• In an Oct. 30 letter to President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) asked the administration to reverse its tariff policies, which Carbajal described as ultimately functioning to impose hidden taxes on American families and businesses. “Despite claims made by your administration that tariffs would lower prices, they have increased the cost […]
Caleb Wiseblood
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Ritual Reform puts its signature spin on a new Santa Maria studio with XFormer Pilates machines
Carving out some time to focus on the here and now set the tone for Sarah Whitmore Boe’s present and future, the owner and founder of three—soon to be four—local Pilates studios explained. “My journey to it was really during a time of change in my life. I got sober 10 years ago and really […]
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Lompoc tightens its overnight parking rules
Prior to a new Lompoc ordinance, the city’s municipal code stated that a vehicle parked on a street for more than 72 consecutive hours was subject to being towed. Steering clear of the original rule was easy for more overnight parkers than members of the Lompoc City Council assumed, City Attorney Jeff Malawy explained. “The […]
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Political Watch: October 30, 2024
• Reports of private jet purchases and U.S. Coast Guard helicopter reassignments caught the attention of U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-California) who scrutinized Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for recent travel habits on two separate occasions. On Oct. 20, Carbajal criticized Noem for using tax dollars to purchase “a pair of luxury Gulfstream G700 […]
Posted inPet Issue
Blessed are the beaks: Central Coast-based parrot rescue provides adoption and sponsorship opportunities for local bird lovers
Parrot adoptions at the scenic Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary are few and far between for a flock of reasons, founder and director Jamie McLeod explained. “Unless you’ve owned a parrot before, it’s hard to understand what you’re getting yourself into. It’s a wild animal,” McLeod told the Sun. “You have to realize that when you […]
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County Superior Court denies Sable Offshore’s petition of $18 million fine
Between various state agencies’ ongoing legal battles with a Texas-based oil producer, at least one chapter of the Sable fable came to an end in mid-October. While Sable Offshore Corp. is currently seeking more than $300 million in damages from the California Coastal Commission for delaying its restart work on the Santa Ynez Unit, the […]
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Board of Supervisors approves conditional modifications to cannabis odor ordinance
Santa Barbara County’s path toward enforcing new restrictions on cannabis greenhouses is one step shorter—thanks to a recent conditional green light from the California Coastal Commission. In March, the county Board of Supervisors adopted a plan requiring cannabis growers with indoor cultivation operations to follow new odor mitigation protocols, set to go into effect in […]
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Political Watch: October 23, 2025
• Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed new state legislation that was partly based on a 2024 Santa Barbara County grand jury investigation, according to Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office. Authored by Hart, the Forensic Accountability, Custodial Transparency, and Safety (FACTS) Act of 2025 requires medical investigations of all deaths that occur in county jails, […]
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Local life coach and overnight pet sitter’s nomadic journey takes her off the beaten path
As much as she loves cats and dogs, Sarah “Bolty” Bolton doesn’t own any pets. She prefers “the cool aunt” role over full-time pet parent, which led her to start her own pet-sitting business, the Central Coast resident explained. “Pet-sitting is a way that I’m able to get my fill of puppy love and kitty […]
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‘Hoof pursuit’: The Santa Maria Police Department’s mounted unit just got two more officers
One of Santa Maria’s Town Center East shopping plazas felt like the Old West to two police officers who chased down a suspected shoplifter outside of Big 5 Sporting Goods last summer. “We were actually in a hoof pursuit,” Santa Maria Police Department officer Jessica Rubio recalled, while sitting on her patrol horse named Buddy. […]
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Solvang City Council upholds delay of ‘whimsical’ hotel development
During a routine inspection of a Solvang hotel in the building process, the city ordered its owner to halt construction after discovering inconsistencies between approved blueprints and the project as it now stands. “We did issue a stop work order for the on-site work which went beyond the scope of the permit,” Solvang Community Development […]
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County Planning Commission approves 99-unit affordable apartment complex in Orcutt
Described as a win-win project by some local officials, an affordable housing development set for East Foster Road in Orcutt will cause the surrounding area to lose its “overall character,” in the eyes of one homeowners association. “We absolutely understand the need for more affordable housing. Our concern isn’t about who will live there,” Edgewood […]
