout than in previous presidential primaries. Michael Daly—Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder, Assessor, and Elections Office chief deputy assessor and registrar of voters—told the Sun that 41.6 percent of registered voters had their ballots counted so far during the March 5 primary. …
Nipomo residents are upset about another housing development
The San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission approved another housing development in Nipomo, despite community members’ protests. Commissioners unanimously approved the construction of 72 affordable, multi-family residential units on 2.57 acres along Magenta Lane during a March 14 meeting. The development will consist of three three-story apartment buildings, an attached community room to the front…
More than 1,600 Santa Barbara County jail inmates filed grievances
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office saw an increase in inmate complaints about access to medical, mental health, and dental care as well as medication-assisted treatment for inmates facing substance use disorders. Second District Supervisor Laura Capps pulled the report for discussion during the March 19 Board of Supervisors meeting because grievances haven’t been discussed…
Political Watch: March 21, 2024
• Assemblymember Gregg Hart announced Assembly Bill 1866, which will address idle wells by requiring oil operators to develop a comprehensive plan to expeditiously plug the estimated 40,000 idle wells in California within the next decade, according to a March 12 statement from Hart’s office. The bill also requires operators to prioritize plugging wells within…
BLAST FROM THE PAST: Vertigo
Vertigo What’s it rated? PG When? 1958 Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo on March 23 and 24 (1, 4, and 7 p.m.), and March 25 (7 p.m.) Alfred Hitchcock directs this psychological thriller about a former San Francisco police detective turned private eye, John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart), who’s hired…
BLAST FROM THE PAST: 13 Ghosts
13 Ghosts What’s it rated? Unrated When? 1960 Where’s it showing? The Bay Theater of Morro Bay, Monday, March 25, at 5:30 p.m. William Castle (House on Haunted Hill) directs this ghost story by Robb White (The Tingler). Occultist Dr. Plato Zorba dies, leaving his ramshackle mansion to his impoverished nephew, Cyrus (Donald Woods), and…
Beso Cocina in Nipomo plates up fusion fare with a Mexican twist
Skip the rush Grab dinner and cocktails at Beso Cocina, 1050 Willow Road, Nipomo. Beso is open Thursday through Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. It’s open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Reserve a table at 1-(805) 931-7177. Follow it on Instagram @besonipomo. The red flame insignia of Beso Cocina glowed invitingly…
Marian Regional Medical Center launches new food recovery program to reduce carbon emissions, redirect food
Rather than seeing pasta sauce, overnight oats, or untouched salad fixings go to waste, Marian Regional Medical Center, in partnership with Replate, will reallocate unused food to community organizations that serve individuals facing food insecurity, Marian Food Services Director Kevin Leitner told the Sun. “This really was initiated by a [California] food recovery bill ……
Pathetic and apathetic
Who do we blame for voter turnout? The election itself or voter apathy or both? I’m going to say both. And Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne might just agree with me. She challenged 3rd District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann in the primary alongside Republican Frank Troise. Hartmann won, according to the uncertified election results,…
Eliminating perceived environmental injustices in Lompoc would cost several million dollars
The city of Lompoc like many other jurisdictions is adding a new environmental justice element (chapter) to the general plan. The introduction to the new chapter says, “Today, and throughout California and United States history, communities with lower incomes, lower levels of education, and higher proportions of minority residents often bear a disproportionately large burden…






