Bring the whole family to a free concert called Fly Me to The Moon on Jan. 31 for an hour of classical music combined with the story of the history of flight. The show begins at 11 a.m. at the First Christian Church of Santa Maria, and registration is required to reserve seats. The orchestra, […]
The Santa Maria Philharmonic puts on a free orchestra performance
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is good but gory
Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels) directs this fourth installment of the 28 Days Later franchise, the second film in what’s being billed as the 28 Years Later trilogy. Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Ex Machina, Civil War) returns as screenwriter. Taking up where 28 Years Later (2025) left off, the story follows young Spike (Alfie […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
People We Meet on Vacation presses familiar rom-com buttons
People We Meet on VacationWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Quite literally pulled from the storyline of one of the greatest rom coms ever made, this very When Harry Met Sally flick presents us with two opposites who end up being magnets. Both Boston College students, both from Nowheresville, Ohio—that seems […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency is an artistic response to California’s destructive wildfires
Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual EmergencyWhat’s it rated? Unrated When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Cuesta College Performing Arts Center, Wednesday, Jan. 28 (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; reserve your free spot at eventbrite.com) Directed by Bay Area queer icons Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens, this 2025 documentary is their artistic response to the devastating 2020 CZU […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Small production winemakers gather at their crush facility for an open house tasting event
Two presses. One destemmer. Countless barrels of grape juice. At a 15,000-square-foot warehouse on Easy Street in Buellton, seven small-production winemakers share a custom crush facility. Many don’t have official tasting rooms, relying on wine club memberships and online sales for distribution. Readers’ discountBuy tickets for the Easy Street Wine Collective open house on Jan. […]
Posted inNews
Stacking up: Lawsuits against Lucia Mar school district allege sexual abuse, negligence
San Luis Obispo County’s largest school district faces three lawsuits filed within the last six months alleging child sexual abuse, assault, and negligence at the hands of its employees. A Mesa Middle School student, a Grover Beach Elementary School student, their guardians, and two former students at Dana Elementary School filed separate complaints against the […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc could fix its streets with proposed sales tax measure
Lompoc City Council members took the next step toward placing a half percent special sales tax measure dedicated to road and sidewalk maintenance on the ballot. The decision was informed by the city’s first FlashVote survey that asked respondents about city improvements and the tax measure. On Jan. 6, the council voted 3-2 to move […]
Posted inNews
Solvang considers removing Design Review Committee from sign permitting process
Time. Place. Manner. Case law shows that the legal limits of monitoring free speech and assembly go hand in hand with the objective rules a city can adopt to regulate signage and art—including murals—used by privately owned businesses. Over the past nine months, Solvang’s staff and legal advisors have cited U.S. Supreme Court cases, including […]
Posted inNews
Buellton installs the county’s first public pet microchip scanner stations
Typically found in veterinary offices and animal shelters, a pet microchip scanner can quickly help someone who’s found a stray animal—if it’s been microchipped—arrange a reunion with its owner. Although its availability is limited by working hours, staffing, and other factors tied to locations that carry scanners, the Santa Barbara Animal Care Foundation (SBACF) is […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: January 15, 2026
• On Jan. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a $348.9 billion budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year. A press release from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office stated that the budget maintained funding for key services, especially in areas where the federal government has pulled back. “As we craft our state budget—the guiding policy […]
Posted inNews
Pre-applications and life-changing opportunities open at Buellton Garden Apartments
In the late 1960s, a small group of people wanted to help their neighbors with low-income housing issues in San Luis Obispo County. Founded in 1970, People’s Self-Help Housing has built affordable housing across the Central Coast over the last six-plus decades, most recently in Buellton. People’s Self Help opened up pre-applications for 89 one-, […]
Posted inOpinion
Government hawk
Sales tax ballot measure proposal season is here! I know it’s not officially a season, but it should be. In the run-up to election season, local governments ponder all the things they could do with a little extra sales tax revenue. In Lompoc, during this season of proposals it’s all about the roads. They need […]
