Tucked away along the Tularosa Road offramp of California Highway 246 lies a quaint purple slice of heaven. Buried deep within the greens of the Santa Rita Hills, a field of bushes showcases violet buds so densely packed that from a distance they look like an amethyst-colored sheet. Lizards scurry, bees buzz, and hummingbirds and […]
Category Feature
Posted inOpinion
Insane fireworks
Fireworks are already popping off in northern Santa Barbara County, and we’re still a couple of weeks away from the Fourth of July. Surprised? Nope. Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Lompoc—not to be dramatic, but the city streets turn into a bit of a war zone as darkness descends on Independence Day. You have to be careful […]
Posted inOpinion
Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 6 is on the cusp of being repurposed to better support Falcon 9 launches
Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) on south Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) was first developed in the early 1960s to support the manned orbiting laboratory program. According to the National Museum of the Air Force, the manned orbiting laboratory “never reached fruition, but a great deal of developmental work was accomplished before it too was […]
Posted inOpinion
Some protest signs have gone too far
On Saturday, June 14, when we drove to Walmart with my grandchild at Central and H streets, we caught the light twice and watched the demonstrators for about a minute or so each time. As I scanned the crowd, I was shocked to see three handmade signs and a few more printed signs that said […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria artist Tommy Ruiz highlights unconventional beauty with surrealist imagery expressing the trans experience
Trans-forming narratives As a trans man, Santa Maria artist Tommy Ruiz illustrates conventional people with bizarre body parts to highlight unorthodox forms of beauty. You can find him on Instagram @bunniesaregay. Tommy Ruiz was lying in bed as a 13-year-old girl when he suddenly realized he was transgender. It was July 2015. Caitlyn Jenner had […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Tacos El Pirata Mayor treats North Broadway to authentic Mexican cuisine
Keep your eyes out The Tacos El Pirata Mayor food truck parks at 1203 N. Broadway in Santa Maria and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., Fridays from 5:30 to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 4 to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 4 to 10:30 p.m. Find Tacos El Pirata Mayor on […]
Posted inNews
Targeted tactics: Northern Santa Barbara County cities try to get a handle on illegal fireworks in the sky and on the ground
Whether the risk of being fined $1,000 discourages illegal fireworks use in Guadalupe or not, two longtime residents said they’re hoping to make the city feel like less of a “warzone” when July 4 rolls around by targeting offenders’ hearts rather than their wallets. “We sort of went with the approach that we appeal to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
28 Years Later is a postapocalyptic coming of age tale
28 Years Later What’s it rated? R 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, Regal Arroyo Grande Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire) directs this third installment of the zombie franchise. Original writer Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club will host local wineries, eateries to raise funds for Old Days
Wine and dine On June 21, Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club will host Vine2Wine, Brews & Bites at 429 Leslie St. at 6 p.m. About two dozen wineries will fill glasses to pair with food served by local eateries. Tickets are available at my805tix.com for $65. Any remaining will be sold at the door on […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce declares to close June 30
The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce will close June 30, according to a June 10 Facebook post from the chamber, which blamed the City Council’s decision to “abruptly and drastically cut funding.” “This is more than a budget cut. It’s the potential loss of a vital community pillar,” chamber President/CEO DeVika Stalling wrote. “We are […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: June 19, 2025
• On June 12, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) was forcibly removed from U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles, while “exercising his duty to perform congressional oversight in the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California,” according to a statement from Padilla’s office. “[Padilla] tried to ask […]
Posted inNews
Veggie Rescue delivers fresh produce donations throughout Santa Barbara County
A side from dialing Veggie Rescue’s phone number, local growers don’t need to lift a finger to gift surplus food to community members in need of a helping hand. Based in Santa Ynez, Veggie Rescue travels via box truck to multiple farms and businesses across Santa Barbara County for pickups of excess fruits and vegetables […]
