• U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) recently filed a dozen Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Department of Justice while seeking records of “various episodes of potential executive branch misconduct or corruption,” according to Schiff’s office. One of the FOIA requests asks for records related […]
Political Watch: December 4, 2025
Posted inNews
Taylor Elementary School’s bilingual education specialist scores county accolade
While completing her teaching credential, Gloria Sevilla worked as a student teacher at Taylor Elementary School in Santa Maria, where she eventually returned to take on the role of bilingual education specialist. Her duties range from in-class instruction to essentially working as a case manager for bilingual students with disabilities, she explained in an email […]
Posted inOpinion
Cultural progress
Guadalupe’s making progress, y’all! It’s one step closer to hosting a local farmers market and to reinvigorating its downtown with the Royal Theater renovation. Wow. It’s like hard work and patience—a lot of patience—pay off! And that patience needs to continue to stretch, because the theater hasn’t quite raised all the money it needs to […]
Posted inOpinion
California’s body politic is missing connective tissue
“Energy policy is not within our purview.” This was the response from the California Coastal Commission when recently presented with information about the critical role that Diablo Canyon Power Plant plays in the state’s clean, baseload energy supply. This statement, while perhaps a narrow interpretation of the Coastal Act, is the perfect encapsulation of a […]
Posted inLetters To The Editor
A proposal for a new political party in America to bring us together
In response to Mr. Donegan’s call for the commencement of divorce proceedings by competing factions of the Democratic Party (“Democratic divorce,” Nov. 27)—enough with divisiveness and drama. Herewith, a proposal for a party to unify us: the Boring Party. Slogan: Moderation, and not too much of thatHeadquarters: Lake Woebegone, Minnesota (honorary); Bland, MissouriMascot: A dripping […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
One artist’s inspiration transformed a hay barn into a modern gallery among vineyards in Santa Ynez
In Indonesian, indah means beautiful. Artist Max Gleason and his wife have traveled to the country multiple times, and in 2022 they lived there for six months. Having learned a little bit of the language, indah stuck with him. “The word indah I thought was—no pun intended—a very beautiful sounding word, and the fact that […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Barbara Master Chorale performs at Gainey Vineyard
Catch a family-friendly holiday performance on Dec. 14 in the vineyard with a glass of wine for the adults and cookie decorating for the kids. Headlining is the Santa Barbara Master Chorale, which will sing traditional Christmas carols featuring conductor David Lozano Torres and pianist Heather Levin-White. The program is scheduled for almost an hour […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
El Ermitaño comes to PCPA
The Mexican Christmas play, El Ermitaño, returns to Santa Maria on Dec. 12 and 13. The hour-long show, hosted by the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), is performed in Spanish and filled with music, comedy, and tradition. PCPA is partnering with actors from Tierra Blanca Arts Center, a nonprofit dedicated to offering multicultural art programs to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
If you saw Wicked, you’re going to see Wicked: For Good
Jon M. Chu directs this second part of the film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz spinoff Broadway musical, Wicked, which explores Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her relationship with Glinda (Ariana Grande), the Good Witch of the North. (138 min.) Wicked: For GoodWhat’s it rated? PG What’s it […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Come See Me in the Good Light examines spoken word poet Andrea Gibson’s fight for her life
I first heard about this from comedian Tig Notaro’s podcast Handsome. Notaro is a producer on the film, but more importantly, she was a friend to the late Andrea Gibson and Andrea’s wife, Megan Falley. The two were Denver area poets, and Andrea lost their life this past year to terminal ovarian cancer. Come See […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking is a Wizarding World-centric baking competition
Whoever imagined this match-up certainly had nerds like me in mind. Do you like baking shows? Check. Do you like Harry Potter? Check. Well, Warner Bros. has managed to eke another production out of the magical series while putting the London set to use. Hosts James and Oliver Phelps, who played George and Fred Weasley […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A Templeton farm brightens the horizon for a Santa Barbara County winery
Blending wine is very common, but not the way Michelle Vautier does it. She owns CrossHatch Winery and uses a method called co-fermentation. Instead of blending wines after they’ve fermented, her grapes—usually two or three varieties—are picked from their separate vines on the same day and start fermenting together right away. “I’m the only winery […]