Santa Barbara billionaire’s plush empire
Montecito mogul H. Ty Warner made billions selling Beanie Babies but, up til now, there wasn’t a lot known about his personal life. KCRW’s Lisa Osborn talks with Zac Bissonnette,…
The 101 widens in Santa Barbara
If you drive Highway 101 between Ventura and Carpinteria, check out Santa Barbara County’s first car pool lanes. This completes the second of four scheduled phases within the Highway 101 widening project. City Council member Gregg…
Lotusland: a public garden, a private reputation
Lotusland is not your typical garden. Ever since it opened in 1993, this eclectic garden in the foothills of Montecito has garnered a reputation of being more private than public. This…
Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider’s State of the City speech
A few hundred people attended Friday’s public State of the City breakfast, at the Fess Parker Hotel in downtown Santa Barbara. With two large screens on either side of the stage, displaying…
Popular Santa Barbara society columnist Richard Mineards on KCRW
KCRW Santa Barbara’s Morning Edition host Lisa Osborn welcomed popular local columnist Richard Mineards to the show on Friday. Mineards’ weekly “Montecito Miscellany” column, which showcases good causes, society events…
Santa Barbara’s new giraffe baby has valuable DNA
A little before midnight last Friday, before going to bed, Santa Barbara Zookeeper Cassie Taylor decided to check on the giraffes via a camera monitoring system set up in their barn. She saw hooves. “We…
The 90s are back: Aged desalination plant gets dusted off in Santa Barbara
The Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant in Santa Barbara hasn’t seen use in over two decades, but that might change soon. According to the city’s Water Resources Manager Joshua Haggmark, the plant is…
Church abuse lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara
A Santa Barbara area Presbyterian church is being forced to defend itself against sexual abuse claims. A former parishioner at Carpinteria Community Church filed a lawsuit accusing the church and…
Santa Barbara calls citizens to comment on redistricting
Santa Barbara residents have until Friday to submit their ideas for how the city should be divided up. Districts are being carved out, as the city makes changes to the…
Remembering Lutah: Santa Barbara’s first female architect
Lutah Maria Riggs was Santa Barbara’s first female licensed architect. Her personal touches can be seen in some of Santa Barbara’s most well known (and well loved) buildings, like the…
Can you eat healthfully on food stamps?
Could you eat healthfully on $6.46 a day? That’s what a person receives on the government food stamps program called CalFresh in California. And last month, Santa Barbara County Food Bank…
Game of Drones: Can our skies be controlled?
KCRW’s Lisa Osborn talks with Tyler Hayden of the Santa Barbara Independent about his cover story on drones, including new FAA rules and how the unmanned aircraft are being used…
The fragile first days: seal pups in California
No one likes to see a sign reading “beach closed.” But from December through May, that’s exactly what you’ll see on a small stretch of shoreline between the Carpinteria State Beach…
UCSB Professor Oliver Chadwick on Rapa Nui’s Natives
An international team of researchers are exploring a new theory surrounding the mysterious demise of Rapa Nui’s natives, those who built larger than life “moai” statues on the small Polynesian…
‘The Penguin Counters’ Debuts at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The documentary “The Penguin Counters” is being shown at the Santa Barbara international film festival. The film tells the story of adventurers who go to Antarctica to count penguins. “Chief…
KANSAS drummer Phil Ehart on the band’s documentary debut
A documentary on the legendary classic rock group KANSAS will celebrate its world premiere tonight at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. KANSAS drummer Phil Ehart dropped by KCRW’s Santa…
The miracles and misery of Mt. Carmel in Santa Barbara
A tale of miracles and misery in Santa Barbara’s wine country has been unfolding for decades. This week, the Santa Barbara Independent tells the fascinating story. Senior editor Matt Kettman…
A drought in paradise as Santa Barbara struggles with a very dry year
Communities across California are implementing emergency conservation measures to save water during what has become one of the state’s worst droughts. One of the places most affected by the drought…
