Local fine arts students proudly present their creativity at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery through May 7. The Allan Hancock College gallery is located on campus in Santa Maria, and the show is free of charge to the public. “The exhibition brings together work from students across a variety of disciplines and media, highlighting the creativity, […]
Allan Hancock College students display artwork on campus
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Left-Handed Girl is a stunning family drama shot on iPhone 13s
Shih-Ching Tsou (Take Out) directs this script co-written with her longtime creative partner Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Anora) about single mother Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) and her two daughters, rebellious high school dropout I-Ann (Shoh-Yuan Ma) and precocious 5-year-old I-Jing (Nina Ye), who open a noodle stand at a bustling Taipei night market as they […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Valentina follows a young woman battling poverty and an oppressive system
ValentinaWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Friday, April 24, 7:45 p.m., at the Palm Theatre in SLO; and Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m., and Monday, April 27, at 1:15 p.m., at Downtown Centre Cinemas in SLO. Tickets at slofilmfest.org. Tatti Ribeiro directs this tale of Valentina (Keyla Monterroso Mejia), a young woman […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Birds of War follows a love story that grows out of war coverage
Birds of WarWhat’s it rated? R When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Friday, April 24, 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. at Downtown Centre Cinemas; and Monday, April 27, 4:30 p.m. at the Palm Theatre in SLO. Tickets at slofilmfest.org. Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak co-direct this script they co-wrote with story consultant […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Pick up your next sourdough loaf from a new Santa Maria farm stand
Ready to be slicedFind everything you need to know about Elizabeth Nunez’s business on Instagram @homemade_heritage_. Customers receive the farm stand address after placing an order online. Homemade Heritage will also be at the Old Town Orcutt summer farmers market starting May 20. Making sourdough is a little bit like teaching first grade. “It’s a […]
Posted inNews
Checkout aisle: New housing restrictions impact long-term motel tenants on one corridor in Buellton
There’s at least one framed photo in 34-year-old Cesar Garcia’s living room that tends to elicit a physiological reaction from first-time visitors. Within days of departing from the White House, Joe Biden posed with Garcia in early 2025 for a selfie at Mission Santa Ines—where the Buellton resident has regularly attended Sunday mass since he […]
Posted inNews
County supervisors discuss balancing budgets to quell deficits
Trying to work its way out of the red, Santa Barbara County is considering almost $71 million in reductions for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Multiple departments are facing layoffs and program reductions if the board approves the budget in June. On April 13, the Public Health and Social Services departments presented financial plans to the […]
Posted inNews
County Planning Commission sends ban on future oil drilling to supervisors
Most of the oil produced in and around the Santa Maria Valley is considered “heavy.” It’s not refined into gasoline or jet fuel. Rather, it’s often used to make products like asphalt—but maybe not for very much longer. “That’s what we specialize in, as most of the oil production onshore in Northern Santa Barbara county […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria City Council appoints Ricardo Batalla to 1st District
Abraham Lincoln’s decision in 1861 to appoint three of his political opponents to his cabinet should have helped steer Santa Maria officials’ approach to filling a recent City Council vacancy, in resident Gale McNeeley’s view. “Mayor Patino, you can be the Abraham Lincoln of Santa Maria. I know you don’t look like him, but you […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: April 16, 2026
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) recently led 10 colleagues in strongly opposing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule limiting the application of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, under which states and tribes would effectively be unable to regulate many of the water quality impacts of hydropower dams within their lands. The […]
Posted inNews
County Behavioral Wellness Department combines services at a new Lompoc outpatient clinic
Seeking mental health help and resources for substance use disorder can be daunting. The county is trying to make the process a little easier at the Lompoc Behavioral Wellness Service Center. Adults and youth in the valley can now access resources for mental health and substance use all under one roof. The county’s new Lompoc […]
Posted inOpinion
Power plays
How much power does a local government have to change existing uses? Turns out, local governments think they have a lot of power. They seem to have the power to kick people out of their homes, the power to force property owners to change the use of their properties, the power to kill people’s livelihoods, […]