Santa Barbara Independent

Santa Barbara Independent We deliver fresh online news, arts, and entertainment coverage all day, every day.

Our weekly newspaper is published every Thursday morning, with Santa Barbara County's largest circulation of 40,000 audited copies. Since 1986, The Santa Barbara Independent has been required reading for the South Coast's active and sophisticated population. The Independent reaches more than 135,000 readers in Santa Barbara County each Thursday with in-depth news reporting, the most extensive cale

ndar of local events, and the best arts and entertainment coverage in the region. Although we have had a website since 1998, it wasn't until April, 2007 that we began our community news, arts, and entertainment portal, independent.com. Providing a thorough and up to date site for all things Santa Barbara, independent.com immediately became the area's most visited community website. Santa Barbara has a daily news site, and a place for the community to connect. In 2008 we were recognized as the Best Weekly Newspaper website in the United States, in a national contest sponsored by Editor & Publisher magazine. In the meantime, our online audience has grown to be the largest in Santa Barbara county, twice as large as our nearest news competitor. But don't take our word for it -- here's a link to current online traffic rating services. Our newspaper also was singled out in 2008 as one of "10 That Do It Right," of newspapers leading in innovation and adaptation, in another Editor & Publisher recognition. The Independent was created from the merger of the Santa Barbara News & Review, a weekly paper consisting of politics and commentary founded in 1973, and The Weekly, an arts and entertainment publication with extensive listings. The merger created a unique voice for independent writers, critics, and involved citizens, and Santa Barbara go-to community resource for what-to-do. The Santa Barbara Independent is a true community newspaper with a market pe*******on higher than almost every other "alternative" weekly in the country. Our audited circulation of 40,000 copies exceeds the daily paper and any other publication in Santa Barbara County. Copies are picked up at more than 600 locations stretching from surf points at Rincon to the flower fields of Lompoc. We are very proud of our support of community events, nonprofit charities, and public service advertisers. The Santa Barbara Independent is a major sponsor of the largest community events, including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Old Spanish Days, the Summer Solstice, and the Downtown Holiday Parade. Our underwriting covers the breath of Santa Barbara activity -- from support of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project to the Downtown Organization to outreach in the public school system. The paper is a major sponsor of UCSB intercollegiate sports, high school athletics and events, and the major theater companies in the region. From its world-class art museum to its state-of-the-art zoological garden, Santa Barbara is a community committed to a rich and culturally diverse quality of life. Since its inception, The Santa Barbara Independent, has been here to celebrate and support that commitment.

There’s nothing better than seafood by the sea. Little Dom’s Seafood in Carpinteria has some tasty offerings for the sum...
08/10/2025

There’s nothing better than seafood by the sea. Little Dom’s Seafood in Carpinteria has some tasty offerings for the summer. The Linden Avenue food scene is Carp is hopping right now, and the friendly neighborhood-bar sit-down service at Little Dom’s is a great companion to the beautiful, buzzy new Linden Square walk-up windows on the next block. ⁠
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In addition to the full dinner menu, which also includes plenty of pastas and meats and a full pizza menu for the non-fish lovers, there’s also a Tuesday Night Supper with a three-course menu for just $25, and cioppino every Sunday until it’s sold out. ⁠
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Housed in the building that once held the long beloved Sly’s from the late chef-owner James Sly, who died in 2019 a year after closing the restaurant, the high-quality food, and friendly, unpretentious vibe at Little Dom’s is right in keeping with the both the old and the evolving Carpinteria neighborhood food scene, and as the new kid on the block (c. 2021) is starting to feel a bit like the old guard. ⁠
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Read more: https://pulse.ly/hqespmvob3⁠

📸: Courtesy

The annual One805LIVE! benefit concert returns this year with a superstar lineup headlined by country superstar Trisha Y...
08/10/2025

The annual One805LIVE! benefit concert returns this year with a superstar lineup headlined by country superstar Trisha Yearwood and featuring other exciting performances by rockstar band Good Charlotte, recently announced band The Fray, Grammy winner Sammy Hagar (Van Halen), and many more. Hosted at Kevin Cosner’s oceanside estate in Summerland, the concert is set for September 20 with more performers to be announced as the date gets closer.

