Santa Barbara News-Press — Local News for Santa Barbara County

Top Story

Santa Barbara County braces for prolonged ‘dangerously hot’ heat wave

Santa Barbara County braces for prolonged ‘dangerously hot’ heat wave

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning through next Thursday, citing “dangerously hot conditions.”

by Aston Smith • Santa Barbara News-Press October 2, 2026October 2, 2026

Latest News

Education

Other states are rolling out free childcare for all families. Why not California?

by Carolyn Jones • CalMatters October 2, 2026

Politics

Candidates talk character as war chests grow in race for Fifth District Santa Barbara County supervisor

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press October 2, 2026October 2, 2026

Education

Experience clashes with new perspectives at Santa Barbara Unified school board candidate debate

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press October 1, 2026October 2, 2026

Latest Stories

Chumash history honored in Calle Cesar Chavez name change to Limuw Street

Chumash history honored in Calle Cesar Chavez name change to Limuw Street

by Sofia Wallace • Santa Barbara News-Press October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

Newsom signs bill supporting local journalism, giving tax breaks to news organizations

Newsom signs bill supporting local journalism, giving tax breaks to news organizations

by Chris Woodyard • Santa Barbara News-Press October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

Mayoral candidates talk budget, electric bikes, immigration and surveillance at forum

Mayoral candidates talk budget, electric bikes, immigration and surveillance at forum

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

Rent stabilization ordinance passes, but Sneddon takes stand against Santamaria over ‘goal posts moving’

Rent stabilization ordinance passes, but Sneddon takes stand against Santamaria over ‘goal posts moving’

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

Danish Olympic medalist sports Santa Barbara company’s breathing aid strip on and off the ice

Danish Olympic medalist sports Santa Barbara company’s breathing aid strip on and off the ice

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press September 30, 2026October 2, 2026

FREE MORNING NEWSLETTER

Start your day with Daybreak.

The Santa Barbara County stories you need to know, curated and delivered to your inbox four mornings a week.

Government

Mayoral candidates talk budget, electric bikes, immigration and surveillance at forum

Mayoral candidates talk budget, electric bikes, immigration and surveillance at forum

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

Santa Ynez Notebook: Solvang strike deadlock continues, Buellton advances plans for new downtown core

Santa Ynez Notebook: Solvang strike deadlock continues, Buellton advances plans for new downtown core

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

It’s a four-way battle for a Santa Barbara City Council seat in District 4

It’s a four-way battle for a Santa Barbara City Council seat in District 4

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

Education

Other states are rolling out free childcare for all families. Why not California?

Other states are rolling out free childcare for all families. Why not California?

by Carolyn Jones • CalMatters October 2, 2026

Experience clashes with new perspectives at Santa Barbara Unified school board candidate debate

Experience clashes with new perspectives at Santa Barbara Unified school board candidate debate

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press October 1, 2026October 2, 2026

‘Students do not have to wait until there’s a crisis to ask for support’: Santa Barbara High opens Wellness Center

‘Students do not have to wait until there’s a crisis to ask for support’: Santa Barbara High opens Wellness Center

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

Public Safety

Driver pulled from car in Gaviota Coast rollover crash

Driver pulled from car in Gaviota Coast rollover crash

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press September 28, 2026September 29, 2026

Teen dies after he was found with multiple injuries at Chase Palm Park

Teen dies after he was found with multiple injuries at Chase Palm Park

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press September 25, 2026September 25, 2026

Man who died in Santa Maria Jail was first assaulted in Santa Barbara Jail

Man who died in Santa Maria Jail was first assaulted in Santa Barbara Jail

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press September 25, 2026September 25, 2026

Environment

Santa Barbara County braces for prolonged ‘dangerously hot’ heat wave

Santa Barbara County braces for prolonged ‘dangerously hot’ heat wave

by Aston Smith • Santa Barbara News-Press October 2, 2026October 2, 2026

Gov. Newsom signs two bills authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart

Gov. Newsom signs two bills authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

Activists stand up to defend the coast in environmental rally at Santa Barbara’s West Beach

Activists stand up to defend the coast in environmental rally at Santa Barbara’s West Beach

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

See the story

Santa Barbara County, in focus.

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Oct 2

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18051779372658242

Santa Barbara City Council voted to rename Calle Cesar Chavez to Limuw Street, honoring the Chumash Native American territory the coastal street sits on with a word that means “in the sea.”

The name changes comes after sexual assault allegations against historic farmworker organizer Cesar Chavez surfaced in March, followed by state-wide calls to erase his name from public works. On May 11, the city held a public meeting and came out with three name suggestions: Calle Si Se Puede, Calle Dolores Huerta and Limuw street. Some also wanted the name Calle Salsipuedes, a call back to the street’s original name from 1851.

City Council member Kristen Sneddon eventually led the motion to move forward with the name Limuw. It was a 6-1 vote, with Mayor Randy Rowse dissenting, offering his support for the name Calle Salsipuedes.

Limuw is also the Chumash name for Santa Cruz Island, the birthplace of the Chumash people in traditional storytelling.

