The whooshing breeze of freeway traffic “whizzing by” is occasionally powerful enough to fling Caltrans workers’ hard hats from their heads, District 5 Maintenance Manager Micah Gammons said. Once while crack-sealing a stretch of U.S. 101 near King City, Gammons said that a car skidded into the construction enclosure he was working in, but no…
The PCPA Pacific Conservatory Theatre joins the Bottom brothers on a “riotous quest to outshine Shakespeare” at the Solvang Festival Theater with Something Rotten!, a musical showing through Aug. 23. Nick and Nigel Bottom aim to pen the world’s first musical, targeting Shakespeare as the bard to beat, but along the way the Bottom brothers…
Rainbow Reads Book Club Saturdays made a comeback this summer at the Santa Maria Public Library. In June, members discussed No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull. In July, The Pairing by Casey McQuiston. On Aug. 9, members will talk about Samuel Burr’s The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers at 3 p.m. inside the Learning Loft. …
The Fantastic Four: First Steps What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Arroyo Grande, Fair Oaks Matt Shakman (Cut Bank, WandaVision) directs this reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise about four superheroes—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro…
Stick What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Apple TV+ Created by Dan Keller (Machine Gun Preacher, Ford v Ferrari), this engaging comedy TV series puts Owen Wilson center stage as Pryce Cahill, a pro golfer reduced to golf lessons and selling golf clubs. He and his old caddy, Mitts (Marc Maron), also…
Untamed What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix National Parks are beautiful, but all hold deadly secrets. Entire podcast series are based on true stories of missing people, murder, and nefarious acts that happen within park borders. Kyle Turner (Eric Bana) is a troubled man, prone to drink and anger. It takes…
In eight years, the cost of growing strawberries in California has increased by 40 percent. In 2016, farmers spent about $62,000 per acre of the red berry. By 2024, they were paying $105,000, according to Mohammad Amir Aghaee, who leads the entomology program at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. “When you have a situation like…
Less than an acre in size, a vacant sliver of Dairyland Road in Buellton bookended the month of July for city officials who couldn’t agree on a private school proposed for the site. During its July 3 meeting, the Buellton Planning Commission voted on back-to-back motions for the Hundred Hills School project’s approval or denial,…
As monarch numbers continue to decline, California could have a week dedicated to the butterfly’s preservation if a Central Coast legislator’s resolution passes the Senate. Over the last 25 years, the Western monarch population has declined by at least 80 percent, dropping from what was once 1.2 million to an estimated 233,000 last year—the Pismo…
In Guadalupe Councilmember Whitney Furness’ experience, the only way to get clear info on the Royal Theater project’s status is with “quite a bit of pointed questions,” she told the council during its July 22 meeting. The kind of questions that sparked a heated discussion between her and the multi-year renovation effort’s project manager Tom…
• On July 25, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, announced legislation to expand a pathway to lawful permanent residency for millions of long-term U.S. residents, according to Padilla’s office. Section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, also known as the Registry, gives the secretary of homeland…
Regardless of where the dice fall during an upcoming bunco tournament in Santa Maria, the real winners are the beneficiaries the annual event supports. Proceeds from Bunco Bonanza and other programs hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria throughout the year benefit several local causes, scholarships, and groups, including Children’s Resource and Referral of…
While flying over Northern Santa Barbara County’s neighborhoods, I can’t help but notice the signs: Slow down. Drive like your kids live here. Children at play. There are already speed limit signs on residential streets telling drivers not to go faster than 25 mph (only a bit faster than the average airspeed velocity of an…
I thought I’d take a break from all of the grievances, divisions, and outrage of our culture wars, and write about how, despite all the opportunistic goading by our politicians and media, we actually all get along with each other pretty well. This allows me to recount a few of my favorite stories from my…
We’ve been seeing the relentless march of ICE officials. First, they hunted undocumented workers in Los Angeles, then Oxnard, Ventura, and Carpinteria. The workers that they are hunting are essential to our economy, often doing vital yet low-paying jobs. What’s more, they are protected by the U.S. Constitution. The Fifth Amendment clearly states: “No person…
I attended the July 11 California Coastal Commission meeting to support the Mothers for Peace request for a hearing on relicensing the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The aging plant and its radioactive waste sit atop a thrust earthquake fault. PG&E has been granted a five-year extension but is now asking for 20 more, saying five…
Valley magic Located at 1511-B Mission Drive in Solvang, the California Nature Art Museum is open Thursday, Friday, and Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. William Neill’s Yosemite: Sanctuary in Stone exhibit is on display until Aug. 31. For more about the exhibit, visit…
