Community News · Lompoc, CA
More than 100 students at Lompoc High School walked out of class Friday to protest the federal immigration detention of Erik Zepeda, a Santa Maria High School student detained while walking to school the previous week. The Santa Maria Police Department and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office are coordinating with other agencies to review the incident. An ICE spokesperson said agents believed Zepeda matched the description of a person they were seeking. A federal court ruling in Vasquez Perdomo v. Mullin restricts immigration agents from conducting stops based on racial stereotyping without individualized reasonable suspicion across seven counties in the Central District of California, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties; the government has appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Community News · Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County residents planning Halloween trick-or-treating on Saturday should expect rain in the late afternoon and evening, meteorologist Ryan Kittell told Noozhawk. The county faces on-and-off showers Friday through Sunday with roughly a quarter to three-quarters of an inch expected, though there is a 10% to 20% chance totals could double or halve. Downtown Santa Barbara received .44 inches over two hours early Friday, while other areas saw up to a quarter inch. A coastal flooding advisory was in effect through 2 p.m. Friday, and the risk of significant flooding remained low.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara, CA
Andrea Ridgell, owner of Mishay Salon at 2728 De la Vina St., is suing the City of Santa Barbara for more than $1 million in additional relocation expenses after being displaced by the Upper De la Vina Street Bridge Replacement Project. The lawsuit alleges the city violated the Uniform Relocation Act by denying reimbursement for renovations required to re-establish her business at 1126 Santa Barbara St., despite having approved the property and issued permits. The city has paid approximately $200,000 in relocation assistance plus a separate $900,700 eminent domain settlement, but City Attorney John Doimas says obligations do not extend to financing upgrades or expansions. A court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4. The column also reports Santa Barbara police are investigating a suspicious death discovered Oct. 28 in a West Beach apartment on Los Aguajes Avenue, and that 48 families are moving into the $51.3 million Bella Vista affordable housing complex at 200 N. La Cumbre Road.
Public Safety · Santa Barbara, CA
Ahead of the November 3 general election, the City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Police Department issued reminders that voters should be able to participate without intimidation or interference. The notice outlined categories of election-related criminal activity—including threats, ballot tampering, polling-place obstruction, and impersonation of election officials—and urged residents to report concerns with as much factual detail as possible. SBPD stated officers will not be stationed at polling locations but will respond to calls for service, and emphasized the department does not administer elections or favor any candidate or party.
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Education · Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Unified School District has launched its Tech with Intent Survey, seeking input from students, families, and staff to inform new Board Policies on classroom technology, AI, content filtering, and digital well-being. Students will complete the survey during second period on Tuesday, November 3; families and staff can access it via ParentSquare. All responses are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, November 6. District officials cited national research on screen time and generative AI's effects on student attention as motivation for the policy review.
Community brief · Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara High School's football team captured the Channel League championship with a 28-14 road win over Thousand Oaks on Friday, Oct. 30. The Dons finished the regular season at 7-3 overall and 4-1 in league play, securing the title via their earlier head-to-head victory over Moorpark. Junior Everett Rabb-Preston scored a rushing touchdown and returned a 69-yard interception for a pick-six, while junior quarterback Griffin Arnold connected…
Community brief · Santa Barbara, CA
State Street Ballet will perform "Dracula: A Dark Shadow" on October 30-31 at the Granada theater in Santa Barbara, opening its 2026-27 season. The ballet features choreography by Nicolas Blanc set to Philip Glass's score from Universal Pictures' 1998 Dracula film adaptation, with the Kronos Quartet performing live on stage. Principal dancers include Tigran Sargsyan as Count Dracula and Maria Rita Rapisarda as Mina, with Paul Rivard joining the…
