They had arrested three by the first week. Lompoc Police Chief Pat Walsh told the City Council members on Sept. 18 that the individuals had been found roaming the borders of the homeless triage center on the north side of River Park. They were charged with trespassing. A few days later, officers made their fourth […]
Lompoc triage center set to close on Oct. 10
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes violinist Amy Sze to the main stage for Tchaikovsky concerto
Amy Sze isn’t old enough to vote in the midterms, but this kid already has one impressive resume. A 17-year-old violinist who grew up in Pismo Beach, Sze now studies at the Crossroads School of Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica and violin at the Colburn School. Her list of awards, recognitions, concert credits, and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Minita Gandhi brings her one-woman show ‘Muthaland’ to PCPA
Minita Gandhi was always drawn to acting, even as a young girl. But she never thought she would one day be on the stage, telling her own story to a room full of strangers. “I didn’t grow up with the arts as a possible career choice,” she said. “It wasn’t until later in life that […]
Posted inOpinion
Parrots and police chiefs
Spend enough years at a newspaper and you get really good at smelling canned PR statements. You don’t even need to be in the business that long to smell something real fishy, like Staff Writer Kasey Bubnash did at a recent hearing in Santa Maria to consider a merger between Dignity Health and Catholic Health […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc to declare ‘shelter crisis’
In a bid to mitigate costs for its extensive homeless cleanup and relocation project, Lompoc’s government is prepared to declare it is in a “shelter crisis.” The announcement is expected to come at the next City Council meeting on Oct. 2 and will open the door for tens of thousands of dollars from the state’s […]
Posted inNews
U.S. Department of Justice to fight ban on chlorpyrifos
It’s been a chaotic few days for chlorpyrifos, and several state and federal agencies are taking totally different stances on the pesticide’s use. Just days after the California Department of Pesticide Regulation announced on Sept. 19 a proposed regulation that would further restrict the use of chlorpyrifos on California crops, the U.S. Department of Justice […]
Posted inNews
Cuesta writers conference inspires best selling novels, Netflix shows
She was so scared she couldn’t even bring herself to get out of the car. So Teri Bayus sat in the parking lot at Cuesta College until she summoned the courage to get out and walk over to registration to sign up for the Central Coast Writers Conference. After all, her husband had double-dog dared […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Mackenzie Webb
When it comes to running, Orcutt Academy High School senior Mackenzie Webb goes the distance. Webb’s natural athletic ability and competitive personality have led her to great achievements throughout her fruitful cross country career, according to head coach Frank Mata. She often leads the pack at meets, and Mata said she holds nearly every school […]
Posted inNews
City Council approves application for grant needed to fund field trips
At Los Flores Ranch Park, naturalists use the park’s native oak woodlands to show kids that science really does rule. “It’s just amazing how many of these kids never get out to an open space or to our forests,” said Susan Tuttle, education coordinator at Los Flores Ranch. “So they really don’t understand how important, […]
Posted inNews
Proposed Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives merger met with questions
Dignity Health may be aligning its services with Catholic Health Initiatives, and community members across California are worried about what that might mean for women and the LGBTQ community. The nonprofit health care providers announced plans to merge in December 2017. The move, if approved, would make the aligned organizations the second largest nonprofit hospital […]
Posted inNews
Solvang City Council fine with accessory dwelling units, but will regulate
Solvang’s housing stock will be bolstered by accessory dwelling units (ADUs) for the foreseeable future, but first the city must grapple with how best to regulate them. “This is a big discussion happening all around the United States,” said Holly Owen, the city’s Planning and Community Development director. Owen told City Council members on Sept. […]
Posted inNews
Nipomo environmental activist Dill Deneen dies at 93
The self-described “eco-hooligan” and retired Santa Maria Valley biology teacher Bill Deneen passed away on Sept. 24 at the age of 93. A resident of Nipomo, Deneen was well known at Central Coast public meetings and newspaper opinion pages, including the Sun‘s, for his stances on environmental preservation, access, and other issues. He taught biology […]
