Not long after accepting a coveted award for winemaking innovation at the state’s capital, the Miller Family Wine Company pushed industry boundaries further with a state-of-the-art update. In January, the local producer—the umbrella company that includes Bien Nacido Estates, J. Wilkes, Ballard Lane, Pandemonium, and other Central Coast staples—was recognized as the 2025 Grower of […]
Miller Family Wine Company named Grower of the Year, launches AI sommelier service
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Silent Hour is a tense cat-and-mouse cop thriller
The Silent Hour What’s it rated? R When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Hulu Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Fractured) directs Dan Hall’s debut script about reckless but effective Boston detective Frank Shaw (Joel Kinnaman), who was seriously injured on the job, leading to increasing hearing loss. Sixteen months after the accident, Shaw is beginning to question […]
Posted inNews
LAFCO supports water connection between Santa Maria and Bonita Elementary School
Potable water at Bonita Elementary School is strictly of the bottled variety, at least until a newly county-greenlit plan to connect with a municipal utility comes to fruition. Elevated levels of groundwater nitrates are at the fountainhead of the issue, evaluated by the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) in December 2024, and again […]
Posted inNews
Road to nowhere: Residents remain unable to access Los Padres Forest via Colson Canyon Road after 2023 storms
Multiple signs note Colson Canyon Road’s closure: a big red one along Tepusquet Road a few miles from its intersection and at least three at the dirt road’s entrance. “Colson Canyon Road closed to all traffic including foot traffic,” a green and yellow U.S. Forest Service sign states. The road has been closed since January […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
John Sayles 1994 family classic The Secret of Roan Inish screens March 9 and 10 at the Palm Theatre
The Secret of Roan Inish What’s it rated? PG When? 1994 Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo on March 9 and 10 Just in time to get you in a St. Paddy’s Day mood, the SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre has an offering of Irish-centric films all month, including […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
American Murder: Gabby Petito explores a tragic case of intimate partner violence
American Murder: Gabby Petito What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix All of us true crime fans knew it was coming: the painful tale of Gabby Petito’s final days and the gruesome discovery of who was behind her death. However, Netflix storytelling shines here, focusing much of the three-part series on who […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Last Breath is harrowing tale of survival against impossible odds
Last Breath What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Fair Oaks, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande Alex Parkinson directs this story he co-wrote with Mitchell LaFortune and David Brooks based on his 2019 documentary he co-directed with […]
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California Nature Art Museum showcases Yosemite through the lens of William Neill
An upcoming art exhibition in downtown Solvang celebrates one California-based photographer’s singular views captured in Yosemite National Park. The new solo show—titled Yosemite: Sanctuary in Stone, Photographs by William Neill—will open at Solvang’s California Nature Art Museum (Cal-NAM) on Saturday, March 8, with an artist meet-and-greet reception featuring Neill, from 3 to 5 p.m. A […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Orchids After Dark shines a light on local wine-produced paintings and DJ sets
Orchid kindred For more info on the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show and Orchids After Dark, held March 7 through 9, visit sborchidshow.com. Both events will be at Earl Warren Showgrounds, located at 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Intricate floral arrangements at the 77th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show will take on a new […]
Posted inOpinion
Responses to recent Sun articles
Regarding “Don’t Palestinians have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” (Feb. 27): Unfortunately, the short answer to your question is … no. At least, not until the so-called right-wing Christian Nationalists, who ignore the teachings of the Christ and follow the edicts of an Israelite war god, wake up and realize […]
Posted inOpinion
Questions about Nipomo battery storage
Upgrades better than Moss Landing is not good enough (“Nipomo residents express concerns about battery energy storage plant safety,” Feb. 27). If the Nipomo battery energy storage facility needed upgrades, it was not perfect, and safety is still an issue. Can we do better? Can we even trust that the safety measures and standards are […]
Posted inOpinion
The county’s new ambulance contract doesn’t meet national standards for response times
Response times are very important when defining adequate emergency medical/fire services; the National Fire Protection Association established nationwide consensus standards, NFPA Standard 1710, for those services. For example, the standard specifies that a fire engine with four members is expected to arrive at a medical or fire emergency four minutes after dispatch 90 percent of […]