As thousands of U.S. Forest Service workers get the axe amid mass federal staffing cuts, the Los Padres Forest Association is also feeling the impacts of loss, slowing its capacity to improve trails and preserve local wilderness. Los Padres Forest Association (LPFA) Executive Director Bryan Conant said that the nonprofit’s primary purpose is to assist […]
Los Padres Forest Association projects stalled amid federal staff cuts
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County Animal Services launches livestock registry to help with wildfire evacuations
Cattle, horses, pigs, llamas, and ostriches were listed during a recent town hall in Solvang dedicated to wildfire preparation and evacuation protocols across the Santa Ynez Valley. Sarah Aguilar, Santa Barbara County Animal Services director, was among the March 31 panel’s featured speakers, alongside 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, county fire officials, and elected officials […]
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Man who flew drone over Vandenberg pleads guilty to breaking federal law
A Chinese national who took photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) with a drone pleaded guilty in March to violating the national defense airspace. According to a plea deal reached with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Yinpiao Zhou—a Chinese citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States—was sentenced to time served in prison (four […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
If watched for free, Kraven the Hunter is dumb fun
Kraven the Hunter What’s it rated? R When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Oh, Marvel, what nonsense can’t you spin? Meet Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), whose father, Nikolai (Russell Crowe), is a Russian gangster. Sergei gets mauled by a lion while protecting his half-brother, Dmitri (Fred Hechinger), but the lion drags Sergei to a little […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Holland is an off-kilter thriller with twists and turns
Holland What’s it rated? R When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime This psychological thriller features Nicole Kidman as Nancy, a typical small-town teacher with a husband named Fred (Mattew MacFayden) and 13-year-old son named Harry (Jude Hill). The three seem to live a quiet, predictable life in their small town of Holland, Michigan, where […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Death of a Unicorn satirizes greed with a dose of family drama
Death of a Unicorn What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande In his feature-length debut, writer-director Alex Scharfman helms this horror comedy about Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) and his teenage daughter, Ridley (Jenna Ortega), […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Valley Senior Citizen Club encourages festive hat wearing at next dance concert
Riptide Big Band will provide live music during The Way You Wear Your Hat Dance, at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center in Santa Maria, on Sunday, April 13, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Guests of the event are encouraged to wear their favorite hats, and those who do will be eligible for a special prize […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Gallery at Monarch Dunes’ spring showcase highlights Nipomo-based artists
Paintings, photographs, and mixed media are among the artworks featured in the Gallery at Monarch Dunes’ spring showcase, a new group exhibition scheduled to debut with an opening reception on Friday, April 4, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The exhibit highlights pieces by multiple members of the Trilogy Art Group and is slated to remain […]
Posted inOpinion
The environmental cost of the space boom
In 2023, there were 211 successful orbital launches worldwide—98 by SpaceX, a record it matched in 2024. Vandenberg Space Force Base set a record 51 launches in 2024, with projections to double in 2025. While promoted as a national security necessity, most of these launches are commercial. As SpaceX accelerates launches off the Central Coast, […]
Posted inOpinion
America deserves better than this
As an elder, I’ve lived through many political crises in this country—but I have never seen an attack on our democracy like this. In the past, there was bipartisan opposition to lawlessness. Today, the guardrails are being dismantled before our eyes, and we must sound the alarm. The damage this administration has done to our […]
Posted inOpinion
Take a look at whether government operations are expedient, efficient, or cost conscious
In private businesses, big and small decisions are made much quicker than in government. The management team makes a presentation to the board of directors and action is taken. In government, it can either be the professional staff or a group of “concerned citizens” that approach the elected officials, who then discuss the issue, sometimes […]
Posted inOpinion
The long haul
If you were a legal resident of the U.S.—not a citizen—and had to choose between flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base or being a pro-Palestinian protester on a college campus, which would you choose? One is illegal and the other riles up the delicate sensibilities of the Trump administration but is legal under […]