News across Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17Giavanni’s Pizza cultivates a comedy community with open mics and stand-up shows
Ezra Paco had no choice but to kick-start his comedy career from a less-than-ideal launch point: Zoom. “It was really awkward,” Paco told the Sun. “The Zoom rooms were really weird because, just like with all things during the pandemic, you were at the mercy of what was going on…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17Zoom over to Orcutt for this year’s chalk festival
Peering down on the sidewalk during this year’s Orcutt Chalk Festival might just inspire a glance up into the cosmos. Blast Out of This World on Sept. 26 in Old Town Orcutt from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 75 students, professional artists, and beginners will transform their…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17Start the fall with a movie in the park
Free outdoor entertainment is on the horizon in Santa Maria. Families are invited to neighborhood parks for three film screenings in September and October. Showtime is at dusk, so audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. On Sept. 18 watch The SpongeBob…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17Moms Club screens on Sept. 28 in Fremont Theater
Rocky Romano and Miranda Winters spent more than five years following a grassroots network of suburban mothers who mounted a resistance campaign against dark money political groups engaged in coordinated, right-wing disruptions at Southern Califonria school boards designed to…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17In Teenage Wasteland, a teacher inspires students to uncover a conspiracy
Teenage WastelandWhat’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix It’s hard to believe that the ’90s were 30 years ago, but that’s where this story starts with a group of teens, a teacher, and a town cover-up. When students and teacher Fred Isseks decide to make a…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17In Mayday, a U.S. Navy pilot shot down in the USSR is aided by a former KBG agent
MaydayWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Apple TV Co-writers and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein helm this action adventure set in 1987 about U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Ryan Reynolds), who’s tasked with flying on a recon…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 17Meraz Catering serves comfort food with a family-first mindset
Planning and adapting are two of the most important skills in Amy Meraz’s industry. “You have to be good at pivoting and knowing that if something falls off the wagon, if something changes, there’s nothing you can do other than keep going with the changes,” she told the Sun. Call…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 10Up in arms: County looks at revising gun shop zoning in unincorporated areas
Stationed at his cash register behind a jar of orange foam earplugs, the manager of Get R Gun in Santa Maria doesn’t agree with Santa Barbara County’s newest policy on firearms. He believes the recent action raises more red flags than the local controversy that triggered it. “We…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 10Lompoc Valley Middle to restore a school resource officer position
With a $1 million state grant and City Council approval, the Lompoc Police Department will send a school resource officer to Lompoc Valley Middle School as early as next school year. The goal is to provide early intervention and cannabis education, as the money pulls from a…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 10County considers new solar, battery project standards
Santa Barbara County is one step closer to adopting new requirements for solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects. Set for the Board of Supervisors’ second and final reading in late September, a policy package to amend multiple county ordinances for consistency…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 10Buellton motel seeks relief for long-term tenants weeks ahead of housing ban
An ongoing lawsuit prompted a two-month grace period for long-term tenants of Buellton’s Farmhouse Motel, before new housing restrictions kick in. While a recent city ordinance to help ramp up redevelopment efforts in town requires motel properties along Avenue of Flags—including…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 10Hancock’s Fire Academy wins grant from Metallica’s workforce education program
For the second year running, Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy won a grant through the Metallica Scholars Initiative, which will cover scholarships and the cost of textbooks, protective gear, and other training materials. “When I first heard it, I was like, ‘Wait, Metallica,…