Disturbing details are emerging in the case of former Cate School teacher Da’Jon James and why he was silently exiled from the Carpinteria campus in March 2020 — with sources confirming to the Montecito Journal that the first report of alleged inappropriate sexual behavior by the chorale director actually came in November 2019. According to […]

A familiar face will likely be returning to City Hall, as former Santa Barbara City Council member Randy Rowse has unofficially won the six-candidate mayoral race, with final and confirmed results expected late Thursday. Rowse would be the city’s first male mayor in almost 30 years, while also taking office as a no-party candidate, moving […]

The world lost one of its brightest lights on Thursday. Bruce Corwin, a prominent member of the Santa Barbara community through his philanthropy, ownership of the Arlington and Metropolitan Theatres and a founding investor in the Montecito Journal Media Group, has passed away at 81. A friend and mentor to so many, Corwin was heavily […]

For Dr. Winifred Leung, her job is to take a behind-the-scenes look in order to find something that doesn’t yet exist — but such is the life of a well-regarded breast radiologist. “I try not to belittle breast cancer at all, but I try to make the analogy that what we’re doing is we’re taking […]

Taryn O’Connell couldn’t help but crack a smile, the relief of Cottage Urgent Care set to open in Montecito like a weight lifted off her shoulders. Finding real estate in town can be quite the task — a bit more so than its other urgent care centers in San Luis Obispo and Camarillo. “Finding the […]

Santa Barbara’s incumbent mayor Cathy Murillo has gone on the attack just four days ahead of the 2021 mayoral election, with a mailer paid for by her campaign tying non-partisan candidate Randy Rowse to “Trump Loyalists and Republican Donors” — something Rowse told the Montecito Journal on Saturday that he outright rejects. The ad says “Rowse says he is a ‘non-partisan,’ […]

When back room deals and influence peddling are discussed, certain places come to mind. Chicago. New Orleans. Atlantic City. Could “sleepy” Santa Barbara be headed in that same direction?  With Election Day looming, political posturing is expected. Less expected was Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams‘ recent meeting with mayoral candidate Deborah Schwartz, wherein he […]

Grace Fisher is a typical music aficionado, daydreaming of developing the score for a Disney smash hit, still inspired by the music from animated hits such as A Bugs Life, Up and the Incredibles — none known for their mainstream melodies but left a lasting impression on the 23-year-old. “Disney does a great job of […]

For John Price, his property at the corner of Coast Village and Olive Mill roads has admittedly caused him headaches, with some 28 hearings between 2004 and 2017 looking to prevent him from developing his prime real estate spot into a mixed-use opportunity. He won, time and time again. And now he feels like he’s […]

The showdown for Santa Barbara City Council’s District 4 seat has been an unexpected, no-holds-barred battle between challenger Barrett Reed and incumbent Kristen Sneddon, who, in the face of Reed’s intense criticism, has chosen to focus on her own strong record as a councilmember, and turning up the heat on her current councilmates. Sneddon, a […]

“Love is a game that two can play and both win by losing their heart.” – Eva Gabor For Sara Miller McCune, her first crush wasn’t sitting across from her in a classroom or a neighbor from the Queens, New York block she grew up on — her heart belonged to Broadway, a lifelong love […]

More changes are coming to Coast Village Road, as the Montecito Journal has exclusively learned that Cottage Urgent Care will be moving into 1298 Coast Village Road, with opening expected near the end of 2022. The property is currently split use, with businesses on the ground floor and luxury apartments above. The urgent care, which […]

Mark Stehrenberger is not David Hasselhoff. Nevertheless his body was iconic on the TV show “Baywatch.” The RIOT sportscar was his creation, one that car enthusiasts and car-noscenti drooled over as it sped along the Malibu coast in the 1990s television smash hit. “I didn’t get to meet Pamela Anderson though,” Stehrenberger quipped. He wears […]

With more than a decade served on Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission, Deborah Schwartz has navigated plenty of tough decisions, aiding in projects such as affordable housing and local economy relief. It’s all been good practice for her latest venture: running for mayor. It’s here that she will be faced with not only affordable housing and […]

The makeup of the race for Santa Barbara City Council’s District 6 seat took on a dramatically different feel late in the filing period, with three candidates jumping into the fray to take on incumbent Meagan Harmon. Jason Carlton, a well-known local business owner, is one of those that chose to challenge the seat; he […]

The race for the District 6 seat on Santa Barbara City Council has turned into a four-person race, with City Hall insider Nina Johnson creating plenty of buzz in choosing to “pull her papers” at the very end of the filing period to take on incumbent Meagan Harmon.  Johnson isn’t just taking on Harmon, but […]

While the other city of Santa Barbara races feature a plethora of candidates, the battle for District 4 is a two-person showdown, with incumbent Kristen Sneddon taking on Barrett Reed. Sneddon, a professor at Santa Barbara City College, has been on council as the pandemic forced both State Street and Coast Village Road into plenty […]

The race for the District 6 seat on Santa Barbara City Council is a four-person race, with incumbent Meagan Harmon being challenged by Jason Carlton, Nina Johnson, and Zachary Pike. Harmon, also a representative on the California Coastal Commission, is facing her first election, as she was appointed to council in 2019. Each of the […]

