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California’s Minimum Wage Is Increasing in 2026 as Los Angeles Debates $30 an Hour

California’s Minimum Wage Is Increasing in 2026 as Los Angeles Debates $30 an Hour

Business By Cayla Mihalovich, CalMatters

California’s minimum wage is adjusted every year for inflation. Some cities have a higher wage floor and unions are advocating increases for specific industries.

Santa Barbara to Ring in New Year with Storm Bringing Flood Risk, High Winds, and Beach Hazards

Santa Barbara to Ring in New Year with Storm Bringing Flood Risk, High Winds, and Beach Hazards

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Following last week’s holiday rains, Santa Barbara County braces for more wet weather and potential flash flooding.

Woman Rescued After Car Plunges Off Highway 154

Woman Rescued After Car Plunges Off Highway 154

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Santa Barbara County Fire crews use a rope system to retrieve a solo driver from 150 feet down a hillside on Tuesday evening.

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Municipal Winemakers Closing Funk Zone Tasting Room

Municipal Winemakers Closing Funk Zone Tasting Room

Drink By Matt Kettmann

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

Education By Callie Fausey

Santa Barbara’s Polar Dip Is Officially Back

Santa Barbara’s Polar Dip Is Officially Back

Community By Christina McDermott

Central Coast Immigration Sweeps Escalate at End of Year

Central Coast Immigration Sweeps Escalate at End of Year

Immigration By Ryan P. Cruz

Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration over ‘Emergency’ Approval for Sable Pipeline Restart

Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration over ‘Emergency’ Approval for Sable Pipeline Restart

Environment By Callie Fausey

Santa Barbara Teachers Seek Public Donations for Supplies and Special Items

Santa Barbara Teachers Seek Public Donations for Supplies and Special Items

Education By Callie Fausey

UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative Charts a Clean Heat Future for U.S. Industry

UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative Charts a Clean Heat Future for U.S. Industry

Environment By Ella Heydenfeldt

(Hopefully) Solo Invasive Joro Spider Captured in Santa Barbara

(Hopefully) Solo Invasive Joro Spider Captured in Santa Barbara

Environment By Ella Heydenfeldt

In New Doc ‘The Age of Disclosure,’ Military Servicemen Expose More Details About UFOs at Vandenberg

In New Doc ‘The Age of Disclosure,’ Military Servicemen Expose More Details About UFOs at Vandenberg

Science & Tech By Callie Fausey

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Immigration

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

Education By Callie Fausey

Central Coast Immigration Sweeps Escalate at End of Year

Central Coast Immigration Sweeps Escalate at End of Year

Immigration By Ryan P. Cruz

Community Members Demand Santa Barbara City College Protect Students from ICE

Community Members Demand Santa Barbara City College Protect Students from ICE

Immigration By Ryan P. Cruz

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Housing

Goleta to Consider Ordinance to Protect Senior Mobile Home Park

Goleta to Consider Ordinance to Protect Senior Mobile Home Park

Housing By Christina McDermott

Heritage Ridge Affordable Housing Development Breaks Ground in Goleta

Heritage Ridge Affordable Housing Development Breaks Ground in Goleta

Housing By Emily Vesper

Laying the Path to Rent Stabilization in Santa Barbara

Laying the Path to Rent Stabilization in Santa Barbara

Housing By Ryan P. Cruz

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Energy

Sable Offshore Gets Green Light to Restart Pipeline from Feds

Sable Offshore Gets Green Light to Restart Pipeline from Feds

Energy By Nick Welsh

Feds Assert Oversight Authority over Sable Offshore

Feds Assert Oversight Authority over Sable Offshore

Energy By Nick Welsh

Diablo Canyon Clears Hurdle to Stay Open Until at Least 2030

Diablo Canyon Clears Hurdle to Stay Open Until at Least 2030

Energy By Ella Heydenfeldt & Callie Fausey

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Community

Santa Barbara’s Polar Dip Is Officially Back

Santa Barbara’s Polar Dip Is Officially Back

Community By Christina McDermott

Forgotten Time Capsule Brings Santa Barbara Church Back to 1999

Forgotten Time Capsule Brings Santa Barbara Church Back to 1999

Community By Emily Vesper

Keeping Christmas Spirit Alive, the Old-Fashioned Way

Keeping Christmas Spirit Alive, the Old-Fashioned Way

Community By Ryan P. Cruz

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Health

Aviso General de Lluvia para las Playas del Condado

Anuncios By County of Santa Barbara

General Rain Advisory for Countywide Beaches

Announcement By Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County Closes Part of East Beach After Sewage Spill

