Good morning, Santa Barbara.

Meals on Wheels is expanding into Goleta with a preliminary route that now needs volunteer drivers and serves residents lacking nutritious meals.

The program partners with local groups (Val Verde Retirement and Mission Terrace) and will extend services as additional zones come online.

Goleta’s Creek Week 2026 runs from Saturday, Sept.

19 to Saturday, Sept. 26 and offers a coastal cleanup and bulky item drop-off on Sept. 19, a guided walking tour on Sept. 24, and an art contest reception on Sept. 25 + activities that celebrate local waterways.

The Santa Barbara Independent celebrated its 40th birthday at INDY40 Fest held at the Presidio on Saturday, Aug.

29 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The free event featured live music, interactive booths, panel discussions, and local food specials offered by participating businesses.

Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association is promoting a vibrant week of arts, music & cultural events from Sept.

2 to 9. The schedule features the 1st Thursday Art Walk today at 5:00 p.m., Labor Day weekend brunch, free salsa & bachata lessons, and art exhibitions until Sept. 27 downtown.

World-renowned drummer Peter Erskine led his fine piano trio in a sold-out performance at The Grand on State on Saturday during its Visiting Artists Series, delighting local jazz fans with classics + original compositions.

The event marked a lively new celebration for an emerging jazz venue.

UCSB researchers reported a particle interaction from the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment operating nearly a mile underground at Sanford Underground Research Facility — they will soon analyze a larger data set to see if this rare event signals dark matter or background noise.

Registration is open for a seven-week fall Climate Stewards Certification Course (offered by the Community Environmental Council) that combines online lessons with in-person field trips for local climate action in Santa Barbara, giving participants a chance to learn skills and develop regional projects.

Supervisors in Santa Barbara County directed staff to set a 16,000-acre cap for utility-scale solar projects to boost solar energy use, replacing the previous 10,000-acre limit.

Final regulations will be reviewed on Sept. 22 & include safety measures for lithium-ion battery storage.

Cody Westheimer shared recent video footage taken inside Santa Barbara Harbor (off the Sandspit) that shows a rare thresher shark cruising just beneath the surface with its long, whip-like tail.

The clip offers locals a close-up look at this striking marine predator.

The Santa Barbara Fire Department is holding emergency response drills at the eight-story Granada Theatre downtown to train for high-rise incidents (including ladder truck operations, simulated rescues and evacuations) while nearby State Street experiences temporary traffic restrictions.

The Goleta City Council declared National Preparedness Month on Sept.

1 to urge residents to prepare emergency kits + sign up for alerts while the county highlights weekly readiness topics. City officials and emergency services emphasize knowing how to act before, during, and after emergencies makes the community safer.

Santa Barbara County urges residents to prepare for a strong El Niño storm season by clearing gutters, drains, and culverts and securing flood insurance.

County crews will clear creeks and supply sand bags from November 1 + officials warn FEMA may reduce disaster funding.

Santa Barbara’s Architectural Board of Review approved a 25-unit housing project at 515 West Los Olivos Street on Aug.

31, 2026, replacing a single-family home with two buildings offering 16 bicycle parking spaces and five low-income units, pending changes to transformer screening and landscaping for safety & visibility.