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

Top Story

‘Blackface’ TikTok media post shakes up San Marcos High School

Education

‘Blackface’ TikTok media post shakes up San Marcos High School

San Marcos High School Principal Dare Holdren sent an email to students and parents informing them of “an incident involving a small group of students who shared a social media post that portrayed blackface”

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

Latest News

Education

Washington Elementary School Principal Arielle Curry placed on administrative leave

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

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

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

Latest Stories

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

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

by Madeline Shannon • The Center Square September 28, 2026

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

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

Night one of annual first responder benefit One805Live! brings out The Temptations, The Four Tops

Night one of annual first responder benefit One805Live! brings out The Temptations, The Four Tops

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 26, 2026September 26, 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

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

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

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

VIDEO: Watch Santa Barbara City Council candidates Ian Baucke, Cevin Cathell and James Zurlinden

VIDEO: Watch Santa Barbara City Council candidates Ian Baucke, Cevin Cathell and James Zurlinden

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press September 24, 2026September 24, 2026

VIDEO: Watch Santa Barbara City Council candidates Jason Carlson, Gabe Escobedo, Anabella Lehne and Alexander Stoeber

VIDEO: Watch Santa Barbara City Council candidates Jason Carlson, Gabe Escobedo, Anabella Lehne and Alexander Stoeber

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press September 24, 2026September 24, 2026

Education

Washington Elementary School Principal Arielle Curry placed on administrative leave

Washington Elementary School Principal Arielle Curry placed on administrative leave

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

‘Blackface’ TikTok media post shakes up San Marcos High School

‘Blackface’ TikTok media post shakes up San Marcos High School

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

Students, parents, teachers want their voices heard on artificial intelligence in Santa Barbara schools

Students, parents, teachers want their voices heard on artificial intelligence in Santa Barbara schools

by Sofia Wallace • Santa Barbara News-Press September 25, 2026September 25, 2026

Public Safety

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

As cities prepare for 2026’s super El Niño, some crucial blind spots can’t be ignored

As cities prepare for 2026’s super El Niño, some crucial blind spots can’t be ignored

by Bethany Tietjen • The Conversation September 24, 2026September 26, 2026

Environment

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

Santa Barbara prepares for El Niño dangers as it welcomes Creek Week

Santa Barbara prepares for El Niño dangers as it welcomes Creek Week

by Kaitlin Sweeney • Santa Barbara News-Press September 21, 2026September 21, 2026

Caltrans: Highway 101 Montecito construction zone as ready as can be for El Niño

Caltrans: Highway 101 Montecito construction zone as ready as can be for El Niño

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press September 20, 2026September 20, 2026

See the story

Santa Barbara County, in focus.

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.

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 15

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18124468816878671

In the weeks before REACH 38 began carrying blood aboard its Santa Maria-based medical helicopter, crews responded to at least four patients who could have used it.

One was trapped for hours inside an auger near Guadalupe.

The patient became snagged inside the agricultural machinery and remained stuck for roughly three hours as rescuers worked to free them, according to Dennis Rowley, program director for REACH 38.

The patient ultimately survived. But at the time, blood wasn’t routinely carried aboard the Santa Maria-based helicopter.

Now it is.

In late August, REACH 38, an air ambulance service based out of Santa Maria, launched a new blood program that lets its flight crews begin blood transfusions right at the scene of an emergency. For patients in rural and remote areas, the new capability could mean receiving blood 20 to 30 minutes sooner.

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

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 14

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18429602230198862

News-Press reporter Sofia Wallace interviews Ian Baucke, candidate for the Santa Barbara City Council District 5 seat.

#santabarbara

View Instagram post by sbnewspress

Sep 14

Open post by sbnewspress with ID 18142002679573155

News-Press reporter Julianna Lozada interviews Gabe Escobedo, candidate for the Santa Barbara City Council District 6 seat.

#santabarbara

Voices

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

Opinion: I’m voting for Genevieve. Here’s why you should too.

Opinion: I’m voting for Genevieve. Here’s why you should too.

by Suzanne Cohen September 22, 2026

Opinion: California celebrates fifty years of coastal protection in face of Trump challenges

Opinion: California celebrates fifty years of coastal protection in face of Trump challenges

by Janet Bridgers September 20, 2026September 20, 2026

Announcements

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

Santa Barbara Police Department investigates death in Chase Palm Park

Santa Barbara Police Department investigates death in Chase Palm Park

by Santa Barbara Police Department September 25, 2026September 25, 2026

Ramp and lane closures on Highway 101 through Buellton to shift, Sept. 30

Ramp and lane closures on Highway 101 through Buellton to shift, Sept. 30

by Ashton Harris, Caltrans September 25, 2026September 25, 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

Is AI the curse or the cure? UCSB students talk its effect on jobs during the first day of Fall 2026 classes

Education

Is AI the curse or the cure? UCSB students talk its effect on jobs during the first day of Fall 2026 classes

by Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press September 24, 2026September 24, 2026

Early morning crash spills fluids onto Highway 101; Southbound lanes in Montecito now open

Early morning crash spills fluids onto Highway 101; Southbound lanes in Montecito now open

by Joshua Molina • Santa Barbara News-Press September 24, 2026September 24, 2026

Thousands of unauthorized Flock queries prompt Ventura to review contract

Government

Thousands of unauthorized Flock queries prompt Ventura to review contract

by Kaitlin Sweeney • Santa Barbara News-Press September 23, 2026September 26, 2026

Salud Carbajal pickets alongside Solvang city workers on ninth day of strike

Government

Salud Carbajal pickets alongside Solvang city workers on ninth day of strike

by Tom Schultz • Santa Barbara News-Press September 23, 2026September 23, 2026

Santa Barbara resident Kristin Flickinger makes her debut tonight on hit reality show ‘Survivor’

Arts and Culture

Santa Barbara resident Kristin Flickinger makes her debut tonight on hit reality show ‘Survivor’

by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press September 23, 2026September 23, 2026

Anti-abortion advocates say it’s possible to ‘reverse’ an abortion. California wants them to stop

Health

Anti-abortion advocates say it’s possible to ‘reverse’ an abortion. California wants them to stop

by Kristen Hwang • CalMatters September 23, 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.