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.
Environmental groups sue to block federal approval of Santa Barbara County oil pipeline restart
A federal agency has given approval to controversial efforts to restart the Santa Barbara County oil pipeline which ruptured in 2015, causing a massive spill, but enviromental groups filed suit to try to block the effort. The Federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration gave approval December 22 to...
Fire crews tackle house fire in Goleta
GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Fire crews tackled a house fire at the 4600 block of Puente Plaza in Goleta just after 2:30 Saturday. A resident of the home found the fire before firefighters saw the garage fully aflame and extended into the inside of the house, according to the SBCFD. Fire crews kept the flames from The...
