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Articles by Amanda Velasco
Santa Barbara mayoral candidate Wendy Sims-Moten running on a platform of inclusion, care for one another
Wendy Sims-Moten saw the Santa Barbara Unified School District through a slew of global issues over eight years, from the Black Lives Matter movement to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, she’s looking to tackle an even greater challenge: Santa Barbara Mayor. “My background really is about making sure it’s about all,” she said. Sims-Moten is running for mayor against Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon, two city council veterans.
Father, daughter launch ‘Superpod’ podcast to teach awareness of environment, self care
Every week, Malia Westheimer, 10, transforms into “Kiko”—a young orca navigating the sea. Crouched next to a microphone, she records audio clips in the voice of Kiko for the “SuperPod, “a podcast that aims to raise awareness about the environment and teach children about self care. All six episodes were released in early September on several podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.
Santa Barbara mayoral candidates debate finances, housing and State Street at News-Press forum
Santa Barbara mayoral candidates Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon clashed over whose to blame for the city’s budget problems, rent stabilization and whether to place it on a ballot for approval, and housing policy, in the first mayoral debate of the campaign season. Wendy Sims-Moten, who spent eight years on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board of Education, brought an outsider’s point of view to the event.
Santa Barbara City Council candidate Anabella Lehne wants to make District 6 more affordable
Born and raised Santa Barbara, local Anabella Lehne may have been late to join the race for the District 6 City Council seat, but over the past weeks, her campaign has taken full form. Lehne is running against three other candidates—Alexander Stoeber, Jason Carlton and Gabe Escobedo. Proud to be the sole female candidate for District 6, Lehne outlined her campaign through clear platforms.
Goleta City Council inches closer to placing regulations on firearm, ammunition sales
No silver bullet was found at the Goleta City Council’s Tuesday meeting. The City Council was unaware of a gun store’s signing of a long-term lease at 7443 Hollister Ave, opposite a daycare center and preschool. But now, it’s trying to figure out a way to regulate firearm sales and possibly relocate the shop. “We’re not trying to eliminate guns or anything of that sort,” said Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, who represents District 4.
Massive Día de los Muertos car show to return to downtown Ventura this fall
This fall, hundreds of lowrider cars decked out with altars and golden flowers will take over downtown Ventura streets. The Downtown Social Club, an event company, will hold a massive Día de los Muertos car show on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Día de los Muertos, or day of the dead, is a holiday in Mexican culture for people to pay respects to their loved ones who have died. The event will span seven blocks—an increase from last year’s event, which took over four blocks, said organizer Robby Lopez.
Gun shop by preschool sparks push to curb sales in Goleta and unincorporated county
As a Goleta gun shop prepares for its grand opening next to a preschool, alarmed elected officials are pushing for new rules that would prevent firearms sales near schools and child care centers. The Goleta City Council on Tuesday will explore potential new limits on gun and ammunition retailers. Options on the table include amendments to city zoning and land use laws that could lead to the shop’s closure.
‘A wakeup call’: Santa Barbara City Councilmembers explore solutions to restore its drained budget reserves
The city of Santa Barbara’s finances survived the Great Recession. This year, it’s fallen into an even deeper hole. After draining most of its financial savings—leaving only its emergency disaster relief funds—the city is now exploring new ways to replenish its budget. The finance committee met on Tuesday to discuss potential solutions. “We cannot allow this to occur,” said city finance director Keith DeMartini.
Possible rain, thunderstorms to come to Santa Barbara despite anticipated extreme heat
You can’t beat the heat—unless the heat never comes. While everyone was expecting extreme temperatures today, it turns out the weather was weird—but with a twist. Rain? Possible thunderstorms? Residents woke up to an unusual rain Thursday, even amid heat warnings that forced some schools to close early. Now, there’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon and until Friday, according to National Weather Service forecasts.
Who are the candidates running for Santa Barbara City Council?
Santa Barbara voters will decide on four contested city council races in the November general election—one of the city’s most competitive contests in recent years. Two city council veterans and two challengers are vying to be Santa Barbara Mayor and three city council seats are up for election. Eric Friedman, councilmember/grocery worker Friedman, the current District 5 representative, is a Trader Joe’s employee and a former staffer for Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara.
Carrizo Fire burns more than 250 acres northwest of New Cuyama
A vegetation fire broke out northwest of New Cuyama Saturday morning, burning around 268 acres as of 1:45 p.m. The fire is on both sides of Highway 166 and could potentially reach 1,000 acres, according to Incident Command. Officials issued evacuation warnings in the New Cuyama area. Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County Fire Department units are responding to the fire.
