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The Dish: Chase set to reopen, Pascucci plans legacy sale, Sandbar readies relaunch

The Dish: Chase set to reopen, Pascucci plans legacy sale, Sandbar readies relaunch

Restaurant reopenings, closures and culinary events across Santa Barbara

by Joy Martin • Special for the News-Press March 1, 2026March 1, 2026

Latest news

Santa Barbara tensions inspire proposal to weaken jail authority of sheriffs across California

Santa Barbara tensions inspire proposal to weaken jail authority of sheriffs across California

Empty big-box store in Goleta getting new life as pickleball facility

Economy

Empty big-box store in Goleta getting new life as pickleball facility

New Goleta roundabouts open Monday. This video shows how to navigate the traffic circles

Government

New Goleta roundabouts open Monday. This video shows how to navigate the traffic circles

Santa Barbara Unified to send layoff notices to 66 employees

Education

Santa Barbara Unified to send layoff notices to 66 employees

In-depth

Feel the boom: More and bigger SpaceX launches are coming to Santa Barbara County

Feel the boom: More and bigger SpaceX launches are coming to Santa Barbara County

by Tom Schultz • Special for the Santa Barbara News-Press February 8, 2026February 9, 2026

Santa Barbara emerges as tech titan thanks to UCSB and Google Quantum AI

Santa Barbara emerges as tech titan thanks to UCSB and Google Quantum AI

by Chris Woodyard • Santa Barbara News-Press February 18, 2026February 26, 2026

New Santa Barbara County commuter train service on track for early May start

New Santa Barbara County commuter train service on track for early May start

by Tom Schultz • Special for the Santa Barbara News-Press February 19, 2026February 19, 2026

Economy

The Dish: Bluewater Grill weighs options for Santa Barbara restaurant

The Dish: Bluewater Grill weighs options for Santa Barbara restaurant

by Joy Martin • Special for the News-Press February 20, 2026February 20, 2026

Crunch time for cannabis growers in the Carpinteria Valley

Crunch time for cannabis growers in the Carpinteria Valley

by Melinda Burns • Special for the Santa Barbara News-Press February 18, 2026February 19, 2026

Felled ornamental sycamores mark start of next Mission Creek widening project

Felled ornamental sycamores mark start of next Mission Creek widening project

by Patricia Stark • Special for the News-Press February 16, 2026February 19, 2026

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Environment

Whale entanglements in fishing gear surge off West Coast during heat waves

Whale entanglements in fishing gear surge off West Coast during heat waves

by Teresa Tomassoni • Inside Climate News February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Santa Barbara judge rules against Sable oil company, which turned to Trump for help restarting pipeline

Santa Barbara judge rules against Sable oil company, which turned to Trump for help restarting pipeline

by Alejandro Lazo • CalMatters February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

New analysis warns Trump’s offshore drilling plan could trigger thousands of oil spills

New analysis warns Trump’s offshore drilling plan could trigger thousands of oil spills

by Teresa Tomassoni • Inside Climate News February 15, 2026

VOICES

Ray Ford: Lessons from the farm

Ray Ford: Lessons from the farm

by Ray Ford March 1, 2026March 2, 2026

Op-ed: The State of the Union and public safety

Op-ed: The State of the Union and public safety

by Igor M. Sill February 27, 2026February 28, 2026

Sheriff Brown: Assemblyman Gregg Hart misses the mark

Sheriff Brown: Assemblyman Gregg Hart misses the mark

by Sheriff Bill Brown, Santa Barbara County February 27, 2026February 28, 2026

Business

Tourism summit spotlights Santa Barbara’s strength as a tourism destination

Tourism summit spotlights Santa Barbara’s strength as a tourism destination

by Joy Martin • Special for the News-Press January 28, 2026February 3, 2026

Bitar Group acquires The Nook at Lama Dog in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone

Bitar Group acquires The Nook at Lama Dog in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone

by Joy Martin • Special for the News-Press February 13, 2026February 13, 2026

With Fat Tuesday near, the good times roll at Palace Grill in downtown Santa Barbara

With Fat Tuesday near, the good times roll at Palace Grill in downtown Santa Barbara

by Joy Martin • Special for the News-Press February 11, 2026February 12, 2026

Community announcements

The verdict is in: Dos Pueblos High School dominates again, wins mock trial tournament

The verdict is in: Dos Pueblos High School dominates again, wins mock trial tournament

by Santa Barbara County Education Office March 1, 2026March 1, 2026

Pacific surfliner trains won’t run on Central Coast, on weekend of March 7, 8

Pacific surfliner trains won’t run on Central Coast, on weekend of March 7, 8

by Amtrak February 27, 2026March 1, 2026

Part of Maria Ygnacio Bike Path closed until summer while crews make repairs

Part of Maria Ygnacio Bike Path closed until summer while crews make repairs

by County of Santa Barbara February 26, 2026March 1, 2026

MORE stories

Man watched UCSB student Liz Hamel climb over railing, fall to her death, report shows

Man watched UCSB student Liz Hamel climb over railing, fall to her death, report shows

by Chris Woodyard • Santa Barbara News-Press February 5, 2026February 5, 2026

Santa Barbara Unified to send layoff notices to 66 employees

Education

Santa Barbara Unified to send layoff notices to 66 employees

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press February 25, 2026February 26, 2026

Santa Barbara school district approves seven-period day at all junior high schools beginning in 2027

Education

Santa Barbara school district approves seven-period day at all junior high schools beginning in 2027

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

Fire and flavor meet Basque Country at Dom’s Taverna in Santa Barbara

Community

Fire and flavor meet Basque Country at Dom’s Taverna in Santa Barbara

by Joy Martin • Special for the News-Press February 27, 2026February 27, 2026