Santa Barbara CA

Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. Santa Barbara, CA. (December 2025) – Each year since 2020, The Riviera Ridge School has invited students to reflect upon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee Writing Contest. This year, a record...

Three people were rescued from chest-high, fast-moving water in the Santa Ynez River bottom on January 3rd after becoming trapped amid storm conditions, according to the Lompoc Fire Department. The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, prompting a response from Lompoc Fire and the Santa...

Weeks after receiving federal approval to restart the controversial Santa Ynez Unit oil production along the California coast, Sable Offshore Corp. faced a new setback when a Santa Barbara County Court declined its request to lift an injunction that prevents the company from restarting its oil pipelines. Under direct...

GAVIOTA, Calif. — Union Pacific and Amtrak operations along the Coast Line in Santa Barbara County have been shut down by a washout that led to an incident in which a maintenance worker was injured. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department reports it responded at 7:47 a.m. today (Jan. 6, 2026) to an incident north...

Meet Muffin, a three-year-old cattle dog who is always searching for that perfect nap spot. Muffin is searching for her forever home through Santa Barbara County Animal Services (SBCAS). SBCAS volunteers said: “Muffin isn’t lazy — she’s efficient. She saves her energy for the important things in life: snacks,...

The man who injured four people during a 2024 crime spree in downtown Ventura was sentenced to 12 years in state prison Jan. 6, according to Ventura County Superior Court records. At a Dec. 2 hearing, 23-year-old Efrain Troncoso changed his plea from not guilty to guilty for three counts of assault with a deadly...

The Anchor Rose restaurant is closed and the space is available at the Santa Barbara harbor. Interested parties have been checking out the site and submitting proposals. The post A New Restaurant Operator is Sought on the Santa Barbara Waterfront appeared first on News Channel 3-12 .

After losing some of its funding, Catholic Charities in Santa Barbara is shifting its focus to utilities and food support as demand for housing help continues to grow.

A California-based fundraising platform filed for bankruptcy reorganization while owing $29 million to nonprofits, including 20 located in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Many of these organizations are now struggling to pay their bills and support their causes. Started in 2012, Flipcause is a fundraising...

Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) located an overdue hiker safe late Monday, January 5, after deploying a drone with an infrared camera over the 7 Falls area, the team reported. Dispatchers activated SBCSAR at 9:00 p.m. after a man in his 20s who had set out for 7...