Looking at Santa Barbara County’s probation routine for formerly incarcerated youth with a fresh pair of eyes, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley is also providing those juvenile offenders with a new face. “I believe, and research shows, that young people thrive when they have adults who care about them in their lives. So, getting another […]
Santa Barbara County
Posted inNews
Guadalupe is building its first skate park at Las Mujeres Park
Skaters in Guadalupe are excited. Right now, the closest skate parks are located in Santa Maria and Nipomo, but that’ll change when construction on Las Mujeres Park is complete. Instead of driving 20 minutes away, Guadalupe residents will be able to walk 10 minutes to the new park from anywhere in town, explained the city’s […]
Posted inNews
Gregg Hart leads state oversight hearings on federal child care budget
With 20 years of experience running a preschool behind him, Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) described the Trump administration’s recent push to freeze federal child care funds in five states as hitting close to home. “As that applies to California, it means we are kind of out of the business of helping parents, kids, and […]
Posted inNews
A Santa Barbara County native lends a comforting hand to families and their senior relatives
Cheryl DeLaby thinks of life as the passage of seasons. People experience them in all kinds of ways, under varying circumstances, and at different ages, but everybody goes through changes. Reaching for resourcesFor more information about Monarch Senior Transitions and its free services, visit monarchseniortransitions.com or follow Monarch Senior Transitions on Facebook. Contact founder Cheryl […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A new member of Gallery Los Olivos shares her love for the Central Coast through paintings
Leading up to Hilda Freyre’s childhood home was a thick canopy of trees. She grew up on a sugarcane plantation in Peru, an environment she was reminded of while on a drive in Los Olivos a few months ago. She saw an archway of leaves blanketing the road from above. “The trees were different, and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Allan Hancock College professors display their work at campus gallery
Faculty at Allan Hancock College will be showcasing their work at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery, located on the school’s Santa Maria campus from Feb. 9 to March 12. There’ll be a reception on Feb. 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the gallery invites community members to attend. “The exhibition features work by Hancock’s fine […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Youth Arts Alive invites the community to its 10th anniversary fiesta
On Feb. 13, Youth Arts Alive is hosting a celebration at the Santa Maria Veterans’ Memorial Center to commemorate its 10th year of providing free classes to local kids. The event starts at 6 p.m. with dinner and a lineup of performances. The fiesta celebrates the hard work of teachers, site coordinators, volunteers, and interns […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A Santa Ynez café moves to an Airstream in Los Olivos
A retrofitted 1959 Airstream camper remains parked on Nojoqui Avenue in Los Olivos, right next to a historic Victorian home. The vehicle, dubbed The Caravan, is a fully fledged coffee shop, appointed with a classic espresso machine, a gigantic ice maker, and cooking appliances. “It’s like the cutest thing ever,” co-owner Alyce Barrick said. CaravaningQueen […]
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Dollars dispute: Del Cielo Mobile Estates residents fight back against a rent increase tied to lawsuit expenses
Two attorneys. Seven witnesses. Eight hours of cross examination. Those with stakes in a recent arbitration hearing’s outcome will probably not hear Santa Barbara County’s verdict on a rent dispute between an Orcutt mobile home park’s ownership and residents until April. One consolation for attendees of the Jan. 21 proceeding was the arbitrator’s closing commentary, […]
Posted inOpinion
Express support of or opposition to recent government actions with respect, not violence
he violent death of Renee Good is the tragedy that I feared and that no one wanted to see happen. The fact her death occurred half a country away on the snow-covered streets of Minnesota does not lessen the impact and the sadness surrounding the loss of a mother of three to those of us […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Get your hands dirty at Buellton’s Community Clayworks studio
When a friend asked Veronica Medina whose job she would want out of anyone in the world, Medina immediately had an answer: her high school ceramics teacher. The question came after Medina graduated from college and began contemplating her next step. “I just had this absolute, instinctive moment of clarity,” Medina said. “I couldn’t think […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Barbara County is taking applications for art impact grants
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture is taking applications for the 2026 County Arts Making Impact (AMI) grant, a program that aims to expand arts access and eliminate barriers to participation. Nonprofit organizations and artists with fiscal sponsors can apply for up to $5,000 grants, with a total of $50,000 available, by […]