New Italian restaurant and a cafe-turned-wine bar spice up options in Montecito
Something new is cooking—and pouring—in Montecito. An Italian eatery and wine bar opened last week as part of the latest summer business openings. Ancora Osteria, an Italian restaurant, opened at 1483 East Valley Road on Aug. 13—replacing Via Vai, a pizzeria that closed in 2024. Chef Luca Crestanelli, his brother Francesco Crestanelli and Norman Borgatello co-own the restaurant. Ancora Osteria is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday to Monday, but Luca said he plans to expand hours in the future.
Satellite, a downtown Santa Barbara wine bar, to close after 10 years
Satellite has lost its signal. Satellite, a wine bar and vegan-focused restaurant, will close at 1117 State Street on Sept. 13, owner Drew Cuddy told the News-Press. The restaurant is attached to Kiva Cowork, a shared work space, and secured a nine-year lease for the site in 2016.
Satellite, a downtown Santa Barbara wine bar, to close after 10 years
Satellite has lost its signal. Satellite, a wine bar and vegan-focused restaurant, will close at 1117 State Street on Sept. 13, owner Drew Cuddy told the News-Press. The restaurant is attached to Kiva Cowork, a shared work space, and secured a nine-year lease for the site in 2016.
Devereux residents plant 50 succulents at Goleta’s Stow House
Sporting a pair of gardening boots, Wendy, a Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health resident, carefully placed potted succulents by Goleta’s Stow House on Friday morning. Those plants, sorted in vibrant handmade crates, will be at the center of Goleta’s Dam Dinner on Saturday, an annual gathering for city public officials and community members at Lake Los Carneros.
Goleta residents speak out against gun store near day care center
Residents packed a Goleta City Council special meeting on Wednesday to condemn the recent relocation of a gun store opposite a local day care center. Goodland Guns secured a longterm lease at 7443 Hollister Avenue—formerly occupied by 7/11—in July, owner Dan Ashton previously told the News-Press. The store is near Ellwood Elementary and neighbors Here We Grow Learning Center, a day care center and preschool that opened in January.
Santa Barbara’s newest pizza and gelato restaurants bring flavor to downtown
Pizza-by-the-slice and gelato-by-the-scoop have arrived in downtown Santa Barbara. Milio’s Pizza will open on Friday at 801 State Street—a corner previously proposed to be converted into a condominium or boutique hotel. The building was vacant for nearly seven years after the Hoffmann Brat Haus, a German beer restaurant, left the site in 2019. On the same block, Sweetaly Gelato, a family-owned business, opened on Aug. 1 in Paseo Nuevo.
A new cidery and meadery is making its way to downtown Santa Barbara
A new cidery and meadery is brewing downtown. Apiary Beverage Co. is set to open its second location at 703 Chapala Street in October, said owners Rachna and Nole Cossart. The 10-year-old beverage company, which has a location in Carpinteria, makes gluten-free mead, cider and kombucha beverages fermented from 100% honey. “Apiary drinks are the perfect thing that’s in between beer and wine—and not drinking alcohol at all,” Nole said.
News-Press reporters share thoughts on their first Santa Barbara Fiesta
You either hate it or you love it. For both of us, it’s our first time experiencing Fiesta in Santa Barbara. We experienced it all—five days of cracking cascarones on each other’s heads, eating pupusas and hot cheeto fries from the Mercado, cruising up and down State Street and gawking at the flamenco dancers. Beyond the bright colors and energy that Fiesta brought, however, we made deeper observations about the celebration.
Families find purpose, community in selling thousands of cascarones during Fiesta week
She begins by poking a hole on the top of the egg. Then she drains the egg, rinses it, lets it dry and fills it with rainbow confetti. And the decorating begins. It could be Nemo or Pikachu, or just spray painted bright and colorful. For Angelica Gonzalez and her family, that egg is one of the thousands of cascarones they sell during Fiesta week in downtown Santa Barbara. “It’s a whole family passion,” said Ceily Manzanarez, Gonzalez’s sister. Cascarones with bee designs are placed on a table.
Fiesta Pequeña draws thousands to the Old Mission to kickoff the 103rd Old Spanish Days Fiesta
Coachella can’t compare. Just ask Andrea Jacqueline. Wednesday night’s Fiesta Pequeña attracted thousands of people to the Old Mission for the ceremonial kickoff to the 103rd Old Spanish Days Fiesta. “There’s nothing like it,” Jacqueline said, sitting on a picnic blanket on the mission lawn. Dancers perform on stage. Groups such as Mariachi Gallos de Oro, Puro Flamenco and Zermeno Dance Academy performed traditional dances and songs throughout the event.
