SpaceX Launch to Support Italian Space Agency Scheduled for Saturday Evening
The U.S. Space Force has approved a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with a return-to-base landing, scheduled to lift off at 6:08 p.m. PT on Saturday, December 27, from Space Launch Complex 4 East at the Vandenberg Space Force Base spaceport. Residents near Vandenberg SFB will hear one or more sonic...
Santa Barbara County Community Comes Together to Grant Holiday Wishes for 677 Children in...
Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (December 23, 2025) — At a time of year that can be especially difficult for children in foster care, the Santa Barbara County community came together in an extraordinary show of compassion, fulfilling the holiday...
Santa Barbara’s Frog Shrine Faces Slimming, Not Extinction
Some cities have love-lock bridges. Others have heart-shaped rock collections. Santa Barbara has frogs. Dozens and dozens of them, nestled into niches, or lined up sentry style along a tan stone wall of the Riviera neighborhood — one of the oldest districts of Santa Barbara, known for its labyrinthine streets. The...
Casa Agria’s State Street Taproom Is Closing
••• The Casa Agria taproom inside the multi-tenant Kim’s Service Department (State Street between Gutierrez and Haley) announced that it’s closing today (December 28). It opened in November 2024. ••• Bluewater Grill is “looking for a buyer of the business at the iconic lighthouse building” on...
Ashlee Buzzard denies murdering daughter; DA’s office won’t seek death penalty
The plea and denial of special allegations of discharge of a firearm causing death and murder by lying in wait were entered during Buzzard's arraignment on Friday.
Food Bank of Santa Barbara County Gets Support From BofA During Holiday Surge
Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. Sharing some good news — the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County has received a $10,000 grant from Bank of America to help support this essential local organization. In Santa Barbara County, food insecurity affects nearly 20% of...
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Now Offering Non-Invasive Treatment Option for Patients with Liver Tumors
Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. SANTA BARBARA, CA—December 19, 2025—Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH) is now offering histotripsy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment that uses focused ultrasound energy to precisely destroy targeted tissue in both cancerous and benign...
The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County Celebrates 40 Years of Conservation with Landmark...
The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is closing out its 40th year with a record of meaningful conservation impact, deepened community engagement, and strengthened stewardship across the region. Since its founding in 1985, the Land Trust has partnered with landowners, public agencies, and community members to...
General Rain Advisory for Countywide Beaches
Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. (SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) — Due to the overnight rainfall that is forecasted to continue into Friday, Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services wants to remind residents about potential health risks associated with storm water runoff at...
Patients Opt For Higher Deductibles as Federal Tax Credits Come to an End
Patients across the state are opting for health insurance plans with higher deductibles to reduce their monthly cost as federal subsidies appear to be coming to an end. Residents only have a few days left to make a major decision about their health coverage as the deadline to have coverage for all of 2026 is Dec. 31.
