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Oxnard Woman Sentenced to Prison Two Years After Fatal Highway 101 Crash in Montecito

Oxnard Woman Sentenced to Prison Two Years After Fatal Highway 101 Crash in Montecito

Courts & Crime By Ella Heydenfeldt

Ricki Newton, 24, was sentenced to two years in state prison after pleading guilty to one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter in the death of 77-year-old Santa Paula man Louis Hernandez Jr.

Blind Golfers to Tee Off at Goleta Clinic

Blind Golfers to Tee Off at Goleta Clinic

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

The Blind Fitness Golf Clinic takes place January 12 at Sandpiper Golf Club.

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

Residents and organizers speak out against the escalating federal immigration enforcement across the country.

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

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

Science & Tech By Tyler Hayden

Three Rescued from Santa Ynez River in Swift-Water Incident

Three Rescued from Santa Ynez River in Swift-Water Incident

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

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

Wet Conditions Force Cancellation of Solvang’s Annual Christmas Tree Burn

Wet Conditions Force Cancellation of Solvang’s Annual Christmas Tree Burn

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

Ashlee Buzzard Appears in Lompoc Court After Pleading Not Guilty to Daughter Melodee’s Murder

Ashlee Buzzard Appears in Lompoc Court After Pleading Not Guilty to Daughter Melodee’s Murder

Courts & Crime By Christina McDermott & Jackson Friedman

Man Identified in Storm-Related Creek Death in Goleta

Man Identified in Storm-Related Creek Death in Goleta

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

New California Laws Roundup for 2026

New California Laws Roundup for 2026

Politics By Callie Fausey

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

Four-Way Race for Santa Barbara Mayor?

Four-Way Race for Santa Barbara Mayor?

Politics By Nick Welsh

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Immigration

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

Central Coast Leaders Speak Out after 150 Arrested in Immigration Sweeps

Central Coast Leaders Speak Out after 150 Arrested in Immigration Sweeps

Immigration By Ryan P. Cruz

California Is Banning Masks for Federal Agents. Here’s Why It Could Lose in Court

California Is Banning Masks for Federal Agents. Here’s Why It Could Lose in Court

Immigration By Nigel Duara, CalMatters

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Housing

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

California Homeowners Could Qualify for Grants for New Roofs and Fire Safety

California Homeowners Could Qualify for Grants for New Roofs and Fire Safety

Housing By Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters

A New California Law Requires a Working Fridge in All Apartments. L.A. Landlords Fought It

A New California Law Requires a Working Fridge in All Apartments. L.A. Landlords Fought It

Housing By Nadia Lathan, CalMatters

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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

Blind Golfers to Tee Off at Goleta Clinic

Blind Golfers to Tee Off at Goleta Clinic

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

Wet Conditions Force Cancellation of Solvang’s Annual Christmas Tree Burn

Wet Conditions Force Cancellation of Solvang’s Annual Christmas Tree Burn

Community By Ella Heydenfeldt

Santa Barbara’s Polar Dip Brings Out Hundreds to Welcome 2026

Santa Barbara’s Polar Dip Brings Out Hundreds to Welcome 2026

Community By Christina McDermott

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Health

A New California Law Requires Tortillas to Include an Extra Ingredient. Here’s Why

A New California Law Requires Tortillas to Include an Extra Ingredient. Here’s Why

Health By Ana B. Ibarra, CalMatters

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

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Politics

New California Laws Roundup for 2026

New California Laws Roundup for 2026

Politics By Callie Fausey

Four-Way Race for Santa Barbara Mayor?

Four-Way Race for Santa Barbara Mayor?

Politics By Nick Welsh

Carbajal Slams Military Attack in Venezuela

Carbajal Slams Military Attack in Venezuela

Politics By Nick Welsh

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Public Safety

Three Rescued from Santa Ynez River in Swift-Water Incident

Three Rescued from Santa Ynez River in Swift-Water Incident

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Man Identified in Storm-Related Creek Death in Goleta

Man Identified in Storm-Related Creek Death in Goleta

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Excavator Operator Injured in Fall While Clearing Debris on Railroad Tracks Along Gaviota Coast

Excavator Operator Injured in Fall While Clearing Debris on Railroad Tracks Along Gaviota Coast

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

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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

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Business

Goleta’s Frinj Coffee Makes Global Debut

Goleta’s Frinj Coffee Makes Global Debut

Drink By Matt Kettmann

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

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Science & Tech

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

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'

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Courts & Crime

Oxnard Woman Sentenced to Prison Two Years After Fatal Highway 101 Crash in Montecito

Oxnard Woman Sentenced to Prison Two Years After Fatal Highway 101 Crash in Montecito

Courts & Crime By Ella Heydenfeldt

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

Ashlee Buzzard Appears in Lompoc Court After Pleading Not Guilty to Daughter Melodee’s Murder

Ashlee Buzzard Appears in Lompoc Court After Pleading Not Guilty to Daughter Melodee’s Murder

Courts & Crime By Christina McDermott & Jackson Friedman

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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

California Schools Will Have to Do More to Prevent Sex Abuse Under New Law

California Schools Will Have to Do More to Prevent Sex Abuse Under New Law

Education By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

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

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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

Santa Barbara Airport Closes Due to Flooding

Santa Barbara Airport Closes Due to Flooding

Transportation By Jackson Friedman

Update: Highway 101 Reopens in Both Directions Following Full-Day Closure Caused by Saturday Storm

Update: Highway 101 Reopens in Both Directions Following Full-Day Closure Caused by Saturday Storm

Public Safety By Jackson Friedman

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

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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

View More Cannabis

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