News - The Santa Barbara Independent

Featured Stories

City of Santa Barbara Settles Harassment, Discrimination Suit Against Police Department

City of Santa Barbara Settles Harassment, Discrimination Suit Against Police Department

Courts & Crime By Tyler Hayden

A female parking enforcement officer said she was subjected to bullying and abuse by her male superiors.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps Launches Reelection Campaign

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps Launches Reelection Campaign

Politics By Ryan P. Cruz

The incumbent 2nd District supervisor and board chair seeks a second term to continue her work in the county.

Police Department: Neighborhood Disturbance Arrest

Police Department: Neighborhood Disturbance Arrest

Announcement By Santa Barbara Police Department

SANTA BARBARA, CA – December 8, 2025 On December 6, 2025, at approximately 12:55 pm, Santa Barbara Police Communications received

Latest Stories | See More Stories

Big Beautiful Bill Declares Nursing Not a Profession

Big Beautiful Bill Declares Nursing Not a Profession

Health By Ella Heydenfeldt

Virgin Mary Mosaic Defaced at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Santa Barbara

Virgin Mary Mosaic Defaced at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Santa Barbara

Courts & Crime By Emily Vesper

Breakthrough Tech Is Tracking Monarch Butterflies in Santa Barbara

Breakthrough Tech Is Tracking Monarch Butterflies in Santa Barbara

Environment By Callie Fausey

Motorcyclist Ejected into Truck Bed in Highway 101 Crash

Motorcyclist Ejected into Truck Bed in Highway 101 Crash

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Parents Sue Catholic School for Allegedly Denying Students Food, Bathroom Breaks

Parents Sue Catholic School for Allegedly Denying Students Food, Bathroom Breaks

Courts & Crime By Tyler Hayden

A Clear Voice for Thoughtful Action

A Clear Voice for Thoughtful Action

Community By Jean Yamamura

Bystanders Help Man Lying in Center of Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta

Bystanders Help Man Lying in Center of Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta

Public Safety By Christina McDermott

Paddle Out for Tayden Tomblin on December 10

Paddle Out for Tayden Tomblin on December 10

Community By Matt Kettmann

Santa Barbara’s Rep. Carbajal Responds to Hegseth’s Alleged Illegal Order to ‘Kill Everyone’ in Caribbean Strike

Santa Barbara’s Rep. Carbajal Responds to Hegseth’s Alleged Illegal Order to ‘Kill Everyone’ in Caribbean Strike

Politics By Christina McDermott

More Stories

Immigration

Milpas Street Holiday Parade Canceled Due to Immigration Concerns

Milpas Street Holiday Parade Canceled Due to Immigration Concerns

Community By Ryan P. Cruz

How Fear of Trump’s Immigration Blitz Is Changing Life in California Farm Towns

How Fear of Trump’s Immigration Blitz Is Changing Life in California Farm Towns

Immigration By Nigel Duara, CalMatters

Santa Barbara Supervisors Hit Pause on Transferring Undocumented Immigrants off Public Health Rolls

Santa Barbara Supervisors Hit Pause on Transferring Undocumented Immigrants off Public Health Rolls

Health By Nick Welsh

View More Immigration

Housing

Santa Barbara City Council Takes Stand on Paseo Nuevo Proposal

Santa Barbara City Council Takes Stand on Paseo Nuevo Proposal

Housing By Ryan P. Cruz

UC Santa Barbara’s 1,688-Bed Student Housing Project Advances to Coastal Commission

UC Santa Barbara’s 1,688-Bed Student Housing Project Advances to Coastal Commission

Housing By Christina McDermott

Deal or No Deal: Santa Barbara City Council to Vote on Paseo Nuevo

Deal or No Deal: Santa Barbara City Council to Vote on Paseo Nuevo

Housing By Ryan P. Cruz

View More Housing

Energy

Sable Offshore Looking for Way Around State Fire Marshal to Restart Oil Pipeline

Sable Offshore Looking for Way Around State Fire Marshal to Restart Oil Pipeline

Energy By Nick Welsh

New Drilling and More Spilling? New Oil and Gas Drilling Threatens Central Coast

New Drilling and More Spilling? New Oil and Gas Drilling Threatens Central Coast

Environment By Callie Fausey

Goleta-Based Startup Is Turning Plant Waste into Biofuel, with a Side of Vanilla

Goleta-Based Startup Is Turning Plant Waste into Biofuel, with a Side of Vanilla

Science & Tech By Ella Heydenfeldt

View More Energy

Community

A Clear Voice for Thoughtful Action

A Clear Voice for Thoughtful Action

Community By Jean Yamamura

Paddle Out for Tayden Tomblin on December 10

Paddle Out for Tayden Tomblin on December 10

Community By Matt Kettmann

Goleta House Fire Displaces Three Aspiring Chefs from Ecuador

Goleta House Fire Displaces Three Aspiring Chefs from Ecuador

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

View More Community

Health

Big Beautiful Bill Declares Nursing Not a Profession

Big Beautiful Bill Declares Nursing Not a Profession

Health By Ella Heydenfeldt

Santa Barbara County to Get $4.4 Million in Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement

Santa Barbara County to Get $4.4 Million in Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement

Courts & Crime By Nick Welsh

Surf’s Up, Bacteria’s Out: Storm Runoff Sparks Ocean Health Warning

Surf’s Up, Bacteria’s Out: Storm Runoff Sparks Ocean Health Warning

Health By Ella Heydenfeldt

View More Health

Politics

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps Launches Reelection Campaign

