Cover Story
Community members raise funds for flood-damaged Orcutt households
The muddy water inside Orcutt resident Rob Draper’s home was up to his knees by the time he and his family evacuated their house, during the night of the Jan. 9 storm. Upon exiting the front door with as many belongings as they could carry, the family of five attempted to reach one of their…
Jameson, Gibraltar, and Cachuma reservoirs reach capacity
Cachuma, Gibraltar, and Jameson reservoirs hitting their capacity levels for the first time in years is a silver lining amid the damage from recent storms, Santa Barbara County Water Agency Manager Matt Young told the Sun. “Having most of our major surface waters full is an incredible benefit to the agencies and people that rely…
U.S. Rep. Carbajal visits Guadalupe to assess storm damage
After a Santa Maria River levee broke during early January’s severe storms, around 20 families evacuated and are now staying in temporary H-2A housing for farmworkers or sleeping in the Guadalupe Auditorium, Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian said. “This has happened about four times in the last 30 years. It can’t happen anymore,” Julian said about…
North County representatives and residents reflect on Santa Barbara County’s storm response
Melony Edwards woke up on Jan. 10 to large sections of Colson Canyon Road just gone, leaving her and her neighbors stranded. When a historic storm hit Santa Barbara County on Monday, Jan. 9—bringing more than 12 inches of rain in 24 hours to some areas—the creek on Colson Canyon Road overflowed and the water…
Political Watch: January 19, 2023
• Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to further bolster the emergency response to severe winter storms and support impacted communities across the state, according to a Jan. 16 statement from the governor’s office. In the past week, California secured a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration and a Presidential Emergency Declaration to assist response and…
Gallery Los Olivos showcases figurative oil paintings by Annie Hoffman
Gifted with a Kodak Brownie at age 11, one local oil painter captured her subjects with a camera long before switching to brushes and palettes during adulthood. “I became obsessed with photographing birds,” said Santa Barbara resident Annie Hoffman, born and raised in London, England. While Hoffman—who moved to California in the late ’70s—specializes in…
Santa Barbara County nonprofit CommUnify hosts a celebration day for its 211 crisis line
The statewide information and referral system 211 provides people with help and human services, disaster relief, and general information about available local resources. Local nonprofit CommUnify oversees the Santa Barbara County helpline, which received 29,505 calls in 2021 and has been helping people since 2014, Community Services Director Kemba Lawrence said. “It’s a staple throughout…
Great American Melodrama brings ‘Lumberjacks in Love’ to the stage
The Great American Melodrama’s first production of 2023, Lumberjacks in Love, is scheduled to premiere on Feb. 3. Performances of the upcoming show are slated to run through March 26. Written by Fred Alley and James Kaplan (who also penned the show’s lyrics and music, respectively), Lumberjacks in Love is set in Minnesota during the…
SB County Office of Arts and Culture awards grants to 39 nonprofits
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society (pictured), Orcutt Children’s Arts Foundation, and Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden Foundation are among the 39 nonprofits across Santa Barbara County that recently received grants from the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture. The grants were made possible through funding from the county, the city of Santa Barbara,…
Nosh Paleo Cafe dishes out caveman diet-friendly comfort food
Not every smoothie fan is a Spider-Man fan, nor the other way around. But those at the center of a Venn diagram between the two may be drawn to Nosh Paleo Cafe’s Green Goblin smoothie. Green spirulina, kale, pineapple, lemon peel, and coconut milk are among the ingredients local restaurateur Aubriel Ruano blends together for…
The little town that could
Guadalupe residents know the meaning of community. After the recent storms that sent floodwaters over the Santa Maria River levee and into town, its residents and officials banded together to take care of their own. The city contracted with a local H-2A housing owner to provide shelter for displaced residents. The 20 families that evacuated…
We should all be concerned about House majority
The new Republican House majority is a collection of election deniers, QAnon conspiracists, and political arsonists hell-bent on gaining power at the expense of our democracy. They’ll be in control of the House of Representatives for the next two years and have already shown an inability to govern. They couldn’t even elect House Speaker Kevin…
Local journalists overlooked an important document for Nipomo’s Dana Reserve development
I’ve been an environmental activist for a while, which means I’ve had occasion to be interviewed a time or two. I’ve also read a lot of environmental reporting. And I’ve seen All the President’s Men, as did just about everyone in my generation who went on to major in journalism and become a reporter. I…
