A holocaust survivor brought history to life for more than two dozen Delta High School students during a recent field trip to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The students, who are studying the WWII-era through film, fiction, and coursework, found holocaust survivor Amram Deutch’s life story intense. Deutch described to the students how […]
Students get a lesson in social issues at Museum of Tolerance
Spotlight on: American Self Storage
On the evening of Aug. 11, Paula Hubbard received a phone call from her kids telling her that American Self Storage was on fire. The fire, which filled the immediate area with clouds of black smoke, started around 7:40 p.m. and was out in about an hour. It didn’t touch Hubbard’s living quarters, although American […]
Political Watch 3/10/2016
• Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) recently introduced a bill to help disabled veterans who are transitioning from military service into a second career working in California’s public schools. Senate Bill 1180 will give disabled veterans who are new school employees additional sick leave in their first year of employment so they can attend medical […]
Community Notebook 3/10/16 – 3/17/16
MONDAY, MARCH 14 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at […]
Santa Maria Police Department-led Operation Matador results in the arrests of 16 suspected MS-13 gang members
In the pre-dawn hours of March 3, at least 150 police officers and federal agents from eight state and federal agencies simultaneously served warrants at 12 locations in cities that spanned Santa Maria to Columbus, Ohio. Dubbed Operation Matador, the tightly coordinated effort led by the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) resulted in several confiscated […]
Federal bureau says offshore fracking doesn’t impact environment; Environmental Defense Center says report falls short
Offshore well stimulation treatments, including acidizing and hydraulic fracturing (fracking), do not significantly impact environments in the Santa Barbara Channel’s federal waters, according to a draft environmental review released in February by federal agencies. The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) responded critically to the review, claiming it “falls short in several fundamental respects.” Offshore well stimulation […]
Phillips 66 project public hearings to continue March 11
The Stop Oil Trains campaign has put a call out to “pack the hearing chambers” in SLO County headquarters on Friday, March 11, in protest of a proposed rail extension project by the Phillips 66 oil company. The occasion: San Luis Obispo County’s Planning Commission will host a public hearing on the project. Last month’s […]
Supervisors vote to block Chumash parcel from entering federal trust
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted last week to oppose the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians taking 2.13 acres of land into federal trust. The parcels make up the Mooney-Escobar properties, located south of Highway 246 and east of the Chumash Casino and Resort. Chumash Government Affairs Officer Sam Cohen said the tribe […]
Lompoc City Council says ‘no’ to new fire station
Lompoc won’t be getting its new fire station anytime soon, following a vote by the Lompoc City Council on the long-debated topic last week. Fire Chief Kurt Latipow said the proposed new station was necessary to accommodate additional staff for the fire department, which would allow the department to respond to calls more quickly and […]
Movement of Light: Local entrepreneurs, performers, and artists trick out flow arts and festival installations with LEDs
Helianthus Enormae – The giant luminous sunflower from PhotonicBliss on Vimeo. This is a sculpture by Chad ‘fez’ Gaetz wish I had the pleasure of getting to program. It is a 25 foot tall steel sunflower, and it is so fun to climb on. 🙂
Taste of Solvang kicks off: The little Danish village packs a serious culinary punch
Trying to figure out what to do next weekend? Yeah, me neither. Let me rephrase that: Trying to figure out where to eat next weekend? I’ve got a suggestion. Next week kicks off the 24th annual Taste of Solvang, aka probably the best reason you’ll ever get to blow off that not-so-hot date you’ve got […]
PCPA seeks housing for summer actors and technicians
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is asking Santa Marians for their help in housing actors and technicians who will help the conservatory with summer productions. Extra rooms, apartments, and guest cottages that are available beginning in May are needed, and anyone who can rent out a space to a traveling actor or technician is asked […]

