Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
The U.S. Department of Justice sent letters to 57 of California's 58 elected elections officers, including Santa Barbara County Registrar Joe Holland, demanding they purge allegedly noncitizen voters within 48 hours. Holland, who has been absent from the county Elections offices for over two years due to health challenges, did not respond to contact attempts by county supervisors or CEO Jana Petersen before the deadline passed. A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected the DOJ's emergency filing, with judges questioning both the reliability of the alleged noncitizen-voter numbers and federal authority over state election jurisdiction. The letter listed 180 specific names for Santa Barbara County, though those figures remain unverified.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County has selected Maria Gardner as the next director of its Department of Social Services, with a start date of Nov. 10 pending formal approval by the Board of Supervisors. Gardner brings approximately 30 years of experience with the department, having advanced from a frontline Child Welfare Services social worker to assistant director and most recently chief financial and administrative officer. She succeeds Daniel Nielson, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 13 years leading the county's largest public service agency through events including the Montecito Debris Flow and the COVID-19 response.
Community News · Santa Ynez, CA
Phase 3 of the Refugio Road Trails Restoration Project will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in front of Santa Ynez Valley Christian School, 891 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez. The newly completed section of the Carina Dee Velazquez Memorial Path connects Mission Drive (Highway 226) to Homestead Lane, restoring pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian access along Refugio Road. The project is a partnership among the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, funded through county allocations and grants totaling $400,000. Construction began in September 2026 and was completed Oct. 15.
