Callie Fausey

Santa Barbara School to Host Free Camp for Children Affected by Los Angeles Fires Pop-Up Day Camp for Evacuated Kids Ages 6-16 at Cold Springs Elementary School Extended to Monday and Tuesday A free pop-up day camp for children affected by the L.A. fires was held at Cold Springs Elementary School on Friday and is being extended into next week. | Credit: @projectcampla As devastating fires burn through Los Angeles, Santa Barbara is offering a respite for the youngest of those affected by the blazes. A free pop-up day camp for evacuated children ages 6-16 at Cold Springs Elementary School is being extended to Monday and Tuesday, January 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It aims to support families affected by the fires and provide a safe, healing environment for children in a “normalized, fun and structured setting,” according to the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness, one of the camp's organizers. The camp was originally only being held on Friday, but organizers decided to continue the camp to next week. Activities include art, music, sports, drama, and general fun. For support, trauma informed counselors will be available throughout the day. Cold Springs School partnered with multiple community organizations and the national nonprofit Project:Camp, which provides pop-up camps and care for children and families affected by disaster. Previous camps have been held in places such as Florida after Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Lahaina in the wake of the 2023 wildfire on Maui. “We know that the days immediately following an evacuation or a disaster are highly uncertain, stressful, and anxious days,” reads Project:Camp's website. “We help parents find normalcy for their family by providing day camps for their kids that are fun, immersive, and safe. While kids have a blast at camp, parents have the time and space to get back on their feet.” The camp will be held on Monday, January 13, and Tuesday, January 14, at Cold Springs Elementary School, 2243 Sycamore Canyon Rd, Santa Barbara. Families can RSVP by calling (805) 969-2678. For 24/7 mental health support, the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Access Line is available at (888) 868-1649.

Although the garden’s more than 1,500 rose bushes are now looking bald and barren, the effort ensured that the garden is ready for mulching and feeding as soon as new growth begins in February.

The new K-9 recruits Obi and Draco with their handlers. | Credit: Courtesy The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office introduced their fluffiest new recruits to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors last Tuesday, January 7. Obi and Draco were walked in by their notably less-fluffy handlers, and the board room lit up. The two canines are specially trained German shepherds, donated by Christine and Reece Duca through the Sheriff's Benevolent Posse's “Project Deputy Dog” program. Sheriff Bill Brown called the dogs “remarkable additions” to the team, replacing two recently retired K-9 team members. “The Ducas have been longtime supporters of public safety,” he said, adding that the family has now contributed six canines to the Sheriff's Office. “Obi and Draco are not just dogs; they're partners,” he continued. The dogs are trained in patrol, urban tracking, and specialized detection. Obi is trained in narcotics detection, including fentanyl, and Draco is trained in explosives detection. Obi and Draco were born in Germany, and recently completed 200 hours of training at the Inglis Police Dog Academy in Oxnard. Their skills will assist the Sheriff's Office in high-risk scenarios, such as locating suspects, tracking missing persons, and locating evidence. The canine unit now consists of five dogs — three are in patrol, and two are narcotics detectors in the county jail. The Sheriff's Benevolent Posse, a nonprofit organization, has been “instrumental in bridging the gap” between the “growing needs” between the Sheriff's Office and public funding, including providing protective equipment, Brown said. Posse Board Chairman Richard Klein emphasized the need for support for the K-9 program, saying it requires significant resources to grow and sustain the program. “They truly are providing an incredible public service and public safety assistance,” he said of the dogs. “And I just want to take a moment to apologize in advance for what the media may say about the first meeting of the board of supervisors of the year going to the dogs.” For more information about the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Benevolent Posse, its K-9 Unit campaign, or additional ways to support law enforcement, visit www.sbsheriffsposse.org

Witnesses reported a dead body at Leadbetter Beach on Tuesday Morning. | Credit: Courtesy A dead body was found in the surfline of Leadbetter Beach early Tuesday morning. According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, the body was reported at 7:00 a.m. near 800 Shoreline Drive. Police Officers and Harbor Patrol responded to the scene, where they were directed to the body by witnesses. Officers moved the body onto the sand and determined that the individual was deceased. Authorities said that the decedent is a male who appears to be in his 30s or 40s. The cause of death is still under investigation. No signs of foul play were discovered, authorities said, and the body was taken by the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Coroner's Bureau for further investigation.

Transitional kindergarten (TK) applications for 2025-26 on the South Coast are beginning to open, and parents are encouraged to get a head start. As the state's universal TK program has gradually expanded since 2021, younger students have become eligible. This year, all children who turn 4 on or before September 1 are eligible for TK at their neighborhood school. Enrollment for Santa Barbara Unified and Hope school districts is now open; Goleta Unified opens in February. Parents in other districts should contact their neighborhood school for more information.

The shooting occurred Wednesday, January 15, on the 400 block of Woodley Road. | Credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a shooting on the 400 block of Woodley Road in Montecito on Wednesday afternoon. An adult male victim was shot in the upper arm while walking his dog, authorities said. Deputies determined that the round came from inside a nearby house, as indicated by a bullet hole in a window facing the direction of the victim. They quickly arrested the resident, 44-year old Bendar Albashir, who had been giving aid to the victim. According to authorities, it does not appear that the victim and the suspect knew each other prior to the incident. The victim was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover. Abashir was booked at the Main Jail for negligent discharge of a firearm, a felony. He has since been released on bail. Detectives served a search warrant at Abashir's home, where they recovered the handgun they believe was used.

