News - The Santa Barbara Independent

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Weekend Storm Delivers Inches of Rain, Road Closures, Airport Shutdown — and a Death — Across Santa Barbara County

Weekend Storm Delivers Inches of Rain, Road Closures, Airport Shutdown — and a Death — Across Santa Barbara County

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

The latest storm has pushed the county past 100 percent of its normal annual rainfall for the water year.

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

Santa Barbara County was hit with consistent federal immigration enforcement during the final week of 2025.

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

Beginning Jan. 1, landlords will be required to provide all apartments with a working stove and refrigerator thanks to a new state law.

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Carbajal Slams Military Attack in Venezuela

Carbajal Slams Military Attack in Venezuela

Politics By Nick Welsh

New California Laws Rewrite Car-Buying Rules with Return Policy and Pricing Reforms

New California Laws Rewrite Car-Buying Rules with Return Policy and Pricing Reforms

Politics By Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters

Saturday Storm Brings Flooding, Tragedy to Santa Barbara County

Saturday Storm Brings Flooding, Tragedy to Santa Barbara County

By Jackson Friedman

Man Dies After Being Swept into Goleta Valley Creek During Saturday Storm

Man Dies After Being Swept into Goleta Valley Creek During Saturday Storm

Public Safety By Jackson Friedman

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

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

Santa Barbara County Hospitals Welcome New Year’s Babies

Santa Barbara County Hospitals Welcome New Year’s Babies

Community By Callie Fausey

Sable Offshore Wins Court Battle over Oil Pipelines

Sable Offshore Wins Court Battle over Oil Pipelines

Energy By Nick Welsh

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Immigration

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

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

State Releases New Guidelines for Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses

Education By Callie Fausey

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Housing

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

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

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Energy

Sable Offshore Wins Court Battle over Oil Pipelines

Sable Offshore Wins Court Battle over Oil Pipelines

Energy By Nick Welsh

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

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Community

Santa Barbara County Hospitals Welcome New Year’s Babies

Santa Barbara County Hospitals Welcome New Year’s Babies

Community By Callie Fausey

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

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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

Carbajal Slams Military Attack in Venezuela

Carbajal Slams Military Attack in Venezuela

Politics By Nick Welsh

New California Laws Rewrite Car-Buying Rules with Return Policy and Pricing Reforms

New California Laws Rewrite Car-Buying Rules with Return Policy and Pricing Reforms

Politics By Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters

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

View More Politics

Public Safety

Weekend Storm Delivers Inches of Rain, Road Closures, Airport Shutdown — and a Death — Across Santa Barbara County

Weekend Storm Delivers Inches of Rain, Road Closures, Airport Shutdown — and a Death — Across Santa Barbara County

Public Safety By Ella Heydenfeldt

Saturday Storm Brings Flooding, Tragedy to Santa Barbara County

Saturday Storm Brings Flooding, Tragedy to Santa Barbara County

By Jackson Friedman

Man Dies After Being Swept into Goleta Valley Creek During Saturday Storm

Man Dies After Being Swept into Goleta Valley Creek During Saturday Storm

Public Safety By Jackson Friedman

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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

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

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

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

Ashlee Buzzard Pleads Not Guilty at Arraignment

Announcement By Office of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney

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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

View More Education

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

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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