An AI assistant is now answering calls made to the Lompoc Police Department’s business line to report non-emergencies. Police hope the technology, called Hyper, will allow dispatchers to focus on emergency situations. “It’ll help reduce the volume of calls coming directly into dispatch because there’s an enormous amount of calls that come through that aren’t […]
Lompoc Police Department uses AI tool for non-emergency dispatch
Posted inNews
County orders monthly audits of Sheriff’s Office overtime use
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will continue tracking overtime use at the Sheriff’s Office after a recent review showed that a few employees more than doubled their pay. “The current system really rewards overspending,” 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said during the Feb. 10 board hearing. According to county staff, during the fiscal […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: February 12, 2026
• California gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will visit Lompoc on March 15 for a meet-and-greet event. Free and open to the public, the program is scheduled to take place on March 15, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Lompoc Elks Lodge, located at 905 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc. After the […]
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Vikings of Solvang holds biannual blood drive under new leadership
The price of a cup of coffee can be a real pain for someone who’s about to donate blood, Solvang local Kim Jensen explained. “Drink a lot of fluids before you come, but don’t be drinking coffee. It’s hard to find a vein when you drink too much coffee,” said Jensen, referring to caffeine’s tendency […]
Posted inOpinion
A bridge too far
It’s easy to pick apart Mayor Alice Patino’s rambling commentary at the Feb. 3 Santa Maria City Council meeting. Her comments placed blame on protesters for the violence witnessed across the country and questioned whether demonstrators in Santa Maria would be peaceful. She stood up for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, excusing the actions of […]
Posted inOpinion
Santa Maria’s resolution in support of immigrant residents lacks backbone
There’s a common idiom heard among the halls of newspaper offices and other media outlets: “old news is no news.” There was certainly some of that at the Santa Maria City Council meeting on Feb. 3. The meeting was dominated by extensive public comment and discussion among City Council members on how to acknowledge Santa […]
Posted inOpinion
Harmful rhetoric
At the Feb. 3 City Council meeting, a resolution expressing support for immigrant residents was brought forward and approved. I could not support it, not because I oppose standing with immigrant families, but because what unfolded during council’s discussion revealed how easily words of support can be undermined by harmful rhetoric and a refusal to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
With many instruments in his toolbelt, a Central Coast musician passes his knowledge on to students of all ages
In kindergarten, Michael Nunez learned how to play the accordion. It was a popular instrument at the time, so his parents started him in group lessons. By the time he was in junior high, Michael was also playing drums, piano, and guitar. When his friends took interest in the instruments, he lent them a hand […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Buellton Rec Center hosts kids’ art classes during break
Registration is open for kids’ activities and day camps organized by the Buellton Rec Center for students to enjoy during school break. From Feb. 17 to 20 the Rec Center is holding a day camp for 6-to-12-year-olds. Students will go on field trips and take part in games and crafts each day from 8 a.m. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA’s next show transports viewers back to the Wild West
A quiet, mysterious gunslinger settles in a Wyoming town, stirring up trouble for the characters of Karen Zacarías’ Shane, presented by the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA). The play, adapted from a 1949 novel by Jack Schaefer, opens at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria on Feb. 12 and runs until March 1. In a story […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Dracula is mostly straightforward take on Bram Stoker’s Gothic vampire tale
French writer-director Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Professional, The Fifth Element, Lucy) reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic vampire story about 15th century prince Vladimir of Wallachia (Caleb Landry Jones) who after the death of his wife, Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu), renounces God and is cursed with vampirism. Determined to find the reincarnation of Elisabeta, he searches […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Queen of Chess documents prodigy Judit Polgár as she becomes a grandmaster
Queen of ChessWhat’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Hungarian chess prodigy Judit Polgár was raised to be a champion, and that’s exactly what she became. Alongside her sisters and under the controlling hand of her father, the Polgár family forwent formal education, instead focusing on a singular task—mastering chess. Judit especially […]