••• “Santa Barbara’s water and wastewater rates are rising. The City Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday to support increases of up to 40% over the next four years. […] For water users, the rates are expected to go up 12% in 2025, 12% in 2026, 9% in 2027 and 9% in 2028.” —Noozhawk
••• An interesting detail from the Independent’s article about the 250-room hotel proposed for Garden Street and Yanonali: “According to the staff report released prior to the hearing, the housing analysis determined that the hotel would employ about 60 people.” —Independent
••• “Jackpocket, a Santa Barbara–headquartered software company, was recently purchased by DraftKings, one of the world’s largest digital sports betting companies, for $750 million. Founded in 2013 by CEO Peter Sullivan in New York City, Jackpocket is an online lottery courier service that operates in 14 states and Washington, D.C., offering users a secure way to purchase and obtain state lottery tickets.” —Independent
••• The Wells Fargo bank branch on Milpas Street (at Mason) has closed. —John Palminteri
••• The tree of the month is the carrotwood tree. “In Australia, its many common names include Tuckeroo, Cashew-Leaf Cupania, Beach Tamarind, and Green-Leaved Tamarind.” —Edhat
••• “Goleta Sewage Spill Now Estimated at More Than 1 Million Gallons,” reports Noozhawk. “The incident prompted the Public Health Department to order the closure of parts of Goleta Beach Park to water contact on Thursday—from a mile east to a half-mile west of the mouth of the slough.” Moreover, from a subsequent Noozhawk post: “The Goleta West Sanitary District revealed Tuesday that its massive sewage spill started on Feb. 16, six days before county health officials closed nearby beaches and notified the public. Miscommunication and changing spill estimates apparently contributed to the delay.”
••• Miramar Beach was also closed because of a sewage spill. —Edhat UPDATE 3/1: The closure was listed.
••• The reinvented River Lodge motel between Templeton and Paso Robles has opened; the Nomada Hotel Group (Skyview Los Alamos, Hotel Ynez, etc.) is behind it. —C Magazine
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Not that it makes it any better, but 1 million gallons is approximately two Olympic sized swimming pools. Had to look it up in order to understand the scale.
I wonder how long it takes to amass that amount?
Increase is actually 50%.