Almost exactly 25 years to the week before his death, Michael Jackson pressed his hand and feet into concrete in what was meant to become part of the Las Vegas Walk of Fame Project. There was nothing exceptional about a celebrity leaving such imprints. It happens all the time. What’s interesting to some, however, is […]
Set in stone
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Success is in the cards
What can be cooler than being able to call yourself a comic book illustrator? Telling people your dad is one. “My daughter thinks it’s cool. She tells everyone, ‘My dad draws Star Wars,’” said comic book illustrator and Orcutt resident Lance Sawyer. “I’m lucky—my kid’s first word was ‘Batman.’” Sawyer has wanted to make a […]
Posted inNews
Where have all the wood shops gone?
Built in the early 1970s, Santa Maria High School’s auto shop serves as a classroom, a storage facility, and a mechanic’s workroom. Fluorescent lights flicker overhead as students gaze intently at a projector screen hanging on the back wall. There’s the distinctly pungent scent of motor oil and grease in the air. A silent army […]
Posted inNews
Boys in the ‘hood
For those who yearn to relive a moment of childhood scouting, support the organization, or just want another chance at Pinewood Derby Racing, now is the chance. Boy Scouts of America will be celebrating its centennial at the Santa Maria Town Center on Feb. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria will discuss gang injunctions at an upcoming Town Hall meeting
Gang injunctions and their effectiveness in preventing gang-related crime will be the focus of a Town Hall meeting on Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center, 313 W. Tunnell, in Santa Maria. Presented by the Santa Maria Police Department, the meeting will feature a panel of experts from the police department, […]
Posted inNews
Environmental group urges public to attend South County Advisory Council meeting
Members of the local activist group Safe Beach Now believe off-highway vehicle activity at the Oceano Dunes State Park is negatively impacting air quality on the Nipomo Mesa. The environmental organization is urging Nipomo and Arroyo Grande residents to attend the Jan. 25 meeting of the South County Advisory Council to demand the issue be […]
Posted inNews
Republican eyes 23rd Congressional District seat
Congresswoman Lois Capps now has reason to watch her back: After months of going virtually unopposed in the race to reclaim her seat as U.S. representative for the 23rd District, the Santa Barbara politician finally has some competition. On Jan. 5, Thousand Oaks Republican John Davidson announced his candidacy for the Congressional seat. Davidson is […]
Posted inNews
Neither rain, nor more rain
Braving the elements, cable technicians labored to restore television service to customers in Santa Maria.
Posted inNews
A tree falls at Waller
Cleanup crews worked feverishly at Waller Park on Jan. 19 to dispose of a massive pine tree, felled as a result of a vicious winter storm that tore through the Central Coast. The storm ushered in high winds and torrential rain and caused widespread power outages lasting for up to nine hours in some areas. […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s the weirdest diet you’ve ever heard of?
Chris Alvarez disabled musician “The weirdest diet is the liquid diet. It’s a liquid, not a food.” Jennifer Hernandez student “The Taco Bell diet—it’s junk food!” Leshia Gier Air Force medic “Cayenne pepper and lemon juice, because who wants to eat pepper for a diet?” Candyce Estave North County coordinator of Autism Society, Santa […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 1.21
In response to the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12, President Barack Obama released a statement urging Americans to support Haitian victims: “The reports and images from Haiti of collapsed hospitals, crumbled homes, and men and women carrying their injured neighbors through the streets are truly heart-wrenching,” Obama said in a press […]
Posted inNews
Community Notebook 1.21
MONDAY, JAN. 25 • The South County Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. TUESDAY, JAN. 26 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board of Supervisors […]