When ChatGPT was publicly released in 2022, students in public Santa Maria high schools weren’t allowed to use it on school-issued devices. The artificial intelligence ban created a discrepancy because students with cellphones or technology at home could still access the chatbot, but others couldn’t. Since 2023, the Santa Maria Joint Union High Schol District […]
Santa Barbara County
Posted inNews
California sues Trump administration over Santa Ynez Unit restart
On March 23, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy for ordering a restart of oil operations at the Santa Ynez Unit. “In a breathtaking power grab,” Bonta stated, “the federal executive branch has asserted that [it] may preempt and supersede all state laws governing hazardous pipelines … […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A few words from the Sun’s political cartoonist
Ross Mayfield claims that his almost 24-year tenure with the Sun fell into his lap, but really, it’s because a reporter saw his sketch of a former county supervisor shooting herself in the foot. Literally. The first time Mayfield appeared in the paper was on July 4, 2002, as the subject of a story. Arts […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
CalNAM’s newest nature-focused exhibit in Solvang
The next time you’re strolling the streets of Solvang, take a pause to enjoy a gallery of art that celebrates the local environment. A juried exhibit called When the Earth Whispers Back: Nature’s Hope is up at California Nature Art Museum (CalNAM) through Sept. 6. “This exhibition will center on plant and animal species that […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Solvang Festival Theatre holds family-friendly ABBA tribute show
Catch ABRA Cadabra’s energetic, family-friendly concert at the Solvang Festival Theatre on April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Audience members will hear classic hits like “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia” from the ABBA tribute band at the intimate, outdoor amphitheater. “We don’t try to pretend we’re ABBA,” Jeanette O’Keefe, the band’s lead vocalist and co-founder, said […]
Posted inFood & Drink
In 30-plus years, Klondike Pizza has hardly changed a bit
Pizza pizzaTo see Klondike’s menu, order online, and make reservations, visit klondikepizza.com. Follow along on Instagram @klondikepizza. The Santa Maria shop is located at 2059 S. Broadway and open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (805) 348-3667 with questions. After five years of living in Anchorage, Alaska, Pamela Dennis told her husband, Mike, […]
Posted inNews
Empty seat: Board of Supervisors’ 5th District candidates race toward June’s primary election
With 2026 marking Santa Barbara County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s last year in the role, his chief of staff, Cory Bantilan, threw his hat into the ring to take the soon-to-be vacant 5th District seat, along with two others: Santa Maria City Councilmember Maribel Aguilera and Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member Ricardo Valencia. All three […]
Posted inNews
Trump administration resurrects Las Flores oil pipeline
On March 14, Sable Offshore Oil Corp. began transporting oil produced at the Santa Ynez Unit through the Las Flores pipeline system, which ruptured in 2015 and spilled more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil in Refugio, to Pentland Station in Kern County. According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, a new executive order […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County adopts first environmental justice element
Water quality, air pollution, and safe open spaces are concerns shared by all county residents. However, the county’s unincorporated, rural towns need help making policies to protect residents from environmental risks. With an addition to the county’s general plan, the Board of Supervisors seeks to shield seven vulnerable regions. On March 10, supervisors unanimously approved […]
Posted inSpotlight
The Cloverlane Foundation supplies Hancock’s Fire Academy with new equipment
Every morning at 6:30, cadets arrive to start training at the Allan Hancock College Fire Academy. For the next nearly 12 hours, they complete physical fitness training, classroom studies, and in-field exercises. “These are long, long days,” the program’s coordinator, Leonard Champion, said. “Then when they get home, there’s studying to do. There’s preparation for […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A Central Coast artist paints today’s landscapes for tomorrow’s remembrance
When Katy Smith tells people she’s going painting in Orcutt, she gets puzzled looks in return. “They’re like, ‘Where do you paint in Orcutt?’ As if there’s not something here to paint,” Smith said. “There are so many beautiful places in Orcutt to paint, and you just have to stop long enough and take it […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc Pops presents an evening of hits by Ella Fitzgerald
Calling all fans of jazz and American pop hits. The Lompoc Pops Orchestra is performing a show dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald’s portfolio on March 29 at 4 p.m. Audience members will cherish the sounds of nostalgia from the era of soul, guided by the Great American Songbook. Though loosely defined, the songbook is a treasure […]