We launched Noozhawk in 2007 because we believed local news should be timely, independent and rooted in the community — not printed yesterday and delivered tomorrow.
Eighteen years later, that mission matters more than ever.
While many so-called “local” news sites are owned or controlled from far away, Noozhawk — one of California’s first online-only, professional local news companies — remains locally owned, locally staffed and locally accountable.
This is our community, too.
Now we need your help.
We’re raising $125,000 by Dec. 31 to support next year’s reporting and expand coverage in North County communities that have been left behind.
As of Dec. 26, we’re $28,500 short.
If Noozhawk matters to you, please join the Hawks Club now. Your support directly funds the journalism Santa Barbara County depends on — every day, all year, rain or shine.
The deadline is days away.
On behalf of Team Noozhawk, thank you.
According to our WordPress analytics, Noozhawk reached an audience of 147,508 readers this past week.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading during that period, as tracked by our Google Analytics.
For the record, this is my opinion column, not a news story, and do I ever have an opinion this week on the murder of Melodee Buzzard.
1. Lots of Rain but No Major Problems as Storm Soaks Santa Barbara County
What. A. Week. Or should I say wet a week?
This has been the soggiest Christmas I can recall in, well, ever, and the rain isn’t done with us yet.
As our Tom Bolton reported, an “atmospheric river” arrived in Santa Barbara County the afternoon of Dec. 23, and has absolutely drenched us.
Our Giana Magnoli reported Christmas morning that the county has already hit a staggering 297% of its normal rainfall for the season, with Lake Cachuma having risen almost 5 feet in just the last three days.
As of Dec. 26, Tom reported that the 193,300-acre-foot reservoir was at 97% capacity and less than 2 feet below spill level. The lake has spilled each of the last two years, in February 2024 and in February 2023.
Since Sept. 1, Cachuma has recorded a wild 17 inches of rain, a pittance compared to the 27 inches logged by the county Public Works Department on San Marcos Pass above Santa Barbara.
As of Dec. 26, this storm has dropped 14.05 inches on San Marcos Pass, 13.59 inches at Jameson Reservoir in the mountains above Carpinteria, 13.55 inches at Tecolote Canyon west of Goleta, and 13.18 inches at Gibraltar Reservoir above Montecito.
South Coast and Santa Ynez Valley gauges reported a range of rain from just under 6 inches to nearly a foot. The far North County was much drier, with a mere 2.09 inches at Casmalia, north of Guadalupe.
The storm caused localized flooding — including at the Santa Barbara Airport, which was closed off and on Dec. 25 due to flooded runways — and a couple of streets blocked by small mudslides.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and watches during the storm, gusting winds downed power and utility lines throughout the county, and several minor wrecks were reported on area roadways.
Perhaps the biggest problem — and certainly the most disgusting — was a 4,500-gallon spill of untreated raw sewage from a City of Santa Barbara pump bypass failure in the 2700 block of De la Vina Street near Mission Creek.
The sewage spill forced the indefinite closure of East Beach, east of Stearns Wharf.
According to the weather service, the rain is expected to turn into showers on Dec. 26 before giving way to more customary sunny conditions on Dec. 28 and into the next week.
Click here for the complete weather service forecast.
2. Melodee Buzzard’s Mother Arrested on Murder Charge After Girl’s Body Found in Utah
The mother of a missing 9-year-old Vandenberg Village girl was arrested Dec. 23 on suspicion of her murder, and prosecutors wasted no time formally filing first-degree murder charges.
As our Janene Scully reported, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown revealed at a Dec. 23 news conference that Melodee Buzzard’s decomposed remains had been discovered Dec. 6 in Wayne County, Utah, near Capitol Reef National Park.
DNA analysis confirmed her identity on Dec. 22.
Just before 8 a.m. the next day, deputies arrested 40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard at her home in the 500 block of Mars Avenue.
Brown described the case as a rare and “particularly shocking” instance of maternal filicide, alleging calculated and deliberate efforts to evade detection during a multistate road trip that included a homicidal detour.
Detectives allege Buzzard rented a car, embarked on a round-trip drive to Nebraska, switched license plates, used wigs to alter her and Melodee’s appearances, and even backed into gas stations to avoid surveillance cameras.
Investigators — which included FBI agents — also recovered ballistic evidence from Buzzard’s residence and the rental car that was later linked through federal databases to cartridge cases found near Melodee’s remains.
