Community News · Santa Barbara County
The California Fish & Game Commission voted to advance two tribally led petitions creating new marine protected areas off Santa Barbara County: a 9.18-square-mile zone near Point Sal in North County and a 9.05-square-mile Mishopshno area off Carpinteria in South County. The Point Sal petition passed unanimously, while the Carpinteria petition received a 4-2 vote with two commissioners dissenting over tribal take exemptions. Shore-based recreational hook-and-line fishing would remain permitted in both zones, but all other take activities would be prohibited for non-tribal users. The proposals now enter a regulatory process including three public hearings and environmental review before final adoption.
Public Safety · Santa Barbara County
Climate scientists at UC Santa Barbara say NOAA forecasts a 75% chance the 2026 El Niño will be the strongest since at least 1950, with tropical Pacific surface temperatures already 4°C above average. Experts warn Southern California could face stronger storms, coastal flooding, erosion, and potential atmospheric rivers this winter, with wet conditions predicted to peak February through April. Downtown Santa Barbara's Mission Creek estuary and the Goleta Slough near the airport are identified as areas at heightened flood risk. Residents are urged to review neighborhood flood history, clear gutters and drainages, obtain sandbags if prone to flooding, and consult county Office of Public Works storm-preparation resources.
Public Safety · Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County residents in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Carpinteria rely on a single transmission corridor known as the Goleta Load Pocket, roughly 40 miles of which crosses fire-prone terrain near Los Padres National Forest. The corridor's vulnerability was demonstrated during the December 2017 Thomas Fire (85,000+ customers lost power) and a January 2025 Southern California Edison shutoff affecting ~9,000 customers. A property-tax exclusion for qualifying solar energy systems, in place since 1980, will expire January 1, 2027 after AB 2389 failed to extend it during the Assembly's budget process in May. Homeowners considering solar and battery installations face a practical completion deadline earlier than year-end due to permitting and installation timelines.
Community News · Lompoc, CA
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch between 3:14 p.m. and 7:14 p.m. Tuesday from Space Launch Complex-4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, carrying 27 Starlink satellites into orbit. The first-stage booster, on its 36th flight, will land on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Residents can watch from the peak of Harris Grade Road west of Lompoc or around Vandenberg Village near Moonglow and Stardust roads; a live webcast is available at spacex.com/launches. Backup launch opportunities exist during the same window Wednesday, with additional Starlink missions planned for late October through November 1.
Want tomorrow's Santa Barbara County edition in your inbox? It's free.
Subscribe free
Community News · Santa Barbara, CA
The California DMV office at 535 Castillo St. in Santa Barbara will close Friday at 5 p.m. for approximately three months of renovations, with a scheduled reopening on Jan. 15, 2027. Upgrades include new flooring, carpet, furniture, interior and exterior paint, data cables, and restrooms. Residents needing in-person DMV services can visit offices in Goleta (7127 Hollister Ave., #24), Ventura (4260 Market St.), or Oxnard (4050 Saviers Road). Many services—including registration renewals, license/ID applications, placards, address changes, and payments—are available online at dmv.ca.gov.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara, CA
A referendum petition with more than 8,000 signatures was submitted to the Santa Barbara city clerk last week, seeking to put the City Council's 6-1 vote approving a State Street master plan before voters. The plan, estimated at nearly $100 million, would significantly alter the downtown corridor; opponents organized through the State Street Business Alliance after earlier appeals for compromise were unsuccessful. Two separate referendum efforts are underway: one targeting the State Street Master Plan and another challenging the city's recently adopted rent stabilization ordinance, backed by the Santa Barbara Rental Property Association. The article is an opinion piece by Colleen Macey defending the petition process and arguing residents deserve a public vote on the decision.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara, CA
Three Santa Barbara mayoral candidates—Wendy Sims-Moten, Eric Friedman, and Kristen Sneddon—answered questions from Dos Pueblos High School and Santa Barbara City College students at a Friday NAACP Santa Barbara forum. Topics included responses to the recent Blackface incident at San Marcos High School, e-bike enforcement targeting youth of color, and accessible transportation for low-income residents. Sims-Moten called for greater school accountability; Sneddon cited her prior work declaring racism a public health crisis and urged the district to pause and retrain; Friedman highlighted the Teen Court Program as a peer-based alternative. On e-bikes, all three emphasized education and engineering over criminalization, with Sneddon warning against appearance-based enforcement disparities. The forum was among the candidates' last appearances before voters choose Santa Barbara's next mayor on Nov. 3.
