Let the sunshine in Sunburst Sanctuary in Lompoc presents Painting in the Garden with Pastels, led by Santa Barbara resident and award-winning artist Carol Talley, on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For registration info, email carol@caroltalley.com. Visit sunburst.org for more info on Sunburst Sanctuary, located at 7200 Highway 1, Lompoc. To […]
Brush up on pastels with Carol Talley at Lompoc’s Sunburst Sanctuary
Posted inOpinion
Fast food workers’ new $20 an hour minimum wage is proving to be too good to be true
In January of this year, the state of California raised the minimum wage to $16 per hour, but this wasn’t good enough for some union leaders and the politicians they own in Sacramento. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has been trying to organize fast food workers but has failed, so they hatched a plan […]
Posted inOpinion
Listen to the voice of the village
The name Nipomo is said to have come from a Native American word that means village. The Community Alternative Plan for the Dana Reserve Project offers a single-family and affordable housing development choice that represents the voice of a village that has come together with experts to design a proposal with lasting beneficial impacts to […]
Posted inOpinion
An exercise in futility
I never understood the point of the California Coastal Commission’s attempt to regulate federal agencies. Who reigns supreme? Well, if it’s the Coastal Commission vs. the U.S. Department of Defense, I’ll let you guess the agency that gets to call the shots. If you think the commission is more powerful than the largest taxpayer-funded agency […]
Posted inNews
Marian NICU respiratory therapist creates watercolor paintings for patients and their families
Going into the medical field, Nickie Brayton knew she wanted to work with infants and their families. As a respiratory therapist for Marian Regional Medical Center, she began working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) three years ago where she and her team help the youngest patients in the hospital. “It’s been a great […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: April 18, 2024
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined Grover Beach officials to present a $543,000 federal grant that the congressman helped secure through his work on the 2024 federal budget, according to an April 12 statement from Carbajal’s office. The funding included in the 2024 federal funding bill signed into law by President Joe Biden […]
Posted inNews
Coastal Commission waits to decide whether SpaceX rocket launches can increase
The California Coastal Commission recently delayed deciding on whether SpaceX should be able to increase the number of rockets it launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base. SpaceX proposed expanding its Falcon 9 space program by increasing launch activities from six to 36 per year, with anticipation for an additional increase to 100 per year at […]
Posted inNews
Dana Reserve project to go before SLO County supervisors on April 23 and 24
Before the end of April, the controversial Dana Reserve project and local residents should have an answer from the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. On April 23 and 24, the proposed Nipomo development will be presented in front of supervisors, six months after the county Planning Commission recommended approval of the project. The […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria declares impasse with its firefighters over new contract
Santa Maria declared an impasse in its negotiations with the Firefighters Union Local 2020 on April 12. The city and the union—which represents 57 firefighters, captains, engineers, and fire inspectors—first entered negotiations in November 2023 before the contract expired in December, city Public Information Officer Mark van de Kamp said in a statement. After three […]
Posted inNews
County resource constraints prevent better jail health care, according to sheriff
During a special meeting to discuss jail health care, Santa Barbara County residents and the Board of Supervisors expressed concerns about care transparency, inmates’ access to timely care, and continued care for individuals once they leave the jail system. While the Sheriff’s Office shared ongoing efforts to address these concerns, jail staffing shortages, inadequate infrastructure, […]
Posted inNews
Aquarium science: A Cabrillo High School CTE program that involves octopus and hands-on training is expanding
A 1-year-old octopus gently wrapped one of its tentacles around Jenna Gorndt’s fingers as the Cabrillo High School senior lightly touched the top of its aquarium. “I think it’s cool, having an animal that can recognize you when you’re trying to interact with her, because most animals, they aren’t going to be this excited to […]