Dave Bemis has volunteered with many nonprofits in his life, but never at a start-up like the Santa Ynez Valley Children’s Museum. He experienced new challenges in his role as the president of the board. “It’s hard to recruit people and to raise money for something that doesn’t exist yet. It’s hard to explain to […]
Santa Barbara County
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A little magic: LARPing creates community, fun, and fantasy in Santa Maria
For everybodyAll are welcome to watch from the sidelines or spring into battle with Watchers Keep on the first and third Sundays of the month at Rotary Centennial Park. Get your live-action role-playing on from noon to 4 p.m. at 2625 S. College Drive in Santa Maria. See @watcherskeepamtgard on Instagram for behind-the-scenes clips and brush […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Lark + Sparrow creators soar to sports bar heights with Loon & Crown
Running out of mantel space to display all those Little League trophies you’ve held onto since childhood? Orcutt’s new sports bar has got you covered. “The walls are lined with trophies from our community,” Loon & Crown co-founder Micaela Buchanan told the Sun. “We built some shelves and ask our customers to bring in their […]
Posted inNews
Rematch: Jeremy Ball and Jim Mosby are battling in another Lompoc race, this time to become the city’s next mayor
For the second time in six years, Lompoc is asking voters to choose between Jim Mosby and Jeremy Ball. The two City Council incumbents previously squared off in 2020 for the 4th District seat, which Ball won. Mosby’s successful run for mayor against Jenelle Osborne in 2024 put him back on the dais—where he’s served […]
Posted inNews
Police use drones as first responders in Lompoc
Two Flock Safety drones launching from the roof of the Lompoc Police Department have been responding to emergencies in the city since August. The extra eyes in the air help officers locate subjects and navigate difficult terrain within a 3-mile radius of the station. “I think it’s been helpful in multiple cases,” Community Services Sgt. […]
Posted inNews
State and local leaders condemn ICE arrest on Hancock campus
A resolution to acknowledge National Immigrants Day hit the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ desk nearly 24 hours to the minute after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a father of five in Santa Maria. “While dropping his daughter off at Allan Hancock College, he was taken into ICE custody. The circumstances of his […]
Posted inNews
County urges residents to prep for winter flood risks
Amid early October’s heat wave, excavation work at Mud Lake—one of Orcutt’s designated stormwater basins—remained ongoing, in preparation for a potentially much different forecast this winter. “We’re doing a massive earthwork project where we’re excavating the Mud Lake basin to improve its capacity,” Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Resources Director Matt Griffin said […]
Posted inArts
One of Fossemalle Dance Studio’s first students returns as a teacher
The Fossemalle familyTap right into Fossemalle Dance Studio, located at 3595 Numancia St. in Santa Ynez. Call (805) 688-8494 for information about dance classes or visit fossemalledancestudio.com. Sarah Longoria has spent much of her life in a dance studio. Growing up in Solvang, she remembers putting on a pink petal-sleeved leotard for the first time […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Civic Theatre delivers spooky season vibes with a new musical
A half-boy, half-bat creature is the star of the latest community theater production in Santa Maria. Bat Boy: The Musical hits the Santa Maria Civic Theatre stage on Oct. 9. The cult classic follows Bat Boy, who was found in a cave and taken in by a family in small-town West Virginia. “As he struggles […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Glasrose hits one year of selling its nonalcoholic sparkling verjus
Verjus for you?To learn more about verjus and how to purchase a bottle made by Glasrose, visit glasrose.com. Follow along on Instagram @glasrosefarm for content about the founders’ sober lifestyle on the vineyard estate. Sara Hershkowitz and Max Hoetzel went on precisely one date before COVID-19 shut the world down. She was living in Germany, […]
Posted inNews
Solvang Teamsters strike moves into third week
Two weeks into the first city employee strike in Solvang’s history, labor negotiators met in closed session with the City Council on Sept. 28. The following morning, Solvang’s unionized members of Teamsters Local 986 made good on their word to remain on strike until the city offers a contract they agree to ratify. “The strike […]
Posted inNews
Despite parking concerns, Guadalupe City Council unanimously approves new housing
Builders got a green light to put up seven new apartments with eight parking spots on an empty lot in Guadalupe. On Sept. 22, City Council members approved the affordable housing project at 855 Pioneer St., which was proposed by the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County. However, some concerned residents believe there isn’t enough […]
