Katherine Taylor can look at an animal and imagine it talking. The skill has helped the illustrator and muralist create her original creatures with human emotion, namely humor, which comes from the animals’ eyes. “You can’t do funny without having a great eye. It just doesn’t work if the eye’s flat,” Taylor told the Sun. […]
Lompoc
Posted inNews
Cleared out: Lompoc, county clean up Santa Ynez Riverbed encampments with aim to keep it that way
Santa Barbara County’s tally of tents and forts made of tarps and wooden planks in the Santa Ynez Riverbed is 85 fewer than seven months ago thanks to an ongoing cleanup initiative. In her role as the county’s encampment response coordination manager, Katherine Soto-Vasquez doesn’t often dwell on those stats during a typical work day, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Square Perspectives is on display this month at the Cypress Gallery
Square Perspectives, an art show at the Cypress Gallery, is showing until Oct. 26 featuring 12-by-12-inch works created by both professionals and beginners. “This democratic approach creates a visually striking mosaic of styles and techniques and fosters a supportive environment where established and up-and-coming artists can connect and inspire each other,” according to the gallery. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
British-inspired afternoon tea sits at the top of a Lompoc café’s long list of offerings
Customers drive to Lompoc from as far as Los Osos for tea parties at One Room Escapes and Coffee. It’s one of the only places on the Central Coast for a proper, yet affordable, afternoon tea with tiny sandwiches and sweets served on dainty china. Clusters of sofas and lounge chairs create smaller sitting rooms […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc library hosts a book-themed pumpkin decorating contest
The community is invited to participate in a pumpkin decorating competition hosted by the Lompoc Public Library. In the Book Character Pumpkin Contest, participants of all ages are challenged to turn a pumpkin into their favorite literary character. Decorators can use real or fake pumpkins and gourds for their submission. They can decorate with supplies […]
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Federal changes disqualify 7,500 county residents from Medi-Cal at county clinics
New federal policy will prevent Santa Barbara County health care centers from providing services to certain immigrants with Medi-Cal starting next year. County clinics won’t see patients who Medi-Cal determines have “unsatisfactory immigration status” including undocumented individuals, most people with temporary status, and those with Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, according to the county. […]
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The Lompoc botanic society offers a community for all degrees of plant-lovers
Plant puns, snacks, and social hour. Those are three things Christine Zuhlsdorf enjoys about being a member of the Lompoc Valley Botanic and Horticultural Society (LVBHS). “Plant people tend to be pretty happy people,” the nonprofit’s president told the Sun. “Unless you get someone going on gophers.” Or deer, another sore subject for gardeners, which […]
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New on-demand service, increased fares take effect for Lompoc’s public transit
Additions to Lompoc’s public transportation system mean slight fare increases, which went into effect on Sept. 2. The new services are part of the city’s effort to address the evolving mobility needs of the community, City Transit and Airport Administrator Richard Fernbaugh said in an email interview with the Sun. The City of Lompoc Transit […]
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Rule-bender: One Buellton cannabis grower has paid about $2 million in penalties for air quality violations
In the span of two years, Central Coast Agriculture—a cannabis cultivator with facilities in Buellton and Lompoc—agreed to pay nearly $2 million for breaking state and local air quality laws. That sum doesn’t include two pending violations issued by Santa Barbara County’s Air Pollution Control District (APCD) in 2025 awaiting resolution, according to the agency, […]