Spotlight

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series highlighting Santa Maria’s three mayoral candidates.  Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino’s upbringing taught her how to roll with the punches. With her father stationed at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base), Patino said her childhood was full of the archetypal moving around that comes […]

The Central Coast Writers Conference may be starting Sept. 24, but the annual event’s executive director, Teri Bayus, wants everyone to know that it’s not too late to get in on the fun. That’s because this year’s conference, normally held at Cuesta College, is going 100 percent virtual. “Because people don’t have to make a […]

The Lompoc mayoral race this year brings together familiar faces, with incumbent Mayor Jenelle Osborne running against 2nd District City Councilmember Victor Vega. The Sun spoke with the candidates to hear more about their campaign priorities and issues that will define the upcoming election and beyond.  Though Osborne is originally from Texas, the mayoral incumbent […]

It’s well documented that owning a pet can help reduce anxiety and depression. Studies conducted by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute found that pets can alleviate worry, provide comfort, and even reduce blood pressure in their owners. But when owning a pet becomes a financial burden, some of those positive effects can be threatened—and […]

“Goat girl” was a nickname that Beth Reynolds loathed. She received that moniker when she was in college working with goats at Cal Poly as part of her senior project in 2003.  The project focused on the service goats provide to manage vegetation—aka targeted grazing, which involves accomplishing vegetation or landscaping goals by using a […]

Mental illness doesn’t just affect the people who receive the diagnosis; it’s an experience that loved ones go through with them. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), with chapters in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, is working to equip families with the tools they need to support a loved one who […]

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the word “change” has overwhelmingly become laden with connotation of difficulty, confusion, and hopelessness. From lost jobs to missed rents to curves that won’t flatten, many of the changes happening around us are wrought with pain and hardship. But positive changes are happening, too, one being an in-the-works vaccine, perhaps the […]

Even before the days of COVID-19, studies showed that nurse shortages were a resounding issue across the nation. According to a 2017 Department of Health and Human Services report, California tops the list with a projected shortage of 44,500 nurses by 2030. Add in a global pandemic, and nurses are needed more than ever. A […]

When COVID-19 forced schools to close in March, Rosemary Cummings and her Nipomo High School agriculture students missed out on the most exciting time of their year. Usually on weekends between March and May, Cummings and 50 or more students travel to compete on college campuses across the state as part of the Future Farmers […]

When Alberto Licerio learned he would have to close his barber shop in Orcutt again only about a month after reopening, he was shocked.  He is the owner and one of three barbers who work at Old Orcutt Barber Shop. Following California health orders aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, Licerio initially closed the […]

With the Santa Maria City Council now elected on a district-based voting system rather than at-large, the District 1 seat won’t have the incumbent on the ballot this November. Thus far, two candidates have tossed their hats into the ring.  Osvaldo Sotelo is endorsed by the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County, and Carlos Escobedo […]

The process of selecting the owner and location of the single cannabis retail store that’ll operate in Orcutt recently kicked off with a virtual community meeting. Santa Barbara County officials held the meeting on July 9, which included an overview of how the decision will be made and a chance for residents to provide input. […]