Good morning, Santa Barbara.

Joshua Adam Place, 46, died on Sept.

15 in Lompoc. He devoted 14 years to the Foodbank and loved outdoor adventures with his son Hayden; a celebration will be held 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 at Old Mission Santa Inés (1760 Mission Drive, Solvang) with donations requested in his memory.

David 'Doc' Nipper, the longtime Santa Barbara dentist, died peacefully at home on Sept.

3 at age 82 and is remembered for his gentle care and inventive spirit. A celebration of his life will be held at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Cabrillo Pavilion (1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd.).

After 11 days of book deals and free book giveaways for nonprofits, the 52nd Mary McCord Planned Parenthood Book Sale wrapped up today at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara (named in honor of a longtime volunteer) while donations remain welcome at Thornwood Drive in Goleta.

DSBIA invites Santa Barbara residents to a groundbreaking event at 901 State St. at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct.

15, launching the Music Academy of the West’s new center, The Muse; scheduled to open in 2028, the venue will host flexible performance spaces, studios, and a rooftop terrace + gathering areas.

Author Joseph Fink will discuss his new horror novella at a book talk hosted by Joseph Fink Chaucer’s Books on Tuesday, Oct.

6 at 6 p.m. — local educator Craig Clevenger will join him at 3321 State St. in Santa Barbara.

Astronomer Dennis Mammana invites locals to set their alarm for zero dark thirty (a pre-dawn preview of winter's stars) to see Orion and nearby constellations with Jupiter and Mars shining in the early light.

The guide offers simple ways to enjoy astronomy as autumn turns cooler.

Scott Guttentag, known as 'Mr. DP', has started a paraeducator role at Peabody Charter School after a 36-year career at Dos Pueblos High.

He now assists students in classrooms + the after-school Panther Program, drawing on his long history in local education.

Santa Barbara Unified reported multi-year gains in English & math on preliminary CAASPP tests, with Proficient/Advanced rates rising from 50.1% to 53.3% in English and 38.1% to 43.9% in math.

District leaders will use these trends to set higher targets in the new 3-Year Local Control & Accountability Plan.

Sixty-one students across all SMJUHSD campuses earned Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification, the highest level so far, and the district will offer more training this year to boost peer support skills.

The program, supported by community partners (YouthWell), aims to expand mental health awareness in schools.

On Sept. 19, more than 955 volunteers cleaned 73 miles along the coast and removed 5,041 lbs of litter from 37 cleanup sites in the county, with the Painted Cave site collecting 1,500 lbs.

Organizers thanked all participants, noting the effort helped protect local watersheds + the ocean.

Before the end of the year, the Goleta Train Depot at 27 S.

La Patera Lane will open as a self-service station operating 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (closed on city holidays) with electronic ticketing and video surveillance in its $32-million, 9,000 sqft facility.

UCSB’s men’s soccer lost 3-1 to Oregon State as Peleg Brown scored to tie early before the Beavers pulled ahead (nearly 4,000 fans attended the fall quarter return) and the women’s volleyball and men’s water polo teams also dropped games.

The Dos Pueblos Chargers defeated the Crescenta Valley Falcons 23-6 at Scott O’Leary Stadium.

The Chargers will use their strong defense and versatile run game to prepare for their Tri-County League matchup against Hueneme on Oct. 2 (after a bye week).

Cal Poly lost a close game 35-38 to San Diego at Spanos Stadium after a last-second field goal, and they will face Eastern Washington on Saturday at 4 p.m. Meanwhile, SBCC was held scoreless in a 30-0 loss to Long Beach and will host Ventura on Saturday, Sept.

26.

Former UCSB basketball star Gabe Vincent remains unsigned as NBA training camps open Sept.

29 and exhibition games start Oct. 3. He faces uncertainty after being dealt from the Lakers while several teams reportedly consider him for a minimum veteran contract.