Hoping to clear the waters about who has jurisdiction over a vacant ditch in Buellton that’s flooded in recent years’ storms, Mayor David Silva pressed staff to confirm whether it’s an issue the city should wash its hands of. “It does seem a bit like what we’re being told is: We know there’s a problem, […]
Caleb Wiseblood
Posted inNews
Feds asks Santa Barbara County for 180 residents’ confidential voter info
On Oct. 22, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent Santa Barbara County a list of 180 residents—names of “likely aliens” illegally registered to vote, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District Bilal A. Essayli alleged. “Within 48 hours, we ask that you commit to working with DOJ and DHS [Department of Homeland Security] to […]
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County considers eliminating appeals for some residential projects
As part of Santa Barbara County’s efforts to streamline its land use permit protocols, the Board of Supervisors will consider abandoning one procedure Planning Commissioner John Parke has considered “a time-waster” for years, he said. “On appealable hearings,” Parke said at the Planning Commission’s Oct. 28 meeting, “I would say of the appeals that I’ve […]
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Political Watch: November 5, 2026
•On Oct. 27, Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) joined the list of government officials issuing statements to condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers’ Oct. 21 detainment of Santa Maria-resident Erik Zepeda, an American citizen, while he was walking to Santa Maria High School. The 20-year-old, diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is […]
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Tara’s Mobile Footcare stretches past its third decade in the pedicure biz
On a surface level, nail-trimming is what Orcutt resident Tara Hoffmann—with a 31-year career in mobile foot care services for seniors and individuals with limited mobility—gets paid to do on a daily basis. For her, the reward of offering pedicures and other foot-based treatments in the comfort of a client’s home is knowing that her […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Wicker is a grown-up fable that charms
Set in a timeless yet antiquated village like those in countless fairy tales, Wicker is a comically dark adult fable that follows an ostracized Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who commissions the local Basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to weave a husband for her. When her new, enchanted husband (Alexander Skarsgard)—made completely of wicker—comes to life, his infectious charm […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lanterns ignites hope in DC’s genre-defying future
Lanterns What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? HBO Max If I had to sum up the core demographic that HBO’s genre-bending Lanterns appeals to, it’s for the kid in all of us crime-drama-loving millennials who grew up watching Justice League on the Cartoon Network in the early 2000s. That was my introduction to […]
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Ballot countdown: Santa Barbara County’s 5th District supervisor candidates make their final pitches as Election Day looms
The Board of Supervisors’ newest addition will either be Santa Maria City Councilmember Maribel Aguilera or Santa Maria-Bonita School District Board member Ricardo Valencia. Aguilera—a local attorney and registered independent—received endorsements from the Santa Maria Police Officers’ Association, Santa Maria Firefighters Local 2020, California School Employees Association, Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis […]
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Disabled student hospitalized after ICE mistook him for ‘illegal alien’
As part of her “group home mom” role at a residential care facility in Santa Maria, Jaime Staine has experienced dealing with occupants of varying temperaments. While having looked after Erik Zepeda—who’s been in the group home since age 14 and is diagnosed with severe developmental delay and mild intellectual disability—for the past seven years, […]
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Guadalupe residents have a choice for mayor this year
For the first time since 2018, there are two mayoral candidates for Guadalupe residents to choose between. With four consecutive two-year terms in office behind him, Mayor Ariston Julian told the Sun this year’s election is his first facing an opponent. Prior to his time as mayor, Julian served as a City Council member for […]
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Political Watch: October 29, 2026
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) hosted his annual Cafecito Con El Congresista event on Oct. 16 in Santa Barbara. Carbajal founded the program in 2017 to bring together Central Coast Latino community members and elected officials for an open forum to discuss local and national issues. In a statement from Carbajal’s office, the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Cuteness ahead: Our annual pet photo contest winners are bound to ease your mind
Warning: The photos on the following pages will bring a smile to your face. They’re adorable! Readers from Santa Ynez to Lompoc to Paso Robles submitted more than 300 images of their non-human companions as part of this year’s competition. A panel of in-house judges narrowed them down to the top three in each of […]
