Cover Story
‘Atmospheric river’ dumps historic rain levels throughout Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to more than 400 calls related to service, with more than 100 of them involving rescues from Jan. 9 to 9 a.m. on Jan. 10, Fire Chief Mark Hartwig told the Board of Supervisors during its Jan. 10 meeting. “There are no injuries or anyone missing reported. Our…
Shepard Hall showcases eclectic works from painter and printmaker Cristina Kartsioukas
A cloud of charcoal smoke, laced with small swirls of party confetti, billows above a foundationless building. Some canoe paddlers flee the scene as the ominous structure sinks into a mass of water, in one of Lompoc artist Cristina Kartsioukas’ surreal paintings. It took several years for Kartsioukas to complete the apocalyptic piece, titled Falling…
Cannabis’ stinky growing season is coming again in Lompoc, and the county should care
The stench of cannabis from county-permitted grows east of Lompoc and other areas of the county will soon return. Spring is just around the corner, and if the history of this industry is any indicator, those grows will continue to pollute our air with their skunk odor for weeks that never seem to end as…
Political Watch: January 12, 2023
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) applauded President Joe Biden’s approval of more than $16.5 million in direct federal funding for community projects that benefit Santa Barbara County residents, according to a Dec. 30 statement from the congressman’s office. Carbajal helped secure this funding through the omnibus spending package that was crafted over the…
Pony Rides at Waller Park raises funds for hospitalized employee
A local horseback riding operator is asking community members to pony up some funds to help a longtime employee in need. Santa Maria resident Michael Rudometkin Jr., 67, was put on life support due to sudden kidney and heart failure shortly before Christmas, said his employer, Lisa Leonard, owner of the Pony Rides at Waller…
County Animal Services reopened Lompoc shelter after nearly three years
Pet adoptions, lost and found assistance, microchipping, and volunteer opportunities return to Lompoc as county Animal Services opened its Lompoc shelter—located at 1501 West Central Ave.—for the first time since 2020, Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar said. When the facility first closed, a lot of people were at home and adopting pets, providing the shelter…
VOLUNTEERS 2023
For our annual Volunteers issue, Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor spoke with LGBTQ-plus organizations in North County about creating community and support. Volunteer at LGBTQ-plus organizations to help strengthen their presence in North County Trish Heckler didn’t expect a lot of interest or support for an LGBTQ-plus organization when she first moved to the Santa Ynez…
The Santa Maria Public Library received a grant to purchase science, technology engineering, arts, and math kits for several branches
The Altrusa International Foundation has several branches dedicated to serving local communities—including Santa Maria—through grants and education scholarships. The Santa Maria chapter has donated money to the Oasis Senior Center and its senior lunch program, the Orcutt Academy Dance Team, and recently provided a $3,688 grant for the Santa Maria Library to purchase science, technology,…
Our community
Our community got hit hard, some say harder than expected. Meteorologists say harder than we’ve been hit in decades. All we have to do is look around. It seems folks in South County got more government resources to take the sting out of the crisis, while some in our community got hit with less help. …
Biden continues producing real results
Just as Republican Kevin McCarthy was losing yet another vote for speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were doing a victory lap in Kentucky touting a new bridge across the Ohio River that was made possible by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. The…
DANA Adobe and Cultural Center showcases photos by John Craig
On Sunday, Jan. 22, the DANA Adobe and Cultural Center will host an opening reception for its new exhibition, Photography of My Diné (Navajo) Family and Images of the Southwestern Landscape, a solo showcase of photos by John Craig. Admission to the reception, which starts at 1 p.m., is free for DANA members, $8 for…
Allan Hancock College co-sponsors Central Coast Film Society screening of ‘Dear Rider’
On Saturday, Jan. 14, the Central Coast Film Society is partnering with Red Bull Media House to host a screening of the HBO documentary, Dear Rider, at the Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo. The screening starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a Q-and-A with some of the filmmakers behind the documentary,…
Proof and Gather’s Kaitlin Munoz crushes her career goals with the launch of two bakeries on the Central Coast
Kaitlin Munoz has had a lot to celebrate this holiday season. A little more than a year ago, she relocated her fledgling Proof and Gather Baking Company from a registered cottage food kitchen in Lompoc to a larger-scale commercial kitchen in San Luis Obispo. Her stated long-term goal at the time was to open her…
