News Roundup

March 12, 2022

Cannabis Revenue Is Projected to Be 33 Percent Less Than Forecast

Other recent news: Santa Barbara looks at raising parking rates; cruise ships are expected to return this month; judge rules against Randall Road Debris Basin holdout; board of supervisors voted to nix ExxonMobil's trucking plan; Cottage Hospital's emergency room is getting renovated; possible name change for the Music Academy of the West; fires banned in the Santa Barbara front country; the Rite Aid on State Street has closed; Republican candidate for state assembly; what life is like for a Montecito real estate agent. 1

March 4, 2022

An Update on the City’s Bikeshare Program

Other recent news: A positive L.A. Times review for the Van Gogh show; board of supervisors gives in to the cannabis industry once again; county district attorney won't seek re-election; call for exhibitions at the upcoming Santa Barbara Fair & Expo; healthcare company signs big lease downtown; the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf reopens March 12; more changes in state mask guidelines.

February 28, 2022

County Supervisors Move Toward Allowing More Cannabis Farming

Other recent news: Larry David bought in the Hedgerow; Santa Barbara Automotive Group expansion in the works; progress for the new Westside Neighborhood Clinic building; Santa Barbara County to participate in federal program offering rewards to those who get off meth. 2

February 19, 2022

The Sears Building in La Cumbre Plaza Has a Second New Tenant

Other recent news: Santa Barbara appointed a new city administrator; the Kimpton Goodland Goleta hotel got rebranded; county supervisors look to create more recreational access; choppy waters for Carpinteria's skate park; another big cannabis farm approved; Goleta's ban on flavored tobacco will be put to a vote; remembering movie producer/director Ivan Reitman; Pacific Paper has moved to Oxnard.

February 12, 2022

The County’s Indoor Mask Mandate Ends February 16

Other recent news: Horrifying story of dog grooming gone wrong; Ty Warner has appealed the Biltmore's tax assessment; downtown housing for the homeless moves forward; the fight over a cannabis greenhouse near Carpinteria High School; a mirror-and-glass cube on Airbnb; Nancy Travis to star in a one-person show. 5

February 7, 2022

California Will End Most of Its Mask Mandate Next Week

Other recent news: Sound walls removed from the Montecito segment of the Highway 101 revamp; more on the Courtyard by Marriott coming to State Street; Gaviota rest areas will finally reopen; turmoil at the Santa Barbara Humane Society; urchin diver survives five hours in the ocean.

February 3, 2022

Likely Moving Date for the Saturday Farmers’ Market

Other recent news: Inside Gwyneth Paltrow's new Montecito house; Biltmore employees file class-action lawsuit against owner Ty Warner; the Santa Barbara Police Department is having trouble hiring people; school board member Laura Capps running for the county Board of Supervisors; committee to work on the Mission Canyon Bridge project. 1

January 31, 2022

The City Wants to Punish Chick-fil-A for Customers’ Bad Behavior

Other recent news: Ritz-Carlton Bacara massage therapist accused of sexual assault; Miss Daisy's Consignment store has plans for jazz concerts and fashion shows at its store in the former Sears building; a Broadway producer bought in Montecito; cannabis farm proposed next to Pence Vineyards backs down. 6

January 26, 2022

Poor De La Guerra Plaza Can’t Catch a Break

Other recent news: The city council rejected most of the proposed changes to State Street Promenade; the Rincon Multi-Use Trail moves forward over gliders' objections; the buyer of Montecito's Casa Leo Linda revealed; changes to the way the Santa Barbara Unified School District is elected; state assembly candidate drops out of race; Miramar developer Rick Caruso is thinking about running for mayor of L.A. 2

January 21, 2022

The Return of Cruise Ships to Santa Barbara

Other recent news: A car drove onto the State Street Promenade; the future of the oil industry, including the offshore platforms, in Santa Barbara; the Kimpton Goodland Goleta hotel will be rebranded after getting sold; Victoria Street might reopen to two-way traffic again; Mayweather Boxing + Fitness will debut soon; a decrease in bird species seen around here.