Cover Story

Jolene Moreno rediscovered her love for dance at Allan Hancock College.  The dancer and Lompoc native had been practicing the art since she was 3 years old, but her former dance studio became a toxic environment for Moreno, she said as she sat outside of one of Hancock’s dance studios. “It was a competition in […]

Rhonda Anderson moved from Casa Del Rio to Del Cielo Mobile Estates after a corporate property management company took over and hiked her rent up by $300.  Now, she’s scared it might happen again.  Del Cielo, an Orcutt-based 55-and-older mobile home park, fell under new ownership just 10 days after Anderson purchased her home and […]

Broccoli contributed $86.7 million of Santa Barbara County’s $1.8 billion agriculture industry in 2023, sitting in fourth place among the county’s top 10 agricultural commodities, according to the 2023 Santa Barbara County Crop and Livestock Report. It’s also a crop that growers use dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) on for weed treatment—an herbicide that was […]

Alice Patino threw her hat in the ring for a fourth term as Santa Maria mayor “to keep the continuity going.” “I want to continue to represent the interest of the communities in Santa Maria,” Patino said. “It’s important for Santa Maria to have a voice at the regional and state level of issues that […]

Following the fire Visit readysbc.org to sign up for Lake Fire alerts or download the Watch Duty app for more, up-to-date information. Before Midland School received mandatory evacuation orders for the Lake Fire, Midland Dean of Academics Ellie Moore drove back to the property several times to retrieve photos and memorabilia from fellow faculty members’ […]

Since 2020, city councils have grappled with the phenomenon of Zoombombing as virtual trolls disrupt public comment with hate speech.  League of California Cities Regional Public Affairs Manager David Mullinax said this issue started during the COVID-19 pandemic as councils attempted to make meetings accessible and socially distanced for the public. “We are grappling with […]

Working out at a gym was a lifeline for Danielle Laudon Ruse after having her son. “I suffered from severe sepsis and preeclampsia after giving birth. Going to work out was significant to my health and well-being and making me feel like I was in control of my body after what had happened,” the Santa […]

There are wants and needs for Guadalupe, resident Shirley Boydstun told the Sun, and while a renovated Royal Theater would be nice, it’s not needed. “It’s a wonderful offering; it is a beautiful drawing for a city that has more money and the ability to handle it. We’re not there yet, that’s for sure,” Boydstun […]