Shaking windows and a sonic boom awoke Orcutt and Lompoc residents around 7 a.m. on June 8, when SpaceX Starlink group 15-8 launched the Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Once a relatively rare occurrence, rockets are launching from the Vandenberg base with increasing frequency. With each launch comes a sound loud enough […]
Salud Carbajal proposes law to help mitigate rocket launch noise impacts
Posted inFood & Drink
Coast Range steakhouse chef and owner Steven Fretz introduces nonalcoholic drink menu
Sip, sip, hurray Coast Range is located at 1635 Mission Drive in Solvang. For menus and more information, including details about its nonalcoholic cocktails, find it on Instagram @coastrangerestaurant, or visit coastrange.restaurant. After he drank himself into the hospital with cirrhosis last November, Steven Fretz had to be revived. The doctors gave him two choices: […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Offensive lineman-turned winemaker wins Vinter of the Year, celebrates Flying Goat Cellars’ 25th anniversary
Flying high Flying Goat Cellars will celebrate its 25th birthday on June 21, with Full of Life Flatbread and Bob’s Well Bread, along with music by Angie and the Nightmares, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the winery. On Aug. 15, winemaker Norm Yost will be honored as Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance’s 2025 Vintner […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders explores the over-the-counter deaths of 1982 and the potential forces behind them
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix It’s likely we all have a bottle of Tylenol in our cabinet right now for everyday aches and pains. But before I knew the story about the Tylenol murders, I would have never guessed why these bottles are so well-sealed […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Nonnas offers a glimpse into the origin of Staten Island restaurant Enoteca Maria
Nonnas What’s it rated? PG When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix Vince Vaughn stars as Joe Scaravella, a grieving man determined to honor the memory of his late mother by opening a restaurant with Italian grandmothers as the chefs, in this wholesome and engaging based-on-a-true-story comedy. The grandmothers, played by Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Lorraine […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Disney’s live action Lilo & Stitch adds new twists to a beloved story
Lilo & Stitch What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth, Emma? Full price What’s it worth, Libbey? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards Santa Maria & RPX, Movies Lompoc, Regal Arroyo Grande A live-action film based on the 2002 Disney movie Lilo & Stitch, this is the story of a lonely and grieving 6-year-old […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Book Loft in Solvang displays graphic novel allowing kids to write their own adventure
Iranian writer Vahid Imani’s graphic novel, Naji and the Mystery of the Dig, is now on display at the Book Loft in Solvang. Adapted from Imani’s chapter book of the same name, this version offers readers a uniquely interactive storytelling experience. Rather than having the words already filled in, Imani’s novel comes with blank dialogue […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Alma Rosa annual charity walk through the vineyards raises more than $250,000 for mental health
The 2025 Alma Rosa Winery Peace of Mind charity walk raised more than $250,000 to support research on and community services for mental health. On the morning of May 17, more than 250 local community members participated in Alma Rosa’s sixth annual Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction walk. Participants were greeted […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Youth ARTS Alive returns for ninth summer of providing free art classes
Art’s alive! Starting June 16, Youth ARTS Alive will offer free summer classes for children ages 8 to 18 every Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The classes are held at three locations—the Minami Community Center, the Newlove Community Building, and the Grogan Community Center—and culminate with a Visual and Performing Arts […]
Posted inOpinion
Stop targeting trans people, focus on issues
At a recent school board meeting, I stood up to speak—not to argue, but to ask our community to refocus on the real challenges facing our students. What I witnessed that night was deeply troubling: a growing effort to target trans students and trans athletes, often based on fear, misinformation, and political rhetoric. We owe […]
Posted inOpinion
Now is the time to defend our public lands
“Action is the best antidote to despair.” –Joan Baez Public lands and waters are our country’s most popular areas for exploring nature while conserving landscapes, cultural areas, clean water, and wildlife, including the Central Coast’s very own Carrizo Plain National Monument, Los Padres National Forest, and Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. But legislation introduced in […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Pride parties: Local businesses attempt to bring LGBTQ+ nightlife to the Central Coast for Pride month and beyond
Time and place Chido Bar is located at 221 N. Broadway in Santa Maria. For more information, visit facebook.com/ChidoBarSantaMaria or call (805) 631-5007. For more information about Libertine Brewing, visit libertinebrewing.com or call (805) 548-2338. The venue is located at 1234 Broad St. in SLO. To find more Pride events happening during the month of […]