In the grand scheme of Santa Barbara Humane’s century-long history, the nonprofit’s five-year presence in Santa Maria feels as fresh as a newborn pup. The animal welfare agency’s paw prints on the area recently caught the attention of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, which picked Santa Barbara Humane as its nonprofit of the […]
Santa Barbara Humane scores first nonprofit award from the Santa Maria Valley Chamber
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Political Watch: September 25, 2025
• On Sept. 17, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland), and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act. According to Padilla’s office, the bill would repeal two executive orders, while restoring collective bargaining rights and workplace […]
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Solvang drafts policy updates that regulate vacation rentals
Left untouched since 2015, the rules that govern vacation rentals in Solvang are overdue for a makeover, according to the City Council. In August, the council directed staff to research two separate policy amendments for elected officials to consider moving forward with. One option bans short-term rental use anywhere outside of Solvang’s downtown village district, […]
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District Attorney’s Office takes Sable Offshore to criminal court
Three oil rigs. Five felony counts. More than a dozen misdemeanor violations. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office joined the list of agencies Sable Offshore is under fire from in courtroom settings after filing criminal charges against the Texas-based oil company on Sept. 18. Each of the 21 separate criminal counts are centered on […]
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Federal changes disqualify 7,500 county residents from Medi-Cal at county clinics
New federal policy will prevent Santa Barbara County health care centers from providing services to certain immigrants with Medi-Cal starting next year. County clinics won’t see patients who Medi-Cal determines have “unsatisfactory immigration status” including undocumented individuals, most people with temporary status, and those with Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, according to the county. […]
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Breaking the silence? A recent Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decision aims to get more information about what ICE is doing locally
Hoping to score a vantage point that gives Santa Barbara County a clearer view of local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, the Board of Supervisors recently asked the Sheriff’s Office to publicly disclose its interactions with the federal agency on a regular basis. Disclosures of this kind were previously limited to annual reports, mandated […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Highest 2 Lowest reunites director Spike Lee and actor Denzel Washington in a rousing crime thriller
Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman) directs Evan Hunter’s crime thriller screenplay about music mogul David King (Denzel Washington), who’s the target of a kidnapping ransom plot. It’s a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Japanese film High and Low that was based on American writer Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bien Nacido celebrates 20 years of its estate label, marking its evolution from grape supplier to wine maker
Nicholas Miller’s family has lived in California since right after statehood. For five generations they’ve farmed and grown grapes along the Central Coast. In 1973, Miller’s father and uncle planted 300 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes in Santa Maria, founding Bien Nacido Vineyard, according to the website. Celebrate on the estateBien Nacido’s Cheers […]
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Friendship is a cringe-filled black comedy about a bromance gone wrong
FriendshipWhat’s it rated? RWhen? 2024Where’s it showing? HBO Max Written and directed by Andrew DeYoung in his feature length debut, Friendship tells the cringey story of Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson), an advertising exec whose cancer-surviving wife, Tami (Kate Mara), recently took up with an ex-boyfriend, Devon (Josh Segarra), due to Craig’s emotional unavailability. Craig’s floundering […]
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Unknown Number: The High School Catfish explores the relentless online harassment of teenager Lauryn Licari
Unknown Number: The High School CatfishWhat’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2025Where’s it showing? Netflix Lauryn and Owen were just your typical high school couple—planning for prom, texting incessantly, and hanging with their besties. Things took a turn when both teens started receiving cruel online messages and texts from an unknown cyberbully. The messages often took aim […]
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Santa Maria screens family-friendly movies in the park
Free movies are playing on two upcoming Fridays outdoors in Santa Maria, organized by the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. The city is showing Moana 2 on Sept. 19 and Cars on Sept. 26. Both films will be screened at Rotary Centennial Park, located at 2625 S. College Drive in Santa Maria. Viewers should […]
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A bluegrass and rock concert benefits Santa Barbara County children in emergency foster care
Join the Bullfrogg Blues Band at the Party with a Purpose concert benefiting Santa Barbara County children entering emergency foster care. The Blast Stockyard in Orcutt is hosting the event from 4 to 8 p.m. with food from Blast 825 Brewery. Guests can expect “a soul-shaking, feel-good evening of live music, local eats, and big-hearted […]
