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New Oil Drilling and Fracking Threatens Schools and Other Sensitive Areas in Santa Barbara County

New Oil Drilling and Fracking Threatens Schools and Other Sensitive Areas in Santa Barbara County

Environment By Callie Fausey

The Trump administration is pushing forward a decades-old proposal to open up 850,000 acres of Central California to new oil leasing and development; but idle wells still dot the landscape.

Santa Barbara’s Franceschi House Faces Demolition: Can the Park’s History Endure?

Santa Barbara’s Franceschi House Faces Demolition: Can the Park’s History Endure?

Infrastructure By Nestor Manzanares

Historic Landmarks Commissioner Robert Ooley says Franceschi’s true legacy lives in the landscape, not the building.

FestForums Brings Festival Industry Leaders Back to Santa Barbara

FestForums Brings Festival Industry Leaders Back to Santa Barbara

Business By Tiana Molony

Now in its ninth year, FestForums returns February 11-13 with more than 125 speakers, live performances, industry awards, and even adoptable puppies.

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California Attorney General Sues Trump Administration to Block Restart of Sable Oil Pipelines in Santa Barbara County

California Attorney General Sues Trump Administration to Block Restart of Sable Oil Pipelines in Santa Barbara County

Courts & Crime By Callie Fausey

Santa Barbara Reading Coalition to Host Reading Skills 101 Workshop on Saturday

Santa Barbara Reading Coalition to Host Reading Skills 101 Workshop on Saturday

Education By Ella Heydenfeldt

Ashlee Buzzard, Accused of Murdering Daughter Melodee, Appears in Lompoc Court Again

Ashlee Buzzard, Accused of Murdering Daughter Melodee, Appears in Lompoc Court Again

Courts & Crime By Christina McDermott

Santa Barbara’s East Beach Reopens Following Monthlong Closure Due to Sewage Spill

Santa Barbara’s East Beach Reopens Following Monthlong Closure Due to Sewage Spill

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office Issues Public Service Announcement on Phishing Scam

Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office Issues Public Service Announcement on Phishing Scam

Announcement By Santa Barbara County District Attorney

Santa Barbara Jury Convicts Carpas Gang Members of 2021 Double-Homicide

Santa Barbara Jury Convicts Carpas Gang Members of 2021 Double-Homicide

Courts & Crime By Tyler Hayden

Santa Barbara County Sees Drop in Opioid-Related Deaths

Santa Barbara County Sees Drop in Opioid-Related Deaths

Health By Nick Welsh

Spenser Jaimes Becomes First Chumash Member of Santa Barbara Harbor Commission

Spenser Jaimes Becomes First Chumash Member of Santa Barbara Harbor Commission

Politics By Ryan P. Cruz

DUI Suspect Arrested After Two Hit-and-Run Collisions on Santa Barbara’s Westside

DUI Suspect Arrested After Two Hit-and-Run Collisions on Santa Barbara’s Westside

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

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Immigration

‘They’re Escalating’: A Q&A with Rob Bonta on Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

‘They’re Escalating’: A Q&A with Rob Bonta on Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Immigration By Nigel Duara, CalMatters

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: What Happens After an ICE Arrest

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: What Happens After an ICE Arrest

Cover Story By Ryan P. Cruz

Santa Barbara Community Holds Vigil in Response to Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis

Santa Barbara Community Holds Vigil in Response to Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis

Photo By Ryan P. Cruz

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Housing

Retired Santa Barbara County Fire Marshal Speaks Out Against Painted Cave Housing Development

Retired Santa Barbara County Fire Marshal Speaks Out Against Painted Cave Housing Development

Housing By Callie Fausey

Santa Barbara City Council Passes Temporary Rent Freeze

Santa Barbara City Council Passes Temporary Rent Freeze

Housing By Ryan P. Cruz

Emergency Rent Freeze Goes Before Santa Barbara City Council Next Week

Emergency Rent Freeze Goes Before Santa Barbara City Council Next Week

Housing By Nick Welsh

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Energy

Santa Barbara Judge Keeps Sable Injunction in Place as Company Confirms No Oil in Pipelines

Santa Barbara Judge Keeps Sable Injunction in Place as Company Confirms No Oil in Pipelines

Courts & Crime By Ella Heydenfeldt

Santa Barbara County Supervisors Weigh Legal Options to Stop or Slow Down Restart of Sable Offshore’s Oil Pipeline

Santa Barbara County Supervisors Weigh Legal Options to Stop or Slow Down Restart of Sable Offshore’s Oil Pipeline

Energy By Nick Welsh

Sable Offshore Wins Court Battle over Oil Pipelines

Sable Offshore Wins Court Battle over Oil Pipelines

Energy By Nick Welsh

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Community

Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office Surprises Arizona Family with Gift, Donation

Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office Surprises Arizona Family with Gift, Donation

Community By Emily Vesper

Rethinking Wildfire Through Youth Art at Santa Barbara Central Library

Rethinking Wildfire Through Youth Art at Santa Barbara Central Library

Community By Nestor Manzanares

Goleta to Serve as Host City for World Cup Team in Summer 2026

Goleta to Serve as Host City for World Cup Team in Summer 2026

Sports By Ryan P. Cruz

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Health

Santa Barbara’s East Beach Reopens Following Monthlong Closure Due to Sewage Spill

Santa Barbara’s East Beach Reopens Following Monthlong Closure Due to Sewage Spill

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Santa Barbara County Sees Drop in Opioid-Related Deaths

