The Board of Supervisors’ newest addition will either be Santa Maria City Councilmember Maribel Aguilera or Santa Maria-Bonita School District Board member Ricardo Valencia. Aguilera—a local attorney and registered independent—received endorsements from the Santa Maria Police Officers’ Association, Santa Maria Firefighters Local 2020, California School Employees Association, Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis […]
Santa Barbara County
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County supervisors will include new Orcutt library in budget talks
If Orcutt residents want to borrow books, they can visit a branch of the Santa Maria Public Library in Old Town that sits on a leased plot measuring less than 5,000 square feet. However, community planning documents from nearly 30 years ago predicted population growth that would warrant a library more than three and a […]
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Santa Maria high schoolers harvest and donate 100 boxes of produce
In a landscape as rich as the Santa Maria Valley, Iris Valdez has been exposed to agriculture in her classrooms for years. The Pioneer Valley High School senior craved a more hands-on experience, so she enrolled in plant and soil science at the local career technical education (CTE) center and has already harvested watermelon, corn, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A former engineer hangs her first show at CalNAM
Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan was prepared for a peaceful, solo hike with her dog this spring in the Sierra Nevada. She set up her easel and started painting at an elevation of 10,000 feet. As skies darkened and snow began to fall, Gopalakrishnan noticed that her 5-year-old labradoodle—a “strong hiker” who carries her own pack—was interested in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Escape with fellow misfits to Cypress Gallery
There’s always something peculiar inside Lompoc’s art showroom. Anyone who needs convincing may browse the Cypress Gallery through Nov. 29 while The Island of Misfit Art is on display. Gallerygoers will find locally crafted holiday art and gifts. “Whether you’re hunting for a one-of-a-kind gift, looking to add something new to your own collection, or […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
County arts and culture office ranked top in the state
Santa Barbara County earned more than $250,000 from the state for its efforts in engaging the creative community. California acknowledged the county’s Office of Arts and Culture with the highest possible ranking in the 2026 State-Local Partnership program. For the past five years, Santa Barbara County has topped the charts compared to other arts agencies. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
An Orcutt couple rolls ice cream for their hometown
With the proper technique, rolling ice cream isn’t difficult. For Lucy Genge, it’s fun and satisfying. Each order is custom-made. The ice cream shop owner pours a liquid ice cream base on top of a cold plate that sits at minus 22 degrees. Then, she presses the cream down with two scrapers, spreading it super […]
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State approves Point Sal conservation petition
A unanimous vote from the California Fish and Game Commission granted new safeguards to roughly 9 square miles of marine habitat off the coast of Guadalupe. “I understand how hard it is to lose yet another fishing area,” Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin said at the hearing. “However, the Chumash people were displaced. Their lands taken. Forced […]
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Explore the history of View-Master 3D through a Santa Maria resident’s new documentary
Dave Machin’s hobby collecting View-Master 3D toys started by chance when he picked one up at an antique shop in San Luis Obispo. He clicked through travel reels of destinations like Yosemite, Chicago, and Miami. “What occurred to me was that these are now antiques, so all these pictures of these places were like 70 […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria calls for artists to design a bench at Jim May Park
The theme “living waters” should inspire local artists interested in creating a new public art installation at a Santa Maria park. Digital submissions related to plants, wildlife, and the lake at Jim May Park are due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 13. “The selected artist or team will receive a $1,000 award, and the winning […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Esther Jacobsen Bates wins the county’s 2026 arts leadership award
Solvang native Esther Jacobsen Bates has spent 30 years dedicated to supporting arts education and cultural organizations in Santa Barbara County. For her dedication, she received the county’s Leadership in the Arts Award at the Oct. 6 Board of Supervisors meeting. “Over time, I discovered that my strength was not making art but helping others […]
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Four candidates contend for two seats on the high school district board
Tackling overcrowded local high school classrooms is one major issue for those running to fill seats on the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District board. In 2024, the district’s bond measure aimed at building a new high school to address the issue didn’t receive enough votes to pass. Diana Perez, who’s running for the […]
