Cover Story
Santa Maria residents have more drive to change city logo after new Caltrans policy
A large sign with large lettering that says “Welcome to Santa Maria,” greets drivers cruising down Highway 101. A blue ship with a sunburst behind it is tiled onto the overpass above the sign. That ship adorns Santa Maria’s city website, city documents, and until June was the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District’s…
Solvang officials urge voters to support sales tax increase
Sales tax revenue is at a historic high in Solvang, and could potentially double if a proposed measure on the city’s upcoming election ballot passes. In November, Solvang residents will have the chance to vote for or against Measure U, which would initiate a 1-cent increase (1 cent for every dollar spent) on local sales…
Lompoc changes concealed carry policy due to Supreme Court ruling
The Lompoc Police Department revamped its policy for issuing concealed carry permits after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen. “The policy was a two-prong approach to get a CCW [concealed weapons permit] that was based on moral character and [that] the applicant had to have an…
Santa Barbara County supervisors want to reexamine salary system
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 (with 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart dissenting) on a 2.5 percent salary increase for the elected offices of the treasurer-tax-collector, the sheriff, the auditor controller, and the clerk-recorder-assessor, and gave the District Attorney’s Office a 3.5 percent raise after a long debate in the county chambers. …
Political Watch: September 1, 2022
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) joined San Fransisco and state leaders to advocate for additional monkeypox vaccines and equitable distribution throughout California, according to an Aug. 25 statement from the senator’s office. Padilla toured San Fransisco’s main monkeypox vaccine site at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital as California surpasses 3,000 cases statewide. “One of…
Santa Maria Model A club’s 20th car show funds Hancock scholarships
The Model A Ford—a vehicle built by the Detroit-based company from 1928 to 1931—brings together car lovers around the country and creates community through car clubs that recognize the vehicles’ uniqueness. The Santa Maria chapter of the Model A Ford Club was founded in 2003 on the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Companies, and the…
The Place on PCH in Oceano is a space where artists can explore creativity and themselves
A pandemic gorilla slathered in red hunches over next to the stairs that lead down to an art studio. Topped by a black felt sombrero, Darcy Badiali’s sculpture watches over the koi pond, art-filled walls, and potted plants that populate The Place on PCH. The slatted floor is still wet from being hosed off before…
Home Free performs live concert at the Chumash Casino Resort
The Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez presents country a cappella group Home Free live in concert on Friday, Sept. 16. Currently traveling from venue to venue as part of its national tour, the group is widely known for its success on the fourth season of NBC’s The Sing-Off. Home Free won the $100,000 grand…
Visual poet Karl Kempton showcases dune photography in new Oceano-themed exhibit
A collection of Oceano-based artist Karl Kempton’s dune photographs is currently on display in a new solo exhibit at the Photoshop in San Luis Obispo. The show debuted at the end of August and is scheduled to remain up through the end of September. Kempton is a poet, visual poet, writer, photographer, publisher, editor, and…
Orcutt yoga instructor combines lessons with libations, takes on microgreen venture
Sometimes the best kind of food to pair with wine is food for the soul, according to a local yoga teacher known for pairing poses with rosés. When Jennifer Barajas teaches yoga classes at a winery or vineyard, her students are treated to some complimentary wine after the session ends. But there’s an extra twist…
Many people believe that there should be a right to privacy, but there’s a cost
Roe v. Wade is dead. Now what? The impact in California and the other blue states is negligible, and abortion will continue to be available in those states. But more potentially impactful is the court’s finding that the “right to privacy” that the Roe court “discovered” in the Constitution does not actually exist. This has…
The big ask
Do elected officials have the right to be upset about their salaries, or should they live with it because they knew what they were getting into when they signed up to run for the job? If you’re outgoing Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley, apparently you throw a fit because you make a few…
Polio is back. Where are we going with this?
The alert has gone out that polio has been detected in a New York water treatment plant. So, we add that to monkeypox and the ongoing COVID-19 variant. Where are we going with this? First off, it’s just the ongoing fearmongering that the federal government is engaged in to exert control over the population. The…