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps Launches Reelection Campaign

Politics By Ryan P. Cruz

A Clear Voice for Thoughtful Action

A Clear Voice for Thoughtful Action

Community By Jean Yamamura

Santa Barbara’s Rep. Carbajal Responds to Hegseth’s Alleged Illegal Order to ‘Kill Everyone’ in Caribbean Strike

Santa Barbara’s Rep. Carbajal Responds to Hegseth’s Alleged Illegal Order to ‘Kill Everyone’ in Caribbean Strike

Politics By Christina McDermott

View More Politics

Public Safety

Motorcyclist Ejected into Truck Bed in Highway 101 Crash

Motorcyclist Ejected into Truck Bed in Highway 101 Crash

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Bystanders Help Man Lying in Center of Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta

Bystanders Help Man Lying in Center of Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta

Public Safety By Christina McDermott

Goleta House Fire Displaces Three Aspiring Chefs from Ecuador

Goleta House Fire Displaces Three Aspiring Chefs from Ecuador

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

View More Public Safety

Infrastructure

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

Barge Parked Off Santa Barbara Coast Is Doing Pump Repairs for Desal Plant

Barge Parked Off Santa Barbara Coast Is Doing Pump Repairs for Desal Plant

Infrastructure By Callie Fausey

View More Infrastructure

Environment

Breakthrough Tech Is Tracking Monarch Butterflies in Santa Barbara

Breakthrough Tech Is Tracking Monarch Butterflies in Santa Barbara

Environment By Callie Fausey

King Tides About to Slam Santa Barbara Coast

King Tides About to Slam Santa Barbara Coast

Environment By Callie Fausey

New Drilling and More Spilling? New Oil and Gas Drilling Threatens Central Coast

New Drilling and More Spilling? New Oil and Gas Drilling Threatens Central Coast

Environment By Callie Fausey

View More Environment

Business

Let the Games Begin (Again): Game Seeker Gets New Life on State Street After Closing Its Doors in Spring

Let the Games Begin (Again): Game Seeker Gets New Life on State Street After Closing Its Doors in Spring

Business By Callie Fausey

Deal or No Deal: Santa Barbara City Council to Vote on Paseo Nuevo

Deal or No Deal: Santa Barbara City Council to Vote on Paseo Nuevo

Housing By Ryan P. Cruz

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

View More Business

Science & Tech

Goleta-Based Startup Is Turning Plant Waste into Biofuel, with a Side of Vanilla

Goleta-Based Startup Is Turning Plant Waste into Biofuel, with a Side of Vanilla

Science & Tech By Ella Heydenfeldt

UC Santa Barbara Joins NSF’s National Quantum Virtual Laboratory

UC Santa Barbara Joins NSF’s National Quantum Virtual Laboratory

Science & Tech By Sonia Fernandez, UCSB's 'The Current'

Vandenberg Space Force Base Launches Starlinks and Dummy Nuke

Vandenberg Space Force Base Launches Starlinks and Dummy Nuke

Science & Tech By Tyler Hayden

View More Science & Tech

Courts & Crime

City of Santa Barbara Settles Harassment, Discrimination Suit Against Police Department

City of Santa Barbara Settles Harassment, Discrimination Suit Against Police Department

Courts & Crime By Tyler Hayden

Police Department: Neighborhood Disturbance Arrest

Police Department: Neighborhood Disturbance Arrest

Announcement By Santa Barbara Police Department

Virgin Mary Mosaic Defaced at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Santa Barbara

Virgin Mary Mosaic Defaced at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Santa Barbara

Courts & Crime By Emily Vesper

View More Courts & Crime

News Commentary

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

Kristen Sneddon Says She’s Running for Santa Barbara Mayor — ‘We’re Stuck and We Need Progress, Not Stagnation’

Kristen Sneddon Says She’s Running for Santa Barbara Mayor — ‘We’re Stuck and We Need Progress, Not Stagnation’

News Commentary By Jerry Roberts

View More News Commentary

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

View More Wildfire

Education

Reading to Learn, Not Just Learning to Read

Reading to Learn, Not Just Learning to Read

Education By Ella Heydenfeldt

UC Santa Barbara’s 1,688-Bed Student Housing Project Advances to Coastal Commission

UC Santa Barbara’s 1,688-Bed Student Housing Project Advances to Coastal Commission

Housing By Christina McDermott

UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Gets New $7.8 Million Home

UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Gets New $7.8 Million Home

Education By Callie Fausey

View More Education

Homeless

One of Santa Barbara’s Once Homeless Pays It Forward

One of Santa Barbara’s Once Homeless Pays It Forward

Homeless By Nick Welsh

Massive Changes in Store for Homeless Care

Massive Changes in Store for Homeless Care

Homeless By Nick Welsh

Goleta to Start Citing Overnight Vehicle Dwellers on Public Property

Goleta to Start Citing Overnight Vehicle Dwellers on Public Property

Homeless By Izadora Hamm

View More Homeless

Transportation

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

Major Storm Brings Flooding, Downed Trees, and Road Closures to Santa Barbara

Major Storm Brings Flooding, Downed Trees, and Road Closures to Santa Barbara

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

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

Login

Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription

Not a member? Sign up here.