The benefit concert raises funds to directly support the first responder agencies in Santa Barbara. The Fire, Police, and Sheriff Departments receive funds that go towards equipment maintenance, program support, and mental health support, allowing all three agencies to serve the community at their best.

“As a nonprofit we believe in collaboration,” said Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith, the Co-Founder/Chairman & CEO of One805. “We talk about mental health because you want a functioning first responder to look after you.” She explained her commitment to philanthropy and giving back to the community has been a key factor in running One805 and looking for more opportunities to support local first responders.

Read more: https://pulse.ly/ntx7ghxhsi

📸: Ingrid Bostrom ()/Santa Barbara Independent

When Kim Cantin heard about the floods that decimated the Texas Hill Country over the Fourth of July weekend, it was “ju...
08/09/2025

When Kim Cantin heard about the floods that decimated the Texas Hill Country over the Fourth of July weekend, it was “just so déjà vu,” she said.

A survivor of the 2018 debris flows in Montecito, Cantin is all too familiar with tales of trauma and grief. Just recently, she and her daughter Lauren shared their story on NBC’s new series Survival Mode, which delves into true accounts of catastrophic disasters as told by the people who lived through them.

In the Cantins’ episode, they recount the harrowing experience that changed their lives and the entire city of Montecito forever.

“We speak honestly about the loss of my beloved husband, Dave; and our sweet son, Jack; and Lauren’s incredible survival and rescue after being buried under the debris,” Cantin said of the episode. “We hope that by sharing our journey — one of grief, love, and healing — we can offer strength and hope to others facing their own darkest moments.”

Their episode aired on August 4, one month after a similar tragedy unfolded in Texas. Between Cantin’s story and the tragic accounts coming out of Texas, there are “such strong parallels,” she told the 'Independent.'

Read more: https://pulse.ly/d7wgph31qd

📸: Mike Eliason/S.B. County Fire Dept.

The Santa Barbara Greek Festival returns to Santa Barbara on August 15 and 16 with promises of mouth-watering food as w...
08/09/2025

The Santa Barbara Greek Festival returns to Santa Barbara on August 15 and 16 with promises of mouth-watering food as well as a $3,000 raffle prize. Presented by the Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, the event will be at Chase Palm Park, transforming it into a Mediterranean celebration.

Alongside live Greek music and dance performances by local dance groups, an array of foods are to be indulged in. The offerings include gyros, hummus and pita, loukoumades, spanakopita, Greek salad, baklava, souvlaki, saganaki, and pastitsio. Drinks include local draft beers, imported Greek beers, Greek wine tasting, and Loux imported Greek sodas. The band The 4 Greeks will be performing as well as DJ Pete Loukatos and several dancing groups.

Festival organizer Alice Matiosian shared that the goal of the Greek Festival is to “continue in sharing and celebrating Greek culture, food, and entertainment with the Central Coast and to raise money for Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. As a nonprofit, 100 percent of the funds raised from the festival go back into the church to help with overhead and operation costs, and of course, help [them] continue to host the festival.”

Read more: https://pulse.ly/e9swbd4k0j

📸: Courtesy

Competition, glamour, and entertainment — all of these things and more make The Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club’s Hi...
08/09/2025

Competition, glamour, and entertainment — all of these things and more make The Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club’s High Goal season exciting, and were on display at their Ladies Hat Day.⁠
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At every polo match, guests are invited to watch the horses run and players guide them in competition while joining in the festivities that make each polo match special — the national anthem, Pony Parade, team introductions, and dining or drinking at the club’s Polo Grill.⁠
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At Ladies Hat Day on July 27, guests donned their wildest and most elegant hats in an effort to win big at the hat competition of the day, or to just enjoy the California mountain skyline and elite sport in style. Some of the hat styles included flowers, straw, feathers, and impressively even one in the shape of a hot dog! Some hats were even made by the guests themselves for this special occasion.⁠
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Read more from Ella Bailey here: https://pulse.ly/hhi4gwlwac⁠

📸: Ella Bailey/Santa Barbara Independent

In this music review, Arts, Culture, and Community Editor Leslie Dinaberg writes:While she’s still a Texas girl at heart...
08/09/2025

In this music review, Arts, Culture, and Community Editor Leslie Dinaberg writes:

While she’s still a Texas girl at heart, the Maren Morris who performed at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Sunday night is a much more sophisticated and stronger woman than the one we saw here back in 2022. Those hard-earned life lessons that inevitably punch us all in the gut can leave scar tissue, but also wisdom and perspective, all of which were evident in her performance that night.

