The tribe—that’s you, dear readers—has made its final decision about the businesses, organizations, and people who make the community shine. Only those who have outserved, outshone, and outsmarted the rest to become the best are included in this issue. As part of the season 26 finale, take a gander at the sole survivors of our…
Arrested in early August, Jeffrey Koeller is the second Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office employee to face embezzlement charges this year. Both Koeller and Segun Ogunleye—arrested in late January—worked for the Sheriff’s Office as custody sergeants, and were charged for fraudulently claiming and receiving earnings of $93,000 and $175,000, respectively, for hours they did not…
It doesn’t get sick. It never gets tired. It won’t go on vacation. It’s artificial intelligence. Hyper, an AI responder, will soon start its residency at the Santa Maria Police Department to answer incoming calls on the nonemergency phone line, (805) 928-3781. For a three-year service period, the city will pay around $305,000. At the…
Defunct for more than five years, an idle asphalt refinery is on track for revival thanks to a recent Santa Barbara County permit transfer. On Aug. 12, the county Planning Commission greenlit a change of owner, operator, and guarantor on a permit to process crude oil into asphalt at a Santa Maria Valley-based 1930s-built refinery…
• State Sen. John Laird’s (D-Santa Cruz) Senate Bill 917 passed the California Legislature on Aug. 13. Laird designed the measure to expand opportunities for small wineries seeking to sell wine and offer tastings at certified farmers markets. The bill advanced to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration. Sponsored by the Family Winemakers of California…
When Donna W. moved to California from Indiana, her first thought before even contemplating purchasing a home was, “Can we buy a Corvette?” The Indiana weather hadn’t been suited for convertibles, but things were different in the Golden State. Donna—who insisted on being identified by her last initial—discovered the Chevrolet sports cars from a TV…
Santa Barbara County gave unanimous approval for an oil-related thing. I know. Pick those jaws up off the ground! It was fairly routine—the county Planning Commission gave the go-ahead for an ownership transfer of an asphalt refinery near Santa Maria. But the last time an ownership transfer came before the county, it was denied! (Yes,…
The Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization recently commissioned a report, the Community Health Needs Assessment, to assess the “health and well-being of Lompoc residents through four focus areas: financial stability and affordability, chronic illnesses, behavioral health, and healthy lifestyles.” Did the “organization representatives” have a hidden agenda? And were reports of chronic illness only based…
What happened to the good old days when a restaurant employee who served you promptly and accurately was happy to get a 10 percent tip? I’m not sure those days were any better, but I am sure it is not the fault of the minimum-wage worker in front of you who is offering a tip…
If you’re not concerned about plastics, you should be. Plastic doesn’t return harmlessly to nature. It breaks into ever smaller microplastics and nanoplastics that now appear in our food, water, air, blood, and even human brain tissue. In one major study, people whose carotid-artery plaque contained plastic particles were more likely to suffer a heart…
Artist Tom Pazderka’s solo exhibition will be up at Allan Hancock College starting on Aug. 24. Wander into the Ann Foxworthy Gallery (Building L) to see his work through Oct. 2, and don’t miss the reception on Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. Pazderka titled the show All That Remains, combining paintings from two…
In the spring, Buellton students put on a production of Annie (pictured), but opportunities for singing and dancing are far from over. This fall, elementary students are invited to sign up for drama workshops made possible by a partnership between Buellton Rec and the Adderley School for the Performing Arts. “Classes use a method where…
David Robert Mitchell (It Follows, Under Silver Lake) wrote and directed this sci-fi dinosaur thriller about the Platt family—aspiring novelist Denise (Anne Hathaway), husband Greg (Ewan McGregor), and children Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery)—who after some kind of cosmic event discovers their suburban neighborhood has been transplanted to a strange and dangerous place.…
A Toxic Love StoryWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Michelle Hadley was facing the possibility of decades in prison for the violent and malicious acts she was accused of by her ex, Ian, and his wife, Angela. Angela began receiving threatening emails from an account called “Lilithistruth,” a nod to the…
The DinkWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Apple TV Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Strays, Will & Harper) directs Sean Clements’ script about Dustin “The Hammer” Boyd (Jake Johnson), a former tennis prodigy trained by his domineering father, Chuck (Ed Harris, at his most taciturn). Tragically, Dustin…
Great wines are made in the vineyard. But what exactly happens in the vineyard? What turmoil does the soil experience? How many chemicals are sprayed on the grapes? Are farmworkers treated well? “I think consumers really aren’t given the full story,” Chiara Shannon told the Sun. Over the two decades she’s spent in the wine…
