Cover Story
As 2020 comes to a close, the Sun looks back at some of last year’s big stories
Turns out, so much happened in 2020 that we really don’t have space to cover it all. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic is the big story, with social and political tensions taking a close second. Although California also had a record fire season in 2020, Santa Barbara County thankfully didn’t. Santa Maria made…
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN Where’s it playing? Netflix What’s it rated? Not Rated Farhad Safinia (as P.B. Shemran) directs the amazing true story of the early years of compiling the Oxford English Dictionary and the fascinating but unlikely friendship between the project leader James Murray (Mel Gibson) and murderer and asylum patient Dr. William…
A time capsule of this year’s food and drink ventures throughout Northern Santa Barbara County
I think we can all agree, the world is hungry for a new year. As 2020 finally comes to a much needed close, let’s all take a deep breath and recognize the silver linings that either warmed our bellies or quenched our thirst during the past 12 months. No matter what 2021 has in store…
Local artists, galleries, and theaters adapted to 2020 through innovation and experimentation
What better way to commemorate the final Throwback Thursday of 2020 than a retrospective to sum up the year, particularly the local art scene in this article’s case. Looking back on the last 365 days, the only word to describe the innovations local artists and arts organizations have implemented—to combat the unprecedented limitations brought upon…
Real struggles
As our cases climb and our ICUs fill, I wonder if our elected officials are still oozing with desire to be separated from the Southern California region on the state’s regional COVID-19 map for stay-at-home orders. Because either way, it looks like Santa Barbara County hospitals are heading for a showdown with the pandemic. Cottage…
State Parks’ survey was phony
After years of ignoring Oceano, State Parks Off-Highway Vehicle Division distributed a flyer to Oceano homeowners with their water bills from the Oceano Community Services District. It advertises a survey about the Public Works Plan for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA). State Parks Director Armando Quintero and Deputy Secretary for Ocean and…
It’s a new era in Lompoc for district-based appointed commission representation
As 2020 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward. This year was one of the most chaotic of any in my adult life. Hopefully, the problems caused by a disease pass by and we can return to what was normal before politicians got into the doctoring business. In September 2017, the Lompoc City…
Vandenberg Top 3 members give back to community with gift donation to Boys & Girls Club, Marian Regional Medical Center
Vandenberg Air Force Base service members brought a little extra holiday cheer to youth at the Boys & Girls Club and children at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria with a COVID-19 safe gift delivery before Christmas. For years, Vandenberg has brought more than 100 kids to the base for Operation Kids Christmas, an…
Political Watch: December 31, 2020
• On Dec. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California Secretary of State Alex Padilla will fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Padilla previously served as a Los Angeles City Council member and state senator, and “will become the first Latino to represent California in the United States Senate…
Solvang city attorney resigns before council could dismiss him
Former Solvang City Attorney Chip Wullbrandt resigned on Dec. 18, days prior to a special meeting on Dec. 21 that agendized his potential dismissal from the city. The City Council unanimously accepted Wullbrandt’s resignation and welcomed a familiar face as the city’s interim attorney. Mayor Charlie Uhrig told the Sun that his 2020 campaign and…
Santa Barbara County Jail combats COVID outbreaks among staff, inmates
The Santa Barbara County Jail is battling an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff and inmates, but county officials say jail officials are doing a good job at managing it considering the challenges that congregate spaces present. Over the course of the pandemic, 75 Sheriff’s Office employees have tested positive for the virus, with 55 having…
Doctors, health officials warn that local hospitals could fill in coming weeks
As Santa Barbara County’s staffed ICU beds continue to dwindle, health professionals say it may be only a matter of time before area hospitals reach capacity. “We, in a sense, are starting to catch up with LA,” Cottage Health infectious disease specialist Dr. David Fisk said. “Our COVID numbers have gotten so much worse and…
