Solvang visitors have the chance to gain free admission to the California Nature Art Museum (CalNAM) and meander through its annual holiday marketplace on Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be a free family craft from 10 a.m. to noon. “If you’re looking for unique gifts for your loved ones […]
CalNAM ramps up holiday cheer with annual vendor market
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Submissions open for a new mural in Santa Maria
Artists are invited to submit proposals for a public art project at the Santa Maria Transit Center. The final design will be digitally produced, printed on vinyl, and installed on aluminum panels on the exterior wall of the transit center, located at 400 Boone St. “This project offers artists a unique opportunity to bring color, […]
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The Perfect Neighbor holds a mirror to American entitlement and tribalism
Geeta Gandbhir (Katrina: Come Hell and High Water) directs this documentary composed almost exclusively of police bodycam footage about the Ocala, Florida, neighborhood where Susan Lorincz shot neighbor Ajike Owens through a closed front door. The shooting highlighted Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law. (96 min.) The Perfect NeighborWhat’s it rated? RWhat’s it worth, Anna? […]
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Season 2 of Nobody Wants This follows the complicated romance between an agnostic podcaster and a rabbi
Nobody Wants This (Season 2)What’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2025Where’s it showing? Netflix This show was a smash hit as soon as the first season came out, and in this second season, we dive deeper into the complications of religion and relationships. Noah (Adam Brody) is in line to be head rabbi of his temple, something […]
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A missing children mystery unfolds in Weapons, a psychological horror film now streaming on HBO Max
WeaponsWhat’s it rated? RWhen? 2025Where’s it showing? HBO Max Writer-director Zach Cregger helms this psychological and supernatural horror story about insular Maybrook, Pennsylvania, which suffers the traumatic and inexplicable shock of losing 17 children from a single third grade class who all simultaneously leave their houses at 2:17 a.m. and disappear. Suspicion immediately falls to […]
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The Solvang wine bar serving rotating dishes and local pours
At Clean Slate Wine Bar, the menu changes nearly every day. Unlike other restaurants with laminated pages, the menu at Clean Slate is a big chalkboard that chef Melissa Scrymgeour erases and updates with new dishes. “That’s why we’re called Clean Slate,” her husband, Jason, said about their Solvang restaurant and wine bar. “She puts […]
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Coroner’s conflict: A new state law requires an independent autopsy of in-custody deaths
Dozens of law enforcement agencies across California have less than two years to comply with a new state law, one that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office believes will do more harm than good. Inspired by a 2024 county grand jury report, Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) FACTS Act calls for independent medical investigations of […]
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County takes a closer look at the Sheriff’s Office’s vehicle expenses
When picking the make and model of a rental car, requesting a police cruiser sounds like a prank. But it’s a serious ask for law enforcement agencies that contract with Enterprise for vehicle leases. In 2021, Santa Barbara County entered a five-year agreement with Enterprise to supply the Sheriff’s Office its patrol fleet on a […]
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Santa Maria’s public transportation system goes fully electric
Gamaliel Anguiano remembers when Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) received its first electric bus in 2022. “It’s amazing to see how much the technology has improved over the last three years,” the transit services manager told the Sun. During the first week of November, SMRT was set to receive the last couple of vehicles it […]
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Guadalupe appoints interim city administrator to fill Todd Bodem’s shoes
A nationwide search for a city administrator brought Todd Bodem to Guadalupe in 2019. His resignation in October triggered the city’s next search, underway with applications due on Nov. 30—Bodem’s last day with the city. “To ensure continuity in city operations and leadership during the recruitment and appointment process for a permanent city administrator, it […]
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Political Watch: November 6, 2025
• In an Oct. 30 letter to President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) asked the administration to reverse its tariff policies, which Carbajal described as ultimately functioning to impose hidden taxes on American families and businesses. “Despite claims made by your administration that tariffs would lower prices, they have increased the cost […]
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Ritual Reform puts its signature spin on a new Santa Maria studio with XFormer Pilates machines
Carving out some time to focus on the here and now set the tone for Sarah Whitmore Boe’s present and future, the owner and founder of three—soon to be four—local Pilates studios explained. “My journey to it was really during a time of change in my life. I got sober 10 years ago and really […]