This year was a blur for those of us in the newsroom, with bigtime stories seemingly happening every week, whether it be federal immigration enforcement hitting the Central Coast, battles against big oil, or citywide debates over the future of downtown Santa Barbara.
In 2025, the staff of the Santa Barbara Independent dove in head first to get to the bottom of all these issues, and, looking back, I can’t help but be proud of some of the in-depth reporting and amazing design work that our team pulled off this year. Here are some of my favorite stories over this past headline-filled year:
Searching For Ghosts on the Central Coast by Ryan P. Cruz
I’m a huge fan of horror, ghost stories, and local history, so for our Halloween issue I went in search of some of the many haunting legends of the Central Coast. While I was excited to learn about some of the area’s spookiest tales, what I found most interesting is how each ghost story teaches us something about the city’s complex history, from the Chumash era to the Spanish and Mexican colonial period to the lavish lifestyles of the 1920’s.
Smoke and Mirrors: Fallout from the Federal Raids at Glass House Farms by Indy Staff
This year, immigration reporting took on a whole new level of importance, as the Trump administration launched the largest mass deportation agenda in U.S. history, leading to more than 1,000 community members being arrested on the Central Coast since January. In July, this issue was thrust to the forefront when federal agents raided two cannabis facilities in a show of force that led to more than 300 farmworkers being detained and an intense clash between protestors and armed federal agents. This cover story was our way of preserving history and telling the story of how immigrants have been targeted in our community.
Crude Awakening: Will Sable Oil Begin Drilling Offshore? by Nick Welsh
The saga of Sable Oil’s battle against the County of Santa Barbara has been one of this year’s biggest local events that the general public does not always understand. In February, our own Nick Welsh, Margaux Lovely, and Tyler Hayden teamed up for one of our best cover stories of the year, wading into the muck to bring a cohesive, easily understandable account of what was happening with big oil in our backyard.
An American Dream Fulfilled by Ryan P. Cruz
In an age where the American Dream seems like a thing of the past, it’s always amazing to be able to tell the story of somebody who works hard to overcome their struggles and achieve a family dream. This story was even more special because the person who reached that American Dream was my uncle Martín Renteria, who overcame the mistakes of his youth and worked his way up through the culinary ranks to become the owner of a longtime local favorite brunch spot Cody’s Café. As the restaurant celebrated its 30th anniversary, I recounted my grandparents’ journey from Mexico to give our family a chance to be part of the American Dream.
