Santa Barbara County’s ongoing discussion about what to do with the oil pipeline that spilled oil onto the Gaviota Coast continues with ExxonMobil’s proposal to take over ownership. While the county Planning Commission approved the application in a 3-1 vote, environmental groups vowed to appeal the decision to the Board of Supervisors, citing concerns that…
As an aficionado of both beer and the culture wars, the recent Bud Light marketing fiasco has been real catnip for me, and I just couldn’t resist jumping in. To recap: Bud Light employed “influencer” Dylan Mulvaney, a transgendered woman, as a spokesperson to promote their beer and even created a special can depicting Mulvaney…
Can the county oppose a business ownership change? It seems pretty standard: One business buys another business’s property and becomes the new owner of said property. But I guess if you’re an oil corporation buying a pipeline that spilled oil all over a beloved piece of the Santa Barbara County coastline, things become a little…
The recent news about Clarence Thomas’ financial entanglements with GOP megadonor Harlan Crow should be alarming to every American. This is what happens when the highest court in the land is given free rein to police itself. Clarence Thomas isn’t the first justice to engage in unethical behavior. And if Congress continues to ignore the…
The Flash What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Fair Oaks Theatre, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande Andy Muschietti (It, It Chapter Two) directs this time-traveling sci-fi adventure about Barry Allen, aka The Flash (Ezra Miller), who uses…
Extraction What’s it rated? R When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix Stuntman Sam Hargrave directs this action thriller about Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a mercenary-for-hire who specializes in rescues. This time around, he’s been tasked with finding and returning Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of imprisoned Indian drug lord Ovi Mahajan Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi)…
Extraction 2 What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix This sequel, again directed by Sam Hargrave, takes up right were the first film left off, with Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) grievously wounded after his last mission. It’s unclear if he’ll ever be able to work again as a mercenary, so he travels…
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors directed the Public Health Department during its June 16 budget hearing to look into potential ways to keep afloat a program serving infants and new families. Santa Barbara County’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year is $1.48 billion, a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year. About 34…
Youth sports leagues that use Santa Maria facilities will be subject to a zero tolerance policy on cyberbullying if a proposed city ordinance moves forward. Pitched by the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Commission, the protocol is primarily geared toward adults involved with youth sports groups rather than its participants, as it was drafted in…
At the mountains of gladness For more info on Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., visit figmtnbrew.com. The California-based brewery’s tasting rooms are located in Buellton, Los Olivos, Santa Barbara, and Westlake Village. reating the right flavors that mirrored the distinct attributes of an IPA in Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.’s first nonalcoholic beverage proved to be both…
Save the dates Performances of Dancefest 2023 will be held at the Lompoc Civic Auditorium on Friday, June 23, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 24, at 3 p.m. Tickets to the show are $15 for adults and $10 for children under age 12. Call (805) 736-4646 or visit classicalschoolofballet.net for more info. The Lompoc…
A special book reading of violence prevention activist Otilio Quintero’s autobiography, The Sign Catcher, will take place at the Santa Maria Town Center on Friday, June 23, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The event is hosted by Corazón del Pueblo, also known as the Cultural and Creative Arts Center of the Santa Maria Valley, and…
A whimsical rivalry between two groups of beach dwellers is explored in the Great American Melodrama’s latest production, Under The Boardwalk, which opened in late May and is scheduled to run through mid-July. According to press materials, the plot of the show, set at Pismo Beach, follows an “unthinkable” romance between a clam and a…
• U.S Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) are reintroducing the College for All Act—a legislation that would expand access to college for millions of working-class children. This legislation represents the most significant federal investment in higher education in the modern history of the United States, according to a statement from…
As someone who’s worked with animals and as an agriculture teacher her whole life, Julie Hilton wanted to share this lifestyle with others. In 2021, Hilton and her two daughters opened up Hoofprints—a farm animal rescue center that teaches children and youth how to work with the animals. “Ideally, it’s just basic animal care: how…
