Our state elected representatives are at it again, producing a blizzard of new bills. Just who of everyday Joes on the streets is going to know anything about any of these? These bills are for the biggest paying supporters or the biggest attention getters. Most of these bills are “penny dreadful” junk bills. The basic […]
New bills are not gifts
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc has 200 unhoused people, largely thanks to government ‘helping hands’
I have been trying to figure out the “root cause” and some potential solutions for the homeless issue for the last several months. First, the “homeless issue” has been with us since homeless pilgrims arrived on our eastern shores in 1620. The difference today is that in 1620, “homeless” folks homesteaded land and built not […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc libraries seek local artists for upcoming exhibits
Local artists are encouraged to submit works for consideration to be showcased at the Vandenberg Village Library and the Grossman Gallery, located inside the Lompoc Public Library. Past featured artists at the Grossman Gallery include oil painter Elizabeth Monks Hack (whose work is pictured). Artist applicants are required to submit at least six exhibit-ready pieces, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Health & Wellness 2023
Health and Wellness isn’t just about exercise and diets, it’s also about accessing medical health care and knowing how to protect your body. But not everyone knows how to obtain preventative care, and youth don’t necessarily graduate from high school with the information they need to understand sex or the proper ways to safeguard themselves. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Multiple businesses compete in Santa Maria Valley’s 2023 Craft Cocktail Contest
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is asking the public to get out and vote—but not, in this case, for any politicians whom their ideologies happen to align with. The 2022 election season is over, but the voting period for Santa Maria’s 2023 Craft Cocktail Contest began in mid-January. Through Feb. 12, Central Coast […]
Posted inNews
Community members raise funds for flood-damaged Orcutt households
The muddy water inside Orcutt resident Rob Draper’s home was up to his knees by the time he and his family evacuated their house, during the night of the Jan. 9 storm. Upon exiting the front door with as many belongings as they could carry, the family of five attempted to reach one of their […]
Posted inNews
Jameson, Gibraltar, and Cachuma reservoirs reach capacity
Cachuma, Gibraltar, and Jameson reservoirs hitting their capacity levels for the first time in years is a silver lining amid the damage from recent storms, Santa Barbara County Water Agency Manager Matt Young told the Sun. “Having most of our major surface waters full is an incredible benefit to the agencies and people that rely […]
Posted inNews
U.S. Rep. Carbajal visits Guadalupe to assess storm damage
After a Santa Maria River levee broke during early January’s severe storms, around 20 families evacuated and are now staying in temporary H-2A housing for farmworkers or sleeping in the Guadalupe Auditorium, Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian said. “This has happened about four times in the last 30 years. It can’t happen anymore,” Julian said about […]
Posted inNews
North County representatives and residents reflect on Santa Barbara County’s storm response
Melony Edwards woke up on Jan. 10 to large sections of Colson Canyon Road just gone, leaving her and her neighbors stranded. When a historic storm hit Santa Barbara County on Monday, Jan. 9—bringing more than 12 inches of rain in 24 hours to some areas—the creek on Colson Canyon Road overflowed and the water […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: January 19, 2023
• Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to further bolster the emergency response to severe winter storms and support impacted communities across the state, according to a Jan. 16 statement from the governor’s office. In the past week, California secured a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration and a Presidential Emergency Declaration to assist response and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Gallery Los Olivos showcases figurative oil paintings by Annie Hoffman
Gifted with a Kodak Brownie at age 11, one local oil painter captured her subjects with a camera long before switching to brushes and palettes during adulthood. “I became obsessed with photographing birds,” said Santa Barbara resident Annie Hoffman, born and raised in London, England. While Hoffman—who moved to California in the late ’70s—specializes in […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County nonprofit CommUnify hosts a celebration day for its 211 crisis line
The statewide information and referral system 211 provides people with help and human services, disaster relief, and general information about available local resources. Local nonprofit CommUnify oversees the Santa Barbara County helpline, which received 29,505 calls in 2021 and has been helping people since 2014, Community Services Director Kemba Lawrence said. “It’s a staple throughout […]