While the steady flow of box office returns for The Odyssey continues setting new records, referencing the film’s source material helped one elected official illustrate her concerns about Solvang’s AI-enabled surveillance cameras. “I’m going to say this as frankly as I can. I don’t won’t to Trojan Horse a bunch of functionality in here that […]
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Husband, wife convicted of drug dealing at Lompoc prison
A multi-month drug smuggling scheme that ended with a $6,600 payday for one Lompoc couple could cost them a combined 10 years in federal prison. On Aug. 5, former correctional officer Paul Betancourt and his wife, Sylvia Betancourt, each pled guilty to periodically sneaking contraband into Federal Correction Complex (FCC) Lompoc over the course of […]
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Political Watch: August 13, 2026
• On Aug. 10, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) secured $1.3 million in new federal funding for the Santa Barbara Airport for a range of infrastructure upgrades. According to Carbajal’s office, the funding will specifically go toward installing new signage and markings on one of the airport’s runways, reconstructing on-site pavement, and upgrading taxiways. […]
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Disheartened by recent break-ins, Central Coast Collectibles keeps expansion goals alive
Close to its one-year mark since opening in Santa Maria, Central Coast Collectibles suffered back-to-back burglaries in July that cost the store a pretty penny. The break-ins happened within just a few weeks of each other, said owner and founder Tyler Santos, whose shop at 1930 S. Broadway specializes in trading cards and tabletop games. […]
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Solvang Planning Commission rejects nightclub proposal
Amid the queue for a city permit, a hopeful nightclub operator couldn’t get past the city’s bouncers—concerned Solvang officials. On Aug. 3, the Solvang Planning Commission vetoed a property owner’s application to transform the vacant site formerly known as Alisal Cellars into a new nightclub destination, despite the project’s consistency with downtown policies, according to […]
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County leads the state in publicly funded child care expansion
A recent statewide report highlights Santa Barbara County’s heightened response to unmet child care needs. The publicly funded services are provided at reduced or no cost based on household size and income. The California Budget and Policy Center, a nonpartisan research nonprofit, released findings in July from a study about the state’s strategies for increasing […]
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Guadalupe cancels its Royal Theater reboot
Nearly nine months after kicking off the historic Royal Theater’s long-awaited restoration, Guadalupe leaders lowered the curtain on the project. “If we continue the Royal Theater [construction], by the end of this fiscal year, we will be $2.6 million in debt,” City Administrator David Trujillo told the City Council during its July 28 meeting. “That’s […]
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Political Watch: August 6, 2026
•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) asked Sable Offshore Corp. CEO and Chairman Jim Flores to cease all Santa Ynez Unit oil drilling operations in a July 28 letter. According to Schiff’s office, Sable refused to provide information about its communications with the Trump administration—specifically about the Defense Production Act (DPA)—to multiple California legislators who sent […]
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Old Orcutt Kwik Stop takes care of gas, convenience needs, and auto repair
Clients drive all the way from Ventura to one trusted auto repair shop in Orcutt with bright red and yellow signage flagging the corner lot. The reason is superb customer service. Old Orcutt Kwik Stop owner Ghais “Gus” Sweed is always working. Sometimes 18 to 20 hours a day. He bought the well-established business last […]
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A courthouse divided: Assembly Bill 46 gives judges more discretion in mental health cases
Bipartisan support from legislators helped push a new directive forward that changes how courts throughout California decide whether to grant criminal offenders diagnosed with a mental illness a treatment-based alternative to jail time. Recently signed into state law, California Assembly Bill 46 redefines a judge’s discretion when considering a defendant’s application for mental health diversion. […]
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Judge rejects Solvang’s request to dismiss a developer’s lawsuit
Solvang’s legal advisors have until Aug. 3 to respond to a civil lawsuit after a judge rejected the city’s argument to throw out the case. In mid-July, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge James F. Rigali overruled Solvang’s petition to dismiss local developer Ed St. George’s suit against the city for issuing a stop work […]
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Lompoc changes how it bills wastewater customers
A new method of calculating wastewater rates caused a slippery debate at the Lompoc City Council meeting on July 21. Residents and businesses will still be paying based on water usage, Management Services Director Bob Cross explained, and customers who see an increase in cost would’ve seen one under the previous calculations, too. “I think […]
