Since 2018, local artist Elizabeth Chaney and Full of Life Flatbread have teamed up to raise money for charity. What started with a portrait of Anthony Bourdain and a special menu with Bourdain dishes that donated 20 percent and 10 percent of the proceeds, respectively, to suicide prevention has become a yearly occasion. “We have […]
Buy a painting and raise money for charity at Full of Life Flatbread
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Pacific Conservatory Theatre seeks housing hosts for its summer internship program
Room to grow Local residents interested in providing accommodations for a PCPA intern can find more information on how the informal housing arrangement works at pcpa.org/housingnetwork. To apply to be a host, visit pcpa.org/hosthousing. Toward the end of May, the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) in Santa Maria will welcome more than 70 technical theater interns […]
Posted inOpinion
All mobile home park residents deserve rent control
Rent control in Santa Barbara County mobile home parks only benefits month-to-month tenants; those with leases are exempt from rent control. Rent increases for residents with leases is at the discretion of the park owner and average 4 to 8 percent for up to five years or more. As prices go up, rents go up, […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s high noon for the politicized judiciary and the reckless executive branches of our government
We are approaching a constitutional crisis with a confrontation between a politicized and overreaching judiciary, and a reckless president who is smashing the political norms that have enabled our system to function. The balance of power between the three branches of government is getting shaky. Currently, the Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches, […]
Posted inOpinion
Rules to develop by
Buellton’s about to get one of the only art deco Arco’s in the United States. After seven long years of fighting the city over its Avenue of Flags design requirements, Arco gave in! “I think you guys know me very well by now. We’ve been here many times,” Alex Cuevas told the Planning Commission, which […]
Posted inNews
Choreographer and ‘dance doctor’ Suzy Miller lends youth theaters a hand
The best dance moves occasionally come to light when someone falls out of sync with the rest. “I’m big on mistakes,” choreographer Suzy Miller told the Sun. “There’s no mistakes [really], only unexpected solos. … A lot of my stuff is: ‘You know what you did right there? Keep that.’” This approach is especially helpful […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Flying Goat Cellars creates a buzz around local beekeeping efforts
Bee there Flying Goat Cellars invites everyone to join them for an educational bee event on April 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1520 E. Chestnut Court, Lompoc. More information can be found at flyinggoatcellars.com/blogs/news/down-to-earth-month-2025. Honeybee hives consist of the queen bee, the worker bees, and the drone bees, creating a complicated yet “magical” […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: April 24, 2025
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently announced the reintroduction of the Housing for All Act, described as “a comprehensive approach to address the homelessness and affordable housing crises in California and across the nation,” in an April 21 statement from Padilla’s office. The […]
Posted inNews
Two gas station projects pivot to meet Buellton’s art deco standards
Under the same ownership for about 30 years, Buellton’s Shell station on Highway 246 is gearing up for an expansion to allow more pumps. But not without a new look mandated by the city. Owner Peter Hong, founder of the Conico Oil Company, is seeking to demolish the station’s convenience store and other structures on […]
Posted inNews
Los Padres National Forest expected to be affected by executive order that expands logging
Amid a slew of executive orders from the Trump administration, one to expand logging efforts has a local nonprofit worried about the potential impacts for endangered species, erosion, and wildfire prevention Los Padres National Forest. On March 1, the executive order “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production” ordered the streamlining of logging permitting throughout the […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Planning Commission approves Sears remodel for incoming grocery store
Boarded up since early 2020, the shuttered, former home of Sears in Santa Maria is due for a makeover in the eyes of its owner and some city officials. During its April 16 meeting, the Santa Maria Planning Commission approved a permit for a proposed remodel of the empty two-story building attached to the Santa […]
Posted inNews
Avoiding disaster: Santa Maria aims for de facto moratorium on new battery energy storage facilities
Santa Maria aims to keep battery energy storage system (BESS) projects out of the city with a new set of rules still waiting for final approval. The overlap between specific industrial areas where BESS facilities are allowed and spaces near residential or agricultural uses where they will be banned will make the city’s sign-off impossible, […]