A guy in San Luis Obispo—let’s call him Shawn—was getting married this past summer. And, as guys do, he decided to get his groomsmen gifts to show his appreciation for their standing with him during the wedding ceremony: pocketknives. His sister told the story: The morning of the wedding, he was messing around with one […]
RYAN MILLER
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Inconspicuous consumption: California is the nation’s leader in tuberculosis
The cough starts out normally, for a cough, like the sound I hear from a few desks over when my stubborn co-worker has a cold. But as the hacking goes on, I can hear a wheeze at the end, a desperate, shrill squeeze of air. It sounds wet. It sounds bad. Fortunately, in this case, […]
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A Guadalupe case triggers five arrests in a multi-county fraud case
In mid-January, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the arrest of five people suspected of running a fraudulent housing scheme that spanned nine counties throughout the state, including Santa Barbara County, where the allegations first came to light. According to a complaint filed Jan. 14—one that lists 288 counts spread among the five suspects—the first […]
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Community Corner: Eat well and exercise
Marian Regional Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, both operating under the Dignity Health umbrella, recently announced that they’d received a $34,285 grant to put toward the Healthy for Life Wellness Program, which teaches families about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. The money came from Kohl’s Cares, a program that, in this […]
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Spotlight on: The Antique Mall
After operating the Antique Mall together for almost 30 years, Ray and Judy Jilderda announced at the end of 2013 that they’d be retiring soon and shutting down the shop. They initially tried to sell the business—and all the items in their inventory—but a lack of buyers prompted them to mark everything in the store […]
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Community Corner: Bid a final, flaming farewell to the holidays
It served you well for the days leading up to Dec. 25. It perfumed your house with a clean, foresty smell. On Christmas itself, it presided over a celebration months in the making. And now it’s drying into kindling, turning brown and sprinkling poky needles all over the carpet. It’s time to burn that thing. […]
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Calm in the face of fame: David Vienna lands a book deal after telling parents to take it easy
I’m not at all jealous of David Vienna. I mean, I was. But I’m not now. When I first heard that the man who essentially took me under his wing when I was first an intern at the Sun and trained me up in the ways of journalism, essentially grooming me to take over for […]
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Apel case lands in the U.S. Supreme Court
John Dennis Apel has long been a thorn in Vandenberg Air Force Base’s side. The activist has participated in many protest actions at the base, including flinging his own blood on a base wall in 2003. For doing that he was arrested, convicted of vandalism, and sent briefly to jail. The stunt also resulted in […]
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Get hopping: Valley Brewers offers last-minute gift ideas for someone interested in crafting beer, wine, mead, and cheese
I’ve wanted to make mead for years. Maybe it’s my fascination with the ancient epic tale of Beowulf, in which they drink the honey-based alcohol like it’s water. Maybe it’s because I’m the sort of person who likes to dive into interests just a bit off the mainstream. Or maybe it’s because I simply want […]
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Visions of Lompoc: The city known for its flowers, mural–and UFOs?–catches Etsy sellers’ eyes
Artists are often drawn to sites that have a sort of energy, be it peaceful, spiritual, mystical, or mysterious. Lompoc, with its lush surroundings and historic mission, is no stranger to such attention. Painters, photographers, and others are pulled to the area, seeking their muse in this city near the sea on California’s Central Coast. […]
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The Keyes to a ‘Killer’ series
Author Wendelin Van Draanen talks little details and the big-picture view of her career so far
There’s a moment in Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City when the title character—a junior high schooler with a tendency to get herself into trouble—is flying out of her hometown for the first time in her life. She’s conned her way onto the plane because she’s convinced she needs to get to Las […]
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Spotlight on: Bardi and Associates Real Estate
Guy and Jolyn Bardi, owners
An often hinted at rule in business is to never work with your spouse. Work life and home life can blend together, and there’s no getting away from the office at home, nor heading off to work just to get out of the house. But some rules are meant to be broken by those capable […]
