Charged with embezzlement and misuse of city funds, Lompoc 1st District Councilmember Steve Bridge showed no intention of stepping down from the dais after one of his peers called for his resignation. “I will be found not guilty. Therefore, I’ll continue to support and represent every member of the community and District 1,” Bridge said […]
Lompoc City Councilmember Steve Bridge pleads not guilty to felony charges
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Santa Maria Fire Department sees improvements from new dispatch center and internal changes
Anyone in Santa Barbara County who calls for emergency fire or medical help receives the quickest response possible from firefighters thanks to the new regional dispatch center. It’s the same story in Santa Maria, and this year, the city’s Fire Department also made changes to improve efficiency. “You’re getting the closest unit down to the […]
Posted inNews
Buellton Planning Commission green-lights farmers market project
While Guadalupe gets ready to debut its first farmers market by February, Buellton officials are eyeing March as a potential start date to begin one of their own. On Dec. 4, the Buellton Planning Commission granted Brenda Browning a conditional use permit that will allow vendors who participate in her proposed farmers market to set […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: December 11, 2025
•U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), and 27 other members of the California Democratic congressional delegation recently signed a joint letter to condemn the Trump administration’s 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which includes six lease proposals off the coast of Northern, Central, and Southern California. Addressed […]
Posted inNews
The Silly Bee and other small businesses set out to reinvigorate Lompoc
Danny Diaz is focused on bringing Old Town Lompoc back to life. When he moved there a year and a half ago, he’d ask people what there is to do in town but got responses like, “There’s nothing to do here,” and, “Lompoc is boring.” Since then, he’s grown to love Old Town and would […]
Posted inOpinion
Judge Jim
Are unpermitted food vendors actually a problem in Santa Barbara County or has the beef against one stall in Santa Ynez become the loud squeaky Karen that’s garnered all of 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann’s attention? She’s made allegations about human trafficking tied to roadside vendors in the county. She’s made it sound like they’re […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc citizens deserve trustworthy leaders
Political history was made during the public comment period at the Lompoc City Council meeting on Dec. 2. It wasn’t the kind of history any city would be proud of. I have been commenting on the political scene in Lompoc for more than three decades in various publications. During this time, there have been numerous […]
Posted inOpinion
Life is serious, but we can solve more problems with humor
We seem to have forgotten something important in our public life. The world is serious, but it is also absurd. We are surrounded by real problems, real responsibilities, and real consequences. Yet somewhere along the way we convinced ourselves that the only respectable way to face them is with a furrowed brow and a lecture. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A nonprofit’s residency program merges creativity and nature
Somewhere on the 1,000-acre Jalama Canyon Ranch, there comes a point when the oak canopy clears, giving way to manzanitas. Standing on a ridgeline among vegetation and rolling hills, the vista reveals the ocean in one direction and the Santa Ynez River in the other. The scene at the Lompoc ranch is like a microcosm […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc library organizes bilingual story times
Books and Bubbles is returning to Ryon Park in Lompoc on Dec. 19 at 10:30 a.m. The bilingual story time is geared toward toddlers and preschoolers, with games, singing, and bubbles. The upcoming theme, pajama story time, is a first for the program, run by the Lompoc Public Library. Representatives from Sleep in Heavenly Peace, […]
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Gallery Los Olivos artists participate in a communal exhibit
The annual group show at Gallery Los Olivos will be featured through January 2026. It’s an optional show for artists who are members of the gallery and will showcase a wide variety of work including photographs, paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. The show is called a Winter Celebration to encapsulate the diversity of media. “We try […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Jay Kelly is a heartfelt examination of fame and regret
Co-writer and director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story) helms this dramedy written with Emily Mortimer about a famous film star named Jay Kelly (George Clooney) who in the twilight of his career reflects on his life. Always at his side is his devoted but harried manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), who’s constantly […]