Professional soccer will be featured at Harder Stadium this summer as Wrexham AFC will face Premier League side AFC Bournemouth in an all-British showdown on July 20 at Harder Stadium at UC Santa Barbara campus.  The Red Dragons and The Cherries will face off against one another for the first time since April of 2005, when both teams were in EFL League One.This match is the first of Wrexham AFC’s three North American matches this summer as part of their 2024 Wrex Coast Tour. This will be followed by the match with Chelsea FC on July 24 at Levi’s Stadium, in Santa Clara, and by a clash in ..read more

A long-awaited Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing on cannabis odor control ended in a split vote this week, as three board members voted for more study, and two said they were frustrated by the delay. Dutch-made carbon filters, called “scrubbers,” have been shown to dramatically reduce the smell of cannabis in Carpinteria Valley greenhouses before it can escape into the outside air; but at $22,000 each and a recommended density of 10 per acre, they’re expensive. In addition, electrical upgrades for the scrubbers could cost tens of thousands of dollars more, a “potentially prohib ..read more

A UC Santa Barbara student reported she had escaped an attempted abduction on Saturday night at the Labyrinth, a small walking trail between Campus Point and the Manzanita dormitories, law enforcement officials reported. Students were alerted via email at 9:31 p.m. on April 20 that a crime was in progress and were advised to avoid the area. Ten minutes later, a second email identified the incident to be an attempted abduction. The suspect, also accused of attempted sexual assault during the incident, is described as a 5’ 6” Hispanic man of stocky build between 170 and 200 pounds. At the time ..read more

The mothership of Earth Day festivals is back in action this weekend at Alameda Park. While the “official” Earth Day is April 22, we need a whole weekend (at least) to celebrate here in Santa Barbara! The 54th Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival takes place April 27-28, and the entire community is invited to come outside and connect with climate-forward businesses and organizations, engage in climate-focused educational activities, hear from dozens of speakers on a variety of environmental topics, savor locally sourced, climate-friendly food and beverage, and enjoy live music. Best of all, it’s a ..read more

“There is simply no accounting for her gifts. She was a unicorn, born among horses.” So wrote author and cultural critic William Deresiewicz in “The Quality to be Tragic,” his sharp and insightful essay about Elizabeth Hardwick. Deresiewicz is a writer and thinker I admire, and after reading his essay, I felt chagrined for my paltry knowledge of Hardwick and for having never read her fiction, essays, or criticism. As many people do, I associated Elizabeth Hardwick with the poet Robert Lowell, her husband of 23 years. By all accounts it was a tumultuous union, primarily because Lowell suffered ..read more

Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. April 22, 2024 – Lompoc, California Each year the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance celebrate the region, the vineyards, the wines, and history of this most southern coastal AVA in California. The heritage of this acclaimed winegrowing area is not only shaped by its unique topography, but also by those who craft the area’s exceptional wines. Fittingly, the annual celebration known as “Wine & Fire!” lauds a winemaker that has made a significant contribution and impact to Sta. Rita Hills. While past honorees have be ..read more

Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. Who: CommUnify, Santa Barbara County, and the Cities of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Goleta What: Empower Youth: Inspiring Positive Paths Forward South Coast Youth Safety Partnership Community Event with Keynote Speaker Calli Kelsay and a Panel Discussion featuring students from YouthWell, AHA, and CommUnify’s Familias Seguras When: Thursday, May 23, 2024 ~ 1:00 – 5:00 pm Where: Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue, Goleta Why: To provide the community with important updates and collaborative ideas on ..read more

Patches This tri-colored, American breed guinea-pig is a sweet boy who has been waiting very patiently for his new family to come find him. He is quite gentle, is happy to be held and loves to snuggle in a lap. This lovely guinea-pig will bond deeply with the lucky human that discovers and adopts him.  So come visit BUNS (Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter) and meet lots of healthy, spayed/neutered and micro-chipped bunnies and also guinea pigs! BUNS is located at SB County Animal Services on 5474 Overpass Rd. in Goleta, Tues-Sunfrom 2 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m., or by appoint ..read more

On April 17 at the Santa Barbara Foundation’s Person of the Year Awards, Jim Morouse and Peter Schuyler were honored for their extraordinary voluntary service. More than 300 guests came out for the tribute, including dozens of nonprofit leaders and many philanthropists, community activists, and elected officials. Morouse, with decades of global marketing experience, has taught at Westmont College, UCSB, and Leading from Within, the latter of which trains community leaders. He chaired the Lobero Theatre’s Encore! Capital Campaign and the boards of Westmont Foundation and Santa Barbara Foundatio ..read more

With all of the rain and cooler temps we’ve experienced along the Central Coast lately, it doesn’t really feel like spring. However, while walking to my car a few days ago, I got my first whiff of jasmine for the season and was pleasantly reminded that, in fact, spring is upon us. For me, the arrival of spring and longer days tends to inspire me to freshen up my home. Although major renovation projects usually require months of planning and a large budget, it is possible to breathe new life into a room without spending a lot of time or money. From changing up the artwork on your walls to paint ..read more