News across Santa Barbara County
James William “Jim” Gorman, 85, Mission Hills, California
James William “Jim” Gorman, 85, of Mission Hills, California passed away Monday, September 7, 2026, at his home. Jim was born on Thursday, July 17, 1941, in Cincinnati; son of Lauralouise (Rettig) Gorman. Jim worked [...]
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24No deal: Solvang staffers strike after rejecting City Council’s ‘last, best, and final’ pay raise offer
Not long after showing up to his cubicle for an 8 a.m. shift on Sept. 15, engineering technician Cole Phillips hit the pavement with around 30 other unionized Solvang employees to participate in the first labor strike of its kind in city history. Before heading out that morning…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Tie vote blocks Lompoc from censuring Steve Bridge
Three hours into the Lompoc City Council’s Sept. 15 meeting, Councilmember Steve Bridge asked his peers to remember the oath they recite in unison ahead of every agenda. It’s the same oath many schoolchildren have already memorized by kindergarten. “We started today the way we…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Santa Maria denies movie theater alcohol sales
At 55 Regal cinemas in California, patrons can wash down their popcorn with an alcoholic beverage while reclining in front of the big screen. On Sept. 16, Santa Maria planning commissioners decided that their city wouldn’t become the 56th. “Initially, I too was looking at this as…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24County opposes eminent domain legislation for Sable pipeline
Nostalgia surfaced in statements from U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), when he recently spoke before the dais he once sat on. “It’s always nice to be back,” Carbajal said during public comment at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 22 meeting.…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Political Watch: September 24, 2026
•On Sept. 20, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1261, legislation drafted by State Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) to support certain critical services for older adults and people with disabilities amid ongoing regional program transitions. According to Laird’s office, without…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Santa Maria High School celebrates Athletic Hall of Fame inductees
Every year since 2023, student athletes and coaches of decades past are ranked in a point system to determine who gets added to Santa Maria High School’s Hall of Fame. With dozens of nomination submissions to narrow down each year, it’s up to the school’s hall of fame committee…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Political theater
Things got a little wild at Lompoc’s last City Council meeting—so wild that Mayor Jim Mosby asked police officers to forcibly remove a woman from the chambers. “Can you please remove her?” Mosby asked about resident Shawna Stillwell, who continued speaking after he warned the…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24The Trump administration’s destroying national forests
On Aug. 24, commemorating the annual observation of National Park Week, President Trump proclaimed, “My administration is committed to protecting every acre of our lands.” Four days later, it became clear that this is not true. That’s when the news broke that the Trump…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24All students facing mistreatment deserve protection
Assembly Bill 715 is a well-intended proposal for protection of Jewish schoolchildren. But Jewish students aren’t alone in needing protection. The 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center was a timely reminder that, after the attack, Arabs and Muslims were…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Meet the Solvang seamstress who makes dresses for Danish Days maids year after year
Witnesses to Roberta Skidmore’s creativity have learned to trust her process. Even the dressmaker’s husband, Kevin. “You see this pile of material, and you go, ‘How are they going to do anything with this?’” Kevin told the Sun. “And then she finishes it, and you go, ‘Oh my God!’”…
Santa Maria Sun
Published September 24Cabrillo High’s aquarium gets a fresh mural
New additions at the Cabrillo High School Aquarium include seals and dolphins. However, instead of swimming around in tanks, they’re painted on the building’s interior walls. San Luis Obispo County artist Colleen Gnos began working this spring to refresh her original kelp forest…