Although Guadalupe is surrounded by agricultural fields, what they produce doesn’t often make its way into local households. “We find ourselves in this position in North Santa Barbara County and Lompoc where food is grown all around us,” said Shelby Wild with Route One. “There’s very few, if any, opportunities in those communities where people […]
Home Small Feature
Posted inNews
Gifford Fire scorches more than 82,000 acres east of Santa Maria
Less than a week after the Madre Fire was declared 100 percent contained, it was dethroned by the Gifford Fire as California’s largest wildfire of the year. Both wildfires impacted several areas along Highway 166, prompting evacuation warnings and orders across different parts of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. While the Madre Fire […]
Posted inNews
Buellton City Council overturns Planning Commission’s denial of Waldorf school project
Less than an acre in size, a vacant sliver of Dairyland Road in Buellton bookended the month of July for city officials who couldn’t agree on a private school proposed for the site. During its July 3 meeting, the Buellton Planning Commission voted on back-to-back motions for the Hundred Hills School project’s approval or denial, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Solvang’s nature and art museum displays William Neill’s photos in Yosemite: Sanctuary in Stone through August
Valley magic Located at 1511-B Mission Drive in Solvang, the California Nature Art Museum is open Thursday, Friday, and Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. William Neill’s Yosemite: Sanctuary in Stone exhibit is on display until Aug. 31. For more about the exhibit, visit […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Cal Poly’s Strawberry Center shares research with farmers during July field day
In eight years, the cost of growing strawberries in California has increased by 40 percent. In 2016, farmers spent about $62,000 per acre of the red berry. By 2024, they were paying $105,000, according to Mohammad Amir Aghaee, who leads the entomology program at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. “When you have a situation like […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Stories of local foster youth in Trauma to Hope exhibit now on display in Santa Ynez
Hope in art Located at 3596 Sagunto St., the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and the From Trauma to Hope: Stories of Foster Care exhibit is on display until July 26. For more about the exhibit, visit at sbcasa.org. It was past midnight when a […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Clementine Carter pours cool climate Rhônes from the Sta. Rita Hills in Los Alamos
No two vintages of Clementine Carter are the same. “You should be able to read each vintage in each bottle,” owner and winemaker Sonja Magdevski said. “Everything that happened that year should be in this bottle.” The soil, sun, wind, rain, frost, temperature. The hands that tended the vines, the decisions that were made and […]
Posted inNews
Buellton drafts motel reversion ordinance to help ‘revitalize’ Avenue of Flags
Some motels along Buellton’s Avenue of Flags gradually evolved into offering long-term housing without city permission over the past two decades, City Manager Scott Wolfe recently told the Planning Commission. Wolfe also described the motel conversion trend as contradicting the city’s vision for the area as a commercial corridor, which is outlined in the Avenue […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc police apprehend alleged serial shoplifter of Ulta merch worth $150,000-plus
Suspected of multiple thefts at Ulta Beauty branches across the country, Jennifer Hurtado was recently arrested in Lompoc for allegedly stealing more than $7,000 worth of cosmetics from three different Central Coast stores. According to a July 10 statement from the Lompoc Police Department, Ulta Beauty management told local authorities that Hurtado is linked to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Gallery Los Olivos hosts Deborah Kalas exhibition showcasing birds from Santa Ynez Valley, across country
Spreading her wings Find Deborah Kalas on Instagram and Pinterest or at deborahkalas.com. Located at 2920 Grand Ave., Gallery Los Olivos is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit gallerylosolivos.com or call (805) 688-7517. Lying on her stomach in mud, Deborah Kalas shivered for hours as she photographed American avocets […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Lompoc’s Pali Wine Co. triples operating grounds, announces 20th anniversary celebration for August, adapts appointments for tastings
Pali Wine Company’s 2024 Market Price orange wine blend bursts with pineapple, mango, and tangerine. The 2023 P.C.H. rosé of pinot noir has a zip of acidity and a refreshing wave of delicate red fruit flavors. The 2021 Jetty red wine offers up raspberries, strawberries, and cherries. You’re invited Pali Wine Co. will celebrate 20 […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Chumash illustrator John Khus highlights cultural heritage, fight for social justice with colorful imagery
When pen meets pad Chumash artist John Khus has been keeping the spirits of his Central Coast ancestors alive for more than four decades. You can find him on Instagram @john.khus. A faceless Statue of Liberty with flowing, black hair dons a colorful array of Indigenous tattoos. The white “Be Human” book she holds in […]