The number of liquor law violations reported in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office’s coverage areas nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024, according to newly released statistics. Chief Deputy Brad Welch, who helped compile the report, said the 89.7 percent increase—from 573 violations in 2023 to 1,087 in 2024—correlates with an increase in enforcement, specifically […]
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office pins increase in liquor law violations on Isla Vista
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G20 casts Viola Davis as a badass U.S. president fighting terrorists
G20 What’s it rated? R When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Prime Patricia Riggen (Under the Same Moon, The 33, Miracles from Heaven) directs this action thriller about U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis), who must tap into her past military experience when terrorists descend on the G20 summit in Cape Town, South Africa. Think of […]
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Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approves road widening attached to Rancho Luis development
Widening a road as part of a proposed Santa Ynez Valley ranch expansion is a focal point for neighbors of the rural site. To move forward with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s approval, the development plan for Rancho Luis—an existing ranch on track to become a certified animal boarding and equestrian training facility—includes […]
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The Amateur follows a CIA analyst out to avenge his murdered wife
The Amateur What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande James Hawes (One Life) directs this vigilante spy thriller about Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), a CIA cryptographer who defies his superiors to avenge the death […]
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Santa Maria Philharmonic, Allan Hancock College Singers collaborate for upcoming concert
To close out the Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2024-25 season, the orchestra welcomes a guest ensemble for a concert—The Sacred and The Profane—that explores the range of human expression on May 3 at Grace Baptist Church. The orchestra will perform a ballet suite from early 20th century composer Darius Milhaud, La Creation du Monde, which […]
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PCPA stages Waitress at Marian Theatre starting April 24
The PCPA Pacific Conservatory Theatre serves up Waitress, a heartfelt tale of love, liberation, and the pursuit of dreams, from April 24 to May 11 at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria. Jenna, a talented piemaker and waitress, dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. With the help of her […]
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A Body in the Snow examines the hoopla surrounding Karen Read’s murder trial
A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Max The Karen Read case is all the rage in the true crime world right now, and this five-part series dives deep into the hazy events of the early morning hours of that January morning in […]
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The Residence is a juicy whodunit
The Residence What’s it rated? TV-MA What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix Writer Paul William Davies—inspired by journalist Kate Anderson Brower’s 2016 book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House—created this TV miniseries about the innerworkings of the U.S. president’s living quarters […]
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Cypress Gallery brings handmade masks, crafts, and interactive art to Lompoc
Solo round Santa Barbara-based artist Mitra Cline’s solo exhibition at Cypress Gallery opened in early April and will remain on display through Sunday, April 27. Visit lompocart.org to find out more. The gallery is located at 119 E. Cypress Ave., Lompoc. Often latched behind Mitra Cline’s bicycle, the local crafter’s mobile art studio has a […]
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Lompoc City Council supports undocumented residents with formal resolution
After filling Lompoc’s City Council chambers for three meetings in a row, Voces Sin Fronteras received an answer to its request for support for the city’s undocumented immigrants. On April 1, the City Council unanimously directed staff to draft a resolution highlighting that support and reiterating existing city policy to abide by state laws restricting […]
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Buellton Planning Commission refurbishes ADU policy to meet state standards
A state agency is calling for Buellton to carve out more elbow room than past years for homeowners seeking to retrofit their property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). In 2022, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviewed Buellton’s ADU ordinance—last updated in 2020—and singled out a few restrictions as inconsistent with […]
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Santa Barbara County upholds Richards Ranch appeal, deems application complete
Richards Ranch in Orcutt continues to move forward with two separate project applications for the same site, thanks to a recent Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decision. On April 8, the board unanimously voted in favor of Richards Ranch, upholding the developer’s appeal of the county Planning Department’s decision and subsequent Planning Commission vote […]