With Coast Village Road’s well-being at the heart of the race for the District 4 seat on the Santa Barbara City Council, the two candidates have shown polar opposite tactics in portraying their vision for the corridor. Challenger Barrett Reed has been outspoken about the leadership style stemming from City Council, including that of his […]

A native of Iowa, Mark Whitehurst has made his impact on the Santa Barbara community through the use of his VOICE – the newspaper publication, that is. Whitehurst is a man of the world, having taught in Australia, while also working in Oregon at his brother’s newspaper before relocating to Santa Barbara some 27 years […]

Zachary Pike is the “everyman” in the race for the District 6 seat on Santa Barbara City Council, as he will take on incumbent Meagan Harmon, City Hall insider Nina Johnson, and local business owner Jason Carlton in the 2021 Election. Pike has made a conscious decision to not chase endorsements of organizations or other […]

Randy Rowse admits he had left it all behind – the politics, the late nights watching City Council meetings, the rigors of owning a business. The former Santa Barbara City Council representative was retired, and his wife loved it. But, over the past 18 months or so, monitoring City Council meetings became commonplace. He questioned […]

With numerous issues facing the city, the race for Santa Barbara’s mayor seat features a plethora of different backgrounds, with five challengers taking on incumbent Cathy Murillo. Murillo will take on James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, Randy Rowse, Deborah Schwartz, and Mark Whitehurst in an election that begins in early October as mail-in ballots arrive. For […]

James Joyce has been the ultimate guy behind the scenes, working with a California State Senator on a daily basis, guiding Hannah Beth Jackson’s attention toward what was needed. A key contributor to a beloved senator. And now it’s his time to step out front, although many in the community already know him from Coffee […]

If you’ve driven around town over the past six weeks, it’s been hard to miss the posters calling to elect “Boat Rat Matt” as Santa Barbara’s next mayor. It’s a moniker that Matt Kilrain embraces, and one that will take him to the November 2 ballot as he takes on incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well […]

Did you miss the The Great Mayoral Debate hosted by the Montecito Journal Media Group and Sonos? Don’t fret, we recorded it all, as we believe it is critical to arm voters with as much information as possible this election season. The debate featured incumbent Cathy Murillo and five challengers — James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, […]

Carlos, is that you?! What appears to be a black bear was on search for some honey early Thursday morning, caught on camera by a Montecitan in their backyard. Check out the video: The appearance created quite the stir at both Montecito Union School, as well as Laguna Blanca’s Lower School, where a fence appears […]

Tonight, we let the six mayoral candidates take to the Zoom stage to debate why they are the person for the job. The event, brought to you by the Montecito Journal Media Group and Sonos, will feature James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, Cathy Murillo, Randy Rowse, Deborah Schwartz and Mark Whitehurst. It’s not too late to […]

As the Richard Bransons and Elon Musks of the world compete for their moments in space, ducks have seemingly beat humans to the punch. Welcome to Quackzar, home to ducks that lived in harmony before The Snake King — or Oxyuranus — attacked, putting the duck population in peril in this galaxy not so far […]

Ellie Cullip didn’t hide her emotions as she peeked at the nine Western snowy plovers getting acclimated to their new environment at the Coal Oil Point Reserve near UCSB’s campus. The Santa Barbara Zookeeper was just moments away from seeing this gaggle of plovers released by fellow keepers Stephen Haug and Katie Kranda, both taking […]

New Beginnings is hosting a pair of events over the next two weeks to shine a light on its ongoing quest to address homelessness in Santa Barbara County, including its Annual Fundraiser Gala on September 30 at the Santa Barbara Club. The gala will feature an interview from local award-winning journalist Beth Farnsworth, as she will […]

The Santa Barbara Unified School District board will hold a special meeting on September 23 to vote on a proposed resolution that will make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for staff, while the Montecito Journal has learned that two school board members are gearing up to also propose requiring masks at events larger than 250 people, regardless […]

(Editor’s note: This story is updated with information attained after our print deadline for the September 9 edition of the Montecito Journal) After initially rejecting multiple requests to change an upcoming meeting pertaining to a potential Santa Claus Lane cannabis dispensary due to a conflict with Yom Kippur, the County of Santa Barbara acquiesced late […]

Let’s face it, we’ve all glanced in the mirror a few times during lockdowns and health scares; it’s natural to eat unhealthy foods when one is stressed, particularly about situations that are out of your control. According to the American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America” report, nearly 42% of U.S. adults have gained weight since […]

“The best part of competition is that through it we discover what we are capable of — and how much more we can actually do than we ever believed possible.” — Anonymous When it comes to Downtown Santa Barbara, these words ring truer now than ever before. The pandemic has brought massive change to the […]

Both Giuseppina (Jo) D’Ambrosio and Flavid Montoya don’t need to drop their masks for one to see their smiling eyes. Amid an unprecedented 18 months for medical personnel across the globe, their Environmental Services team at Cottage Hospital might not be the team that is applauded on the nightly news. But internally, they are a […]