June 25, 2026
Tag: Santa Barbara Unified School District
Santa Barbara to Explore a “Vacancy Tax” for Residential and Commercial Properties
Other recent news: Holiday parade to return; Antique Alley to close after 33 years; lax enforcement of ban on gas-powered blowers; more ICE arrests and lawless behavior; downtown EV-charging station open; Santa Barbara Unified School District to build more staff housing; setback for proposed Goleta church; update on 18-story tower in Carpinteria; new local doll company. 7
March 12, 2026
First Look at the Development Proposed for the Carpinteria Bluffs
Other recent news: No deadline extensions for cannabis odor scrubbers; what's next for the armory building on Canon Perdido Street; Santa Barbara might raise the property transfer tax; just one monarch butterfly spotted at Ellwood Mesa; short-term vacation rental ordinance moves forward; federal government continues to push for Sable Offshore; One805Live! performers announced. 13
February 19, 2026
ICE Agents Caught Lying to Oxnard Police
Other recent news: 72-room hotel approved in Carpinteria; Open Air Bicycles update; half of Carpinteria cannabis farms miss the scrubber deadline; the widening of Mission Creek; Cottage Health's partnership with a local high school; downtown building nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. 4
May 8, 2025
The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum Opens Next Week
Other recent news: Downtown homeless center has become a nuisance; Santa Barbara school district rescinded all those pink slips; the Isla Vista Food Co-Op is on the ropes; Broadway in Santa Barbara's 2025-26 lineup; will Los Patos Way end with a whimper? 3
May 1, 2025
March 20, 2025
Longstanding Carpinteria Surf Shop to Close
Other recent news: Santa Barbara considers disincentivizing landlords to renovate; teacher layoffs by the Santa Barbara Unified School District; county to increase oversight of battery storage systems; "Restraining Order Violation" in Montecito; more studies of noise impacts of space launches; cannabis farms required to install carbon scrubbers; lawsuit by residents affected by cannabis stench granted class-action status; cannabis farm goes bankrupt. 3
June 19, 2024
Refugio State Beach Is Closed Indefinitely
Other recent news: Professional soccer team to play at UCSB stadium; Santa Barbara Unified School District teachers' strike tentatively averted; county supervisors wrestle with the cannabis tax mess; Highway 101 construction above Ventura is done; seed money to try and buy Carpinteria Bluffs land slated for development; Santa Cruz Market sold; new hat shop in Carpinteria. 2
June 4, 2024
Santa Barbara Is Considering a Sales Tax Increase
Other recent news: Many of the school district's solar arrays have yet to function; criminal charges filed against landlord; mysterious fish die-off; Old Town Antiques is closing; the tree of the month; county district attorneys vs. Carbmaster bread. 2
November 11, 2023
The Summer Solstice Celebration Theme Is “Flights of Fancy”
Other recent news: Rain is in the forecast (as is a wet winter in general); verdict in the trial over house bought by Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom; the bitter battle between the Santa Barbara Unified School District's teachers and leadership; State Street tattoo parlor moved to the Mesa; the history of Isla Vista; more on the former Child Estate; the mission of the U.S. Space Force. 2
October 5, 2023
Increased Regulation Likely for Pandemic Restaurant Expansion
Other recent news: The fall cruise season has begun; list of Santa Barbara infrastructure projects; an opponent for Das Williams; big downtown probation office moves forward; the ongoing restoration of Hammond's Meadow; Santa Barbara Unified School District enrollment continues to drop; Santa Barbara Humane expansion and the recreation of an airport hangar. 4
Recent Comments
You can't blame restaurants for releasing menus without prices when the first thing people do is complain about how expensive everything is. — Erik Torkells
I assume it's the little area with convenience snacks inside the gift shop. It's sort of tucked away in the back corner of the store. — Alisa
Is the lunch at Monte's free? Menu with no pricing is suspect on what they will be charging lettuce, etc..?? — Louise
How charming. Buildings like this add such an essential textural element to a place. So grateful to Mr. Krablin for preserving it. — BW
Thank you Bruce and Starr for all that you're doing to keep Santa Barbara a place full of music, cocktails, comfy vibes, and a great… — David Ashfield
JD, I couldn't agree more. I’m fairly new to the area and have been intrigued by some locals who never seem to visit downtown but… — Lisa
Italian cuisine is more than just pasta. — Don