‘We’re blindsided’: Parents rally against a gun store set to open next to daycare center in Goleta
Alexander Barone moved to Goleta to raise two children, five months and two-and-a-half-years old. But 18 months after relocating, Barone said he might move his family out, after learning that a gun store would occupy a storefront next to the local daycare where his children are enrolled. “The only thing separating them is a see-through chain link fence,” Barone said.
Santa Barbara’s new rage room is breaking ground on State Street
It’s mayhem inside Santa Barbara’s new rage room. Grab a crowbar and smash a bottle into smithereens. Swing a baseball bat and bust up a coffee pot. Or just grab a giant plate and slam it against the wall. And that’s just the first minute of the chaos. The rage room is set to open this Wednesday inside the State Street Axe Club, 427 State Street. The opening is timed to the kickoff for Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta.
City of Santa Barbara overhauls Vera Cruz Park with new renovation project
Santa Barbara’s Vera Cruz Park is swinging in a new direction. The Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department plans to overhaul the downtown park by renovating its community building, adding a new entrance and upgrading the outdoor grounds.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office identifies 18 suspects involved in two burgalries at a Carpinteria cannabis facility
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives identified 18 suspects involved in two-large scale burglaries at a Carpinteria cannabis facility. The suspects allegedly stole 2,000 pounds of cannabis valued at more than $500,000 at the 4000-block of Foothill Road on Jan. 17 and Feb. 4, according to a Monday press release from the Sheriff’s Office. Detectives obtained felony arrest warrants for each suspect for charges including burglary, grand theft and conspiracy.
Raising Cane’s, El Pollo Loco and Urbane Cafe to open at Hollister Village Plaza in Goleta
Things are spicing up in the Goodland. Three new dining options are coming to Hollister Village Plaza as part of the latest tenant shakeup at the shopping center. Raising Cane’s, El Pollo Loco and Urbane Cafe will open side-by-side at 7000 Hollister Avenue next to CVS. The shopping center is next to the Hollister Village apartments and across the street from the Camino Real Marketplace. It is also near UC Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos High School.
At UCSB, this science education program sparks connection, innovation among kids
Tucked in a classroom at UC Santa Barbara, Ander Chambers spent his Friday morning building a makeshift rollercoaster using painter’s tape, parts of pool noodles and glass marbles. “We have a lot of twists and a lot of areas where it’s not flat,” he said, pointing to his creation on the wall. Chambers, who just graduated from the seventh grade, is one of the dozens of students who participated in SciTrek this summer, a science outreach program for elementary and middle school students.
Neighbors oppose a proposed self-storage facility in western Goleta
Residents are fighting back against a proposed self-storage facility in Goleta, arguing that it isn’t compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods. The facility, planned for 7780 Hollister Avenue, would span 166,740 square feet and offer 1,322 storage units.One resident said it looks like “prison guard towers.” Another said the buildings bring too much urbanization to rural western Goleta.
Parents, children find community at one-day Lobster Jo’s beach camp event
On Sunday, Lobster Jo’s returned home. The summer camp held a one-day family day event at East Beach, drawing dozens of community members to participate in capture the flag, dodgeball and boogieboarding. It was Lobster Jo’s first event at East Beach, where owner Joseph Evers founded the camp, since the city unexpectedly terminated its lease in November. The event allowed both parents and their children to join in on the fun, Evers said.
A new medical clinic is making its way to Goleta
Story poles for a new medical clinic are turning heads in Goleta. The two-story medical center, located at 6975 Santa Felicia Drive, will house a local provider of wellness and medical services. The site is next to Santa Barbara County Fire Station 11 and Ice in Paradise, and near the Camino Real Marketplace. “It’ll serve a public benefit,” said Goleta City Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, whose district encompasses the property in Southwest Goleta.
Santa Barbara’s only Staples store to leave Goleta
Staples is shuttering its doors in Goleta—the superstore’s only location in Santa Barbara County—in late August, sources told the News-Press. Staples is located at 7015 Market Place Drive in the Camino Real Marketplace.The office supplies and stationary store neighbors Isla Vista, where around 13,000 UC Santa Barbara students live. The store is also close to Dos Pueblos High School.
New Roman-style pizza restaurant adds unique options to Goleta
A third-generation, Roman-style pizza restaurant is bringing ancient flavors to Goleta. Pegaslice, 7398 Calle Real, Suite C, held its grand opening on Friday. It’s the only restaurant in Santa Barbara that sells roman-style pizza—known for its rectangle-shaped crusts full of large air bubbles, said owner McLeod Noormand. “Not a lot of pizza places in Santa Barbara are super chef-driven,” Noormand said. “That’s what really makes Pegaslice unique.” Roman-style pizza is on display.