“To look out to the ocean and remind people that as you look straight from across the street, this is Limuw,” said Mia Lopez, founding director at Su’nan Protection, Art & Cultural Education. “This is our island of origin. This is the birthplace of the Chumash people who are still here today.”

Read more at the link in bio.
Story by Sofia Wallace

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 30

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18104189747372967

Councilmember Kristen Sneddon calls for rent stabilization to be passed today. She says she's been "played" by the goal posts moving.

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 28

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18121720880315390

A white Toyota Corolla hybrid rolled on Highway 101 Monday, after the vehicle veered onto the median five miles south of the Gaviota Tunnel.

A reporter witnessed the northbound car signal briefly for a left turn before entering a left hand turn lane along the coastal stretch. Instead of turning, the vehicle continued straight, careening into the center divider and landing upside down minutes before 1 p.m.

Passersby quickly responded, and a man who appeared to be a first responder wearing an Alan Hancock Fire Academy T-shirt led an effort to pull the single occupant, a woman, from the driver’s side front window after reportedly kicking it in.

Read more at the link in bio.
Story by Tom Schultz

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 26

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 17873726853586310

The annual Goleta Lemon Festival pie eating contest took place at Girsh Park on Saturday.

Dozens watched as ten contestants sank their teeth into the lemon meringue pies.

Stay tuned for more Goleta Lemon Festival coverage at newspress.com

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 26

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18009891296986390

Scenes from the One805Live! benefit concert for first responders in Santa Barbara County. The concert featured The Temptations, The Four Tops, George Thorogood, The Plastic Harpoons and Alan Parsons. Stay tuned for more coverage of this event here and on newspress.com

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 25

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18380629891233194

Coming off one of the most intense heat waves of the year, area schools are considering installing air conditioning in its classrooms.

Goleta Union and Santa Barbara Unified board meetings are grappling with the issue amid the sweltering heat.

While teachers complained about how hot their classrooms got, district administrators were left wondering how to prepare for the potential of hotter school days, especially at the beginning of the school year.

At the Goleta Union School District’s board of trustees meeting on Sept. 9, Victoria Aguirre, a first-grade teacher at Hollister Elementary School, said her classrooms reached up to 87 degrees Fahrenheit last week. It was a new high for Aguirre, who’s taught at the district for 10 years.

“Heat waves are more frequent and lasting longer than ever before,” Aguirre said during public comment.

She added that while teaching 20-plus children is hard, “teaching 20-plus children in that heat is even harder.”

Even before the heat wave last week, when regions of Santa Barbara County reached up to 108 degrees, some classrooms in Goleta Union schools were already feeling the heat.

Read more at newspress.com
Story by Julianna Lozada
Video by Aston Smith

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 24

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18101940380346679

Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, showed up in Solvang on Wednesday to support Solvang employees who are on strike. He called Mayor Dave Brown first to alert him. "I am here in solidarity with the employees," Carbajal said. See story later tonight at Newspress.com and linkin.bio. Reporting and video by Tom Schultz.

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 22

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18124233301878579

Republican Candidate for California Governor Steve Hilton visited the Fuel Depot on Storke Road in Goleta and sponsored $3/gal gas for 150 customers.

While Hilton didn’t directly pay for the customers gas, his campaign covered the deficit for the Fuel Depot’s discounted gas offer.

Hilton is planning to do more of these events around California.

Video: Aston Smith
Read more by Joshua Molina at the link in bio.
#Goleta

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 21

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18087415013298659

Danish flags fluttered above downtown Solvang as folk dancers in traditional dress moved through the streets, parade floats rolled past crowds lining the sidewalks and visitors stood in a line stretching down the block for plates of powdered-sugar-dusted æbleskiver.

The second day of Solvang’s 89th Danish Days, a three-day celebration of the city’s Danish heritage, filled downtown with food, music, dancing and festivities since Friday.

Saturday brought one of the weekend’s biggest draws: the Danish Days Parade, which wound through downtown with floats, horses, musicians and dancers before festivities continued into the evening.

Read more at the link in bio.
Story by Kaitlin Sweeney

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 19

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18155845153513299

Did you know California ran out of license plate numbers? The current license plate combination has been in place in the 1980s but recently reached its last possible combination. Now the DMV is reversing the order and a new license plate combination is being distributed. This new sequence will last for about 40 years.

California drivers do not need to make any changes and all old license plates are completely valid. The new sequence has been rolled out and you may start to see them on the road.

There are still about 100,000 license plates in the current sequence to be distributed.

Video by Aston Smith

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 17

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18111212653844792

WATCH: Elected official mutters expletive during Santa Barbara City Council meeting discussing ALPR’s

Read more about the meeting at the link in bio.

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 16

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18484100854105249

The South Coast Business Action Fund and Santa Barbara Police Officers Association announce their endorsements for Santa Barbara elections.

