World’s Dimmest Thieves Try to Rob the Police Department

Other local news: North County Covid-19 cases outpacing South County; Bucket Brigade mask contest; city threatens to close beaches this weekend; two set designers' neat midcentury home; online Santa Barbara music festival; Planning Commission questions large new cannabis operation.

Send Orchids to a Good Cause

Plus: Bella Vista Drive is closed at Romero Canyon because of debris flow; oceanfront rental on the Mesa; 101 widening delayed by rain; sprucing up your succulents; it might be time to order a custom hat.

A Couple of Ways to Make Easter More Special

From Hook & Press Donuts and Bree'osh. More food news: La Super-Rica is open; changes at the Wine Cask and Intermezzo; everything is 15% off at Twenty-Four Blackbirds; online sale at the Public Market's Wine + Beer shop.

Newsletter: April 9

The Siteline newsletter is the best way to follow the website. To subscribe, click the link at the bottom of this post. And you can unsubscribe at any time.

Low-Slung Contemporary on Three Montecito Acres

Other noteworthy new listings: A lock-and-leave Ennisbrook Casita; 1926 house on a corner lot in the Upper East; and a San Roque hacienda that has only changed hands once in 85 years.

Models Show Covid-19 Pushing Hospitals Over Capacity

Other local news: 218 confirmed cases in Santa Barbara County; turnaround time for testing has improved; dire drop in city revenue; schools staying closed through the academic year; Zoomers to Boomers growing nationally; what life is like now for supermarket workers.

Quality Grocery Staples at Handlebar Coffee Roasters

More food news: Merci Montecito is giving away chocolate-covered matzoh for Passover; The Lark and Lucky Penny stopped offering takeout; the Honor Bar started delivery in Montecito; some red zones now legal for food pickups; Pieology in Goleta closed for good.

Why Is There a Pressure Cooker Attached to This Utility Pole?

"I was walking on Anacapa Street when I noticed a pressure cooker attached to a utility pole. A couple of days later, I saw a stockpot at Garden and E. Padre. What purpose do they serve?" —P. 1

Newsletter: April 7

The twice-weekly Siteline newsletter is the best way to follow the website. To subscribe, click the link at the bottom of this post. And you can unsubscribe at any time.

South County Resident Is the Second to Die of Covid-19

Other local news: 174 confirmed cases as of Sunday afternoon; county appears to have more cases than comparable counties, but the lack of testing clouds the issue; could coastal winds carry the virus far?; the history of the 1930s Lutah Maria Riggs house at 818 Hot Springs Road.