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

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 […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

Eyebrow raise

Raising your own salary is never a good look.  But it’s something we task many elected decision-making bodies with, from city councils and community services districts to boards of supervisors and sometimes even the Legislature—although not in California. In California, our legislators’ salaries are determined by an independent commission. I bet that the Santa Barbara […]

Posted inNews

Political Watch: March 6, 2025

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined congressmen from Washington state, Texas, and New Mexico in introducing the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act to improve the nation’s aerial firefighting capabilities through expanded use of excess military aircrafts and parts, according to a Feb. 20 press release from Carbajal’s office. The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize military […]

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