Voices

Dr. Hilda Maldonado: San Marcos blackface incident demands accountability and a community response

Dr. Hilda Maldonado: San Marcos blackface incident demands accountability and a community response

by Dr. Hilda Maldonado, Superintendent SBUSD September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

Opinion: City should take agile, phased approach for successful rent stabilization rollout

Opinion: City should take agile, phased approach for successful rent stabilization rollout

by Jenna Berg, Ph.D. September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

Opinion: What years of volunteering have taught me about access to vision care

Opinion: What years of volunteering have taught me about access to vision care

by Dr. Rupert Chowins September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Opinion: Rethinking equity in math, from access to mastery

Opinion: Rethinking equity in math, from access to mastery

by Vicki Ben-Yaacov September 24, 2026September 24, 2026

Opinion: Sometimes there is only one option

Opinion: Sometimes there is only one option

by Cass Ensberg September 22, 2026September 22, 2026

Letter: How political reporting can shape the candidate

Letter: How political reporting can shape the candidate

by Anabella Lehne September 22, 2026September 22, 2026

Announcements

The Theatre Group at SBCC presents CLUE, to run Oct. 7-24 at the Garvin Theatre.

The Theatre Group at SBCC presents CLUE, to run Oct. 7-24 at the Garvin Theatre.

by Pamela Lasker, The Theatre Group at SBCC September 28, 2026September 29, 2026

California Nature Art Museum presents “Terra Firma”, works from the permanent collection

California Nature Art Museum presents “Terra Firma”, works from the permanent collection

by Jessica Tade, California Nature Art Museum September 28, 2026September 29, 2026

Lompoc Chalks returns Oct. 2-4 with 40 artists, live entertainment, and new “Meet the Artists” kick-off

Lompoc Chalks returns Oct. 2-4 with 40 artists, live entertainment, and new “Meet the Artists” kick-off

by Megan DeCicco, Lompoc Theatre Project September 26, 2026September 27, 2026

Downtown Santa Barbara Assn. to host ribbon cutting for grand opening of Jess Conti Leather Goods

Downtown Santa Barbara Assn. to host ribbon cutting for grand opening of Jess Conti Leather Goods

by Maria Molina, Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association September 25, 2026September 27, 2026

SB County opens applications for Coastal Resources Mitigation Fund grants

SB County opens applications for Coastal Resources Mitigation Fund grants

by Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, County of Santa Barbara September 25, 2026September 27, 2026

El condado abre la convocatoria para las subvenciones del Fondo de Mitigación de Recursos Costeros

El condado abre la convocatoria para las subvenciones del Fondo de Mitigación de Recursos Costeros

by Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, County of Santa Barbara September 25, 2026September 27, 2026

Obituaries

Obituary: Rubin “Rube” Boxer

Obituary: Rubin “Rube” Boxer

by Ken Boxer September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Obituary: Carlie Ruthana Cosentino

Obituary: Carlie Ruthana Cosentino

by Jennifer Parks, McDermott-Crockett Mortuary September 22, 2026September 23, 2026

Obituary: Clifford A. Hopson

Obituary: Clifford A. Hopson

by Erin Johnson September 14, 2026September 14, 2026

Obituary: Sara Rudeen

Obituary: Sara Rudeen

by Anna Rudeen September 10, 2026September 10, 2026

Obituary: Harold Thomas Hamm

Obituary: Harold Thomas Hamm

by Kris Kristen September 1, 2026September 1, 2026

Obituary: Carol Anderson

Obituary: Carol Anderson

by Leslie Cornejo August 31, 2026September 1, 2026

Obituary: Bradley “Brad” Reed Lawrence

Obituary: Bradley “Brad” Reed Lawrence

by Ashley V. Wood August 24, 2026August 24, 2026

Obituary: Robert “Tully” Ramsaur Jr.

Obituary: Robert “Tully” Ramsaur Jr.

by Family of Robert “Tully” Ramsaur Jr. August 12, 2026August 12, 2026

Obituary: Carmine Santandrea

Obituary: Carmine Santandrea

by Edward Santandrea July 27, 2026August 1, 2026

More News

What will California’s next governor do about healthcare? Here are Becerra and Hilton’s plans

Politics

What will California’s next governor do about healthcare? Here are Becerra and Hilton’s plans

by Ana B. Ibarra • CalMatters September 30, 2026

Water deal gets initial green light: 40% of Montecito’s State Water rights pledged to North County housing

Housing

Water deal gets initial green light: 40% of Montecito’s State Water rights pledged to North County housing

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

More than 2,000 customers in Santa Barbara County without power after public safety power shutoff

Community

More than 2,000 customers in Santa Barbara County without power after public safety power shutoff

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

Millions go to taxpayer-funded aid for state’s hungry families

Health

Millions go to taxpayer-funded aid for state’s hungry families

by Madeline Shannon • The Center Square September 28, 2026

Deal would shift State Water rights from Montecito to proposed Solomon Hills development in Santa Barbara’s North County

Government

Deal would shift State Water rights from Montecito to proposed Solomon Hills development in Santa Barbara’s North County

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press September 27, 2026September 28, 2026

Thousands soak up the sun and celebrate the 33rd annual Goleta Lemon Festival

Community

Thousands soak up the sun and celebrate the 33rd annual Goleta Lemon Festival

by Sofia Wallace • Santa Barbara News-Press September 26, 2026September 26, 2026

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM

Keep Santa Barbara in the story.

Your support helps our nonprofit newsroom report the stories that matter to Santa Barbara County.