Santa Maria Sun

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Cypress Gallery features Kristine Kelly, who paints with glass

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Camillia Lanham

In May, the Cypress Gallery in Lompoc’s featured artist of the month is Kristine Kelly, a painter who uses glass as her medium. She started working with glass 30 years ago, making fused glass jewelry and decorative pieces from molds. But once she discovered the art of landscape painting using kiln-fired glass, there was no turning back, according to the Lompoc Valley Art Association’s website. Her work exploits the colors, opalescence, and translucence of glass.
Lompoc police get a radio upgrade after decades of old technology

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Reece Coren

For the first time in more than 30 years, Lompoc police officers received new portable radios on May 5. Police Chief Kevin Martin said officers received more modern devices as part of a $4 million plan to replace the city’s three-decade-old radio network. “My biggest concern was the portables police officers were carrying,” Martin said.
Elverhoj Museum screens Danish film The Kiss

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Camillia Lanham

The Elverhoj Museum of History and Art and World Wide Motion Pictures corporation will host a reception, discussion, and screening of Danish film, The Kiss, on May 31, following the movie’s May 16 premiere in the U.S. The Danish feature film directed by Academy Award winner Billie August is based on the classic German novel Beware of Pity by Stafan Zwieg, who also inspired . stars an award-winning international cast, including Danish actors Clara Rosager, Esben Smed, and Lars Mikkelsen.
Solvang shelves quail-inspired remodel of Skytt Mesa’s rainwater drainage

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Caleb Wiseblood

Reports of baby birds trapped in a storm drain prompted Solvang’s city staff to consider a neighborhood-wide retrofit in the Skytt Mesa area—one that would reduce the space between Skytt Mesa’s existing rainwater grate bars to help prevent small critters from falling through the gaps. After a preliminary study, staff revealed the project’s estimated price tag at the Solvang City Council’s April 28 meeting.
Santa Maria Police Department welcomes new Chief of Police Christopher Williams

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Caleb Wiseblood

No car left a more lasting impression on Christopher Williams than the police cruiser that would pull up outside of his elementary school. It was an arresting sight that caught many students’ attention, recalled Williams, whose eyes were frequently glued to the vehicle and its badged driver—who happened to be his father. “My dad was a police officer. He worked for the California Highway Patrol,” said Williams, born in Reno, Nevada, and raised in Oxnard from age 3.
Santa Maria’s Mission Hope Cancer Center unveils new patient resource library

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Caleb Wiseblood

Diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2023, Guadalupe resident Eileen Hongo underwent 20 rounds of chemotherapy, 35 rounds of radiation therapy, and other procedures as part of her treatment plan. Between her appointments at Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria, she formed strong bonds with fellow patients as well as physicians and other staffers on-site. The closing chapter of Hongo’s treatment plan in 2024 marked a turning point for both her and the center.
Political Watch: May 8, 2025

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Caleb Wiseblood

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Buellton tasks Santa Maria-based contractor with public parking expansion

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Caleb Wiseblood

February marked the grand opening of Buellton’s new public library, while an expansive parking lot attached to the multi-year effort is still in the works. The project recently made headway when the Buellton City Council on April 24 awarded Santa Maria-based construction company V. Lopez Jr. and Sons a $1 million-plus contract to develop the planned lot.
Thunderbolts follows the misadventures of a team of antiheroes

1 week ago | santamariasun.com | Anna Starkey |Glen Starkey

Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank, Paper Towns, Beef) directs this superhero story about Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), and later Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who team up to fight rogue CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and end her illegal activities. (126 min.)Glen: For a superhero flick, Thunderbolts has a lot on its mind.
Lompoc Theatre poised to break ground on long-planned renovations | Santa Maria Sun

2 weeks ago | santamariasun.com | Camillia Lanham

On May 2, the Lompoc Theatre Project will break ground on plans that have been in the works for almost two decades: restoring a historic performance space with the aim of reinvigorating the city’s downtown. “We are actually doing it, and it’s important for people to be able to see what they’ve invested in and it’s actually working how they want it to,” project Executive Director Mark Herrier said. “It’s a big deal, and that’s why I wanted to celebrate it.