• On Feb. 28, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement in response to the Trump administration’s military strikes in Iran. “Congress was not given any information that would indicate there was an imminent threat coming from Iran. Without such credible evidence, there’s no justification in sending our servicemembers into this conflict,” stated […]
Caleb Wiseblood
Posted inSpecial Issues
Solvang-based SB Limo shuttles wedding parties across the Central Coast
Roadside assistanceTo find out more about SB Limo, call (805) 965-4900 or visit sblimos.com. The company’s headquarters is located at 803 Kolding Ave., Solvang. Cueing up tunes worth cutting a rug to was always integral to Solvang business owner James Hooshman‘s transportation company, long before brides- and grooms-to-be became some of his most frequent clients. […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria agendizes hearing to discuss forming immigration ad hoc committee
For local high school student Lorena Martinez, real-time events have shown that the Santa Maria City Council’s pace in deciding whether to form an immigration ad hoc committee is too slow. “Real families are being torn apart. Children are living with fear and uncertainty. Parents are afraid to go to work. This is happening here […]
Posted inNews
Buellton developer preps to demolish Parks Plaza theater
Idle and shuttered since 2020, Buellton’s former movie theater—Parks Plaza on McMurray Road—will be demolished to make way for a new three-story Cottage Health medical office thanks to a recent Planning Commission vote. The 20-day period for the public to formally appeal the commission’s decision to the City Council kicked off on Feb. 19. At […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: February 26, 2026
• On Feb. 17, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) visited Guadalupe, where he toured the Guadalupe Senior Center and Guadalupe Union School District’s Early Learning Center. Both facilities are undergoing upgrades with federal dollars that Schiff, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) jointly helped secure, according to Schiff’s office. […]
Posted inNews
Divorce Party Handbook tackles touchy topics with levity, introspection
Every divorce involves two people, both of whom can often feel quite isolated throughout their respective ordeals. But not just from each other, local author Christine Gallagher told the Sun. “I’ve been divorced myself. It’s a very big deal, and the whole point of this,” she said while holding up a paperback copy of The […]
Posted inNews
‘Small water user:’ Some farmers facing a Cuyama Valley groundwater rights lawsuit could get help from new state legislation
There’s plenty of legal jargon that goes over Jake Furstenfeld’s head when he tunes in via Zoom to court proceedings tied to a Cuyama Valley groundwater dispute. This wasn’t the case, however, when the local rancher and others with stakes in a lawsuit over water rights for a critically overdrafted basin heard a judge’s tentative […]
Posted inNews
Maribel Aguilera leads campaign contributions in 5th District supervisor race
Without holding a single fundraiser, Maribel Aguilera’s campaign for Santa Barbara County 5th District supervisor has raised $98,000 as of mid-February. Local farms, restaurants, nonprofits, law firms, and private individuals were among the contributors who clicked the green “donate” button on the candidate’s website. Her campaign filings show she raised about $86,000 in 2025. She […]
Posted inNews
Guadalupe looks into accounting discrepancies with Royal Theater project
Discussing the Royal Theater project’s expenses often sparks heated exchanges between Guadalupe officials and city staff. That trend continued during the Guadalupe City Council’s Feb. 10 meeting, when staff postponed an agendized update from project manager Tom Brandeberry. “We don’t have a full presentation, … but I’m going to give you a status update,” Interim […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: February 19, 2026
• Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) recently introduced the Reef Safe Truth in Marketing Act, or Assembly Bill 1744. This legislation would make it unlawful to advertise or label a sunscreen product sold in California as “reef safe,” “ocean safe,” or any similar term implying environmental safety unless the product contains no chemical ultraviolet filters […]
Posted inGet Outside
Central Coast State Parks Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary
TRAILBLAZING Working for the Central Coast State Parks Association (CCSPA) brought Executive Director Sierra Emrick closer to the bluffs, tidepools, and 7-mile shoreline she already had ocean-deep feelings for since childhood. “I grew up in Los Osos, and Montaña de Oro was my ‘heart park.’ The park I just loved, and—I felt—raised me and taught […]
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Health & Wellness 2026
Outrunning leukemia: Celebrate Life 5K founder talks cancer, remission, and fitness
Fatigue and achiness were the first signs that something was wrong. Initially, international triathlete Siri Lindley just thought it was her age after a lifetime of pushing her body. But doctors discovered it was acute myeloid leukemia. For our annual Health and Wellness issue, Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood talks with Lindley about her cancer journey, […]