Cover Story
‘Your Own Backyard’ creator Chris Lambert shares impressions of the Kristin Smart murder trial and podcast updates
More than 25 years after Kristin Smart’s disappearance, the murder trial for her alleged killer, Paul Flores, and his father, an alleged accessory, finally started in July. In opening arguments, SLO County prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle laid out the case to two Monterey County juries: that Paul raped and killed Smart in his Cal Poly dorm…
Nipomo searches for missing teenager
A 19-year-old woman from Nipomo named Shawna Seybold has been missing for more than a week, and her family wants the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office to raise the case to an at-risk situation. “I had a boy tell me he saw her get on the bus by the Nipomo High School bus stop.…
Solvang’s new marketing consultant aims to broaden social media presence
Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest users are the anticipated targets of a new marketing effort to promote yearly happenings in Solvang. The Abbi Agency, a marketing management consultant hired by the city in July, recently proposed dedicating 75 percent of Solvang’s paid media budget to social media advertising alone. While winning approval from members of Solvang’s…
Second oil well agreement in a month signals shift for Carrizo Plain
Eleven dormant oil wells inside Carrizo Plain National Monument will be permanently closed thanks to an agreement between a federal land agency and two environmental nonprofits. The Aug. 15 settlement came about after Los Padres ForestWatch and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a 2020 lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management for approving an…
Santa Barbara County sets goals for homeless encampment cleanups as part of a statewide challenge
Santa Barbara County is participating in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 100-day challenge to reduce homelessness as part of the state’s $2.5 million California Encampment Resolution grant to move people indoors and reduce fire danger and car accicents involving pedestrians. Encampments along transit corridors are the county’s focus during the 100 days because of the dangers that…
Political Watch: September 8, 2022
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement on Sept. 1 after the California Legislature passed a measure that would provide financial support to extend the lifespan of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant for five years. “One only needs to step outside this week to be reminded of the critical need for…
Dana Adobe celebrates Captain’s Luau with live performances and storytelling
The Dana Adobe and Cultural Center in Nipomo will hold the Captain’s Luau on Sunday, Sept. 17, starting at 5:30 p.m. The event includes live luau performances and programs that retell stories of Capt. William Goodwin Dana and his historical ties to Hawaii. During his travels to Hawaii in the 1800s, Dana developed a relationship…
Santa Maria Civic Theatre brings ‘Grease’ to the stage
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre presents its production of Grease, which premiered at the end of August. Performances of the show are scheduled to run through Sunday, Sept. 11. Tickets are available in advance at my805tix.com. This classic musical is set in 1959 and follows several students at Rydell High School, including Danny Zuko (played…
Lompoc artist brings passionate patchwork paintings to Cypress Gallery
Easter typically brings to mind imagery of cheery eggs, fluffy bunnies, and marshmallow Peeps. But the closest thing viewers will find to springtime icons in Dark Sky at Easter, an oil painting by Lompoc local Elizabeth Monks Hack, is an eerie grouping of moonlit clouds and a darkened patch of calla lilies. Hack described the…
Pono Pacific Kitchen is the Central Coast’s answer to elevated Hawaiian cuisine
Hawaii-happy partners Preston Tripp and Ashlee Alewine felt compelled to bring an edible piece of the tropical Pacific Rim to the Central Coast. An award-winning chef, Tripp conceptualized and whipped up dishes for restaurants from California to Oahu, Hawaii. Alewine’s Central Coast roots brought the couple back to the Five Cities—the place where they first…
Is Lompoc mayor candidate Jim Mosby really paying attention?
Former Lompoc City Councilman Jim Mosby is someone who thinks highly of himself. Apparently, voters in the council district he lives in didn’t think so highly of him when they rejected him in a landslide election to represent them as their councilman. Now he is running for mayor; maybe he thinks if he misrepresents his…
Insta-fest
As the temperature gauge heads ever higher this September, Solvang is already planning for a white Christmas with Julefest in its sparkling, shimmery sights. The big question is: TV advertising or not? And that, my friends, apparently depends on who the city of Danish lights is trying to attract. If you ask Connie Anderson, the…
Oceano community is being overburdened
Long-term and affordable residential rentals are being eradicated from SLO County, especially from the coastal zone. We must preserve those we still have. Oceano has a few left on Pier Avenue. However, their tenants are being disproportionately impacted by State Parks’ visitors. Tenants must suffer beach visitors in need of parking unlawfully using their private…
