••• The next segment of the widening of Highway 101—from Hermosillo to Salinas—will start in the spring and take at least three years. An email from the Montecito Association says that both Hot Springs/Cabrillo exits, northbound and southbound, will be closed from the spring of 2026 to summer of 2028 (“The Cabrillo Boulevard Interchange will be reconstructed with two new bridges and right-hand freeway ramps, including a new southbound on-ramp [above].”) A temporary traffic signal will replace the stop sign at the Hermosillo off-ramp.
••• “Santa Barbara County 911 dispatchers will now handle emergency calls in a new facility that has been years in the making. […] But more importantly, it’s part of a significant change in the way some of the county’s first responders operate. […] ‘Fire departments work with their jurisdictions, and those in the past have been hard lines,’ explained Santa Barbara Fire Chief Chris Mailes. ‘We would run up to the city border, and the county (Santa Barbara County) would run up to the county border.’ But Mailes said under the change, they are using technology to get the closest first responders to an incident, regardless of the jurisdiction.” —KCLU
••• The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will play the Chilean team at UCSB on January 27. Ticket info is here. —Noozhawk
••• Powell Garage (1327 De La Vina Street) will close December 19; it was founded in 1938. —Edhat
••• “The House of Representatives passed a bill to rename Goleta’s South Patterson Post Office after retired Brig. Gen. Frederick Lopez. […] The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration.” —KCLU
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The post office renaming will cost roughly $500,000 paid for by the USPS internal funds from stamps and fees.