Local Politics · Goleta, CA
Four candidates for Goleta City Council Districts 1 and 2 discussed infrastructure, public safety, artificial intelligence, the revenue neutrality agreement with Santa Barbara County, and Isla Vista cityhood during a one-hour forum Thursday at the Goleta Community Center, hosted by the League of Women Voters. Business owners Rollin Gartzke and Phebe Mansur challenged incumbents Luz Reyes-Martín and James Kyriaco on issues including Hollister Avenue striping changes, Project Connect completion, Fairview/Calle Real traffic patterns, and Measure B's $105 million in sales-tax infrastructure spending. Candidates split on whether to integrate AI into city permitting systems and on the terms of Goleta's perpetual revenue-sharing agreement with the county. Voters will decide Nov. 3.
Community News · Santa Barbara, CA
Tecolote House, a 12-bed residential facility operated by PathPoint at 310 Camino del Remedio, is now providing supportive housing for adults living with serious mental illness. Next door, a 14-bed Sobering Center operated by Good Samaritan Shelter offers a safe place for people to stabilize while under the influence of alcohol or other substances, replacing a former county facility that closed due to building-condition concerns. County officials say both facilities address growing needs among people facing barriers to housing, treatment, and long-term stability. The project was funded through state funding.
Local Business · Goleta, CA
Mission Refill, located on Calle Real near Trader Joe's in Goleta and described as Santa Barbara County's only refill store, will close its doors October 30. Owner Valerie Voorhees said the closure stems from a 40 percent rent increase over her 2023 lease terms, not lack of customer interest; she noted her customer base grew 20 to 30 percent annually since opening in 2023. Voorhees said she spent several months searching for an affordable alternative location but could not find one that would avoid a two-year financial deficit. The store had diverted more than 30,000 bottles from landfills and sourced 80 percent of its products from California vendors.
Crime · Los Alamos, CA
Laura Beas-Diaz, 40, was charged in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria with one felony count of embezzlement from the Los Alamos Valley Men's Club, a nonprofit serving Los Alamos and surrounding communities. The criminal complaint alleges theft exceeding $950 between Jan. 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025; Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office investigators previously said losses topped $10,000. Beas-Diaz voluntarily turned herself in on Sept. 15 at the sheriff's substation after a $50,000 arrest warrant was issued, and was released from Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria on bail bond. The county District Attorney's Office filed the complaint Oct. 8, with arraignment set for Nov. 18. Beas-Diaz had been widely recognized as a volunteer in the Los Alamos Valley, including serving on Olga Reed School's PTSA board and as community outreach coordinator for the Los Alamos Foundation.
Public Safety · Santa Barbara, CA
A 3-year-old girl remained in critical condition Monday after being struck by an eastbound vehicle while crossing State Street in a marked crosswalk shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department. The child received emergency treatment at the scene, was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and later transferred to a specialized hospital. Cmdr. Nathan Beltran said the driver remained at the scene, was not cited or arrested, and drugs or alcohol are not suspected factors; the investigation continues. A GoFundMe campaign for the family had raised $15,683 of a $30,000 goal as of Monday afternoon.
Local Politics · Los Olivos, CA
The Los Olivos Community Services District board majority is advancing a proposed $60 million gravity wastewater pipeline connecting Los Olivos to Solvang, with costs allocated under California's Proposition 218 special-benefit assessment rules. A community group has funded a $75,000 grant for independent REGEN engineering studies evaluating lower-cost alternatives, which the article claims were not reviewed by the board majority; incumbent Greg Parks is identified as requesting transparency on those studies. The November 3, 2026, General Election will decide LOCSD board seats, with candidates Brad Saarloos, Fred Razo, and incumbent Greg Parks running for positions that could influence the project's direction.
Public Safety · Santa Maria, CA
The City of Santa Maria has received a $55,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to fund bicycle and pedestrian safety education, community events, and helmet distribution through September 2027. Santa Maria Police recorded 75 bicycle- and pedestrian-related traffic collisions from Jan. 1 through Oct. 15, 2026, resulting in 56 injuries and one fatality. Planned activities include safety videos, community bicycle rides, helmet fitting, and the distribution of 84 helmets.
