Cover Story

 “Newspapers are dead.” It’s a familiar refrain ringing in the ears of journalists across the country. But they aren’t dead, yet. Well, actually, some newspapers are, in fact, dead. But some are still going strong, while others are struggling to fit in with a digital-first world, and still others are turning the traditional model on […]

Sea lettuce lives to be thrashed by salt water. Paper thin, opaque, and a little rubbery, it spends life on the rocks that live in the intertidal zone, constantly battered by the foam that crashes onto the shore—unless, of course, the tide’s out.  A soft earthy green enveloped in the curlicues of itself, the algae […]

It’s just past 6 p.m. when Francisca Vargas walks down the stairs of her house and takes a seat on the edge of an ottoman in the living room. Kids scatter from the room as she reaches for the remote and turns off the TV. She takes a deep breath, and gathers herself after a […]

Fire seasons in 2017 and 2018 caused the residents of California to take a long, hard look at themselves, their electricity providers, the way their forests are managed, what their evacuation plans look like, and whether their homes are protected. Communities on the Central Coast face fire yearly, from Lake Nacimiento to the forested hills […]

At the heart of the city, on Broadway and Main Street heading west, there is a building that reminds one of a bygone era. Entering the site under a distinctive black awning, visitors are greeted by a two-tiered staircase with intricate molding and craftsmanship.  Corazón del Pueblo Cultural and Creative Arts Center of the Santa […]

Standing only a few inches off the ground, a Western snowy plover scurries down a sand dune and across a flat stretch of beach searching for bugs to eat in a clump of kelp that’s washed ashore. Weighing about 2 ounces, its tiny frame carries just enough weight to leave faint impressions of its quick […]

The Central Coast has a thriving LGBTQ community, so where are all the gay bars? BY KASEY BUBNASH As a teen, Rory Uribe fantasized about going to a gay bar or club and finally being able to be unabashedly gay in public.  Uribe, who uses nonbinary pronouns, has lived in Santa Maria their whole life, and […]

From catering to brick-and-mortar, Creme De La Ice Cream brings fresh ideas to change the ice cream game BY KAREN GARCIA Whenever summer decides to grace us with its presence, certain treats are a must at picnics, Fourth of July parties, and community gatherings. Among fresh watermelon, pies, and lemonade, the vital ingredient to a […]

A picture is more than just the image it portrays. It encompasses the way the photographer who captured it sees light and dark, angles and lines, animate and inanimate. Each snapshot is as unique as the person holding the camera. Since 1994, New Times Media Group has invited local photographers to show us life from […]