Residents Sound Off on SpaceX Sonic Booms at Public Meeting in Santa Barbara U.S. Air Force Collecting Public Input for Environmental Study on Plans to Double Rocket Launches from Vandenberg Small crowds, reaching a max of about 50 participants, cycled in and out of the Air Force's public scoping meeting on the potential increase in SpaceX launches. | Credit: Callie Fausey If anything was clear from the U.S. Air Force's public meeting about rocket launches on Wednesday, it's that no one wants to lose sleep to sonic booms — except for one guy who loudly proclaimed that they “sound like freedom,” but he was an outlier. The booms are the sonic byproduct of a joint project between the Air Force and SpaceX, Elon Musk's private spaceship company, to deliver communication satellites into orbit. “Two rocket launches ago, it shook my house so bad my front door opened,” said Nancy Eldridge, a Montecito resident. The bigger booms are what worry her the most. “My house was built in 1947, and I'm afraid one of these shakes might just shake my house down,” she said. “It survived the Thomas Fire. It survived the mudflow. So I hope it survives rocket launches.” Currently, SpaceX and the Air Force are contracted to send 50 Falcon 9 rockets into space from Vandenberg Space Force Base each year. They want to double that number to 100. However, they must first complete a full environmental impact statement (EIS) with public input. Wednesday's meeting at the Westside Neighborhood Center was an open house for people to learn more about the launches and submit public comments on what the scope and focus of the environmental analysis should be and what issues should be addressed — not just for people, but also for the critters and coastal habitat around the base. Small crowds started trickling into the meeting as soon as it began. Common concerns included noise from the sonic booms, wildlife disturbances, and effects on water and air quality. “I'm particularly concerned about environmental impacts, but honestly I got kind of annoyed when it woke me up a month or two ago,” said Santa Barbara resident Chris Berry. “I thought an earthquake was happening.” If it was that loud in Santa Barbara, he continued, he can't imagine what it's like in Lompoc or other areas closer to the base. “And, like, 100 launches?” he said, sucking air through his teeth. “If it's enough to wake me up and bother me, what's it doing for the birds out there?” According to Jennifer Green-Lanchoney, Vandenberg's chief of public affairs, they may not go up to 100 launches every year, depending on need. “It's not a sustained 100,” she explained. “It's like a credit card; you can spend up to your credit limit.” Last year, out of their limit of 50 launches, they only cashed in 46. Every launch makes a sonic boom, she noted, but where that boom hits Earth — and how loud it is — depends on a number of factors like time of day and weather conditions. Last August, in response to community concerns, they initiated a study to understand what makes the booms so loud. “Once we understand those, we can mitigate them,” she said. While about 15 percent of the current launches carry satellites for national security applications, most are commercial in scope — including Starlink satellites for internet services. But the Air Force does not draw that line. SpaceX is not their only commercial partner, either. “We consider launches to provide a fidelity to the fleet of space launch vehicles, regardless of the company,” Green-Lanchoney said. “It's a nuanced topic that I think is hard to spread out. It's like pouring sand and dirt into a cup and expecting to get it back out again.” The EIS will give a full picture of the launches' environmental impact, what alternatives might be considered, and what mitigations might be imposed to avoid or minimize any adverse effects. The proposed action is to increase the launch limit from Vandenberg to 100 and allow for both the reusable Falcon 9 and new Falcon Heavy — like a Falcon 9 rocket but with two extra boosters — to be launched from the base. When the boosters from the Falcon Heavy land back at Vandenberg, there would be two simultaneous sonic booms, primarily affecting adjacent communities. The “no action” alternative is to keep the number at 50 launches and not use the Falcon Heavy rocket. This is the first time that officials have reached out to the public about what's going on at Vandenberg, and the first time a launch expansion — last year, it went up from 36 to 50 — has been deemed significant enough to warrant a full environmental impact statement. “We got more and more comments coming in regarding noise, hearing sonic booms, etc. — we're like, the public really needs to be involved in this process,” explained Darryl York, environmental chief for Vandenberg. That pushed them to do a more comprehensive environmental impact statement, York said. Previously, a less-in-depth environmental analysis sufficed. After public comments have been solicited, they plan to publish the draft EIS in the spring or summer. More public hearings will follow to solicit comments on the draft. By fall, they plan to identify the preferred alternative, publish the final EIS, and issue a record of decision with the selected plan of action. For those who could not make it in person, a virtual Public Scoping Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 23, at 6 p.m. (Pacific Time). Visit https://www.vsfbfalconlauncheis.com for details. Other ways to submit comments by the January 27 deadline are as follows: Email your comment to: [email protected] Mail your comments to: VSFB FALCON LAUNCH EIS c/o ManTech International Corporation 420 Stevens Avenue, Suite 100 Solana Beach, CA, 92075 Visit the project website to submit an electronic comment form https://www.vsfbfalconlauncheis.com Sat, Jan 18 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Jan 19 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Jan 19 2:30 PM Lompoc Thu, Jan 16 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Jan 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Jan 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Jan 17 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Jan 18 10:00 AM Carpineria Sat, Jan 18 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Jan 18 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Jan 19 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Jan 19 2:30 PM Lompoc Thu, Jan 16 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Jan 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Jan 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Jan 17 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Jan 18 10:00 AM Carpineria Sat, Jan 18 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Jan 18 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Jan 19 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Jan 19 2:30 PM Lompoc

Despite the city’s desperate need for childcare, prospective preschools face a development process that is often “restrictive, slow, and costly.”

Environmental activist Robin Greenfield’s trek to Los Angeles is the lead-up to a three-month experiment in “non-ownership,” where he plans to shed everything he owns, including his clothes.

Schools are beginning to see a small spike in enrollment coinciding with the number of families seeking temporary shelter — or permanent residence — on the South Coast.