• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a statement after the Senate confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as next Supreme Court justice. The contentious confirmation process was the source of national controversy after allegations of sexual assault made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford were held by Feinstein’s office in […]
Political Watch 10/11/18
Posted inOpinion
Were you aware?
So many problems in our community and the greater society seem to languish, becoming monstrous, almost insurmountable issues before anything ever gets done to address them. Why? Well, most of the time we just don’t know about them, or we aren’t listening to those who’ve been speaking up. In our over-saturated society, everyone is clamouring […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Maria Beer Fest brings enters third year with 35 brewers ready to pour libations
What kind of a beer drinker are you? I’m not asking if you’re a fun drunk or an angry drunk, I’m asking your preferred brew: Is it light beers? The hoppier Indian Pale Ales (IPAs)? Or maybe you’re like me, and you go for something dark and smokey, like a stout? Maybe you don’t know […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Prairie home compatriot: Folk singer/songwriter Tom Brosseau returns to Lompoc Wine Factory for solo show
When it comes to American folk music, the voice is everything. From the operatic power of Joan Baez to the raspy Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, those voices are what helped launch obscure songs into the pop audiences’ ears. And when those artists gave voice to their own poetry, people listened. For the North Dakota-born folk singer-songwriter […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Spirited away: Exploring the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose
I was expecting the Winchester Mystery House to be tucked away in a forest outside the city limits like Wayne Manor. Either that or in the middle of Nowhere, with a capital N (the unearthly, Lynchian wasteland in Courage the Cowardly Dog). You can imagine my surprise upon finding the landmark among bustling streets, sharing […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Painter Art Mortimer returns to Lompoc for Mural in a Weekend
Lompoc is adding a new mural to its collection, and the public has an opportunity to participate in its creation. Mural in a Weekend, which takes place Oct. 6 through 7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., will offer the community a chance to pick up a brush and put their own strokes into the […]
Posted inNews
Local high schooler brings awareness to childhood cancer
Garhett Carter was only 2 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer that most commonly affects the adrenal glands in young children. He was only 4 when the disease killed him in 2012. The months leading to Garhett’s death were filled with long hospital visits, astronomically expensive […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Domestic Violence Solutions
For more than 40 years, Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) has provided resources for Santa Barbara County families in need of protection from abusive spouses. The nonprofit is the area’s sole full-service operator with 24-hour emergency shelter and services for domestic violence victims. DVS currently manages three shelters in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. The […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc to contract out dispatch center to either county or Santa Maria
In the five years Pat Walsh has been police chief in Lompoc, he’s hired 16 people to supplement the city’s understaffed emergency dispatch center. Not a single one works there today. It’s problem he says isn’t new for the Central Coast city. “Before I started here, one chief told me that at one point […]
Posted inNews
Money fight: Millions pour into the 24th District Congressional race while candidates take aim at each other’s donations
It takes a lot to win a congressional election: A message that appeals to voters, a dedicated staff of paid operatives and volunteers, a well-organized ground game, and lots of money. The race for California’s 24th Congressional District, which includes Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, is no exception. The race, a rematch between […]
Posted inNews
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoes campus abortion bill
California universities will not be required to offer medical abortions, according to one of the governor’s last ever vetoes. Gov. Jerry Brown signed and vetoed a slew of his last bills as California’s leader on Sept. 30, and Senate Bill 320 didn’t make the cut. The bill, which would have required each of the state’s […]
Posted inNews
Sheriff’s pot task force destroys thousands of pounds of cannabis in September
It’s been a busy month for the newly activated Sheriff’s Cannabis Compliance Team, the law enforcement arm tasked with eliminating Santa Barbara County’s illegal marijuana cultivation sites. Since Sept. 6, deputies and collaborating police officers destroyed more than 15,000 pot plants with what they said had an estimated street value of $7 million to $9 […]