Santa Barbara County Sees Drop in Opioid-Related Deaths

Health By Nick Welsh

Santa Barbara Health Department Rejects Federal Vaccine Removals

Santa Barbara Health Department Rejects Federal Vaccine Removals

Health By Callie Fausey

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Politics

Spenser Jaimes Becomes First Chumash Member of Santa Barbara Harbor Commission

Spenser Jaimes Becomes First Chumash Member of Santa Barbara Harbor Commission

Politics By Ryan P. Cruz

The Fight Over How to Pay for Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Newsom to Raise Taxes

The Fight Over How to Pay for Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Newsom to Raise Taxes

Politics By Maya C. Miller and Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters

Mona Miyasato to Step Down from Santa Barbara County’s Top Spot

Politics By Nick Welsh

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Public Safety

Santa Barbara’s East Beach Reopens Following Monthlong Closure Due to Sewage Spill

Santa Barbara’s East Beach Reopens Following Monthlong Closure Due to Sewage Spill

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

DUI Suspect Arrested After Two Hit-and-Run Collisions on Santa Barbara’s Westside

DUI Suspect Arrested After Two Hit-and-Run Collisions on Santa Barbara’s Westside

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Police Investigating Early-Morning Stabbing in Downtown Santa Barbara

Police Investigating Early-Morning Stabbing in Downtown Santa Barbara

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

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Infrastructure

Santa Barbara’s Franceschi House Faces Demolition: Can the Park’s History Endure?

Santa Barbara’s Franceschi House Faces Demolition: Can the Park’s History Endure?

Infrastructure By Nestor Manzanares

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

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Environment

New Oil Drilling and Fracking Threatens Schools and Other Sensitive Areas in Santa Barbara County

New Oil Drilling and Fracking Threatens Schools and Other Sensitive Areas in Santa Barbara County

Environment By Callie Fausey

California Attorney General Sues Trump Administration to Block Restart of Sable Oil Pipelines in Santa Barbara County

California Attorney General Sues Trump Administration to Block Restart of Sable Oil Pipelines in Santa Barbara County

Courts & Crime By Callie Fausey

At the Hub, the Choir Gathered — Santa Barbarans Oppose All New Offshore Drilling

At the Hub, the Choir Gathered — Santa Barbarans Oppose All New Offshore Drilling

Environment By Ella Heydenfeldt

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Business

FestForums Brings Festival Industry Leaders Back to Santa Barbara

FestForums Brings Festival Industry Leaders Back to Santa Barbara

Business By Tiana Molony

City of Santa Barbara Gets Judge Off Lawsuit with Harbor Restaurant

City of Santa Barbara Gets Judge Off Lawsuit with Harbor Restaurant

Courts & Crime By Nick Welsh

Cantwell’s Makes a Comeback in Downtown Santa Barbara

Cantwell’s Makes a Comeback in Downtown Santa Barbara

Business By Callie Fausey

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Science & Tech

California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content

California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content

Science & Tech By Khari Johnson, CalMatters

Vandenberg Announces Plan for New ‘Super-Heavy’ Launch Site

Vandenberg Announces Plan for New ‘Super-Heavy’ Launch Site

Science & Tech By Tyler Hayden

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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Courts & Crime

California Attorney General Sues Trump Administration to Block Restart of Sable Oil Pipelines in Santa Barbara County

California Attorney General Sues Trump Administration to Block Restart of Sable Oil Pipelines in Santa Barbara County

Courts & Crime By Callie Fausey

Ashlee Buzzard, Accused of Murdering Daughter Melodee, Appears in Lompoc Court Again

Ashlee Buzzard, Accused of Murdering Daughter Melodee, Appears in Lompoc Court Again

Courts & Crime By Christina McDermott

Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office Issues Public Service Announcement on Phishing Scam

Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office Issues Public Service Announcement on Phishing Scam

Announcement By Santa Barbara County District Attorney

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News Commentary

365 Days of Chaos, Corruption and Incompetence: Our Analysts Assess Year One of the Trump Regime

365 Days of Chaos, Corruption and Incompetence: Our Analysts Assess Year One of the Trump Regime

Video By Jerry Roberts, S.B. Newsmakers

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

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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

Santa Barbara Reading Coalition to Host Reading Skills 101 Workshop on Saturday

Santa Barbara Reading Coalition to Host Reading Skills 101 Workshop on Saturday

Education By Ella Heydenfeldt

Former UCSB Student Body President Sues School over Alleged Anti-Semitic Harassment

Former UCSB Student Body President Sues School over Alleged Anti-Semitic Harassment

Courts & Crime By Callie Fausey

La Cumbre Junior High Band Director Marches in Rose Parade

La Cumbre Junior High Band Director Marches in Rose Parade

Education By Ella Heydenfeldt

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Homeless

City of Santa Barbara Welcomes New Housing and Homeless Services Manager

City of Santa Barbara Welcomes New Housing and Homeless Services Manager

Announcement By City of Santa Barbara

California Counties Must Jump Through New Hoops to Get Homelessness Funds

California Counties Must Jump Through New Hoops to Get Homelessness Funds

Homeless By Marisa Kendall and Ben Christopher, CalMatters

Santa Barbara High Sophomore Paddles from Santa Cruz Island to Ventura to Raise Thousands for Unhoused Neighbors

Santa Barbara High Sophomore Paddles from Santa Cruz Island to Ventura to Raise Thousands for Unhoused Neighbors

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

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Transportation

Proposed Metrolink Commuter Train to Santa Barbara Canceled

Proposed Metrolink Commuter Train to Santa Barbara Canceled

Transportation By Jean Yamamura

Highway 1 Reopens Through Big Sur Months Ahead of Schedule

Highway 1 Reopens Through Big Sur Months Ahead of Schedule

Transportation By Ella Heydenfeldt

Trains Rolling Again Through Gaviota After Weeklong Washout Closure

Trains Rolling Again Through Gaviota After Weeklong Washout Closure

Transportation By Ella Heydenfeldt

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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

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