Hall of fame Solvang’s 11th annual Southern Exposure Garagiste Festival will hold its rare and reserve tasting on Friday, Feb. 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and its grand tasting on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 2 to 5 p.m. Both events will take place at Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall, located at 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang.…
For a full battery, electric vehicles on empty parked at either of Guadalupe’s two free charging stations need to stay plugged in for about 11 hours, according to city staff. But anyone caught parked in those spots for more than four hours is now subject to ticketed fines thanks to a new city ordinance. During…
Santa Barbara County’s cannabis odor ordinance needs to include a time element, according to 3rd District Planning Commissioner John Parke. “Measuring your [odor] at 10 a.m. for an event that occurred at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. is just meaningless,” Parke said during the Jan. 29 county Planning Commission meeting. “It’s not going to be…
The Nipomo Action Committee and the San Luis Obispo chapter of the California Native Plant Society filed another lawsuit against Dana Reserve developer Nick Tompkins and the San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) over the potential discovery of a new manzanita plant on the Nipomo Mesa. Bill Waycott with the California Native Plant…
• On Jan. 29, one day after President Donald Trump moved to freeze funding for a range of federal programs, the president’s budget office rescinded the order, according to the Associated Press (AP). Trump’s move had prompted “widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country,” AP News reported. Locally, Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued…
Enrollment in Allan Hancock College’s new classes in Guadalupe more than doubled in just one week, as word quickly spread about the chance to earn college credit closer to home. The community college partnered with the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District to offer classes in Guadalupe, allowing local high school students the opportunity…
Testy and zesty. That’s a good way to describe some of 3rd District county Planning Commissioner John Parke’s exchanges on Jan. 29. With cannabis odor on the agenda and potential ordinance changes set to come back—again—to the commission, he managed to take over the entire discussion. His insistences left commission chair, 2nd District Commissioner Laura…
In July 2023, a local media outlet reported on progress of a wind farm project south of Lompoc: “Strauss applied to the federal agency for the incidental take permit [to kill birds] in March 2023, with a BayWa representative saying an oversight led to the delayed application,” (Noozhawk, “Strauss Wind Energy Project Seeks to Operate…
In response to “Encampments return to Santa Maria Riverbed” (Jan. 30): I understand that Japan removes homeless people from the street, provides a livable detention area with basic needs. Basically, they are incarcerated. They are cleaned up (from addiction) and given an opportunity to improve their ability to thrive and return back into society. If…
This is to thank Gary Freiberg for his opinion piece in the Sun reminding us of the power of the people (“The price is wrong,” Jan. 30). Yes! Let’s start with having fewer eggs (or none at all until prices come down). Buy some nuts at the farmers market. Walnuts are shaped like our brains,…
The Valley Art Gallery is currently showcasing a collection of artworks by its new featured artist, Adria Chalfin, whose diverse pieces range from mixed media to copper repoussé. The display debuted at the Santa Maria Airport in early February and is scheduled to remain on view through Sunday, April 6. A graduate of CalArts, Chalfin…
Whether you are for or against wind farms off our coast, or on land for that matter, we all want them safer for the planet. With the idea of minimizing bird mortality, I have a couple of suggestions. To minimize deaths during the day, the blades as well as their support structure could be painted…
Orcutt Academy High School (OAHS) senior J.J. Lemus was recently selected to receive an award from the Sun, in collaboration with the Coelho Academy of Music, designed to nurture his artistic talents. Regarded among those who know him as an exceptional participant of OAHS’s theater arts program, Lemus is eager to broaden his creative horizons…
Still life is for the living The Los Olivos General Store debuted the Central Coast Art League’s current group show in November 2024. The exhibit is slated to remain on display through March 3. For more info, visit centralcoastartleague.com. The Los Olivos General Store is located at 2900 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. In a garage-sized…
Companion What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande First, it would be better for you to go into his movie cold, and we highly recommend you do, so stop reading and just…
Slingshot What’s it rated? R When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Mikael Håfström (Evil, 1408, Escape Plan) directs this psychological sci-fi thriller about a trio of astronauts—Capt. Franks (Laurence Fishburne), John (Casey Affleck), and Nash (Tomer Capone)—on a mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan, that requires several chemically induced hibernation cycles on the multi-year…
On Call What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, this police procedural follows Long Beach Police Department veteran Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario) as she trains her rookie partner, Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente). Harmon is a no-nonsense, by-the-book officer, which puts her at odds with…
ICE information The local coalition, 805 Immigrants, operates a regional alert system to notify community members of confirmed ICE activity. Individuals can sign up by texting “alerta” or “alert” to (805) 870-8855. Federal laws entitle every child, regardless of immigration status, to a public elementary or secondary education, according to the United States Department of…
