A coalition of museums in the Santa Ynez Valley is teaming up for Free Museum Day on March 5, when locals can enjoy their collected exhibits with free entry from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The participating museums include the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Carriage House, […]
Enjoy Free Museum Day in Santa Ynez
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Nipomo author Frank Scozzari’s ‘Wind Guardian’ imagines a terrorist attack on a Central Coast nuclear power plant
When the Twin Towers went down after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the collective refrain across the country was “never again.” Life is different in a post 9/11 world. Airport security tightened up in a major way and locations across the country were assessed for how likely they were to be chosen as […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA’s ‘Community Speaks’ project explores free speech
All year long the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) trains its conservatory students to speak with inflections from across the ages, giving voice once again to Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan, Tennessee Williams, and contemporary playwrights. But once a year, ever since the Community Speaks! series began seven years ago, the aspiring actors give voice to people […]
Posted inNews
Strawberry Art Contest accepting entries
Students from all over Santa Barbara County are invited to submit their best artistic interpretation of a strawberry for inclusion in the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival Strawberry Art Contest. The first place winners in each grade category will receive a $25 gift card and a Family Fun Pack for four to the 2016 Santa […]
Posted inNews
Saints showcase their talent
Santa Maria High School students and faculty will showcase their skills during the Saints’ Talent Show on Friday night, March 11. The entertainment starts at 7 p.m. inside the historic Ethel Pope Auditorium, at 901 S. Broadway. Performers include contortionists, pianists, guitar players, dancers, and singers in English and Spanish. The event, which is organized […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Maya Mexican Restaurant
Think about everything that’s happened in the world in the last 50 years, and the Maya Mexican Restaurant has witnessed most of it: the first moon landing, 9/11, the Michael Jackson trial, and everything in between. On Feb. 16, Maya Restaurant owners Teresa and Manuel Paredes celebrated a half-century of Mexican cuisine as they rolled […]
Posted inNews
A hard look: New bill would study economic impact of shuttering Diablo Canyon
The silhouette of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is an iconic and familiar sight for Central Coast residents—two giant bell-shaped reactors perched atop the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Diablo is the state’s remaining operating nuclear power plant, and has both opponents and fans. One side pushes to shut the plant down over seismic […]
Posted inNews
Refugio oil spill pipelines to fall under stricter laws
Plains All-American Pipeline has applied to withdraw its filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), meaning pipeline 901—which is currently out of operation—will be removed from federal jurisdiction and come under more stringent regulation if it reopens in the future. This filing would cancel Plains’ Line 901 tariff, according to Tamara Young-Allen of FERC […]
Posted inNews
Albertsons to make comeback in Lompoc
Lompoc will be getting its Albertsons back, after the grocery chain re-acquired many of the 146 stores it sold to Washington-based grocery company Haggen in December 2014. In an attempt to preserve competition in certain Western states, the Federal Trade Commission required Albertsons to sell 168 of its stores before approving the company’s merger with […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County DA settles pollution case with Lompoc mining operation
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office reached a settlement with a Lompoc mining company accused of polluting a nearby river, according to Deputy District Attorney Kevin Weichbrod. In a lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Feb. 16, Imerys Minerals, which mines diatomaceous earth, is accused of polluting the San Miguelito Creek […]
Posted inNews
Judge declares mistrial in Marjorie Good case
Superior Court Judge Rogelio Flores has declared a mistrial for the murder trial of 90-year-old Marjorie Good on the basis of jury misconduct, according to Good’s defense attorney David Bixby. Good was charged in May 2015 with the first-degree murder of her daughter, Solvang resident Heidi Good. Heidi suffered from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and died […]
Posted inNews
Report claims Santa Barbara County Jail ‘actively neglects’ disabled prisoners
Disability Rights California (DRC) found evidence that Santa Barbara County Jail practices violate the rights of prisoners with disabilities, according to the agency’s report on the April 2015 inspection of the jail. The report listed the jail’s main violations as: undue and excessive isolation and solitary confinement, inadequate mental health care, and denial of rights […]