Santa Barbara County

Rest areas along California's Highway 101 near Gaviota Tunnel closed from July 1 to October 1 due to a water shortage, forcing drivers to plan ahead for restroom and rest stops. The closures affect a heavily traveled corridor between Southern and Central California, with similar past shutdowns reported last year. Additional rest areas in Kern County are also closed for water system upgrades.

A Colorado teenager, Kayla Ross, was paddleboarding off the Santa Barbara coast when a great white shark followed her, as captured in drone footage. The incident occurred during a Father's Day outing.

A California appeals court upheld a preliminary injunction against Sable Offshore Corp. prohibiting repairs to its Las Flores pipeline, even though repairs were completed. The injunction remains in place despite the pipeline resuming operations after Trump administration intervention, with Sable still facing civil penalties.

A 44-year-old man from Santa Barbara County was sentenced to life in prison for the torture and murder of his father. The incident occurred in 2022 in Lompoc, where police responded to a domestic disturbance.

A deadly single-car collision in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, left five teens dead. Police have not determined the cause of the crash.

In California’s gubernatorial primary, Steve Hilton leads with 27.2% of counted votes, followed by Xavier Becerra at 26% and Tom Steyer at 20.2%. Hilton holds a strong lead in red counties like Orange and San Bernardino, while Becerra outpaces opponents in populous blue counties such as Los Angeles. Steyer maintains an advantage in progressive-leaning Northern California counties.

A small Lompoc winery is suing Santa Barbara County in federal court, claiming local officials imposed a mandatory funding program requiring businesses to finance marketing and advocacy efforts they did not support or consent to fund. The lawsuit alleges the program forces businesses to contribute to initiatives they disagree with.

Authorities arrested over 300 suspects and rescued 40 children during "Operation Firewall," a monthslong child exploitation sting spanning five Southern California counties. The multi-county crackdown targeted child exploitation across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.

An offshore natural-gas rig caught fire near Santa Barbara, prompting authorities to rescue over two dozen workers. The incident occurred around 7 a.m. at the facility located about 9 miles off the coast of Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County. Workers were rescued by the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol.

Two friends, Ron Takeda and Tavis Boise, encountered a large shark while hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coastline on April 25. The shark exhibited interest in one of them, creating an unsettling experience during their water activity.

A Chick-fil-A worker in California was attacked with a concrete brick by a man, resulting in a seven-year prison sentence for the suspect. Santa Barbara County prosecutors confirmed the conviction and sentencing.

A 31-year-old Santa Maria man, Clayton Peavey, was sentenced to seven years in state prison for beating a teenage Chick-fil-A employee with a brick. He pleaded guilty to a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon in Santa Barbara County.

Investigators in Santa Barbara County are seeking public help to identify three suspects in a December 5, 2024 arson case at the former Sear Steakhouse in Solvang. Authorities released photos of the suspects as part of the ongoing investigation.

A California judge has challenged the Trump administration's authority to unilaterally order the restart of an offshore oil operation along the coast of Santa Barbara County. The decision highlights a legal dispute over federal versus state authority in environmental and energy policy.

A man convicted of a 1988 murder and rape, solved after decades through DNA evidence from a glove, towel, and shirt, was sentenced to life in prison. Investigators used a covert DNA sample obtained with FBI assistance to identify Aloysius Winthrop James as the killer.

A hiker was bitten by a rattlesnake in Santa Barbara County over the weekend and rescued by first responders. The incident occurred on a Southern California trail, and the hiker survived the attack.