Santa Barbara County’s tally of tents and forts made of tarps and wooden planks in the Santa Ynez Riverbed is 85 fewer than seven months ago thanks to an ongoing cleanup initiative. In her role as the county’s encampment response coordination manager, Katherine Soto-Vasquez doesn’t often dwell on those stats during a typical work day,…
Like oil and water, Sable Offshore and local jurisdictions’ visions for the future of three rigs off the Gaviota coastline are fundamentally incompatible—prompting recent pivots from both sides of the fence. The California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a civil lawsuit and criminal charges, respectively, against the Texas-based oil company…
Santa Barbara County supervisors pushed making a decision on budget rebalancing plans for the Public Health and Social Services departments. The plans discussed at the Oct. 7 supervisors meeting would eliminate more than 175 positions across both departments effective in January. “We’ve been receiving a lot of frustration for a lack of information,” 2nd District…
Of the eight incorporated cities in Santa Barbara County, six have expressed a desire to expand their respective spheres of influence, according to Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Executive Officer Mike Prater. Guadalupe and Carpinteria are the two outliers, he told LAFCO commissioners during the board’s Oct. 2 meeting. Although LAFCO’s due for its next…
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently reintroduced legislation with an aim to reduce the cost of higher education for students across the country. The Degrees Not Debt Act would double the maximum Pell Grant award—which supports more than 6 million current students throughout the U.S.—to $14,800 and adjust that award cap to inflation…
Things are about to heat up at Vida Yoga. Literally. The Orcutt studio just installed new infrared heaters, which owner Jenn Gagarin plans to fire up for the first time on Oct. 11, as part of the venue’s third anniversary celebration. Describing the nuanced sensations and benefits of hot yoga to someone who’s never held…
Maybe people can learn from their mistakes. That’s the impression I’m getting from Santa Barbara County’s recent encampment cleanups in both the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez riverbeds. Both have had their fair share of repeated efforts to clear out the trash, tents, and makeshift living structures that accumulate in the riverbeds over time thanks…
What do the Gifford Fire and our exorbitant electricity rates have in common? It’s hotter and drier now, exacerbating both wildfires and the cost of electricity. Global warming, better known as global heating, has raised the frequency, size, and price tag of wildfires. In the early 1980s, the annual cost to Cal Fire to suppress…
We all know by now that the Republican Party is flailing. It has become a cult of spineless sycophants, kowtowing to a dictator, with no concern for its constituents. That’s not even debatable. So why is there no consistent protesting going? Big national, international rallies are great, but what are we doing between these events?…
Katherine Taylor can look at an animal and imagine it talking. The skill has helped the illustrator and muralist create her original creatures with human emotion, namely humor, which comes from the animals’ eyes. “You can’t do funny without having a great eye. It just doesn’t work if the eye’s flat,” Taylor told the Sun.…
Enjoy an afternoon sipping on a glass of red or white while working some magic with a paintbrush in Santa Barbara County wine country. Art Spot on Wheels is set to host two more Paint in the Vineyard events this year. Hit the Koehler Winery vineyards on Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.…
Book clubs for adults at the Santa Maria Public Library cater to readers who enjoy all genres. Monthly discussions are held in the library’s learning loft and include light refreshments. The Junk Journal Book Club combines reading with crafting, giving members the opportunity to discuss novels of different genres and journal with craft materials. On…
Writer-director Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time) helms this biopic about pioneering mixed-martial arts and two-time UFC champion Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson). (123 min.) The Smashing MachineWhat’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…
The PaperWhat’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Peacock Greg Daniels, creator of The Office, has given fans of the iconic show a treat with this follow-up mockumentary series, The Paper. Our documentary team from 20 years ago is now in the Midwest following scrappy local newspaper the Toledo Truth Teller. The first…
Arthur Penn (The Left Handed Gun, Bonnie and Clyde, The Missouri Breaks) directs Calder Willingham’s screenplay based on Thomas Berger’s 1964 novel of the same name about Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman), who lives through a series of Wild West misadventures. The film is framed as a 121-year-old Crabb narrates his life story to a historian…
When the Food Network called chef Jacob Town, he thought it was the greatest gift he’d ever received during his 30 years in the industry. After a two-hour interview and a couple of days in limbo, Town and his wife, Brooke, found out their restaurant, The Spoon Trade, was cast on season 49, episode 11,…
