Tea parties are given a whole new meaning for hosts who take a leaf or two from Jennifer de Tréglodé’s book. Through her company, Inari Tea & Art Experiences, the San Luis Obispo local is frequently hired to lead ceremonial tea meditations at public and private events alike, including bridal showers, birthday parties, mindfulness workshops, […]
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Diverted from jail: Judge grants convicted arsonist mental health help instead of sending him to trial
Exiting his Orcutt garage, Rockie Daren Ginter already had his hands raised as he approached Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies on the morning of his arrest. Owned by Ginter’s parents, the house on Genoa Way was emitting flames and black smoke, according to court documents. Ginter allegedly told deputies about the voices in his head […]
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Coastal Commission fines Sable $18 million for violating the Coastal Act
The regional water board will discuss Sable Offshore Corporation’s alleged state water code violations one week after the California Coastal Commission opted to fine the oil company $18 million for “egregious and flagrant” refusal to abide by the Coastal Act. “What we really have before us is a compliance issue,” commission Chair Justin Cummings said […]
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Buellton Planning Commission refurbishes ADU policy to meet state standards
A state agency is calling for Buellton to carve out more elbow room than past years for homeowners seeking to retrofit their property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). In 2022, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviewed Buellton’s ADU ordinance—last updated in 2020—and singled out a few restrictions as inconsistent with […]
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Lompoc City Council supports undocumented residents with formal resolution
After filling Lompoc’s City Council chambers for three meetings in a row, Voces Sin Fronteras received an answer to its request for support for the city’s undocumented immigrants. On April 1, the City Council unanimously directed staff to draft a resolution highlighting that support and reiterating existing city policy to abide by state laws restricting […]
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Political Watch: April 10, 2025
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined a group of House Democrats asking for answers after five regional Head Start offices were shut down, including the regional office in San Francisco that serves Central Coast residents, his office said in a press release. The closures came after the Department of Health and Human Services […]
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Santa Barbara County continues to support Racial Equity Grant to advance anti-racism work
Barbareno Chumash Tribal Council; 805UndocuFund; Collective Cultures Creating Change Lompoc; Gateway Educational Services; Healing Justice Santa Barbara; Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, Santa Barbara; NAACP Santa Maria-Lompoc; and the Regents of the University of California, Santa Barbara. These are the organizations the Fund for Santa Barbara’s Racial Equity Grant (REG) committee chose to receive money […]
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Beyond bars: County supervisors approve North County jail expansion set to cost more than $165 million
The county Board of Supervisors’ decision on the Northern Branch Jail expansion will impact future boards, sheriffs, county staff, and community members, Sheriff Bill Brown said at the April 1 meeting. In a 3-2 vote (with 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson and 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino dissenting), the board decided to build 1.5 new […]
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Santa Barbara County upholds Richards Ranch appeal, deems application complete
Richards Ranch in Orcutt continues to move forward with two separate project applications for the same site, thanks to a recent Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decision. On April 8, the board unanimously voted in favor of Richards Ranch, upholding the developer’s appeal of the county Planning Department’s decision and subsequent Planning Commission vote […]
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CenCal Health works to expand healthcare services for local residents through partnerships and implementation of CalAIM
Local lifeline For more information on CenCal Health and the services it provides, visit cencalhealth.org. To learn more about the CalAIM initiative and how it seeks to transform Medi-Cal, visit dhcs.ca.gov/calaim. One-third of Santa Barbara County residents are members of CenCal Health. In San Luis Obispo County, 1 in 4 residents use the plan. CenCal […]
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Man who flew drone over Vandenberg pleads guilty to breaking federal law
A Chinese national who took photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) with a drone pleaded guilty in March to violating the national defense airspace. According to a plea deal reached with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Yinpiao Zhou—a Chinese citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States—was sentenced to time served in prison (four […]
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Santa Barbara County Animal Services launches livestock registry to help with wildfire evacuations
Cattle, horses, pigs, llamas, and ostriches were listed during a recent town hall in Solvang dedicated to wildfire preparation and evacuation protocols across the Santa Ynez Valley. Sarah Aguilar, Santa Barbara County Animal Services director, was among the March 31 panel’s featured speakers, alongside 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, county fire officials, and elected officials […]
