Two attorneys. Seven witnesses. Eight hours of cross examination. Those with stakes in a recent arbitration hearing’s outcome will probably not hear Santa Barbara County’s verdict on a rent dispute between an Orcutt mobile home park’s ownership and residents until April. One consolation for attendees of the Jan. 21 proceeding was the arbitrator’s closing commentary, […]
Caleb Wiseblood
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Santa Maria to formalize ‘a clear message that we do stand with immigrants’
With one hand holding onto a cardboard cutout of a silhouetted body, Jeanne Sparks told the Santa Maria City Council she doesn’t want to see local officials stand idly by while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations escalate. “We can’t let them do to our community what they have done elsewhere,” Sparks said at the […]
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Solvang targets ‘derelict’ news racks with tighter code enforcement
Whether the perpetrators realized they were littering or not, too many people have treated Solvang’s newspaper racks like trash bins in recent years, City Manager Randy Murphy told elected officials. “They were attracting nuisance. People were leaving their garbage in them, and on them,” Murphy said at the Solvang City Council’s Jan. 26 meeting. “The […]
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Political Watch: January 29, 2026
• U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) announced new legislation on Jan. 26 to enforce new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention practices. The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would restrict the use of private, for-profit detention facilities, ensure due process for detained […]
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Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center kicks off its 2026 membership drive
The perks of lending the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center a helping hand can appeal to folks from pretty much all walks of life, Outreach Coordinator Saule Baipsys explained. “There is really a place for everyone if you are willing to learn and grow,” Baipsys told the Sun via email. Just dune itTo get involved at the […]
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Eviction notice: Plenty on Bell and new landlord go to court with disagreements over lease terms
On average, about a dozen or more newlywed couples kick off their happily-ever-afters at Los Alamos’ Plenty on Bell a year, restaurant co-owner Christine Gallagher told the Sun. Compared to previous years where wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners got booked far in advance, the small-town eatery’s 2026 roster is less plentiful than usual, in light […]
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Three candidates vie for Santa Barbara County’s 5th District seat
The race to fill the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ 5th District seat in 2027 is on, as 2026 marks the end of longtime Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s time on the dais. Lavagnino’s Chief of Staff Cory Bantilan is among the three candidates who have formally commenced their campaigns so far, along with Santa Maria-Bonita […]
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Guadalupe officials postpone Brown Act board appointment to oversee Royal Theater project
Guadalupe City Councilmember Whitney Furness expressed a feeling of déjà vu for the second time in less than two months about the council’s decision to enact a new oversight committee dedicated to monitoring the Royal Theater project. “I’m just not sure why we’re getting asked to revote on something that we did already,” Furness said […]
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Political Watch: January 22, 2026
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) was among the 12 senators who co-signed a recent letter to scrutinize the National Park Service’s (NPS) decision to remove Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list of fee-free days at national parks, while adding President Donald Trump’s birthday to the list. “Not only does this […]
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Solvang considers removing Design Review Committee from sign permitting process
Time. Place. Manner. Case law shows that the legal limits of monitoring free speech and assembly go hand in hand with the objective rules a city can adopt to regulate signage and art—including murals—used by privately owned businesses. Over the past nine months, Solvang’s staff and legal advisors have cited U.S. Supreme Court cases, including […]
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Buellton installs the county’s first public pet microchip scanner stations
Typically found in veterinary offices and animal shelters, a pet microchip scanner can quickly help someone who’s found a stray animal—if it’s been microchipped—arrange a reunion with its owner. Although its availability is limited by working hours, staffing, and other factors tied to locations that carry scanners, the Santa Barbara Animal Care Foundation (SBACF) is […]
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Political Watch: January 15, 2026
• On Jan. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a $348.9 billion budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year. A press release from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office stated that the budget maintained funding for key services, especially in areas where the federal government has pulled back. “As we craft our state budget—the guiding policy […]
