•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) recently secured $375,000 and $1 million in federal investments for the city of Lompoc and the city of Atascadero, respectively. Both investments support local emergency preparedness projects designed to protect against the threat of wildfires and prepare for other natural disasters. While the Lompoc funds will go toward the installation […]
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Central Coast Cactus and Succulent Society holds 18th annual showcase and fundraiser
Plant aheadVisit centralcoastcactus.org for more info on the Central Coast Cactus and Succulent Society. The nonprofit’s 18th annual show and sale will take place at Nipomo High School on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., respectively. Nipomo High School is located at […]
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Going home: A push to return Native American remains and belongings back to tribes
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series. The second part is scheduled to run July 9. Some of the shelves at UC Berkeley and other institutions are kept from public view, but Kathy Marshall has seen them. “When [I] visit schools and universities, [I’m] just like, I bet none of these kids […]
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County lawsuit ends with $1.2 million penalty for Foods Co. parent company
Questionable and inconsistent calorie counts on some food products’ packaging were at the heart of a multi-year civil suit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. That suit concluded in early June when Judge Thomas Anderle ordered the Kroger Company, which owns Foods Co. stores in Lompoc and Santa Maria, to pay $1.25 million in […]
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Lompoc changes zoning designations to make way for more housing
Three Lompoc properties along Ocean Avenue could be the sites for future housing developments thanks to the City Council’s decision on June 16. Council members approved zoning changes that turned commercial designations into high-density residential uses. In May, the city Planning Commission approved zone changes for around 3.88 acres of vacant land at 1308, 1316, […]
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Solvang discusses copyright protections for city assets
Over the past four months, conversations surrounding Solvang Mayor David Brown’s tourism app—an independent business venture not affiliated with the city—warranted his recusals from several public hearings. His latest departure from the dais was during the Solvang City Council’s June 22 meeting, when his peers took part in a discussion about increasing copyright protections for […]
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Political Watch: June 25, 2026
• In response to the California Senate’s passage of the 2026-27 budget, Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement on June 15. “The California State Senate remains committed to our communities, which is why this budget prioritizes the needs of Californians. This Senate vote brings us one step closer to protecting health care, child […]
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Secret Solvang tour guides show visitors and locals the best spots in town
From the professionalsFor more information about booking Secret Solvang tours, visit secretsolvang.com. Follow @secretsolvang on Instagram and TikTok for all the behind-the-scenes fun. Email info@secretsolvang.com with questions. Secret Solvang, an infamous Instagram and TikTok page, went viral for revealing all the charming bits of a town that some people view as two-dimensional. “I think people […]
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Solvang officials submit to new financial reporting after phone app backlash
Complaints from some Solvang officials about being blindsided by Mayor David Brown’s new side venture prompted an update to the City Council’s ethics code. While Brown informed city staff about his plans for Solvang Passport—a mobile phone app he created that promotes specific tourism destinations and businesses in town for a monthly fee—in late 2025, […]
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County supervisors approve $9.2 million cut to Public Health Department
Santa Barbara County kicked off its final round of budget hearings on June 16 with a unanimous vote approving recommendations from Public Health Director Mouhanad Hammami to cut millions of dollars from his department. A structural deficit has plagued Public Health’s savings, but changes to federal and state policies regarding who qualifies for Medi-Cal “added […]
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Guadalupe moves cannabis tax measure toward November ballot
Based on a unanimous Guadalupe City Council decision, voters will likely see a new cannabis business tax measure on their November election ballots. With a 5-0 vote, the council approved the ballot addition’s first reading on June 9. If its second reading passes, constituents will decide whether Guadalupe should impose new taxes on the gross […]
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Political Watch: June 18, 2026
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) reintroduced the Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act with fellow U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), according to a June 10 press release. The bill would create a new federal program encouraging commercial shipping companies operating off the Pacific coast to reduce their vessel speeds to […]