‘We all have a voice’: Carpinteria protest marks one year since Glass House Farms immigration raids
Community members marched through Carpinteria streets on Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary of the immigration raids at Glass House Farms cannabis facilities. Activist organizations including Carpinteria Sin Fronteras, 805UndocuFund and SBResiste organized the protest. “What we are seeing today is going to be written in the books of U.S. history,” said 805 UndocuFund Executive Director Primitiva Hernandez.
Santa Barbara Zoo celebrates two newborn red panda cubs after more than 30 years
Red panda cubs were born at the Santa Barbara Zoo for the first time since 1993, marking a milestone in the zoo’s conservation efforts. The twin cubs were born on July 2 to first-time red panda parents Ruby and Raj. “These cubs represent more than a joyful new addition to our Zoo family,” said Charles Hopper, the president of the Santa Barbara Zoo, in a Wednesday press release.
A standalone Costco gas station may come to the city of Goleta
Everyone’s favorite rotisserie chicken may soon come with a full tank of gas. Costco might open up a gas station in Goleta a few miles down the road from the warehouse at the Camino Real Marketplace. The Santa Barbara Airport Commission approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Costco in March, allowing the company to evaluate the proposed site at 6050 Hollister Avenue and 140 Frederic Lopez Road for 12 months. The property neighbors the Santa Barbara Airport Economy parking lot.
‘A historic evening’: 4,000 attend Goleta’s 2nd annual Fourth of July Drone Show
Red, white and blue drones sparkled above Goleta on Saturday night for the Fourth of July. The city of Goleta hosted its second annual Fourth of July Drone Show at the Dos Pueblos High School football stadium from 6 to 9:30 p.m., featuring 250 drones to commemorate the United States’ 250th birthday. About 4,000people came to the free event—down from the nearly 6,000 attendees last year.
‘It’s dead’: Businesses in Isla Vista make menu changes, cut hours to survive the summer
It’s a familiar sight in Isla Vista: a flurry of UC Santa Barbara students walking up and down streets, riding their bicycles and swerving on skateboards. But once students move out of the neighborhood by June, Isla Vista becomes a ghost town. Restaurant owners said they have to fight to survive over the three-month long break. “Even on Taco Tuesday it’s dead,” said Maria Mayo, the owner of Maria’s Tacos, located on the corner of Pardall Road.
New Rivian electric car dealership to occupy Santa Barbara Airport property, sparks concern from Goleta
A new electric car dealership is on its way to a Santa Barbara Airport property near Goleta, though it could reignite tension between the two cities. Rivian, an all-electric car manufacturer, proposed a 33,445-square-foot building at 6210-6290 Hollister Avenue. The project is in the planning stages, and the Architectural Board of Review provided feedback on the proposal on June 22.
Santa Barbara Trapeze Co. to leave Vera Cruz Park after five years
Santa Barbara’s downtown trapeze act must leave Vera Cruz Park after the city of Santa Barbara made the decision not to renew the company’s lease. The Parks and Recreation Department will not renew the Santa Barbara Trapeze Co.’s lease past April 2027, said founder Randy Kohn. “I don’t know where we fell short,” Kohn said.
Carpinteria sparkles with new mermaid dolls that promote caring, nurturing—and breastfeeding
Meet Mama Glimmer, she’s a bright, pink-haired mermaid doll with big blue eyes and a turquoise tail. But this child’s toy is even more powerful than a regular mermaid; she breastfeeds. Toy designer Cimmi Cumes said she created the dolls to have a breastfeeding feature, with the goal of teaching children to care for others. “Everyone knows Little Mermaid, but ours is different because it’s a family,” Cimmi said.
Families attend Santa Barbara’s 9th annual Juneteenth celebration in Plaza del Mar Park
Families, music and Black-owned businesses filled Plaza del Mar Park on Friday for Santa Barbara’s annual Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth recognizes the end of slavery in the United States, when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas in 1865 learned they were free—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Santa Barbara report reveals many roads are unsafe for bicyclists, pedestrians
Overview: Collectively, bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians in Santa Barbara are disproportrionately impacted by severe and fatal collisions, officials said. Santa Barbara’s roads are headed in the right direction. The City Council reviewed the draft proposal for the Safe Streets for All Action Plan on Tuesday, which aims to prevent severe traffic fatalities and pedestrian injuries by implementing collision reduction measures in certain parts of Santa Barbara.
UCLA child care center to close, attendees to move to Krieger Center in September
This post was updated April 11 at 1:35 p.m. Samantha Calvillo, a therapist and crisis counselor at UCLA’s Rape Treatment Center, is used to 2 a.m. wake up calls. Calvillo, a UCLA alumnus, said she is responsible for accompanying victims of sexual assault during medical forensic exams. When patients come to the clinic after midnight, she drives from her home to the RTC location in Santa Monica to provide them with care, she added.
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