Brown said detectives believe Melodee was shot in the head at least once shortly after she was last seen, on Oct. 9 near the Utah-Colorado border.
Her remains were discovered quite by accident earlier this month when a couple stopped along the remote road off state Highway 24 to take pictures.
The search for Melodee began Oct. 14 after law enforcement officers were asked by Lompoc Unified School District officials to check on the girl.
Sheriff’s deputies found her mother uncooperative and unable to provide verifiable information about her whereabouts.
The 2½-month case animated and angered the Lompoc community, with the public maintaining constant prayer vigils outside the Buzzards’ house, assisting in the search online and in person, and demanding that Buzzard provide answers.
Janene, our North County editor, led Noozhawk’s exhaustive coverage, which included reporting from every one of our news team.
On Dec. 24, the District Attorney’s Office charged Buzzard with first-degree murder.
Prosecutors also alleged a special circumstance of lying in wait, along with a sentencing enhancement for personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing death, making the case eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Buzzard is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Dec. 26 in Santa Maria Superior Court and is being held without bail in the North County Jail in Santa Maria.
I’m sure Buzzard will eventually claim to be suffering from some kind of a mental health challenge, and that may well be true.
But let no one ever forget the alleged premeditated lengths taken to conceal each step in this tragic saga — and we’re only aware of the fraction of information authorities have disclosed so far.
Danny Ocean doesn’t plan casino heists so meticulously.
I cannot begin to imagine the terror that Melodee experienced at the end of her inexcusably short life, and I pray that God held her tightly in His arms and gave her peace at that moment. I can only hope she was asleep or drugged when the trigger was pulled.
Brown called the heartbreaking outcome “deeply tragic” and paid tribute to Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, and her extensive extended family on the Central Coast.
Melodee’s dad, 40-year-old Rolando “Pinoy” Meza, died in a 2016 motorcycle crash in Santa Maria when she was just 6 months old.
“Their strength, their patience, and their steadfast hope have been evident from the very beginning,” Brown said of the family. “No family should ever have to experience this kind of loss, and our hearts are with them today and will be with them in the difficult days ahead.
“We stand with them, and we remain committed to securing justice for Melodee.”
3. Sable Receives Federal Approval to Restart Oil Pipelines
Sable Offshore Corp. has received federal approval to restart pipelines connected to the Santa Ynez Unit, following a transfer of oversight to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration last week.
As our Daniel Green reported, the company announced Dec. 23 that the federal regulatory agency approved a restart plan for its Gaviota coast pipelines after conducting a joint field inspection.
PHMSA formally assumed control of the project after agreeing with Sable’s argument that the pipelines qualify as an interstate project under the Pipeline Safety Act.
The pipelines, CA 324 and CA 325, were previously regulated by the state.
CA 325, formerly Line 901 and owned at the time by Plains All-American Pipeline, ruptured in 2015 and caused the Refugio oil leak.
The Santa Ynez Unit — consisting of the Harmony, Heritage and Hondo offshore platforms — has been shut down ever since.
Despite the approval, opponents are not backing down. Environmental Defense Center attorney Jeremy Frankel said Sable still needs easements, an injunction, and additional state and local permits before restarting operations.
4. BizHawk: Downtown Santa Barbara Gets Sweeter with New Ghirardelli Shop
Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream has finally opened its long-awaited store in downtown Santa Barbara.
As our Pricila Flores reported, the shop had a soft opening on Dec. 20 after sharp-eyed locals spotted its new exterior signage.
Aside from holiday hours, the shop at 509 State St. is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and will feature classic Ghirardelli treats along with specialty offerings such as a Dubai-style hot fudge sundae, a seasonal peppermint bark sundae, and hot chocolate options.
The official grand opening is set for Jan. 22, and a 15% local discount is currently being offered for residents and visitors with proof of valid ID or hotel room key.
In other food news, Bar Lou has announced the closure of its Montecito restaurant at 1198 Coast Village Road — after just one year.
The French restaurant moved in after a vegan place also failed. Bring back Peabody’s!
5. Man Rescued from Hillside Near Cold Spring Bridge After Vehicle Crash
A 69-year-old driver was injured early on the morning of Dec. 20 after he crashed into a roadside ditch off Highway 154 by the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge, got out of his car and stumbled down the steep hillside below the bridge.
