What do the Gifford Fire and our exorbitant electricity rates have in common? It’s hotter and drier now, exacerbating both wildfires and the cost of electricity. Global warming, better known as global heating, has raised the frequency, size, and price tag of wildfires. In the early 1980s, the annual cost to Cal Fire to suppress […]
California’s high utility bills are caused by fighting climate change-impacted wildfires
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Cleared out: Lompoc, county clean up Santa Ynez Riverbed encampments with aim to keep it that way
Santa Barbara County’s tally of tents and forts made of tarps and wooden planks in the Santa Ynez Riverbed is 85 fewer than seven months ago thanks to an ongoing cleanup initiative. In her role as the county’s encampment response coordination manager, Katherine Soto-Vasquez doesn’t often dwell on those stats during a typical work day, […]
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Board of Supervisors delay decision to make layoffs in health and social services department
Santa Barbara County supervisors pushed making a decision on budget rebalancing plans for the Public Health and Social Services departments. The plans discussed at the Oct. 7 supervisors meeting would eliminate more than 175 positions across both departments effective in January. “We’ve been receiving a lot of frustration for a lack of information,” 2nd District […]
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Sable considers restarting Santa Ynez Unit via offshore tankers if onshore pipeline ‘delays’ continue
Like oil and water, Sable Offshore and local jurisdictions’ visions for the future of three rigs off the Gaviota coastline are fundamentally incompatible—prompting recent pivots from both sides of the fence. The California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a civil lawsuit and criminal charges, respectively, against the Texas-based oil company […]
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LAFCO aims to increase sphere of influence engagement with cities
Of the eight incorporated cities in Santa Barbara County, six have expressed a desire to expand their respective spheres of influence, according to Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Executive Officer Mike Prater. Guadalupe and Carpinteria are the two outliers, he told LAFCO commissioners during the board’s Oct. 2 meeting. Although LAFCO’s due for its next […]
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Old Town Orcutt’s Vida Yoga celebrates three years of dishing out detox
Things are about to heat up at Vida Yoga. Literally. The Orcutt studio just installed new infrared heaters, which owner Jenn Gagarin plans to fire up for the first time on Oct. 11, as part of the venue’s third anniversary celebration. Describing the nuanced sensations and benefits of hot yoga to someone who’s never held […]
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Political Watch: October 9, 2025
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently reintroduced legislation with an aim to reduce the cost of higher education for students across the country. The Degrees Not Debt Act would double the maximum Pell Grant award—which supports more than 6 million current students throughout the U.S.—to $14,800 and adjust that award cap to inflation […]
Posted inOpinion
Why we must fight back and pass Proposition 50
If ever the maxim of fighting fire with fire presented a fitting action, it’s in these desperate times. Texas mid-decade and against rules reshaped the state district map, a move intended to add more Republicans to Congress when Trump asked for five more seats. A move that suppresses the votes of brown and Black residents. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Square Perspectives is on display this month at the Cypress Gallery
Square Perspectives, an art show at the Cypress Gallery, is showing until Oct. 26 featuring 12-by-12-inch works created by both professionals and beginners. “This democratic approach creates a visually striking mosaic of styles and techniques and fosters a supportive environment where established and up-and-coming artists can connect and inspire each other,” according to the gallery. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
One Battle After Another is a helluva cinematic ride
Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master) weaves this story about Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former revolutionary now living a paranoid existence off the grid with his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). When Bob’s old nemesis, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), […]
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The Thursday Murder Club follows four cold-case-solving retirees who take on a new whodunit
The Thursday Murder ClubWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix Based on Richard Osmen’s novel, this slice-of-life film follows three retirees who welcome in a new recruit to their whodunit club, The Thursday Murder Club. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley star as the founding members of the crew with Celia […]
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Black Rabbit follows estranged brothers who reunite to sort out a series of dangerous problems
Black RabbitWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix Created by Zach Baylin (King Richard, Creed III, The Order) and Kate Susman, this crime thriller miniseries focuses on the Friedken brothers, Jake (Jude Law), proprietor of NYC hotspot Black Rabbit, and his chaotic brother, Vince (Jason Batemen), who after a period of estrangement […]