Depending on the outcome of November’s election, up to three seats on the Santa Maria City Council could change hands. Of those three races, the 4th District race is guaranteed to bring new blood to the dais, without an incumbent to consider. While current 4th District Councilmember Maribel Aguilera vies for retiring Santa Barbara County […]
Caleb Wiseblood
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Santa Maria delays hearing ‘to ensure safety’ of City Council
On Oct. 6, the city of Santa Maria issued a formal notice canceling the City Council’s regular meeting scheduled for that evening. Originally described as “due to a lack of quorum,” the short-notice cancellation prompted a more specific explanation from the city in an Oct. 8 release. “For further clarification, the meeting was canceled per […]
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Political Watch: October 15, 2026
•Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1875—authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara)—into law on Oct. 6. This legislation grants judges discretion to waive or shorten California’s six-month divorce waiting period for victims and survivors of domestic violence, as the time period surrounding separation and divorce can be particularly dangerous for victims of domestic violence. […]
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Lark + Sparrow creators soar to sports bar heights with Loon & Crown
Running out of mantel space to display all those Little League trophies you’ve held onto since childhood? Orcutt’s new sports bar has got you covered. “The walls are lined with trophies from our community,” Loon & Crown co-founder Micaela Buchanan told the Sun. “We built some shelves and ask our customers to bring in their […]
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Rematch: Jeremy Ball and Jim Mosby are battling in another Lompoc race, this time to become the city’s next mayor
For the second time in six years, Lompoc is asking voters to choose between Jim Mosby and Jeremy Ball. The two City Council incumbents previously squared off in 2020 for the 4th District seat, which Ball won. Mosby’s successful run for mayor against Jenelle Osborne in 2024 put him back on the dais—where he’s served […]
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State and local leaders condemn ICE arrest on Hancock campus
A resolution to acknowledge National Immigrants Day hit the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ desk nearly 24 hours to the minute after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a father of five in Santa Maria. “While dropping his daughter off at Allan Hancock College, he was taken into ICE custody. The circumstances of his […]
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County urges residents to prep for winter flood risks
Amid early October’s heat wave, excavation work at Mud Lake—one of Orcutt’s designated stormwater basins—remained ongoing, in preparation for a potentially much different forecast this winter. “We’re doing a massive earthwork project where we’re excavating the Mud Lake basin to improve its capacity,” Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Resources Director Matt Griffin said […]
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Political Watch: October 8, 2026
•Gov. Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill 1448—authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara)—on Sept. 29. This legislation prohibits the use of existing oil infrastructure in state waters to support new offshore oil drilling in federal waters. Hart’s office described the bill as the product of two years of collaboration with community stakeholders and statewide ocean […]
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Mobile hat bar Flame Kissed puts down roots in Los Olivos
Upon opening her new hat shop in September, Flame Kissed founder Natascha Ruiz installed a curtain to cover a vacant door frame that leads to the venue’s storage room. Ruiz felt giggly about repurposing that curtain, leaving it as an inside joke for those familiar with the Los Olivos video store that once graced 2922 […]
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Unfinished business: Stalled hotel construction in Solvang remains inactive amid yearlong litigation
More than a year after Solvang red-tagged his unfinished hotel, Ed St. George said he has no intention of raising a white flag over the dormant development. “We’re already 90 percent done. If we were 40 percent done, I would be willing to tear it down. But we are literally 90 percent done,” the developer […]
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Solvang Teamsters strike moves into third week
Two weeks into the first city employee strike in Solvang’s history, labor negotiators met in closed session with the City Council on Sept. 28. The following morning, Solvang’s unionized members of Teamsters Local 986 made good on their word to remain on strike until the city offers a contract they agree to ratify. “The strike […]
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Buellton spots food truck gap in zoning rules
On average, Buellton allows food trucks to set up shop within city limits between three to five times a year, according to Planning Director Andrea Keefer. It’s no coincidence, she told the City Council, that those rare sightings align with Buellton’s Fall Festival, Wine and Chili Festival, and other annual gatherings. “The city does not […]
