I’m excited to introduce the newest member of the Noozhawk team: Evelyn Spence, who starts Jan. 19 as our South County editor.
For the last 3½ years, Evelyn has led the Carpinteria Coastal View News as managing editor, overseeing the weekly newspaper’s staff of four core journalists and more than two dozen freelancers and columnists.
In addition to the “managing” part, she also edits, reports and — in her spare time — runs a highly regarded news internship program for high school and college students.
Evelyn earned an English degree from UC Santa Barbara in 2021, along with a minor in professional writing with a journalism emphasis.
While a Gaucho, she held nearly every possible position at The Daily Nexus, finishing as managing editor of the independent, student-run newspaper.
She also freelanced for Noozhawk, and we’ve wanted to hire her ever since.
Our Tom Bolton will be providing a more in-depth profile of Evelyn over the weekend, including the numerous awards she’s collected and her community involvement — like serving as a board member of the Association for Women in Communications-Santa Barbara.
Tom and I, and executive editor Giana Magnoli, have always preferred to have versatile, interchangeable talent on our news team and, now, with Evelyn and North County editor Janene Scully, we’ll have it at the leadership level.
For the last couple of years, we’ve been cultivating it at the staff writer level with reporters Rebecca Caraway, Pricila Flores, Nick Forselles and Daniel Green, and I’m very proud of how they’ve been developing. Evelyn will help Giana and Janene make them that much stronger.
All-star sports editor Diego Sandoval is in a league of his own, of course, and my next quest is to get him more help with his lineup.
Evelyn’s arrival is part of Noozhawk’s broader investment in journalism as we continue to strengthen our position as Santa Barbara County’s No. 1 source for local news.
At a time when local reporting is shrinking across the country, we are doing the opposite — adding experienced editors, developing young journalists and expanding our capacity to cover the stories that matter most to our community.
None of that happens by accident, and none of it happens without your support.
Our ability to grow, innovate and hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards is directly tied to the readers who believe local news is worth supporting.
That’s why our Hawks Club is so important. Membership provides the financial foundation that allows locally owned and locally controlled Noozhawk to remain independent, deepen coverage throughout the county and invest in talent like Evelyn.
If you value reliable, accurate and unbiased local journalism — and want to see even more of it — joining the Hawks Club is one of the most meaningful ways to help ensure Noozhawk continues to thrive.
On behalf of our team, thank you.
This past week, Noozhawk drew an audience of 150,951 readers, as tracked by our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over that period, according to our Google Analytics.
As you’re about to discover, this is my opinion column, which I write in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. It is not a news story and I am not a reporter.
1. Split Santa Barbara Council Supports Temporary Rent Freeze During Lengthy Meeting
From Argentina to Zimbabwe, rent control has not worked out for any meaningful length of time for those it was supposed to help. But this being Santa Barbara, someone else’s failure could never happen here.
As our Pricila Flores reported, the City Council voted 4-3 on Jan. 13 to move forward with a temporary rent freeze.
Council members Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Wendy Santamaria and Kristen Sneddon enthusiastically supported the proposal, with Mayor Randy Rowse and Councilmen Eric Friedman and Mike Jordan in dissent.
Because the moratorium failed to get the five votes required for emergency adoption, it won’t take effect immediately.
The measure will now return for a second reading and, if approved, take effect 30 days later.
“This action tonight is about good governance and doing policy the right way,” Harmon declared.
Rowse strongly opposed the freeze.
“This is never working anywhere,” he said. “I have people showing me successful cities that have it, but they are the same cities I use to show that it didn’t work.”
More than three hours of public comment reflected deep divisions.
“I work two jobs while going to school just to be able to make ends meet,” renter Elizabeth Newman told the council.
“We are not numbers on a graph depicting profit margins but real-life, living and breathing human beings.”
Small landlords warned of unintended consequences.
“Not every landlord is evil,” Angela Tasca-Zungri said. “I care very much about each and every tenant because I have children who rent in other cities.
“If we don’t have the money, we are not going to do the improvements.”
The temporary freeze would remain in place until Dec. 31 or until a permanent rent control — oops, I did it again — rent “stabilization” ordinance is adopted, which the council majority plans to develop this year.
2. Developer Sues Solvang After Stop Work Order for Whimsical Hotel Project
Santa Barbara developer Ed St. George has sued the City of Solvang after officials issued a stop work order on his whimsical nine-unit hotel project at a prominent downtown intersection.
As our Janene Scully reported, the civil complaint was filed Nov. 10 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court and alleges that the city caused more than $1 million in damages by halting construction, claiming the faux Danish village had deviated from approved plans.
