“People are thrown into the snake pit,” Santa Barbara County resident Kate Smith said about the jail and the county’s mental health care system during public comment at a recent special meeting. “You can talk about this year’s crop of buckets we could shoot people in to help, [but] it’s no different,” Smith said. “I…
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined Grover Beach officials to present a $543,000 federal grant that the congressman helped secure through his work on the 2024 federal budget, according to an April 12 statement from Carbajal’s office. The funding included in the 2024 federal funding bill signed into law by President Joe Biden…
Going into the medical field, Nickie Brayton knew she wanted to work with infants and their families. As a respiratory therapist for Marian Regional Medical Center, she began working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) three years ago where she and her team help the youngest patients in the hospital. “It’s been a great…
I never understood the point of the California Coastal Commission’s attempt to regulate federal agencies. Who reigns supreme? Well, if it’s the Coastal Commission vs. the U.S. Department of Defense, I’ll let you guess the agency that gets to call the shots. If you think the commission is more powerful than the largest taxpayer-funded agency…
The name Nipomo is said to have come from a Native American word that means village. The Community Alternative Plan for the Dana Reserve Project offers a single-family and affordable housing development choice that represents the voice of a village that has come together with experts to design a proposal with lasting beneficial impacts to…
In January of this year, the state of California raised the minimum wage to $16 per hour, but this wasn’t good enough for some union leaders and the politicians they own in Sacramento. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has been trying to organize fast food workers but has failed, so they hatched a plan…
Let the sunshine in Sunburst Sanctuary in Lompoc presents Painting in the Garden with Pastels, led by Santa Barbara resident and award-winning artist Carol Talley, on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For registration info, email carol@caroltalley.com. Visit sunburst.org for more info on Sunburst Sanctuary, located at 7200 Highway 1, Lompoc. To…
Five artists of various media and styles are participating in the Elverhoj Museum’s new group exhibition, Under the Same Sun: From Low-riders to Farmworkers, which is scheduled to open at the Solvang venue on Saturday, April 20, and run through early July. The show’s featured artists—Jacqueline Valenzuela (whose work is pictured), Priscilla S. Flores, Narsiso…
Local artists Wendy Brewer and Christine Marie have compiled a collection of their works that celebrate human and spiritual experiences in UNITY, Gallery Los Olivos’ next duo exhibition slated to open on Wednesday, May 1, and remain up through the end of May. The exhibit showcases mixed media mosaics by Brewer (whose work is pictured)…
Civil War What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Fair Oaks Writer-director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men) helms this war movie set in a dystopian near-future America where Texas, California, and other states—in the face…
3 Body Problem What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Based on Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin’s novel The Three-Body Problem (from his Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy), Netflix’s nonlinear, character-rich series is about the Santi, an alien race from a dying planet that contacts Earth. The story surrounds the humans who…
Lawmen: Bass Reeves What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Paramount Plus Real-life Bass Reeves (1938-1910) was born into slavery and owned by Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves, and when the Civil War started, Reeves’ son George R. Reeves acquired ownership of Bass, joined the Confederate Army, and took Bass with him.…
Open for orders Drizzle Bakery is located at The Kitchen Terminal at 4750 Allene Way in San Luis Obispo. To place an order, visit Facebook or Instagram @drizzle_bakery_llc. Pickup is offered on Saturday morning or by special arrangement, or customers can order select items via harvestly.org. For weddings and special events, delivery can be arranged…
Santa Maria declared an impasse in its negotiations with the Firefighters Union Local 2020 on April 12. The city and the union—which represents 57 firefighters, captains, engineers, and fire inspectors—first entered negotiations in November 2023 before the contract expired in December, city Public Information Officer Mark van de Kamp said in a statement. After three…
Before the end of April, the controversial Dana Reserve project and local residents should have an answer from the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. On April 23 and 24, the proposed Nipomo development will be presented in front of supervisors, six months after the county Planning Commission recommended approval of the project. The…
The California Coastal Commission recently delayed deciding on whether SpaceX should be able to increase the number of rockets it launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base. SpaceX proposed expanding its Falcon 9 space program by increasing launch activities from six to 36 per year, with anticipation for an additional increase to 100 per year at…
