Is phasing out fossil fuels a good or even feasible idea? This is a question that none of the so-called “experts” who want to stop this county and eventually the entire nation from using this readily available resource have considered. You know who they are, the “what if” folks that are well funded by the […]
Shifting away from fossil fuels isn’t a good idea for the county or the state
Posted inOpinion
Tri-tip tradition
Tri-tip sandwiches are the bread and barbecue sauce (or salsa) of fundraising in the Santa Maria Valley. Need to raise money for a school basketball trip? Tri-tip barbecue! Need some funds for soccer uniforms? Tri-tip barbecue! Senior center field trip? Barbecue. Nonprofit low on dollars? Barbecue. Santa Barbara County just made it a lot harder […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: September 4, 2025
• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), David Valadao (R-Hanford), and Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation to use federal dollars for programs that provide safe overnight parking locations for people experiencing homelessness and living in their vehicles, as well as supportive services, like rapid rehousing services and facilities like […]
Posted inNews
A Santa Maria nonprofit seeks donations for farm-working students who took part in a new arts and culture program
Amid the heat of Central Coast ICE enforcement this summer, leaders of Corazón del Pueblo knew they needed to help local students. Their goal was to develop a safe space for high schoolers, many of whom are the children of Indigenous migrant farmworkers or who are farmworkers themselves, Executive Director Esmeralda Garcia told the Sun. […]
Posted inNews
Carla Mead leads Buellton City Council vacancy election with 60 percent
Determining who will take the Buellton City Council’s vacant 4th District seat rests on the results of the August vote-by-mail special election. While those results are set to be certified by Sept. 12, the city’s semi-official reports show candidate Carla Mead in the lead with 60 percent of the votes. According to an Aug. 29 […]
Posted inNews
New on-demand service, increased fares take effect for Lompoc’s public transit
Additions to Lompoc’s public transportation system mean slight fare increases, which went into effect on Sept. 2. The new services are part of the city’s effort to address the evolving mobility needs of the community, City Transit and Airport Administrator Richard Fernbaugh said in an email interview with the Sun. The City of Lompoc Transit […]
Posted inNews
Board of Supervisors passes retail food fee adjustments by a split vote
The time it takes local food regulators to clear hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and other snack bar sales at Little League games is not reflected in the current costs of those inspections, according to Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services (EHS). The department recently pitched an update to the county’s retail food facility fee policy—untouched […]
Posted inNews
Rule-bender: One Buellton cannabis grower has paid about $2 million in penalties for air quality violations
In the span of two years, Central Coast Agriculture—a cannabis cultivator with facilities in Buellton and Lompoc—agreed to pay nearly $2 million for breaking state and local air quality laws. That sum doesn’t include two pending violations issued by Santa Barbara County’s Air Pollution Control District (APCD) in 2025 awaiting resolution, according to the agency, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A muralist returns home to Lompoc, aiming to inspire students through affirmations and art
Follow along In the future, Jose Bustos plans to paint more murals in Lompoc and experiment with new media like spray paint. Follow Jose Bustos on Instagram @jose_bustos_art. In 1992, when Jose Bustos was 12 years old, he painted his first mural. He created the design for an art contest at Arthur Hapgood Elementary in […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: August 28, 2025
•In an Aug. 21 statement, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, commented on the recent passage of a package of bills allowing California voters to determine whether the state should temporarily redraw its congressional maps through 2030 to counter the Trump administration and Texas Republicans’ partisan […]
Posted inNews
Solvang DRC ‘spars’ with city staff about regulating art murals
Holiday decorations and hours of operation are among the types of signs that businesses and private property owners can freely display in Solvang without a city permit. Distinguishing between what kinds of signage is under the Solvang Design Review Committee’s (DRC) purview and what might be exempt from the city’s upcoming sign ordinance update has […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc continues pushing for county to annex land for housing
Lompoc is still in the middle of a long-standing debate with Santa Barbara County over annexing two parcels of land into the city to pave the way for a housing project. Bodger Meadows would provide 200 single-family homes and 140 apartment units. The apartments range from studios to three-bedroom units, and 20 percent of the […]