It’s still a long and windy road before commercial cannabis regulations are set in stone in Santa Barbara County, but officials are already seeing dividends in the form of tax revenue. According to Assistant CEO Dennis Bozanich, the county’s lead on cannabis enforcement, compliance, and regulation, around $1.8 million in taxes were collected from 30 […]
Santa Barbara County collects first pot taxes while tightening enforcement
Posted inNews
Holloway’s Christmas Tree Farm keeps business fresh with a family focus
It’s early and it smells like pine as Carl Holloway inches his John Deere tractor across the Nipomo property where his family has sold Christmas trees for decades now. Calling over the sound of the chugging engine, Holloway gives some direction to his two farmhands, local kids he’s hired to help him prepare for the […]
Posted inNews
It’s holiday time!
It’s the time of year again, when you dust off those boxes full of lights and tinsel and deck the halls with festive cheer. No matter how you celebrate the season, the Sun has your back with its annual Holiday Guide. Learn about an opportunity to make your own greetings cards, a Christmas tree farm […]
Posted inNews
SLO Jewish community to hold annual ‘Hanukkah Downtown’ in wake of Pittsburgh massacre
Mission San Luis Obispo may be best known as a landmark of Catholicism, but for eight nights in December, Mission Plaza transforms into an ecumenical hub. The 5-foot-tall wooden menorah holding burning candles stands right next to a towering lit-up Christmas tree. A “spin the dreidel” station is steps away from Santa Claus’ house. Traditional […]
Posted inNews
Christmas without kids
As difficult as it is to admit, I understand that holidays are mostly meant for young children. I don’t mean that fourth serving of your mother’s stuffing or that bowl of rum-heavy eggnog your uncle whips up every year. Clearly that’s the stuff we adults put up with all the insanity of the holidays for. […]
Posted inNews
Season’s greetings: Local workshops celebrate the art of holiday card crafting
There are only two kinds of people in this world—those that start listening to Christmas music after Halloween and those that wait until Thanksgiving is over. I’m a card-carrying member of the former, and I’m pretty sure most of the participants of Suzy McBride’s Stampin’ Up workshops are too. Well, at least the one I […]
Posted inNews
County supervisors hear report on Lompoc’s homeless triage center
The Lompoc homeless emergency shelter, or triage center, closed on Oct. 9 of this year but not before county social workers were able to assist some 70 affected individuals. According to Lompoc Police Capt. Deanna Clement, about half that number made what she called “positive moves.” At least three were relocated to permanent housing; […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Torta-tastic: Deli Delicias’ tortas are a big hit in a small space
Humberto Hernandez opened his first restaurant at the age of 16 in Jalisco, Mexico. He had spent the past five years learning to cook at home and working in kitchens and thought he was ready to take the next step. “We had a little bar and food,” he said. “It was hard because it was […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Local bands reunite for Thanksgiving Eve show featuring Joe Kidd and The Gash
The holiday season is the perfect time to get a band back together. First of all, everyone comes back to town for the holidays, so it’s easier to get people together for a show. That goes for both band members and the prospective audience, explained local singer-songwriter Joe Kidd, whose group Joe Kidd and The […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Former Central Coast journalist pens wine country thriller
The hills of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County are dotted with wine grapes as far as the eye can see. But in those twisted vines, former Santa Maria Times journalist Steve Corbett saw something more–a tale of bloody vengeance and even enlightenment. After five years of covering undocumented immigrants, outlaw bikers, the Michael […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Bold fold: Robert Salazar’s visionary origami work draws attention to conservation issues
Scrolling through Robert Salazar’s website yields some unusual finds. The artist, scientist, and activist, known for his intensely detailed origami works of art, has a lot going on besides folding paper. His website has tabs for “Research,” which lists projects such as Challenging Freshwater Scarcity with Solar Origami and Origami Inspired Transformers for a Lunar […]
Posted inOpinion
Tuesday surprises
It takes a lot to surprise this old bird, but the midterm elections on Nov. 6 did just that. Well, I wasn’t surprised by all of it. I rightly predicted (“Political exhaustion,” Nov. 8) that Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) would send his challenger Justin Fareed home, again, and help shore up the Democratic Party […]