Latest in Santa Barbara

California health officials on Tuesday announced that five counties are moving to less-stringent levels of coronavirus restrictions including Santa Barbara, which had been the lone holdout in Southern California. Calaveras, Fresno, Kings, Mono and Santa Barbara counties were the five regions that advanced from the Red…

For the second week running, a large group of California’s most-populous counties are moving from the most restrictive Purple tier of Governor Gavin Newsom’s reopening program to the less restrictive Red tier. San Diego, Riverside, Santa Barbara and 9 additional counties including Ventura, Kern, Lake, Monterey…

Henry Darrow, a prolific TV actor from the 1950s through the early 2000s who found his breakthrough success as Manolito Montoya, son of a wealthy Mexican ranch owner on NBC’s hit 1967-71 Western The High Chaparral, died Sunday at his home in Wilmington, NC. He was 87. His death was announced on Facebook by his former…

Actor Jed Allan, who built a long career in soap operas and other media as a family patriarch, died Saturday. according to his son’s post on Facebook. He was 84. Allan began his career on the CBS soaps Love of Life and The Secret Storm, then joined Days of Our Lives in 1971. He played the role of Don Craig for 14…

A powerful storm roared through Southern California Saturday, flooding streets and prompting authorities to shut down parts of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and the 101 Freeway in Santa Barbara County.

The Thomas Fire is now the largest wildfire in California’s recorded history, burning 273,400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire. Despite more than 2,500 firefighters still battling the blaze, it remains only 65 percent contained. However, firefighters…

Firefighters continued struggling today against the massive Thomas Fire, now the third-largest in California history. Nearly 8,500 firefighters continue to battle the blaze, which has destroyed more than 1,000 structures and burned 269,500 acres so far. That’s an area larger than New York City. The fires are…