November’s rainfall is responsible for Santa Barbara County experiencing “one of the wettest starts to a water-year on record.” That’s according to Flood Control District Senior Hydrologist Shawn Johnson, who gauges the ebb and flow of rivers and reservoirs across the county and keeps close tabs on rainfall patterns, with decades of water data recorded […]
Caleb Wiseblood
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Political Watch: November 27, 2025
• U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), and Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) introduced the Liquid Cooling for AI Act of 2025 on Nov. 20. As the U.S. works to maintain technological supremacy and ramp-up AI innovation, this legislation puts new directives to certain federal agencies in place. For example, the […]
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Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden decks out for its annual Holiday Lights Festival
The gifting treesThe Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden will host its Holiday Lights Festival on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, between Dec. 5 and 21 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. For tickets and more info on the event, visit syvholidaylights.com. The garden is located at 151 Sycamore Drive, Buellton. Gray pines. Blue oaks. Warm and cool […]
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Recent ICE arrests in Santa Maria draw criticism from immigration rights advocates
After asking to see the warrant for her husband’s arrest, a woman in Santa Maria was handed an insurance claim for the car window ICE agents broke to apprehend him, 805 UndocuFund volunteer Michelle Ambriz-Quintero told the Sun. A member of 805 UndocuFund’s rapid response team, Ambriz-Quintero was alerted on Nov. 16 about an Immigrations […]
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Buellton refreshes its tree policies while pursuing Tree City USA status
There are plenty of guidelines and recommendations for developers related to tree upkeep in Buellton, but not enough enforceable do’s and don’ts, some city officials recently argued. “I don’t like the fact that, … ‘Should’ leads to ‘I don’t need to,’” Buellton Mayor David Silva said at the council’s Nov. 13 meeting. The city is […]
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Political Watch: November 20, 2025
• On Nov. 17, U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the bipartisan Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act. This legislation would create the first respiratory protection standards for wildland firefighters. According to Schiff’s office, federal firefighters were prohibited for decades from wearing respiratory protection, despite a growing body of evidence warning about […]
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Santa Margarita’s Christmas at the Ranch celebrates third year of holiday cheer
The 14,000-acre ranch that temporarily housed thousands of firefighters—dispatched from agencies across California to contain the Gifford Fire in August—is inviting them back to see the former site of their base camp in a different light, literally. “While they were there, a lot of local ranches around Santa Margarita and Pozo all said, ‘We want […]
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Santa Barbara County re-evaluates Sable Offshore’s capacity to operate safely and lawfully
Nine months after a stalemate prevented Santa Barbara County officials from taking action on a controversial oil pipeline’s proposed restart, 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino moved from one side of the vote to the other. In February, Lavagnino supported Sable Offshore’s pursuit of the permit transfers needed to revive the Santa Ynez Unit, which includes […]
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Lompoc considers altering its fee program that regulates RVs
A new parking rule in Lompoc inadvertently clashes with a separate protocol that allows RVs on streets in residential neighborhoods, one city official recently argued. In late October, the Lompoc City Council amended the city’s parking restrictions to require any vehicle parked on the street to move at least 150 feet every 72 hours. Lompoc’s […]
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Santa Maria homelessness stats spark mixed feedback from city officials
After hearing an annual update on Santa Maria’s homelessness response efforts, 3rd District City Councilmember Gloria Soto echoed many of the concerns she raised last year. “We need to do more, and I know what’s something we keep reiterating,” Soto said at the council’s Nov. 4 meeting. “I’m deeply worried that our local governments will […]
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Political Watch: November 13, 2025
• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pennsylvania) recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at improving housing access and affordability for U.S. veterans. The Home for the Brave Act would exempt veterans’ disability benefits from counting toward total income when determining their eligibility for housing assistance programs through the Department of Housing and […]
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Coroner’s conflict: A new state law requires an independent autopsy of in-custody deaths
Dozens of law enforcement agencies across California have less than two years to comply with a new state law, one that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office believes will do more harm than good. Inspired by a 2024 county grand jury report, Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) FACTS Act calls for independent medical investigations of […]
