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The annual Giving Tuesday campaign adds a second day this year as the COVID-19 pandemic tests local nonprofits and the clients they serve
Community Partners in Caring lost 90 percent of its volunteers at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the nonprofit’s volunteers are older than 65, so when the stay-at-home orders went into place, those volunteers had to stay home. But the people who Community Partners serves in Santa Barbara County still need the services…
TV REVIEW: LITTLE AMERICA
TV REVIEW: LITTLE AMERICA Where’s it playing? Apple TV Plus What’s it rated? TV-14 Inspired by true stories chronicled in Epic Magazine, Little America features an anthology of eight separate tales of immigrants to the U.S.—many funny, poignant, and indicative of the complicated relationship America has with its newest arrivals. For instance, the third episode,…
Handcrafted jewelry is just a few clicks away through one Lompoc local’s Etsy shop, Little Earring Studio
My ears aren’t pierced but some of Stormy Wadham’s earring motifs are making me wish otherwise, specifically the pairs that resemble Dungeons and Dragons dice—D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, the gang’s all here. Whether you’re a chaotic neutral bard like me (in-character) or just an average joe on the prowl for some local, giftable…
Angie and the Nightmares’ new single gets a quarantine-inspired, Zoom-style music video
“Honey we’ve been talking, staying up all night/I’ve been trying to reach your body through the phone/Honey close the door/This time I want more/And talking is the last thing we’ll do.” The lyrics of Lompoc trio Angie and the Nightmares’ latest single, “Talking,” tell the story of two long-distance lovers rekindling a weary relationship through…
Political Watch: April 30, 2020
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) was among the majority of representatives who voted in favor of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act on April 23. The bill, which had already passed through the Senate, allocates hundreds of billions of dollars to relief funds for small businesses, hospitals, and health centers,…
Some in the wine industry continue to oppose cannabis in the Santa Ynez Valley
The same week the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved the largest cannabis project to come before the board so far, a coalition of residents pushing back on the new industry sued the county over its March approval of a different farm. During its April 21 meeting, supervisors approved plans for a 50-acre cannabis…
Santa Maria local Louis Meza shares what it’s like to recover from COVID-19 while watching a loved one fight to live
On March 14, Santa Maria resident Louis Meza went from feeling healthy to violently ill overnight. “I woke up about 2 in the morning, and I couldn’t stop shivering,” he told the Sun a month later. For Louis and Melissa Meza, that night was the start of a battle with COVID-19 that the couple…
Grand jury report highlights overcrowding in multiple county detention centers
During a review of 20 local detention facilities, the Santa Barbara County grand jury found that many of the issues associated with these sites could be solved with additional funding. “The majority of the findings and recommendations stem from the lack of funding, funding that is essential to add staff where needed, funding to upgrade…
Santa Maria could follow county’s lead on potential reopening plans
At an April 27 virtual press conference, county officials discussed the importance of continued physical distance as well as potential plans for reopening in the future. According to Santa Maria City Councilmember Gloria Soto, the city plans to follow the county’s lead on any reopening plans. Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart said that, if the…
Lompoc weighs Fourth of July event amid COVID-19 pandemic
Although it’s still months away, Lompoc officials are debating whether to cancel the city’s Fourth of July event this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Without a clear end date for local and statewide stay-at-home orders, city officials are concerned it may not be possible to hold an event that people can attend in…
State studies listing Central Coast mountain lions as threatened, endangered
Over the next year, officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will review the status of mountain lion populations on the Central Coast and farther south to decide whether the animals should be protected under the California Endangered Species Act. This move started in June 2019 when the Center for Biological Diversity…
Rally demands change in Lompoc prison’s response to COVID-19
Concerned family members of inmates incarcerated in the Lompoc federal penitentiary organized a car rally on April 25 in hopes that the prison would answer to their demands, including moving nonviolent offenders to home confinement, restoring phone and internet access to inmates, providing personal protective equipment for all staff and inmates, and access to COVID-19…
Pico’s new chef starts live cooking class he hopes to continue teaching after the pandemic
A film strip of wine-drinking soon-to-be risotto-makers moved about in their kitchens above Chef John Wayne Formica’s head. “Risotto is all about technique,” he tells the camera recording the Zoom cooking class as he runs through some of the ingredients on the afternoon’s to-do list. Mushrooms, stock, wine, onion, and more. It’s the second virtual…
With the new Book Club over the Phone, Santa Maria Library patrons can read through quarantine
For those of us lucky enough to have a little extra time on our hands during quarantine season, now’s the perfect chance to pick up a new hobby. Sticking to that hobby, though—especially without the motivation that comes with having others around—can be challenging. But the Santa Maria public library has just the solution to…
CANARY: What’s going on?
It’s hard to tell what the actual situation is at the Lompoc federal prison, other than it’s not good. After promising inmates increased phone minutes to stave off concerns about the loss of other rights, “officials” (we have no idea if they’re local, national, or somethings else) decided to cut off inmate phone access altogether…
Disney animator to judge SLOMA’s inaugural statewide film festival
The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) announced that professional animator Michelle Robinson will be the juror of its inaugural statewide Digital Shorts Film Festival, a one-night event scheduled to take place on Sept. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. The competition is open to filmmakers residing in California, and the deadline to submit…
Buellton Arts and Culture Committee accepts requests for project funding
The Buellton Arts and Culture Committee, formed by the Buellton City Council, is currently accepting project proposals for funding. Examples of potential projects to propose include public art installations (permanent or temporary) as well as large community events (for the future once re-openings commence). Applicants must reside in the Santa Ynez Valley and are encouraged…
We need to ban fracking now
The oil and gas industry fear the continued drop in the prices of their products worsened by the pandemic. They want to ensure our dependency on fossil fuels by taking advantage of this life-threatening virus. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is heroically combating COVID-19, the federal government has been rolling back environmental protections and lifting restrictions…
What about the small businesses?
I am writing to you today with a heavy heart. My family owns a small business, 34 years in our community. Not a franchise, not a chain. We are a small business. More than 90 percent of our store is dedicated to local purveyors, wineries, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Each day we support our community. We…
Mother Earth’s health is at risk, too
April is the month we celebrate Earth Day. With the COVID-19 health crisis, we realize how critical a healthy and safe environment is for all communities. Many Americans have pulled together to secure safety for themselves and others. This is such a positive example of how our country can make sacrifices to benefit all citizens.…
Fear is not a new normal
Some of us in the coming weeks will experience something not unlike Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man …” moment. We will decide to test the unknown. Not all of us will be that apprehensive because we suspect that this new virus entered California last December. I know I had the flu between Christmas…
Take a peek behind what national broadcast reporters convey while covering themselves and the pandemic
Oh, I just love it when a “national” broadcast news reporter submerges himself or herself in the hoary depths of a debacle. This is where they gain their stripes. This is raw reporting at its finest. Over the ages, news reporters have strived to hurl themselves into the teeth of a storm, or war, or…
