Good morning, Santa Barbara.

On Oct. 14, Santa Barbara County Animal Services seized 300 birds and 21 dogs after executing a warrant in Santa Maria & now is asking local residents to foster the rescued animals at shelters in Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Goleta.

Santa Barbara Forge, owned by the Patterson brothers, turns custom metalworking skills into a growing carbon steel cookware business at 626 E.

Gutierrez St. The business increased its cookware volume fivefold in 2025 and is set to double again as it expands its product line later this year.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum hosts the Holiday Festival of Trains Dec.

12-13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 113 Harbor Way. Admission is free when visitors mention 'Trains' to view local collector Dave Halbeisen’s extensive display of Lionel and O-Gauge trains.

Director Lisa Citore returns with the Anima Theater of the Feminine Underground at Center Stage Theater for an immersive weekend ritual performance on Oct.

23—24. The women-centric collective, beloved since 2017, will feature original works blending myth, movement and storytelling with tickets at $40 early, $45 at the door.

At the former Forever 21 on 901 State St, the Music Academy of the West held a public groundbreaking where Byron Mayes sang opera and the youth choir performed, launching plans for The Muse—a $55 million arts center set to open in 2028 with a performance hall, studios, and more.

Santa Barbara’s Harbor Commission backed plans to repurpose the closed West Beach wading pool into a Chumash cultural center and tomol house next to Los Baños del Mar following strong community input.

The commission’s support came after public comments and an update from Parks and Recreation on Oct. 15.

UCSB’s META Lab invites Santa Barbara residents 18 and older to join a telepathy study in person at the campus, where participants can complete two two-hour sessions (one as sender and one as receiver) and earn up to $40.

People's Self-Help Housing received a $100,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support Central Coast students in its education program at the new Learning Center at Buellton Garden Apartments.

The grant will fund computers, school supplies, and additional staff for the upcoming school year.

Washington Elementary, serving nearly 500 children with diverse needs, faces misleading portrayals that divert attention from true community priorities.

The Wildcat Fund fundraiser begins today to support academic and social programs at the under-funded school.

On Oct. 17, roughly 2,000 to 3,000 people gathered downtown for the No Kings: Vote Early rally, marching from Alameda Park to a ballot drop box near City Hall before finishing at De la Guerra Plaza.

Speakers encouraged safe early voting for the midterm election (Nov. 3).

Travelers on northbound US Highway 101 near the Gaviota Tunnel will face intermittent full stops on Thursday, Oct.

22 + Friday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as Caltrans scales rocks to improve safety with the California Highway Patrol guiding drivers.

The county’s sidewalk vending pilot lasting six months improved public health and roadway safety by removing 1,156 lbs of contaminated food, seizing vending equipment, and issuing violation notices from April to October.

Officials (coordinating with CHP and a bilingual awareness campaign) will continue enforcing vending regulations.

Dr. Benjamin Wisner, Sutter Health's first urogynecologist in the greater Central Coast, presented on urinary health at Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub on Monday, Oct.

19. He explained that proper hydration, pelvic exercises & targeted treatments can help women manage UTIs, bladder leakage and menopausal symptoms.

After a highway closure in early October, Dan McCaslin changed his planned hike near Reyes Peak to explore the rugged North Matilija Trail behind Ojai — an eight-mile route that follows Matilija Creek through rocky wash areas with few markers, urging hikers to travel in groups with safety gear.