Good morning, Santa Barbara.

On July 31 at Santa Maria County Club, 128 golfers raised over $100,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast at the 27th Annual Ag For Youth Golf Tournament; funds will support after-school care for more than 5,000 local youth.

Santa Barbara's Fiesta Historical Parade will update its route to keep horses moving by starting at Cabrillo and Castillo, turning at Calle Puerto Vallarta, and ending at Calle Cesar Chavez with road closures beginning at 8 a.m.—officials say the changes create a safer event for horses.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, 30 young singers revived the Erin Graffy Children’s Strolling Chorus tradition at Old Spanish Days Fiesta in downtown Santa Barbara.

They performed six traditional Fiesta songs along a route from Paseo Nuevo to City Hall — celebrating a nearly 60-year absence.

Launch Pad will host its Summer Reading Series featuring new plays by Julia Izumi and Megan Tabaque on Thursday, Aug.

27 at The New Vic 33 W. Victoria St. The free event — in partnership with Ensemble Theatre Company — showcases 'Banana Factory' at 4 p.m. and 'The Rink at the End of the World' at 8 p.m., with RSVP requested.

La Fiesta Pequeña kicked off Santa Barbara's biggest party at Old Mission Santa Barbara on Aug.

5 with flamenco dancing, music, and special honors to arts icon Anna Galindo as locals celebrated Hispanic traditions. City officials and community members joined the celebration — setting the tone for the festival weekend.

Carmelinda Valencia recalled her 37-year marriage with her late husband, David, whose family has roots from the Presidio era after reconnecting at a local post office; their story weaves together Santa Barbara’s Barbareño Chumash and Spanish settler heritage (1700s).

Recent data shows the Pacific Surfliner carried 600,751 passengers in Q3—a 38% rise as more locals chose rail travel on routes that include Santa Barbara, though service reliability still fell short of the 90% target.

Orcutt Union School District banned e-bikes for elementary and junior high students for the 2026-2027 school year — high school students may use them only with training and restrictions on campus.

The decision follows a rise in injuries from powered mobility incidents.

The Sea Center on Stearns Wharf welcomed two new sunflower stars — Miguel and Rosa — on June 15 as part of efforts to restore the species after sea star wasting disease.

Extra filtration is protecting the stars and helping educate visitors about local marine recovery.

A new study by UCSB and UC Santa Cruz shows that replacing a gas car with an EV early can cut carbon emissions by up to 58% over 16 years.

The research advises drivers to switch when it makes financial sense to lower overall emissions.

Fifty-four elected officials sent a letter urging state lawmakers to extend Diablo Canyon’s operations beyond 2030.

The plant is approved federally through 2045 (a MIT study suggests it could save Californians up to $1.3B annually), and officials hope for action before this year’s legislative session.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is offering free Child ID Kits at stations countywide—available in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Santa Ynez, Lompoc, Buellton, Santa Maria, and New Cuyama—to help families record key details in emergencies.

The kits are available at no cost during regular business hours while supplies last.

Ruby, a 2-year-old red panda and mother of two cubs, died Wednesday morning at Santa Barbara Zoo from Addison’s disease.

Zoo officials stressed that her illness was not connected to the loss of her cubs last month.

Captain David Bacon explains that this August, boosted by El Niño, coastal fishing along the Channel Islands and near Santa Barbara Harbor offers unusual opportunities to catch species from bonito to thresher sharks; anglers of all skill levels can plan trips to experience these exciting conditions.