Melodee Buzzard’s grandmother shreds possible insanity defense for accused killer mom: ‘planned everything’
Grandmother speaks out as mother accused of killing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard appears in court, questioning what changed in the woman she once knew.
Oxnard Woman Sentenced to Prison for 2023 Vehicular Manslaughter in Montecito
An Oxnard woman has been sentenced to state prison for a vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a Santa Paula man near Montecito in 2023. Ricki Newton, 24, was sentenced to 2 years in State Prison after previously pleading guilty to one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter, Santa Barbara County...
Santa Barbara County Named One of GoFundMe’s Most Generous Communities in 2025
Santa Barbara County was named one of the most generous communities in the country in GoFundMe’s newly released 2025 Year in Help report — a recognition that reflects thousands of small, individual acts of giving that, collectively, added up to something significant. According to GoFundMe, Santa Barbara County...
In Remembrance: January 9, 2018
On the eighth anniversary of the deadly debris flow that killed 23 people in Montecito, we commemorate the disaster’s victims with a short documentary recounting the catastrophe. In the early morning hours of January 9, 2018, torrential rains unleashed a series of mudslides and boulders that roared down the...
Sheriff’s Office Salutes New Employees, Promotees and Leaders
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office welcomed two new employees and recognized the promotion of 12 members of the organization during a ceremony on Friday. “Our office has a proud tradition of Keeping the Peace Since 1850,” Sheriff Bill Brown said. “Whether you are beginning your career with our agency or...
Los Angeles County Man Identified as Victim in Santa Barbara Creek Death
A Los Angeles County man has been identified as the victim who drowned in a Santa Barbara area creek during heavy rain on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Rosauro Vasquez, 61 years old of Downey, was swept into the Maria Ygnacio Creek near Goleta, according to local authorities. Multiple public safety...
Vehicle Plunges Down Creek Embankment While Exiting Freeway in Santa Barbara
A motorist avoided serious injury Friday night when his vehicle plunged down a creek embankment after he failed to negotiate a Highway 101 offramp in Santa Barbara. The crash on northbound Highway 101 at Arrellaga Street occurred at about 9:40 p.m. The Chrysler 300 went down an embankment toward Mission...
No Trains Running Through Santa Barbara County’s Gaviota Coast as Repairs Continue
The familiar choo-choo of trains travelling up and down the coast between Goleta and San Luis Obispo has come to a halt this week after storm-related damage shut down the region’s primary rail line. The damage occurred Tuesday morning, January 5, when an excavator working to clear debris along...
Montecito Debris Flows Survivor Shares Journey of Healing on 8-Year Anniversary
Eight years after losing his partner in the Montecito debris flows, Lalo Barajas spoke to a crowd of local residents and first responders about the aftermath of the natural disaster and his path to healing. “I looked at the wreckage of my life, the grief, the shock, the emptiness, and...
Santa Barbara High Sophomore Paddles from Santa Cruz Island to Ventura to Raise Thousands...
Before dawn broke over the Pacific on December 11, 15-year-old Axel Wright was already on his way to the open ocean. By sunrise, he was in the water, paddling alone on a prone board off the coast of Santa Cruz Island — the silhouette of Ventura a distant blur across 22 miles of glassy, rain-cleared sea.