As our Giana Magnoli reported, Santa Barbara County firefighters and paramedics were dispatched just before 6 a.m. to the historic bridge’s abutment footing above Stagecoach Road, where the man was found with moderate injuries.
Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck told Giana that the man — whose identity was not released — had descended roughly 200 feet through the steep, brushy terrain.
Firefighters used a rope system to assist him back up the hillside, and he was transported by an American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances of the wreck.
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories that are worth a read:
» Firefighters Free ‘Grilled’ Owl Trapped in Orcutt Vehicle — North County editor Janene Scully shares a feel-good story for readers, and a feel-better story for an injured horned owl.
» Sheriff Substation to Open at Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway has the latest on the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department’s new substation in Montecito.
» Peter Rupert: Chicken Over Rice Economics Should Stir Up Santa Barbara’s Rental Debate — UCSB Economic Forecast Project director Peter Rupert serves up a cold dish of reality about the false promises of rent control. Sorry, rent “stabilization.”
» From Intern to Senior Rabbi: Q&A with Congregation B’nai B’rith’s Daniel Brenner — Contributing writer Ann Pieramici helps reintroduce Congregation B’nai B’rith’s new rabbi and his family.
» Noozhawk’s Picks for Biggest Sports Stories of 2025 — Sports editor Diego Sandoval calls a late timeout to take a look back at what he and his small team covered this year. And don’t miss our roundup of outstanding pictures added by our talented sports photographers.
» James Kelly ‘Jim’ Kunkle of Solvang, 1922-2025 — Legendary World War II fighter pilot Jim Kunkle was a giant of California aviation who made the tiny Santa Ynez Airport his home base. Clear skies, Sir. Rest in peace.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? High Winds Topple Trees, Down Power Lines in Santa Barbara County.
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Farewell to a Friend, Part II
I don’t remember when Lou Cannon and I first met, but it was before President Ronald Reagan died in 2004.
We bonded over our shared respect for the 40th president, me as a longtime admirer and Lou as his foremost biographer.
Equally important for a then-newspaperman like me, Lou was a journalist’s journalist.
I ate up his stories from his days at The Washington Post and, going way back, to the heyday of California politics reporting when he was Sacramento bureau chief for the San José Mercury News in the late 1960s.
Because of his background, Lou was one of the first people I called when I hatched the idea for Noozhawk in the summer of 2006.
We met for lunch at the Santa Barbara Club, my home away from home, and, to my surprise, he was quite encouraging — immediately making pointed suggestions to quickly differentiate between an online-only publication and a Fossil Media newspaper.
Noozhawk launched a year later, and Lou and I kept up our lunches every few months, usually at the Santa Barbara Club and then, after it opened, at Field+Fort, less than a mile from his Summerland home.
He was always interested in Noozhawk’s progress, and frequently emailed me stories about online news developments and strategies he had come across or just local news tips he had discovered.
But he really started pumping me for information after his journalist son, Carl, joined the all-digital RealClearPolitics in 2011.
I don’t know if Lou’s reconnaissance was all that useful, but Carl is now the site’s Washington bureau chief and executive editor of RealClear Media Group. I’ll take it as a win.
Beginning in 2008, Lou happily shared with Noozhawk the monthly columns he wrote for State Net Capitol Journal, which covers public policy issues from all 50 states. He kept that up through 2021, when he retired for good to work on another book concept.
I had Lou on my Todoist to call in early January to set up our next lunch date.
We had so much politics to discuss, including my upcoming emceeing for Noozhawk’s new speaker series with one of his favorite political writers, CalMatters columnist Dan Walters.
Rest in peace, Lou. And give Ronald Reagan my regards.
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What I’m Up To
Although I’m not looking for a free meal, I occasionally do have free time if you’re looking for a speaker for your club, group or organization and want to hear more about Noozhawk. Email me at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com.
Feb. 5 — Noozhawk is partnering with Spotlight Santa Barbara on a 2026 speaker series and I’ll be moderating a Q&A with Dan Walters, the legendary gold standard of California political writers. His topic at the Lobero Theatre? California politics — past, present and future. Click here to purchase tickets online.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Man, I’m old: From the Digital Camera to Big Gulp, 10 Iconic Things Turning 50 in 2026.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
Advent-ures in my Instagram feed this past week. I hope your Christmas was as merry as mine.
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Watch It
The very definition of a “watch dog.” HT to Best of Bill reader Lacey Thompson.
