Santa Maria Sun

09/05/2025

Creepy makeup, fake blood, coffins, vampires—and the horror circus hasn’t even begun.

Creepy makeup, fake blood, coffins, vampires—and the horror circus hasn’t even begun. Before audience members take their seats for the Paranormal Cirque show, they have...

09/04/2025

Santa Barbara County's Air Pollution Control District “very rarely opts to forward cases to the DA’s Office," PIO Lyz Bantilan told the Sun, "but these were serious violations of air quality rules that resulted in excess pollutants that affect human health—more than 120 tons of diesel exhaust."

In the span of two years, Central Coast Agriculture—a cannabis cultivator with facilities in Buellton and Lompoc—agreed to pay nearly $2 million for breaking state...

09/03/2025

What began as a tin-roofed, three-room shack gradually evolved into a 3-acre education center for young women in the village of Piyali Junction in India. Founded by Lompoc resident Deepa Willingham, the nonprofit accepts donations year-round.

What began as a tin-roofed, three-room shack gradually evolved into a 3-acre education center for young women in a rural village in India near the...

08/29/2025

Santa Ynez Valley Union High School is eager to have its own CIF-sanctioned swimming pool by the time Los Angeles hosts the Olympics in 2028—with help from some Myrtha pool system equipment tied to 2016’s Olympic trials.

Santa Ynez Valley Union High School is eager to have its own CIF-sanctioned swimming pool by the time Los Angeles hosts the Olympics in 2028—with...

08/27/2025

“These don’t require batteries or a signal, and I can drop them in the creek and they’ll still work,” frequent Santa Margarita Lake camper Dave Hild said about his road maps. He's lived off-grid in his van for the past three years.

Often wedged between Dave Hild’s van dashboard and windshield, the retired zookeeper’s road maps range from blueprint-style scrolls to thick, paperback atlases. “These don’t require...

08/21/2025

The Third Annual Pet Photo Contest opens in just one week! Be sure to submit pictures of your furry friend during the entry period (August 28th through September 15th at 5pm).

In the meantime, take a peak at some of our other winners from last year’s contest!

Linda Tanner, Cats, First Place
George Reyes, Best Dressed, Second Place
Diane Dieterich, Farmhouse, Second Place
Christine Leonard, Best Dressed, Third Place
Kathleen LaGue, Aquatic/Exotic/Open, Third Place

08/21/2025

Cue “Pomp and Circumstance,” because this year’s Best Of Northern Santa Barbara County winners are graduating with honors in our annual readers poll.

Find out who won!

08/19/2025

From Georgian-era heart-shaped lockets to Victorian-era micro-mosaic pendants, some of the antique jewelry Courtney Hood has amassed over the past two decades will be up for grabs to the highest bidders in an upcoming silent auction.

Helping others scope out the value of their earrings, necklaces, and rings is a daily occurrence for Courtney Hood, who began learning the ropes of...

08/14/2025

“In short, this is a transformational moment for the city and downtown Santa Maria,” Community Development Director Chenin Dow said about the Heritage Walk Lofts—an upcoming apartment complex under construction at the former site of both Mervyn’s and Fallas, shuttered since the latter store’s 2022 closure.

Making its downtown area more lively and walkable has been a goal of Santa Maria’s since 2004. About four years’ worth of community workshops ushered...

08/14/2025

Before putting down roots in Santa Maria three decades ago, orthodontist Dr. Kirk Specht was familiar with the Central Coast via one of his beloved pastimes, he explained: "I’d come down here for windsurfing at Lake Lopez, and also out in the ocean."

Sunsets and cups of coffee are among the units the musical Rent suggests measuring a year in the life with. For local orthodontist Dr. Kirk...

08/13/2025

This years Pet Photo Contest is quickly approaching! The entry period open August 28th and runs through September 15th at 5pm.

Check out some of last year's purrfect pals!

Candace Mase, Dogs, First Place
Gina Killingsworth, Farmhouse, First Place
Michael V. Messina, Dogs, Second Place
Alison Aston, Aquatic/Exotic/Open, Second Place
Carly Penson, Cats, Third Place

08/07/2025

Read about some local nonprofits working to expand students’ garden-to-table education through outdoor programs and more in this year's Education Today issue.

Local nonprofits expand students’ garden-to-table education, county ed offices look at more than state assessments