In a sparkly, sexy black gown and heels that emphasized every movement, Morris struck a confident pose as she sauntered center stage and opened the show with “cry in the car” from the spring 2025 album D R E A M S I C L E. The poignant lyrics, “I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay/Just stay out, just stay out, just stay out of the way,” set the powerful tone for the night that this is a woman in charge, who’s not to be messed with.

Read more: https://pulse.ly/nmekjhggjr

📸: Carl Perry/Santa Barbara Independent

The courtroom showdown over whether Julie Westerfield, the heiress to the Jergens hand cream fortune, was the victim of ...
08/08/2025

The courtroom showdown over whether Julie Westerfield, the heiress to the Jergens hand cream fortune, was the victim of undue influence in an elder abuse fraud case was declared on July 30 all but over by Superior Court Judge Thomas Anderle.

On May 5, after more than three weeks of trial, 12 jurors quickly and unanimously agreed that financial elder abuse, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty had, indeed, been committed against Westerfield by the family’s former babysitter, Jordana Snider. Three years ago, at age 51, Snider had gotten herself legally adopted by Westerfield. Westerfield’s son, Christopher, now 37, then discovered that his mother had gifted a four-acre Ojai property — then valued at $2.2 million — to his former babysitter, and he called attorney John Thyne III, who filed legal papers against Snider to get the gift rescinded.

Court documents indicate that Snider and Julie Westerfield had indeed maintained warm and cordial relations over the decades, and that Westerfield had been extremely generous to her former babysitter. But the late-life adoption took place, Thyne contended in heated court papers, right about the time Westerfield’s dementia was first diagnosed in 2022 when, in short order, Westerfield wrote a check for $300,000 and another for $200,000. One was returned and the other exceeded bank size allowances.

When Westerfield’s son accused Snider of undue influence and elder fraud of someone with diminished capacity, Snider accused Chris Westerfield of undue influence in seeking to turn his own mother against her. In the process, Snider dredged up Christopher’s troubles with substance abuse and mental health challenges. As Judge Anderle understatedly observed, “The case has been contentious, acrimonious at times.”

Read more from executive editor Nick Welsh here: https://pulse.ly/bad1ola9ls

📸: John Stanton

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office thwarted an elaborate phone scam targeting a 77-year-old woman in Goleta who w...
08/08/2025

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office thwarted an elaborate phone scam targeting a 77-year-old woman in Goleta who was nearly scammed out of $30,000 on Monday, August 4.

The Goleta resident had received a call from a person pretending to be from Amazon. The caller, who claimed there were unauthorized charges and fake bank accounts in the victim’s name, transferred her to a supposed Federal Trade Commission agent, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The “agent” then instructed her to withdraw $30,000 in cash from her bank. The scammer stayed on the phone, coaching the victim on how to deceive bank tellers, and demanding photos of the cash, receipts, and a sealed box containing the money.

Becoming suspicious due to misspellings in an email from the “agent,” the victim contacted the Sheriff’s Office while still on the call with the scammer. In a coordinated operation, deputies and detectives observed a woman, later identified as Caihong Lei, waiting near the victim’s home near the 500 block of Pine Avenue in Goleta. They arrested her after she retrieved the box of money, the Sheriff’s Office stated. Officers then helped the victim return the money to her bank account.

Lei was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of grand theft by false pretense and conspiracy to commit fraud. A judge set her bail at $500,000. The Criminal Investigations Division is currently investigating whether Lei is connected to a larger scam network, said the Sheriff’s Office.