Santa Barbara County Closes Part of East Beach After Sewage Spill

Public Safety By Christina McDermott

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Politics

Republicans Ask Federal Court To Overturn California’s New Prop. 50 Maps

Republicans Ask Federal Court To Overturn California’s New Prop. 50 Maps

Politics By Maya C. Miller and Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters

Rob Reiner Was More Than a Hollywood Legend. He Helped Shape California Politics

Rob Reiner Was More Than a Hollywood Legend. He Helped Shape California Politics

Politics By Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps Launches Reelection Campaign

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps Launches Reelection Campaign

Politics By Ryan P. Cruz

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Public Safety

Santa Barbara to Ring in New Year with Storm Bringing Flood Risk, High Winds, and Beach Hazards

Santa Barbara to Ring in New Year with Storm Bringing Flood Risk, High Winds, and Beach Hazards

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Woman Rescued After Car Plunges Off Highway 154

Woman Rescued After Car Plunges Off Highway 154

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Firefighters Knock Down Residential Fire in Eastern Goleta Valley

Firefighters Knock Down Residential Fire in Eastern Goleta Valley

Public Safety By Callie Fausey

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Infrastructure

Santa Barbara Plan to Protect Wastewater Systems from Climate Disaster

Santa Barbara Plan to Protect Wastewater Systems from Climate Disaster

Infrastructure By Ella Heydenfeldt

Solvang Wastewater Treatment Plant to Get Upgrade Using $1M Federal Grant

Solvang Wastewater Treatment Plant to Get Upgrade Using $1M Federal Grant

Infrastructure By Callie Fausey

Power Outage Affects Residents, Businesses in Santa Barbara

Power Outage Affects Residents, Businesses in Santa Barbara

Infrastructure By Ryan P. Cruz

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Environment

Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration over ‘Emergency’ Approval for Sable Pipeline Restart

Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration over ‘Emergency’ Approval for Sable Pipeline Restart

Environment By Callie Fausey

UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative Charts a Clean Heat Future for U.S. Industry

UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative Charts a Clean Heat Future for U.S. Industry

Environment By Ella Heydenfeldt

(Hopefully) Solo Invasive Joro Spider Captured in Santa Barbara

(Hopefully) Solo Invasive Joro Spider Captured in Santa Barbara

Environment By Ella Heydenfeldt

View More Environment

Business

California’s Minimum Wage Is Increasing in 2026 as Los Angeles Debates $30 an Hour

California’s Minimum Wage Is Increasing in 2026 as Los Angeles Debates $30 an Hour

Business By Cayla Mihalovich, CalMatters

Municipal Winemakers Closing Funk Zone Tasting Room

Municipal Winemakers Closing Funk Zone Tasting Room

Drink By Matt Kettmann

Showdown Brewing Between City of Santa Barbara and Harbor Restaurant

Showdown Brewing Between City of Santa Barbara and Harbor Restaurant

Business By Nick Welsh

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Science & Tech

In New Doc ‘The Age of Disclosure,’ Military Servicemen Expose More Details About UFOs at Vandenberg

In New Doc ‘The Age of Disclosure,’ Military Servicemen Expose More Details About UFOs at Vandenberg

Science & Tech By Callie Fausey

UC Santa Barbara Program Broadens STEM Opportunity for Underserved Youth

UC Santa Barbara Program Broadens STEM Opportunity for Underserved Youth

Science & Tech By Debra Herrick, UCSB's 'The Current'

Is Social Media Causing a Modern Moral Panic?

Is Social Media Causing a Modern Moral Panic?

