Santa Maria aims to keep battery energy storage system (BESS) projects out of the city with a new set of rules still waiting for final approval. The overlap between specific industrial areas where BESS facilities are allowed and spaces near residential or agricultural uses where they will be banned will make the city’s sign-off impossible,…
Buellton’s about to get one of the only art deco Arco’s in the United States. After seven long years of fighting the city over its Avenue of Flags design requirements, Arco gave in! “I think you guys know me very well by now. We’ve been here many times,” Alex Cuevas told the Planning Commission, which…
We are approaching a constitutional crisis with a confrontation between a politicized and overreaching judiciary, and a reckless president who is smashing the political norms that have enabled our system to function. The balance of power between the three branches of government is getting shaky. Currently, the Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches,…
Rent control in Santa Barbara County mobile home parks only benefits month-to-month tenants; those with leases are exempt from rent control. Rent increases for residents with leases is at the discretion of the park owner and average 4 to 8 percent for up to five years or more. As prices go up, rents go up,…
Room to grow Local residents interested in providing accommodations for a PCPA intern can find more information on how the informal housing arrangement works at pcpa.org/housingnetwork. To apply to be a host, visit pcpa.org/hosthousing. Toward the end of May, the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) in Santa Maria will welcome more than 70 technical theater interns…
Since 2018, local artist Elizabeth Chaney and Full of Life Flatbread have teamed up to raise money for charity. What started with a portrait of Anthony Bourdain and a special menu with Bourdain dishes that donated 20 percent and 10 percent of the proceeds, respectively, to suicide prevention has become a yearly occasion. “We have…
Three students out of 101 entries won the Pioneer Valley High School Digital Arts Movie Poster Design Competition this year. “Judging was especially difficult this year, as the quality of work was exceptional,” Chris Silva, a career technical education and digital arts instructor, said in a press release. “These students demonstrated outstanding dedication, hard work,…
The Baltimorons What’s it rated? Not rated What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Fremont Theater in SLO on April 27, at 5 p.m.; and the Palm Theatre in SLO on April 28, at 1 p.m. Jay Duplass (The Puffy Chair; Cyrus; Jeff, Who Lives at Home)…
Dope Thief What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Apple TV+ Created by Peter Craig (The Town, The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick) based on Dennis Tafoya’s 2009 novel of the same name, Dope Thief follows two Philadelphia friends—Ray Driscoll (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny Carvalho (Wagner Moura)—who pose as DEA agents and…
Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix Forrest Fenn is seen by some as a dangerous trickster and by others as a dream-maker. After hiding a cache of jewels and gold somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, Fenn penned a poem with clues to…
Boarded up since early 2020, the shuttered, former home of Sears in Santa Maria is due for a makeover in the eyes of its owner and some city officials. During its April 16 meeting, the Santa Maria Planning Commission approved a permit for a proposed remodel of the empty two-story building attached to the Santa…
Amid a slew of executive orders from the Trump administration, one to expand logging efforts has a local nonprofit worried about the potential impacts for endangered species, erosion, and wildfire prevention Los Padres National Forest. On March 1, the executive order “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production” ordered the streamlining of logging permitting throughout the…
Under the same ownership for about 30 years, Buellton’s Shell station on Highway 246 is gearing up for an expansion to allow more pumps. But not without a new look mandated by the city. Owner Peter Hong, founder of the Conico Oil Company, is seeking to demolish the station’s convenience store and other structures on…
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently announced the reintroduction of the Housing for All Act, described as “a comprehensive approach to address the homelessness and affordable housing crises in California and across the nation,” in an April 21 statement from Padilla’s office. The…
Bee there Flying Goat Cellars invites everyone to join them for an educational bee event on April 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1520 E. Chestnut Court, Lompoc. More information can be found at flyinggoatcellars.com/blogs/news/down-to-earth-month-2025. Honeybee hives consist of the queen bee, the worker bees, and the drone bees, creating a complicated yet “magical”…
The best dance moves occasionally come to light when someone falls out of sync with the rest. “I’m big on mistakes,” choreographer Suzy Miller told the Sun. “There’s no mistakes [really], only unexpected solos. … A lot of my stuff is: ‘You know what you did right there? Keep that.’” This approach is especially helpful…