City staff cited violations of local, state and federal laws, including accessibility, building, landscaping and stormwater requirements at the property at 1704 Mission Drive, on the high-profile corner of Alisal Road.
St. George contends the order created a “catch-22” by preventing him from completing work needed to comply and alleges the project was unfairly targeted, including over his political views.
Appeals to the Planning Commission and City Council were denied, and the stop work order remains in effect.
The city is expected to file its response to the lawsuit in the coming weeks, and the City Council met in closed session about it on Jan. 12.
3. Vehicle Plunges Down Creek Embankment While Exiting Freeway in Santa Barbara
A driver lost control of his car while navigating a notoriously short, sharp right turn of a Highway 101 exit ramp in Santa Barbara the night of Jan. 9, sending the vehicle plunging down a creek embankment.
As our Tom Bolton reported, the crash occurred about 9:40 p.m. on the northbound Arrellaga Street exit ramp.
Santa Barbara fire Battalion Chief Richard Ames said the Chrysler 300 sheared off a freeway sign and knocked down a utility pole on its way down the slope toward Mission Creek.
The driver —whose identity was not released — suffered minor injuries and was transported by an American Medical Response ambulance to nearby Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The downed power pole cut electricity to 31 customers, according to Southern California Edison.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances of the crash.
4. Santa Barbara, SLO County Airports Plan Changes to Services for 2026
A number of airline service changes are landing at the Santa Barbara Airport and the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport this year, with adjustments beginning as early as this month.
As our Pricila Flores reported, Delta Air Lines will end its nonstop service from Santa Barbara to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as of Jan. 21.
Instead, Delta will increase flights to Salt Lake City International Airport to as many as three daily departures.
United Airlines will boost service to San Francisco International Airport to five daily flights in February and resume nonstop daily service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport on April 6.
Alaska Airlines will restore nonstop flights to San Diego International Airport on April 22 and add a second daily Portland International Airport flight in May, while Southwest Airlines begins daily nonstop service to San Diego on Aug. 4.
From San Luis Obispo, Alaska Airlines service to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas will end April 20, and American Airlines will reduce flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to three daily.
No changes are planned at the Santa Maria Airport.
5. FIFA Team Might Call Goleta Home Base for World Cup in June
I can’t believe I’m encouraging soccer but fans of that sport will be excited about a FIFA team potentially coming to Goleta as part of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
As our Pricila Flores reported, the Goleta City Council voted Jan. 13 to authorize city staff to submit a host city agreement with FIFA, positioning Goleta as a potential training base camp for the tournament later this year.
If selected, one of the 48 teams would stay at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, practice at UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium, and fly in and out of the Santa Barbara Airport.
UCSB must submit a separate agreement since the stadium is outside city limits.
The council also approved $100,000 for public safety and outreach.
Officials noted that Goleta cannot choose which team is assigned, raising security and traffic concerns during UCSB’s June commencement and the summer tourism season.
FIFA has not announced when it will make its selection but, really, who wouldn’t want to practice here?
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Good Reads
Here are six stories you should read, too:
» Santa Barbara Moving to Lottery Waitlist System for Harbor Boat Slips — Staff writer Daniel Green dives into the Santa Barbara Harbor’s ongoing brouhaha over boat slips.
» Santa Barbara Shares Concept Designs for Franceschi Park Project — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway shares the specs of Santa Barbara’s latest plans for the dilapidated Franceschi House and park.
» County Supervisors Approve $6 Million Project to Renovate Main Jail Intake Center — Executive editor Giana Magnoli unlocks the details of some renovations at the Santa Barbara County Jail.
» Montecito Debris Flows Survivor Shares Journey of Healing on 8-Year Anniversary — Daniel reminds us of the grief — as well as the hope — we experienced with the deadly 2018 Montecito flash flooding and debris flows.
» Amtrak Restarts Train Service North of Goleta; SBCAG Talks Commuter Rail Expansion — Giana railroads herself into the train beat this week, and comes back with quite a bit of news.
» Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Club Launches at Elings Park — Staff writer Pricila Flores is hot on the trail of a new mountain bike club for kids.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Santa Barbara Areas Under Red Flag Warning Again With Gusty Winds Forecast.
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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
Don’t worry, Gov. Gavin Newsom is devoting his full part-time attention to it: Legislative Analyst Raises ‘Serious Concerns’ About California’s Fiscal Path.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
My Instagram feed has been on a scavenger hunt for #montecitoroadsidetreasures this past week.
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Watch It
An ostrich can run 45 mph. Can you pedal that fast? HT to Best of Bill reader Shannon McPhee.
