Dawson’s CreekWhat’s it rated? TV-14 When? 1998 to 2003 Where’s it showing? Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ After the recent and untimely death of James Van Der Beek at age 48 due to colorectal cancer, I—and probably a lot of women my age—was sent into a nostalgic tailspin. It seems just yesterday that the weekly show rotation […]
<i>Dawson’s Creek</i> is pure late-’90s and early-2000s nostalgia
Posted inFood & Drink
The Culture food trailer wants to give you the best smashburger you’ve ever eaten
During the busiest shifts at his food trailer, Willie Galvan can crank out a smashburger in 10 or 11 minutes. When there’s no line, he can do it in five. “The buns take longer to toast than the burgers,” the Santa Maria native said. After an order comes in, he toasts the buns and heats […]
Posted inNews
You can stay here: Solvang may stop new short-term rentals in suburban neighborhoods
From a zebra-themed bed and breakfast to a permitted treehouse in someone’s backyard, Solvang resident Max Hanberg has booked some pretty wild vacation getaways in his lifetime. He and his wife were already frequent users of Airbnb and Vrbo by the time they began using both platforms to list a short-term rental of their own […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County supervisors approve overtime, equipment to deal with unlawful food pop-ups
One freezer. Two steel storage containers. Six months of designated overtime. To improve and increase its enforcement efforts against unlawful food pop-ups across Santa Barbara County, Environmental and Health Services (EHS) recently asked the county Board of Supervisors for an extra $42,000. More than 75 percent of the sum will fund overtime hours for up […]
Posted inNews
New affordable senior housing is coming to Santa Maria
The city of Santa Maria is one step closer to breaking ground on 85 new senior housing units at the corner of Broadway and Stowell Road. A new three-story building will sustain 54 units, and an additional 31 will be added to the existing Vandenberg Senior Residence property. Apartments will be available for people 55 […]
Posted inNews
Guadalupe abandons Brown Act route for Royal Theater committee
Over the past six months, the Guadalupe City Council has discussed its intention to form a Brown Act advisory committee to oversee the Royal Theater revival project multiple times. In September 2025, the council voted 4-1 (Councilmember Christina Hernandez dissented) to appoint a five-member board. On Feb. 24, Councilmember Whitney Furness motioned to uphold that […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: March 5, 2026
• On Feb. 28, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement in response to the Trump administration’s military strikes in Iran. “Congress was not given any information that would indicate there was an imminent threat coming from Iran. Without such credible evidence, there’s no justification in sending our servicemembers into this conflict,” stated […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc Valley Chamber aims for a reset
Calling all to LompocTo learn more about goings-on at the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce, visit lompoc.com or call (805) 736-4567. Its new office is located at 109 S. H St. next to Certain Sparks Music. In 2009, the Air Force brought Melanie Lindley to Lompoc. She discovered a love for the area and decided […]
Posted inOpinion
‘Shock and awe’
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has overtime on the brain. Only this time, it’s not the Sheriff’s Office taking up space on the meeting agenda. It’s Environmental Health Services (EHS). If you’re a public-facing business that could potentially be hazardous to public health, you know what this agency is all about. But the […]
Posted inOpinion
Learn to share: There’s space at the Oceano Dunes for everyone to use the beach how they want
The use of the Oceano Dunes offroad vehicular area has remained a lively topic of discussion locally. Sun Jan. 15 and 22 opinion sections contained a couple of pieces opposing the use of the area by off-road vehicles, and the topic pops up frequently in often heated debate (“Oceano deserves a vehicle-free beach,” and “Restore […]
Posted inOpinion
Our democracy is under attack
We have lived over half a century in this lovely idyllic locale and through many uncertain and traumatic events and times. However, none compare to what is happening at this moment in time—none! To say that we are living in an unprecedented time cannot be overstated or over-emphasized. As such, our individual and collective responses […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Discovery beckons all ages and experience levels to the Old Orcutt Yarnery
Lisa Long learned how to knit at a Del Taco 15 years ago. At that point in her life, her routine was a long cycle of working, cooking dinner, studying for her degree, and falling asleep in the early hours of the morning. She needed to reactivate her creative brain. “I called a friend of […]