A financial planner and owner of a company that manages a Santa Barbara County winery and restaurant was sentenced to four years in prison by a federal judge in a San Antonio, Texas, courtroom on June 27. Charles Banks—founder and former CEO of Terroir Life, a company that manages wineries and restaurants including Qupé and […]
Financial advisor gets 4 years for wire fraud
Posted inNews
Noah Scott dies after battle with leukemia
Noah Scott, a Lompoc teenager diagnosed with leukemia, died June 30 after days battling both the cancer and a fungal infection. On that day, Noah’s father and Lompoc police officer Charles Scott posted a message on the Team Noah Facebook page. “It’s with great sadness that Kristin and I say goodbye to our Noah,” Charles […]
Posted inOpinion
Where do you waste the most time online?
Kailani Cabanting student “YouTube. Since it’s summer, probably five hours a day.” Nicki Cabanting staffing coordinator “Facebook, maybe combined one to two hours a day.” Gary Langley student “Snapchat, probably three to four hours.” Vanessa Meraz student “Social media. In total about four hours.”
Posted inOpinion
Pain in the …
I might come off a little grumpy this week. I’m sorry about that, but I’ve got an excuse—my back hurts! You could call it an occupational hazard of sitting at a desk all day. I bet some Santa Maria Police Department officers are going to be dealing with some lower back pain come mid-July. They’ll […]
Posted inNews
Orcutt Academy students paint mural for hospital patients
Nine Orcutt Academy art students painted a new mural for the Marian Regional Medical Center’s terrace, a popular spot for patients and visitors. The mural was unveiled on June 16, and depicts the landscape of the Santa Maria Valley, according to a release from Dignity Health. Orcutt Academy High School’s advanced art teacher Dona Kintzi […]
Posted inNews
Cyber citizens: Technology is redefining educational tools in the classroom and setting the stage for students’ future online presence
Elementary school projects used to consist of macaroni pasta shells, toothpick bridges, and soft pipe cleaners. Today, Baywood Elementary School students in Los Osos use a 3-D printer to make materials for their projects. Third-grade teacher David Curran said the possibilities are endless when it comes to technology and the tools that can be used […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Whiskey Bent BBQ of Buellton can’t stop winning prizes for their food
When Matt Dockstader and his friends Raymond Williams and BJ Anadon entered their first official barbecue contest at the Santa Maria Elks lodge, things didn’t really go as planned. “We lost miserably,” Dockstader said, laughing over the phone. “We went down in a big ball of flames. It definitely made us go back to the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Summer camps in Santa Maria focus on art and writing
You’re a pirate, rocking back and forth as your ship hits a storm, trying to make shore and look for your treasure. You’re on a rocket ship and you meet a giant alien. You’re a deep-sea diver and you find a magic city underwater. These imaginary adventures are the kinds of situations children could find […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
On the up and up: Nipomo opens town’s only art gallery
Drive too fast on North Thompson Road in Nipomo and you just might miss it. But right across the street from Jocko’s Steak House, there it is, a cute nondescript wood building painted gray with succulents peeking around the edges. Step inside and you’ll see art by local artists covering nearly every available inch of […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: KT’s All Star Gymnastics
In the age of video games, tablets, and YouTube, kids are tanking more and more time with electronic devices. Getting them moving has become all the more important. That’s why gymnastics, like those taught at KT’s All Star Gymnastics at the Santa Maria Town Center, are so important—they instill the art of movement. The coaches […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
We’re all doomed
For many of us, most days just feel like it’s the end of the world, but there are actually a lot of people out there who believe that the end of the world is indeed nigh. I recently discovered that one prophetic group had predicted last Saturday would be the end of the globe as […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA Costume Designer donates sketches to Hancock
Judy Ryerson (pictured), who designed more than 1,600 costumes for 64 PCPA productions, recently donated three boxes of costume-design sketches to Allan Hancock College. Laid out end to end, the sketches span almost three football fields, Ryerson said in a release from the college. After 30 years designing for PCPA productions, Ryerson felt like it […]