Discussing the Royal Theater project’s expenses often sparks heated exchanges between Guadalupe officials and city staff. That trend continued during the Guadalupe City Council’s Feb. 10 meeting, when staff postponed an agendized update from project manager Tom Brandeberry. “We don’t have a full presentation, … but I’m going to give you a status update,” Interim […]
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Solvang inventories city curbs to aid future parking enforcement
Sidewalk edges in Solvang appear in many colors: red, yellow, white, and green. They signal no parking zones, 15-minute limits, and loading areas. Solvang wants to keep track of what all the colors mean, but some of the paint has faded over the course of many years. Curb markings have been installed under different city […]
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Political Watch: February 19, 2026
• Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) recently introduced the Reef Safe Truth in Marketing Act, or Assembly Bill 1744. This legislation would make it unlawful to advertise or label a sunscreen product sold in California as “reef safe,” “ocean safe,” or any similar term implying environmental safety unless the product contains no chemical ultraviolet filters […]
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Lompoc Teen Center offers financial, academic, and social support
Once the school bell rings every afternoon, between 20 and 40 middle and high schoolers walk through the doors of the Lompoc Teen Center on N. H Street. Staff offer rides to the center after school and back to students’ homes in the evening. Since 2022 the Teen Center has focused heavily on academics and […]
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Santa Maria’s immigrant resolution stirs backlash from elected officials, advocacy groups
Of all the tangents Santa Maria leaders veered into while discussing a resolution to support immigrants, nostalgia for the 1950s was one of the most disheartening, an Oxnard official stated. “People need to really think more critically about romanticizing that era,” Oxnard City Council Member Gabe Teran said in a Facebook thread. Teran was referring […]
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Lompoc Police Department uses AI tool for non-emergency dispatch
An AI assistant is now answering calls made to the Lompoc Police Department’s business line to report non-emergencies. Police hope the technology, called Hyper, will allow dispatchers to focus on emergency situations. “It’ll help reduce the volume of calls coming directly into dispatch because there’s an enormous amount of calls that come through that aren’t […]
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County orders monthly audits of Sheriff’s Office overtime use
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will continue tracking overtime use at the Sheriff’s Office after a recent review showed that a few employees more than doubled their pay. “The current system really rewards overspending,” 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said during the Feb. 10 board hearing. According to county staff, during the fiscal […]
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Political Watch: February 12, 2026
• California gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will visit Lompoc on March 15 for a meet-and-greet event. Free and open to the public, the program is scheduled to take place on March 15, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Lompoc Elks Lodge, located at 905 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc. After the […]
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Vikings of Solvang holds biannual blood drive under new leadership
The price of a cup of coffee can be a real pain for someone who’s about to donate blood, Solvang local Kim Jensen explained. “Drink a lot of fluids before you come, but don’t be drinking coffee. It’s hard to find a vein when you drink too much coffee,” said Jensen, referring to caffeine’s tendency […]
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Life skills: Fighting Back Santa Maria is expanding its youth outreach, including focusing on life after incarceration
Looking at Santa Barbara County’s probation routine for formerly incarcerated youth with a fresh pair of eyes, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley is also providing those juvenile offenders with a new face. “I believe, and research shows, that young people thrive when they have adults who care about them in their lives. So, getting another […]
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Local high school students take part in nationwide walkouts to protest ICE
High school senior Addisynn Laliberte spent the night of Jan. 29 painting as many protest signs as her energy supply and CVS budget allowed. “I had some paint left over from projects that I was able to use but had to go buy some poster paper from our local CVS,” she said. “I encouraged people […]
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Guadalupe is building its first skate park at Las Mujeres Park
Skaters in Guadalupe are excited. Right now, the closest skate parks are located in Santa Maria and Nipomo, but that’ll change when construction on Las Mujeres Park is complete. Instead of driving 20 minutes away, Guadalupe residents will be able to walk 10 minutes to the new park from anywhere in town, explained the city’s […]
