Special Issue

55 Fiction: Winners of our annual contest tell tiny tales of marriage, mayhem, madness, and more

Since we opened our doors, the Sun has insisted that you, too, can become a published writer. In our annual 55 Fiction contest, we ask would-be authors to send us their tiny stories and cross their fingers. In 55 words or fewer, weave a tale full of emotion, description, and surprise. Give us characters and a story arc. It’s tough to do, but some folks have a real knack for it. Others, … not so much.  What started as…

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News

Wrong-way driver awaits sentence for murder

Alerted by more than a dozen 911 calls, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers were on the lookout for a northbound driver in the southbound lane of Highway 101 around 5:15 a.m., on Sept. 8, 2024. One caller described the driver—later identified as Santa Maria resident Kendra Lynn Cordova—as weaving between oncoming cars…

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One Orcutt painter channels her past to make accessible art for all

Less than 1 percent of the global population is an Olympic athlete. Catalina Bertola often compares the achievement with life in the art world.  Most people will never reach Olympic status—in athletics or art—but that shouldn’t stop people from giving it a go. In her opinion, physical activity and creativity are part of a balanced lifestyle. “There are those people that are going to be athletes and Olympians. Whether or not you’re that person and that’s your thing, or…

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