Santa Barbara News-Press

Santa Barbara Unified students go back to school amid declining enrollment district-wide

Santa Barbara High School drops by 21% over the the past 11 years. Dos Pueblos drops by about 1% and San Marcos by 7%

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press August 19, 2026August 20, 2026

‘Santa Barbara Talks’ podcast: Genevieve Taft-Vazquez shakes up City Council race in District 4

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press August 13, 2026August 13, 2026

‘Santa Barbara Talks’ Podcast: Alexander Stoeber brings new hope

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press August 2, 2026August 3, 2026

‘Santa Barbara Talks’ podcast: Cevin Cathell looks to rewrite the script in District 5 council race

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press August 5, 2026August 5, 2026

Santa Barbara City Council candidate Devon Wardlow ‘passionate about protecting what we all love in Santa Barbara’

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press July 14, 2026August 11, 2026

NEWS

Parking citations, arrests up during Fiesta weekend, data shows

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press August 19, 2026August 19, 2026

Suspect at SBCC pulled knife, slashed bike tire of victim on campus

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press August 18, 2026August 18, 2026

County Notebook: Miyasato retires, sheriff tackles overtime and Lavagnino targets catalytic converter thieves

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press August 18, 2026August 18, 2026

$3 million in special education funding coming to Santa Barbara Unified School District

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press August 18, 2026August 18, 2026

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Aug 20

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In the quiet valley between Ontare and San Roque Road, rocks tumble out the back of a yellow Volvo dump truck.

Where there was once a cement wall, an excavator scoops up the boulders and transports them 180 degrees around to the shaded Arroyo Burro creek that runs through Stevens Park.

Since 1964 the San Roque debris basin wall has influenced the flow of water, now the stream will be free to flow without the incursion of the man made wall. The wall removal is part of a renovation to the debris basin.

“We will still have the full functionality of the basin itself to capture large debris, but we’re making it so fish and other aquatic species can come through this system,” said Seth Shank, Santa Barbara County Flood Control Environmental Planner.

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Aug 19

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$The California Coastal Commission on Thursday unanimously rejected an Oxnard oil company’s proposal to frack on a platform off the Ventura Coast—eliciting support from several Santa Barbara environmental organizations. “This project is spurred on by ultimate greed by an industry that already makes billions and billions in profits,” said Bill Woodbridge, a Goleta resident and member of the Santa Barbara chapter of the Sierra Club. The commission, chaired by Santa Barbara City Councilmember Meagan Harmon, supported staff’s recommendations to reject the proposal based on inconsistencies with the California Coastal Management Program. The program gives California the power to review federal projects, like the fracking proposal on Platform Gilda, that would impact its coastline. The proposal was to carry out hydraulic fracking on 16 existing oil wells on Platform Gilda, which is located in federal waters off the Ventura Coast. Staff found that the project would pose a risk of severe oil spills in the Santa Barbara Channel and that DCOR, the oil company, wouldn’t provide effective clean-up and containment. Therefore, the project would be “inconsistent” with policies requiring the protection of marine resources and water quality, commercial and recreational fishing, public access and recreation. Read more at the link in bio. Reporting by Julianna Lozada #Ventura #SoCal$

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Aug 17

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For the first time in history, the Pride flag has been raised in front of the Santa Barbara City Hall. The raising of the flag marks the start of Pride Week in Santa Barbara in the lead up to the Pride Festival this weekend.

Reporting: Kaitlin Sweeney
Video: Aston Smith
#SantaBarbara #CityHall

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Aug 16

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Aug 16

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Santa Barbara Unified students go back to school amid declining enrollment district-wide

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‘Santa Barbara Talks’ podcast: Genevieve Taft-Vazquez shakes up City Council race in District 4

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NEWS

Parking citations, arrests up during Fiesta weekend, data shows

Suspect at SBCC pulled knife, slashed bike tire of victim on campus

County Notebook: Miyasato retires, sheriff tackles overtime and Lavagnino targets catalytic converter thieves

$3 million in special education funding coming to Santa Barbara Unified School District

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