Nearly 80 volunteers are still needed to work at Santa Barbara County precincts and polling places during the June 5 Statewide Direct Primary Elections, according to the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters Office. More than 50 of those positions are needed at Santa Maria locations alone. While about 25 of the positions still unfilled […]
More than 50 poll workers still needed in Santa Maria for June 5 election
Posted inNews
Jordan Cunningham hosts talk on human trafficking
California Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) came to Santa Maria on April 20 with one goal in mind—to spread awareness about human trafficking. “It’s the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world,” he told the Sun before speaking in front of a small crowd of concerned citizens, local politicians, and law enforcement officials at […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Owners Gregory and Daisy Ryan launch Bell’s in Los Alamos
It’s hard to grab a word with Greg and Daisy Ryan. That’s not just because their new restaurant, Bell’s, in Los Alamos, is so busy (customers were piled into every table and booth during my visit). It’s because the couple is inundated with well-wishers, many of them family friends who’ve come to support one of […]
Posted inNews
Captive patients: Central Coast jails struggle to care for sick inmates
Kevin Lee McLaughlin woke up in the early morning hours of April 13, 2017, feeling unwell. The 60-year-old inmate had been in custody in the SLO County Jail since late January awaiting sentencing on an assault charge. At 2:30 a.m., he saw a jail nurse for an evaluation. He complained of numbness, tingling, and pain […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Driver carries no cash: Krider misses the days when cash was king
I grew up with money. Now, when I say I grew up with money, I don’t mean I actually had money. As a kid, my family was solid lower middle class, complete with a broken-down Chevrolet on jack stands in the driveway. When I say grew up with money, I mean that if I was […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Allan Hancock College hosts community poetry event
The Allan Hancock College Bookstore, in partnership with the college’s English Department, is celebrating National Poetry Month with a community event on April 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Student Center (building G, room 106A). During the event, called “13 Ways of Looking at a Poem,” the first hour will feature students from […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Arts Council to host presentation for grant winners
The winners of the annual Santa Maria Arts Council Individual Grants in the Arts are set to receive recognition on May 7 at the Marian Theater at Allan Hancock College. Twelve artists working in the media of dance, drama, music, and visual arts will share a prize pool of $13,900. First and second place winners […]
Posted inOpinion
Time for a new sheriff in Santa Barbara County
The men and women of the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriffs Association spoke loud and clear when they chose to endorse another candidate for sheriff. The men and women of the Santa Maria Police Officers’ Association spoke loud and clear when they endorsed another candidate for sheriff. The County Firefighters union spoke loudly when they […]
Posted inOpinion
The whole picture
Some problems are so big, you need a wide-angle lens to see them. That’s how bad conditions are at the Central Coast’s county jails. The Sun and New Times examined both the Santa Barbara County Jail and the SLO County Jail for this week’s cover story. New Times Staff Writer Chris McGuinness landed the 2017 […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Ricky Smith
It’s been less than a year since 12-year-old Ricky Smith’s grandfather, Mike Smith, died. Growing up in Cooperstown, New York, made Mike an avid Yankees fan and a lover of baseball in general, a gene that later trickled its way into Ricky’s blood, too. Ricky, a seventh grader at Tommie Kunst Jr. High School, pitches […]
Posted inNews
Teens share personal experiences with gun violence at April 20 protest in Santa Maria
The group was small, but their voices were loud. Although only about 20 Santa Maria Valley high school students gathered at the intersection of Clark Avenue and Bradley Road in Orcutt on April 20, the intimate local adaptation of another national gun violence protest made a striking impact. As thousands of students at schools across […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen: Rain won’t cancel
April showers bring May flowers, as well as popular and fun hobnobbing opportunities. An event that I call “Twenty Shades of Teal” was held on Saturday afternoon, April 14, at the Santa Maria Inn. The official name was the Teal Journey Ovarian Cancer Foundation third annual Fashion Show and Luncheon. The show attracted a crowd […]
