Good morning, Santa Barbara.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch today at 11:18 a.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base with a booster landing seven minutes later on South Base — residents in nearby counties may hear sonic booms 8 — 10 minutes after liftoff as Transporter-18 deploys 130 payloads.

Santa Barbara’s Downtown Classic Car Show returns on Oct.

11 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) along State Street between blocks 600 to 800. Nite Life Car Club Santa Barbara and DSBIA will host the free event featuring classic and custom cars with an award ceremony.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History hosts its Fall Tasting Festival on Saturday, Nov.

7 from 2 to 5 p.m. with early access at 1 p.m. for 21+ guests; it offers tastings of wine, craft beer, spirits and food from local producers, and proceeds fund children’s science and nature education.

San Marcos High School officials addressed a racist TikTok post (recreating blackface) after it was reported through the school’s Safe to Speak Up system.

Administrators and district superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado said they have taken disciplinary steps and will continue engaging the community to address racism.

Four candidates are running in the upcoming non-partisan Santa Barbara Unified School Board election amid a $10 million deficit, declining enrollment, and low test scores.

Voters in Trustee Areas 1 and 4 will choose leaders with different plans to improve academic outcomes and manage the budget.

The California Writing Project at UC Santa Barbara’s GGSE was named a 2026 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Successful Practices Honoree on International Literacy Day (receiving a 10K prize) for its effective literacy practice across a regional network.

Santa Barbara BCycle surpassed one million trips and over three million miles since its 2021 launch and will offer free 30-minute rides on Saturday, Oct.

3 to celebrate the milestone (promo code MILLION is required).

Gov. Newsom signed AB 1804 to permanently fund the State Library Parks Pass program, ensuring library card holders can visit over 200 state parks for free.

Introduced by Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), the law adds automatic funding to the program in the state budget.

Santa Barbara City Council voted 6-1 to rename Calle Cesar Chavez to Limuw Street to honor the original Chumash name for Santa Cruz Island (visible from Cabrillo Boulevard).

The city will pay $1,500 for street sign changes while property owners are offered potential grant help (covering additional signage costs).

Santa Barbara pediatric health leaders and youth nonprofits recently trained in the HOPE Framework to boost positive childhood experiences that build lifelong resilience.

Community members can join the On the Balcony educational mixer (focused on youth wellbeing) on Oct. 7 to learn more.

Santa Barbara County does not require rabies vaccinations for cats in unincorporated areas, though all incorporated cities mandate the vaccine for cats over 4 months.

Dr. Bonnie Franklin warns that unvaccinated cats risk contact with rabid bats, putting pets and owners in danger.

San Marcos boys water polo earned its first Channel League win yesterday with a 20 to 9 victory over Buena in Santa Barbara.

Sophomore Brandon Lee scored six goals, and the team will face Dos Pueblos next Tuesday at Elings Aquatics Center.

Carpinteria High girls tennis won 16-2 over Santa Paula Tuesday in Carpinteria and will host Santa Barbara High on Friday.

Dos Pueblos swept singles play for a 15-3 win over Ventura on Tuesday with the team showing a strong mix of experienced players and motivated underclassmen.