

Cover Story
Mosby tries again
Jim Mosby and Jenelle Osborne are again fighting to become Lompoc’s next mayor. This time around, the two veteran local politicians will be joined by newcomer Lydia Perez. Incumbent Osborne has served on the City Council since 2016, becoming mayor in 2018. Mosby, a former City Council member, was first appointed to the council in…
Will Smith, Andrew Foster join Santa Maria mayor race
Former Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member Will Smith is running for his third time against longtime incumbent Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino. The two will be joined in this general election by former Santa Maria Joint Union High School board member Diana Perez and first-time candidate Andrew Foster. The Sun featured Patino and Perez…
Chumash national marine sanctuary gets closer to designation
The Central Coast is a step closer to being home to the first tribally nominated national marine sanctuary. On Sept. 6, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the release of the final environmental impact statement for designation of the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The mammoth document is split into two volumes,…
Supervisors highlight planning, traffic concerns during Arctic Cold discussion
Despite planning challenges, traffic concerns, and additional needed regulations, the Arctic Cold Processor and Freezer facility can move forward with its operations after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved project revisions. “This literally can help bring products of Santa Maria, our berry markets, that can go worldwide because of the nature of this…
Political Watch: September 19, 2024
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) called on his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to act on legislation to avert a pay cut for federal wildland firefighters on Sept. 30, according to a Sept. 11 statement from Carbajal’s office. “As Californians have been baking this week in an extreme heat wave, our…
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation gets a new executive director
A personal connection ultimately led Brittany Avila Wazny to work at the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. “My brother was diagnosed with cancer as a teenager in 2008, and that had a pretty big impact on my and my family’s life,” Avila Wazny said. “I understand what families are going through. I realized how fortunate my…
Déjà vu?
This year feels like a rerun in some parts of Northern Santa Barbara County. In Santa Maria, Will Smith is again running to unseat longtime incumbent Mayor Alice Patino. It’s his third time running for the spot against Patino. With his checkered past, I’m not sure in what world enough people exist to help him…
Local minimum wage proposal may kill an industry
Do you think that local politicians should be able to set the minimum wage for workers whose efforts support the nation? And what would happen if they did? Well, some of the more liberal members of the Board of Supervisors are “studying” a proposal to set $26 an hour as the local labor wage rate…
Be an advocate for truth
“The content of our consciousness is the product of our conditioning.” What we know is what we learned since we understood the spoken and written word, and from what we were told, experienced, observed at home, at school, at church, wherever we happened to be. This is who we are and how we become who…
Santa Ynez Valley and Cambria gear up for annual community scarecrow displays
Local businesses and groups in two Central Coast regions will be displaying unique scarecrow creations outside storefronts and other locations throughout the month of October. Both the Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest and the Cambria Scarecrow Festival will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The two events invite their respective participants to create their own…
Nipomo Library welcomes experienced comedians and newbies to monthly improv group
On the second Saturday of each month, a local improv group invites the public to take part in a free improv class at the Nipomo Library. Described as a collective “that channels the power of comedy for charitable purposes,” Improv for Good will hold its next library meetup on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 2 to…
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger celebrates the cinematic geniuses behind The Red Shoes and other iconic British films
Made In England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger What’s it rated? Unrated What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo David Hinton (The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind) directs this documentary on the films of Emeric Pressburger…
NEW FLICKS: Rebel Ridge
Rebel Ridge What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Green Room) helms this good old-fashioned vigilante film about ex-Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) who runs into trouble when he heads to the small town of Shelby Springs to bail out his cousin, Mike (C.J. LeBlanc), who’s arraigned…
BLAST FROM THE PAST: The Red Shoes
The Red Shoes What’s it rated? Not rated When? Saturday through Sunday, Sept. 21-22, at 4 p.m.; Monday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo Hans Christian Anderson knew how to spin a cautionary yarn, and this movie of the same name is no different. Is art…
Two seasoned competitors face off at Solvang’s 2024 aebleskiver eating challenge
Best of the fest For more info on Solvang’s Danish Days happenings, including the aebleskiver eating contest, visit solvangdanishdays.org. This year’s festival runs from Friday, Sept. 20, to Sunday, Sept. 22, with various events in downtown Solvang. The aebleskiver eating contest will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22, at 11:30 a.m.…
Babes Against the Machine is all the rage in Lompoc and Morro Bay
Welcome to the machine Hard rock tribute band Babes Against the Machine will perform at the Flower City Ballroom in Lompoc on Friday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., and the Siren in Morro Bay on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets to the Flower City Ballroom performance are available in advance at my805tix.com. Visit…






