What began as a tin-roofed, three-room shack gradually evolved into a 3-acre education center for young women in a rural village in India near the city of Kolkata—where the school’s Lompoc-based founder was born and raised. “I grew up with my mother telling me, ‘Finish the food on your plate, they’re starving children outside the […]
Lompoc resident and PACE founder raises funds for all-girls school near Kolkata, India
Posted inNews
Political Watch: August 21, 2025
•U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) spearheaded a recent letter—co-signed by 45 government officials—that urged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offices to launch an investigation into the department’s stops, arrests, detentions, and deportations of U.S. citizens. “Sweeping enforcement operations by [DHS] agents—particularly within Immigration and Customs Enforcement—threaten the safety, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Better Sister is twisty whodunit amid sibling rivalry
The Better Sister What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Prime Chloe (Jessica Beil) and Adam’s (Corey Stoll) seemingly perfect life hides some dirty little secrets—ones they work hard to keep quiet. Chloe is a powerful editor-in-chief for The Real Thing, a feminist magazine that she’s determined to helm meticulously. When Adam fails […]
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Animals return home after being evacuated from Gifford Fire
The large animals evacuated due to the Gifford Fire are back at home as of Aug. 19. Starting on Aug. 2, the Horse Emergency Evacuation Team (HEET) of San Luis Obispo County helped facilitate the evacuation of around 50 animals including horses, goats, llamas, donkeys, and pigs. Animals were evacuated from Huasna, Ranchita, Santa Margarita, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Nobody 2 delivers a satisfying dose of violent comedy
Nobody 2 What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us) directs this sequel to the 2021 original about Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), a seemingly docile family […]
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Red Cross provides safe parking for evacuee during the Gifford Fire
Often wedged between Dave Hild’s van dashboard and windshield, the retired zookeeper’s road maps range from blueprint-style scrolls to thick, paperback atlases. “These don’t require batteries or a signal, and I can drop them in the creek and they’ll still work,” said the former Charles Paddock Zoo employee, who’s lived off-grid in his van for […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA’s Frozen musical auditions open soon for young actors
Young actors are invited to audition for the Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) production of Disney’s Frozen. Auditions start at 10 a.m. on Aug. 23 at 900 E. Stowell Road in Santa Maria. Actors should memorize approximately one minute of a song from a musical to perform and bring sheet music for the provided accompanist. The […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Best of NSBC 2025
You’ve worked hard to get here. You’ve struggled, failed, and overcome. You’ve built your business through hard work, teamwork, and thankless work. And I’m here to tell you two things: First, it’s paid off. And second, this is just the beginning of your storied life as one of Northern Santa Barbara County’s best. So savor […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
An indie movie with local ties plays in Santa Maria for one night only
Umbag, an independent Filipino-American film, will be playing in Santa Maria on Aug. 25. Rosemarie Dumadara Koerner, a member of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, executive produced the movie, and her daughter, Marie Dumadara, stars in one of the leading roles. “The story delves into universal experiences of family dynamics, sibling rivalry, and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A Lompoc artist strengthens the community with art clubs and shows
See the show Visit the Creating Through Chaos show through Aug. 24 at the Cypress Gallery, which is located at 119 E. Cypress Ave. in Lompoc. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Reach Manic Creative online at maniccreativeart.com or on Instagram at @maniccreativeart. Mixed-media artist Jasmine Gonzalez moved […]
Posted inOpinion
‘American silence is a crime’
With so many humanitarian atrocities continuing to happen here locally on the Central Coast, in our state, across the United States, and globally, I’ve spent many sleepless hours pondering how I’ve become so disillusioned and frustrated with Americans. Until this year, I’ve been proud to be an American and part of our society that I […]
Posted inOpinion
The land itself is the area’s biggest loss in the aftermath of the Gifford Fire
The Gifford Fire has been burning in two counties for a couple of weeks. This fire, combined with a previous burn in the same area, has incinerated well over 200,000 acres of vegetation; that’s more than 300 square miles of now barren land. The immediate losses, millions of dollars in losses, are associated with ranches, […]