Science & Tech By Keith Hamm, UCSB’s ’The Current'

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Courts & Crime

Santa Barbara Law Enforcement Arrests Ashlee Buzzard For First Degree Murder in Daughter Melodee’s Death

Santa Barbara Law Enforcement Arrests Ashlee Buzzard For First Degree Murder in Daughter Melodee’s Death

Courts & Crime By Christina McDermott

Body of Missing Vandenberg Village Girl Melodee Buzzard, 9, Recovered and Mother Arrested

Body of Missing Vandenberg Village Girl Melodee Buzzard, 9, Recovered and Mother Arrested

Courts & Crime By Christina McDermott

Showdown Brewing Between City of Santa Barbara and Harbor Restaurant

Showdown Brewing Between City of Santa Barbara and Harbor Restaurant

Business By Nick Welsh

View More Courts & Crime

News Commentary

Journalist Lou Cannon, Who Covered Ronald Reagan for Decades, Dies at 92

Journalist Lou Cannon, Who Covered Ronald Reagan for Decades, Dies at 92

News Commentary By Nick Welsh

To Santa Barbara City Council: Don’t Sell Paseo Nuevo Short

To Santa Barbara City Council: Don’t Sell Paseo Nuevo Short

News Commentary By Indy Staff

‘There Is No Plan B’ for Paseo Nuevo, S.B. City Hall Chief Says, as Key Council Vote Looms

‘There Is No Plan B’ for Paseo Nuevo, S.B. City Hall Chief Says, as Key Council Vote Looms

News Commentary By Jerry Roberts

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Wildfire

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Awarded Grant Funding for the Santa Barbara Vegetation Management Program (VMP) and Ignition Prevention Project

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Awarded Grant Funding for the Santa Barbara Vegetation Management Program (VMP) and Ignition Prevention Project

Announcement By Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Talk on California’s Wildfire Crisis Kicks off IHC Public Series at UC Santa Barbara

Talk on California’s Wildfire Crisis Kicks off IHC Public Series at UC Santa Barbara

Wildfire By Keith Hamm, UCSB's 'The Current'

Gifford Fire Containment Grows to 97 Percent

Gifford Fire Containment Grows to 97 Percent

Wildfire By Jean Yamamura

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Education

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

Education By Callie Fausey

Santa Barbara Teachers Seek Public Donations for Supplies and Special Items

Santa Barbara Teachers Seek Public Donations for Supplies and Special Items

Education By Callie Fausey

California Schools That Need Foreign Workers for Teacher Jobs Can’t Afford Trump’s New Visa Fee

California Schools That Need Foreign Workers for Teacher Jobs Can’t Afford Trump’s New Visa Fee

Immigration By Sophie Sullivan and Alina Ta, CalMatters

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Homeless

Longest Night Memorial Remembers 69 Homeless Deaths in Santa Barbara County

Longest Night Memorial Remembers 69 Homeless Deaths in Santa Barbara County

Homeless By Nick Welsh

Why Newsom’s CARE Court Has Struggled to Help Homeless Californians Most in Need

Why Newsom’s CARE Court Has Struggled to Help Homeless Californians Most in Need

Homeless By Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

One of Santa Barbara’s Once Homeless Pays It Forward

One of Santa Barbara’s Once Homeless Pays It Forward

Homeless By Nick Welsh

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Transportation

Major Storm Headed for Santa Barbara Could Impact Holiday Travel Plans, NWS Warns

Major Storm Headed for Santa Barbara Could Impact Holiday Travel Plans, NWS Warns

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

SBA to ATL No More: Delta Cancels Direct Flights Between Santa Barbara and Atlanta

SBA to ATL No More: Delta Cancels Direct Flights Between Santa Barbara and Atlanta

Transportation By Ella Heydenfeldt

Highway 154 Drainage Maintenance Project to Result in Daytime Traffic Control Tuesday, Nov. 25

Highway 154 Drainage Maintenance Project to Result in Daytime Traffic Control Tuesday, Nov. 25

Announcement By Caltrans

View More Transportation

Cannabis

Santa Barbara County’s Cannabis Revenues Continue Long, Slow Slide

Santa Barbara County’s Cannabis Revenues Continue Long, Slow Slide

Cannabis By Nick Welsh

California’s Marijuana Industry Gets a Break Under New Law Suspending Tax Hike

California’s Marijuana Industry Gets a Break Under New Law Suspending Tax Hike

Cannabis By Nadia Lathan, CalMatters

Santa Barbara County Caps Cannabis Acreage; Responds to Grand Jury

Santa Barbara County Caps Cannabis Acreage; Responds to Grand Jury

Cannabis By Ryan P. Cruz

View More Cannabis

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