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 […]
Youth ARTS Alive returns for ninth summer of providing free art classes
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Pop a cork: Vintners across Santa Ynez, Santa Maria, and Lompoc valleys celebrate Pride with wine-based fundraisers
Since its inception, Los Olivos’ Future Perfect Wine hasn’t let a year go by without donating one of its wine’s proceeds to a cause close to owner and winemaker Sunny Doench Stricker’s heart. “I have released a Pride rosé every year since the tasting room has been open, and we just celebrated our fourth anniversary […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Pride Issue 2025
It’s officially Pride Month, and despite the national politics surrounding certain LGBTQ-plus issues, the community is ready to celebrate with events across the Central Coast. As part of our annual Pride issue, Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood speaks with a handful of wineries that are contributing a portion of wine proceeds to support local LGBTQ-plus […]
Posted inOpinion
Rainbows galore
Pride is upon us. It’s here. And I’m ready to flap my wings and tweet and twitter in celebration of the LGBTQ-plus community during their month, June! I’m curious what will happen at the Santa Maria City Council meeting tonight—June 3—as proclaiming Pride Month in June is on the agenda. Will the emboldened haters out […]
Posted inNews
Grocery Outlet marks Orcutt debut with $1,000 donation toward local high school resources
A white bear in a puffy chef’s hat and apron by the name of Osito Bimbo greeted the first customers to step foot in Orcutt’s newest grocery store the morning of its May 15 grand opening. Bringing Orcutt its first Grocery Outlet was a venture into uncharted territory for owner and operator Bryan Lutz, even […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: June 5, 2025
• On May 29, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released a statement in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” which directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to coordinate with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on reforming existing regulations, including time limits on license application reviews. According […]
Posted inNews
Guadalupe appoints nonprofit to accept Royal Theater donations on its behalf
To reassure the public that donations toward Guadalupe’s Royal Theater project won’t be channeled into other uses, city leaders agreed on a new go-between for future contributions. During the Guadalupe City Council’s May 27 meeting, City Attorney Philip F. Sinco explained staff’s reasoning for nominating the Guadalupe Community Action Coalition (GCAC) to fill this role—despite […]
Posted inNews
Solvang City Council introduces potential camping ban akin to 2002 policy
For more than two decades, Solvang upheld a ban against overnight camping on public property. Two years after a 2023 revamp that made temporary camps lawful, the city is calling back to its 2002 stance. Approved 5-0 by the Solvang City Council on its first reading, the potential new anti-camping ordinance prohibits overnight stays on […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County Fire Department announces high fire season recommendations
Wildfire season is here. Don’t want your home to burn down? The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has tips it hopes will help you evade disaster. In the first quarter of this year, the Palisades Fire tore through Los Angeles County, burning more than 23,000 acres of land and destroying more than 6,000 structures. Aiming […]