Posted inFood & Drink

Naughty Oak Brewing Company gets nutty with new squirrel mural, affogatos, and soda floats

The long and winding oak Naughty Oak Brewing Company is located at 165 S. Broadway St., suite 102, Orcutt. For more info on the brewery’s ongoing mural scavenger hunt contest (open for the public to participate in through April 15), visit naughtyoak.com/contest. “There were brief moments that I worried that a 25-foot-long painting of a […]

Posted inNews

CenCal Health works to expand healthcare services for local residents through partnerships and implementation of CalAIM

Local lifeline For more information on CenCal Health and the services it provides, visit cencalhealth.org.  To learn more about the CalAIM initiative and how it seeks to transform Medi-Cal, visit dhcs.ca.gov/calaim. One-third of Santa Barbara County residents are members of CenCal Health. In San Luis Obispo County, 1 in 4 residents use the plan. CenCal […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

The music makers: Santa Ynez nonprofit Muffin Music brings performances, education to local schools

Much ado about Muffin For more info on Muffin Music and its offerings, visit muffinmusic.org. Co-founders Sylvia Jiang and Davis Reinhart will present free concert programs on April 11 and 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Unity of Santa Maria and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Santa Ynez, respectively. From an early […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Santa Maria painter Helen Yanez pays homage to her heritage through illustrations and collaborations

Spring showcase For more info on Santa Maria-based artist and freelance illustrator Helen Yanez, visit yanezsart.com. Yanez is one of the featured artists in Corazón Café’s second annual Chingonas show, which opened in early March and is slated to remain up through the end of April. The café is located at 847 Higuera St., San […]

Posted inOpinion

Buellton is the only city directly impacted by Sable Offshore’s pipeline plans

The city of Buellton is in a unique situation relative to Sable Offshore Corporation’s crude oil pipeline, yet city residents’ and city officials’ concerns are being ignored.  To the Buellton City Council’s credit, the mayor recently sent a letter to the county Board of Supervisors explaining Buellton’s perspective and the need to ensure protection of […]

Posted inOpinion

Nasal navigator

Sniff, sniff.  Do you smell that? Of course not. You need a Nasal Ranger to really get a good whiff of odorific cannabis. I don’t mean to make light of the plight of Carpinteria’s cannabis-odor-plagued residents, but tying a Santa Barbara County ordinance to something you wear on your nose is simply too much.  Especially […]

Posted inNews

Political Watch: March 27, 2025

• Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) spoke at the 10th annual Association of California School Administrators Mid-State Conference held in San Luis Obispo about growing challenges to public education at the federal level, according to her office. “As a former public school teacher of 21 years, I know firsthand the dedication and resilience it takes […]

Posted inNews

Planning Commission punts Richards Ranch decision to Board of Supervisors

After accusing Santa Barbara County of acting in bad faith and playing politics, Richards Ranch didn’t get what it wanted: for the Planning Commission to overturn staff’s decision calling the project application incomplete. “Normally, this is not how the county would treat an applicant. I think politics are afoot,” Richards Ranch attorney Beth Collins told […]

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