With 2026 marking Santa Barbara County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s last year in the role, his chief of staff, Cory Bantilan, threw his hat into the ring to take the soon-to-be vacant 5th District seat, along with two others: Santa Maria City Councilmember Maribel Aguilera and Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member Ricardo Valencia. All three […]
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Trump administration resurrects Las Flores oil pipeline
On March 14, Sable Offshore Oil Corp. began transporting oil produced at the Santa Ynez Unit through the Las Flores pipeline system, which ruptured in 2015 and spilled more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil in Refugio, to Pentland Station in Kern County. According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, a new executive order […]
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Santa Barbara County adopts first environmental justice element
Water quality, air pollution, and safe open spaces are concerns shared by all county residents. However, the county’s unincorporated, rural towns need help making policies to protect residents from environmental risks. With an addition to the county’s general plan, the Board of Supervisors seeks to shield seven vulnerable regions. On March 10, supervisors unanimously approved […]
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Buellton moves motel conversion rules forward
Restricting long-term housing at motel properties along the Avenue of Flags would help maximize Buellton’s efforts in revitalizing the corridor, according to city staff. In local attorney Mack Carlson’s eyes, the proposed ordinance amounts to “gentrification by policy,” he said during the Buellton City Council’s March 12 meeting. “Let’s be clear about the decision before […]
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Justice delayed: Jury finds a Georgia man guilty of a Santa Maria resident’s murder 37 years later
On a trip from California to Georgia in 2024, Julia Tatarian brought a photo of a woman she knew a lot about but had never met. It was a portrait of Ofelia Sandoval, who was found dead at age 30 in her Santa Maria residence on Sept. 18, 1988. Authorities ruled her death a homicide […]
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Solvang Passport mobile app raises City Council conflict concerns
A new smartphone app with local ties invites those who download it to make Solvang their own personal “playground.” Created by Mayor David Brown, Solvang Passport highlights dozens of businesses across the city while promoting “stamps” (QR codes) at each location for app users to seek out and scan. The more stamps users collect through […]
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Lompoc to petition state for exemption from solar mandate
Lompoc wants the California Energy Commission to exempt the city from the state’s renewable energy mandates for new homes. The Energy Commission’s 2025 code for new construction requires photovoltaic solar and battery storage systems on homes to reduce wasteful and expensive energy use. However, under the state’s economic model, Lompoc residents wouldn’t be saving as […]
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Santa Maria City Council seeks applicants after Carlos Escobedo resigns
With two years left on his Santa Maria City Council term, Carlos Escobedo resigned from his role as the 1st District’s representative in early March. Eleven minutes into the council’s March 3 meeting, Escobedo announced his decision from the dais during the public comment period. “Due to my upcoming move outside District 1, I will […]
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You can stay here: Solvang may stop new short-term rentals in suburban neighborhoods
From a zebra-themed bed and breakfast to a permitted treehouse in someone’s backyard, Solvang resident Max Hanberg has booked some pretty wild vacation getaways in his lifetime. He and his wife were already frequent users of Airbnb and Vrbo by the time they began using both platforms to list a short-term rental of their own […]
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Santa Barbara County supervisors approve overtime, equipment to deal with unlawful food pop-ups
One freezer. Two steel storage containers. Six months of designated overtime. To improve and increase its enforcement efforts against unlawful food pop-ups across Santa Barbara County, Environmental and Health Services (EHS) recently asked the county Board of Supervisors for an extra $42,000. More than 75 percent of the sum will fund overtime hours for up […]
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New affordable senior housing is coming to Santa Maria
The city of Santa Maria is one step closer to breaking ground on 85 new senior housing units at the corner of Broadway and Stowell Road. A new three-story building will sustain 54 units, and an additional 31 will be added to the existing Vandenberg Senior Residence property. Apartments will be available for people 55 […]
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Guadalupe abandons Brown Act route for Royal Theater committee
Over the past six months, the Guadalupe City Council has discussed its intention to form a Brown Act advisory committee to oversee the Royal Theater revival project multiple times. In September 2025, the council voted 4-1 (Councilmember Christina Hernandez dissented) to appoint a five-member board. On Feb. 24, Councilmember Whitney Furness motioned to uphold that […]