Read more: https://pulse.ly/pgqs9kxvgt

📷️: Chalabala/Adobe Stock Images

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce surveyed regional businesses to assess the impacts of increased immigr...
08/08/2025

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce surveyed regional businesses to assess the impacts of increased immigration enforcement, and according to the early results from 174 respondents, 49.5 percent of business owners reported that their businesses have been directly impacted by recent immigration enforcement activity in the region, and 57.7 percent reported “notable levels of fear and anxiety” among their employees.⁠
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Although the results are not yet complete, Chamber of Commerce representatives said that the trend of about half of business being affected by immigration concerns was “consistent across jurisdictions, with very little variance.”⁠
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While half of respondents said businesses were “directly impacted,” 16.1 percent said they have been “significantly impacted” by immigration enforcement, and 49 percent reported no impact.⁠
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Early survey results also showed that 21 percent of respondents reported employee hours were lost due to the heightened fear and anxiety among staff, with businesses losing anywhere from 10 to 40 hours per week.⁠
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Read more: https://www.independent.com/2025/08/05/survey-results-show-half-of-south-coast-businesses-report-immigration-impact/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Indy%20Today%3A%20Stabbing%20Suspects%20in%20Santa%20Barbara%20Charged&utm_campaign=Indy%20Today%2C%20Tuesday%208%2F5%20%28Copy)

📷️: Ingrid Bostrom ()/Santa Barbara Independent

In this week's cover story, senior writer Matt Kettmann writes,⁠⁠California’s agave industry is exploding right now, exp...
08/07/2025

In this week's cover story, senior writer Matt Kettmann writes,⁠
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California’s agave industry is exploding right now, expanding from just a couple dozen acres a few years ago to more than 1,000 acres today, with much more on the way. Though there are some larger farms, like the one that hugs Interstate 5 just west of Fresno, the vast majority of the plants — most famously turned into tequila and mezcal in Mexico, yet also valued for food, fiber, fuel, and more — are dispersed across more than 300 smaller properties statewide. Agave intended for commercial usage now grows in at least 32 of the state’s 58 counties.⁠
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Earlier this year, while reporting a story on the industry’s growth — and its growing pains — I was reminded that Santa Barbara remains a critical force behind the Golden State’s agave movement. ⁠
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Over the past couple of months, photographer Macduff Everton and I visited numerous farms growing agave across the South Coast alone, from the craggy mountains over Carpinteria to the canyons above San Roque to the valleys behind Goleta. Our search was far from comprehensive — we didn’t even hit the Santa Ynez Valley, where at least a half dozen plantings are underway. (I did, however, talk to Cuyama’s first grower.)⁠
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Reflecting what’s happening across California — and, to a lesser extent, in places such as Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona — these emerging enthusiasts are electric about the promise of agave. They see these hardy, easy-to-grow plants, which are related to asparagus and come in more than 200 varieties, as a potential cure for the troubling environmental and economic climates that ail us.⁠
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To read the full cover story, click here:https://www.independent.com/2025/08/06/santa-barbara-sparks-californias-agave-explosion/or check out your nearest newsstand.⁠ ⁠
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Out of town and can’t get to your nearest newsstand in Santa Barbara County? Not to worry! We put our weekly issue online each week, so you can have the print experience from anywhere at https://issuu.com/santabarbaraindependent/docs/santa_barbara_independent_8_7_25⁠

🎨: Xavier Pereyra⁠
📸: Macduff Everton

In the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills, a celebrated land of popular pinot noir, world-class chardonnay, and sleeper-secret...
08/07/2025

In the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills, a celebrated land of popular pinot noir, world-class chardonnay, and sleeper-secret syrah, you can now find epic hibiscus and serrano vodkas. And fascinating apricot, quince, and apple brandies. And yuzu and coffee liqueurs. And one of the best spritz-ready amaros on the planet.

Welcome to Rock 12 Distillery, a farm-to-bottle operation near the corner of Highway 246 and Drum Canyon Road run by Serbian-born Marko and Orange County-raised Sarah Suput. Residents of the property since 2016, their business grew out of a homebrewing passion gone boozier.

Read more: https://www.independent.com/2025/08/05/rock-12-distillerys-farm-to-bottle-booze-in-wine-country/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Indy%20Today%3A%20Stabbing%20Suspects%20in%20Santa%20Barbara%20Charged&utm_campaign=Indy%20Today%2C%20Tuesday%208%2F5%20%28Copy)

📸: Courtesy

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