Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
Early results from Tuesday's Nov. 3 election show multiple ballot measures passing across Santa Barbara County. Measure D, an $80 million bond for Santa Ynez Valley Union High School facilities, led with 55.8% against a 55% threshold, while Allan Hancock College's $290 million Measure H led at 56.5%. Santa Maria's half-cent sales tax increase (Measure C) and Carpinteria's quarter-cent increase (Measure I) both exceeded their simple-majority thresholds with strong margins. Isla Vista voters backed a utility tax (Measure E, 70.6%) and a Community Services District spending limit (Measure F, 66.1%), while Guadalupe approved a cannabis tax replacement (Measure G, 68.0%) and a hotel tax increase to 12% (Measure J, 55.8%). Semi-official results were expected late Tuesday night, with final certified results due by Dec. 3.
Public Safety · Santa Barbara, CA
The Santa Barbara County Mosquito and Vector Management District confirmed Aedes aegypti specimens at four locations within the city of Santa Barbara on Oct. 30, including sites near North Voluntario/East Cota, Laguna/East Carrillo, and East Victoria/Olive streets. The detections follow prior findings in Carpinteria in July and an unincorporated area between Santa Barbara and Goleta on Oct. 16, as well as Aedes notoscriptus detections in the Westside and Mesa neighborhoods earlier in 2026. MVMD General Manager Brian Cabrera called the multiple South County detections a "critical turning point" and urged residents to eliminate standing water and report daytime mosquito activity. The district advised all Santa Barbara County residents to dump containers, repair screens, use insect repellent, and ensure pets are on heartworm prevention.
Community News · Lompoc, CA
Heal the Ocean and Earthcomb removed 18.4 tons of trash and hazardous materials, including 40 propane tanks, 330 aerosols, 27 tires, and 15 car batteries, from the Santa Ynez Riverbed near Lompoc over three weeks in October. The cleanup, funded by a Rose Foundation grant, targeted debris left behind by abandoned riverbed encampments that could be carried into the ocean during winter storms. Since 2022, the two organizations have removed more than 83 tons from the riverbed. Santa Barbara County and the city of Lompoc recently entered a cooperation agreement to coordinate enforcement patrols and outreach services in the area.
