Cover Story
County supervisors’ rejection of the ExxonMobil oil trucking proposal highlights a decades-long debate
About 200 community members’ voices—crying out either for climate change awareness and against the oil industry’s negative environmental impact, or for jobs needed in the community and in favor of the industry’s economic benefit—echoed in rapid-fire one-minute public comments on March 8. Although the project up for discussion at the Santa Barbara County Board of…
NEW FLICKS: ENCOUNTER
NEW FLICKS: ENCOUNTER Where’s it playing? Amazon Prime What’s it rated? R Michael Pearce directs this paranoia-driven sci-fi adventure about former U.S. Marine Malik Khan (Riz Ahmed), who believes an alien invasion is in progress via meteors arriving on Earth carrying parasitic insects that infect and control humans from within. He embarks on a rescue…
NEW FLICKS: VIVARIUM
NEW FLICKS: VIVARIUM Where’s it playing? Amazon Prime What’s it rated? R Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) think it is finally time to take the next step and look at homes together, but instead of walking into their future, they walk into a nightmare. Eerily odd real estate agent Martin (Jonathan Aris) leads…
Board of Supervisors candidates run unopposed in 2022
For the third cycle in a row, 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino will be running unopposed for his seat on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. “I either figure people think I’m doing a good job—or doing my best—or it’s so screwed up that no one wants the job,” he said. “I get a…
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. hosts 2022 Lagerville Beer Fest after two-year hiatus
Craft beers from more than 40 breweries are set to be served during this year’s Lagerville Beer Fest in Buellton. The popular festival—which also features food vendors and live entertainment—takes place on Saturday, April 9, at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., where it originated in 2018. To celebrate the return of the event, after its two-year…
Nashville duo Lynn Langham and Doug Gill kick off new monthly concert series in Santa Maria
Iconic duos are often defined by their inseparability. Batman and Robin. Bonnie and Clyde. Shrek and Donkey. Fans of the Nashville music scene probably wouldn’t be surprised to see country-folk artists Lynn Langham and Doug Gill listed in the same pantheon. But that wasn’t always the case. Both singer-songwriters had successful solo careers before teaming…
Wildling Museum holds new group exhibit, Fire and Ice: Our Changing Landscape
The opening reception for Fire and Ice: Our Changing Landscape, a new group exhibition at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, takes place on Sunday, April 10, from 3 to 5 p.m. Featured artists in the exhibit were challenged to depict “the opposing forces of fire and ice across a range of media,” according…
Cypress Gallery showcases paintings from Lompoc-based artist Vicki Andersen
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents Glory in the Flower, an exhibition of paintings by local artist Vicki Andersen, at the Cypress Gallery Friday, April 1, through Sunday, April 24. An opening reception for the new solo show will be held on Saturday, April 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. Andersen is locally known as…
Political Watch: March 24, 2022
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) announced on March 11 that he secured more than $20 million in federal funding for 11 projects across the Central Coast. These projects were included in the bipartisan fiscal year 2022 appropriations package that the Senate passed on March 10, and the bill is expected to be signed into…
Guadalupe projects receive millions in federal funds
Guadalupe’s Escalante Meadows Community Center and LeRoy Park will get long-awaited facelifts after receiving $4.2 million in federal funds—approved by the Biden administration on March 15, U.S. Rep Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) told the Sun. After going through a rigorous application process, the Escalante Meadows Community Center will receive $2.5 million to create an early…
Lompoc and Solvang reassess outdoor dining policies
The emergency programs that temporarily allowed Lompoc and Solvang restaurants to host outdoor seating on public parking spots and roadways are coming to an end. During its March 14 meeting, the Solvang City Council decided that Copenhagen Drive will be reopened to vehicular traffic, and encroachment permits for businesses in other parts of town will…
The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum reopens to the public
Arts and crafts, Lego building, space exploration, farming opportunities, and sea life discovery returned for kids when the Santa Maria Discovery Museum welcomed the public and celebrated its re-opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce on March 18. The Discovery Museum opened its doors—with modified hours—after 22…
No choice
Election season 2022 is upon us, and you know what that means? Another race with a predetermined winner! Yay! Not. What’s the point of an election if only one person runs for office? What’s the deal, Santa Barbara County? Can’t figure out how to win? In this year’s races, which had a candidate filing deadline…
Three county supervisors support inflation, which means your family loses purchasing power, change can come with the election
Inflation impacts everyone no matter what their political affiliation is. The Free Dictionary defines inflation as the “reduction in purchasing power of a currency.” Inflation has historically occurred when a country prints too much of its currency in too short a period of time. When COVID-19 surfaced two years ago, federal, state, and local governments…
