Election Day is Nov. 3, but the decisions that matter most to Santa Barbara County won’t end when the votes are counted.
However long that takes in California.
From housing and water, sanitation and roads, public safety and — most of all — government spending of our tax dollars, our elected officials will make decisions affecting our communities for years to come.
That’s why Noozhawk’s independent local journalism matters.
Without bias or personal opinion, our professional journalists cover the county Board of Supervisors, all eight city councils and the unincorporated communities too often overlooked.
And we want to do more — scrutinizing proposals before decisions are made, explaining what’s at stake and giving you time to speak up.
Will you help us keep watch?
As we celebrate Noozhawk’s 19th anniversary, please consider joining our Hawks Club with a contribution of $19 a month or $190 for the year. Any amount helps keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone.
And speaking of elections, you won’t want to miss the next event in our Spotlight Santa Barbara series, this one on Nov. 17 and featuring NPR national political correspondent and Fox News contributor Mara Liasson
We’re going with “Making Sense of the Midterm Muddle” as the title of her talk, which promises to be an entertaining, insightful post-election discussion moderated by my friend, Pete Peterson, dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy.
California will probably be only halfway through counting votes by then, but drinks and conversation begin at 6 p.m. on the esplanade of the Lobero Theatre, with the program at 7 p.m.
Click here to purchase tickets online.
Meanwhile, Noozhawk had an audience of 133,821 readers this past week, according to our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over that period, as tracked by our Google Analytics.
And when I say “my own take,” I mean this is my weekly opinion column, which I write in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. It is not a news story, nor am I a reporter.
1. Salon Displaced by Bridge Project Sues Santa Barbara for Relocation Costs
A salon displaced by Santa Barbara’s Upper De la Vina Street Bridge Replacement Project has sued the city, seeking more than $1 million in additional relocation expenses in the eminent domain case.
As our Giana Magnoli reported, Mishay Salon owner Andrea Ridgell alleges the City of Santa Barbara improperly denied reimbursement for renovations required to relocate her business downtown from a since-demolished commercial building at 2728 De la Vina St., between the Mission Creek bridge and Handlebar Coffee Roasters.
The city has paid approximately $200,000 in relocation assistance, in addition to a separate $900,700 eminent domain settlement.
“This has been a nightmare for Andrea and her husband,” attorney Todd Amspoker of Price, Postel & Parma LLP told Giana.
According to the Santa Barbara County Superior Court filing, the lawsuit alleges the city violated the Uniform Relocation Act, which requires relocation assistance and actual costs of re-establishing a business at a suitable replacement site.
City Attorney John Doimas defended the city’s payments, saying its obligations do not extend to “financing an upgrade or expansion of the business.”
The dispute centers on the larger replacement property at 1126 Santa Barbara St. and the city’s decision to reduce eligible renovation costs by 42%.
According to the lawsuit, Ridgell took on debt and “drained every financial resource available” to complete the renovations in late 2024.
“Importantly, the city approved this property before I moved forward,” Ridgell wrote in a letter to the City Council in May. “City staff reviewed the plans, issued permits, and had full visibility into the scope and projected costs through my architect.
“I relied on those approvals in good faith. Now the city refuses to pay us for safety and code upgrades that the city insisted we construct.”
A court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4.
2. Police Investigating Suspicious Death after Finding Body in Santa Barbara Apartment
Details remain scant about a suspicious death that Santa Barbara police are investigating after a body was discovered Oct. 28 inside a West Beach apartment.
As our Evelyn Spence reported, authorities have not released an identity in the case, a cause of death, or even any information about what made the circumstances suspicious.
Police Lt. Ryan DeJohn told Evelyn that officers initially responded to the 100 block of Los Aguajes Avenue, east of Bath Street, at around 9:30 p.m. Oct. 27 for a welfare check.
He said officers contacted a resident and “identified suspicious circumstances that prompted further investigation.”
Detectives obtained a search warrant and returned the next morning, when they discovered the body.
SBPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit is handling the case.
3. 48-Unit Housing Complex for Low-Income Families Opens in Santa Barbara
Forty-eight families will soon have affordable new homes as the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara prepares to welcome residents to its $51.3 million Bella Vista apartment complex.
The development at 200 N. La Cumbre Road, a block north of State Street, celebrated its grand opening Oct. 26, with all units expected to be leased by Nov. 1.
The complex includes 15 one-bedroom, 21 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments, including one reserved for an on-site manager.
All units receive Section 8 subsidies, allowing tenants to pay just 30% of their income toward rent.
“Families who live here can have a safe, beautiful home without rent consuming nearly all of their income,” Housing Authority executive director and CEO Rob Fredericks said.
The 1.3-acre development includes underground parking, electric vehicle charging stations, laundry facilities and a community room honoring the late Mayor Sheila Lodge.
Mayor Randy Rowse praised Bella Vista as “a great addition to the community.”
Construction began in early 2025.
While it is affordable to the residents who so desperately need housing assistance, I still want to know how long taxpayers can continue to afford shelling out a staggering $1.1 million per unit in these complexes. I know there’s a more cost-effective way to build or renovate them.
4. Bill Macfadyen: Another Horrific Crosswalk Collision Shakes Santa Barbara
You’re about to read about the medical condition of the 3-year-old victim who was hit by a car in a Santa Barbara crosswalk on Oct. 18, but there is nothing new to report on the circumstances of the collision.
Santa Barbara police Cmdr. Nathan Beltran told our Janene Scully that the investigation is ongoing in the incident, which occurred as the girl walked with her family in the marked crosswalk on State Street at Calle Palo Colorado in the San Roque neighborhood.
The driver, whose name has not been released, remained at the scene, and Beltran said alcohol or drugs are not suspected as factors.
Speaking of crosswalk collisions, authorities have reported no further information on the hunt for the hit-and-run driver who killed 22-year-old Mercedes Perez as she was walking in the Mission Street crosswalk at the northbound Highway 101 entrance ramp on Oct. 9.
5. Family ‘Holding Hope’ for 3-Year-Old Girl Critically Injured in Crash in Santa Barbara
As our Janene Scully reported, the 3-year-old girl critically injured in the aforementioned collision remains hospitalized near Los Angeles as her family clings to encouraging signs while facing an uncertain recovery.
“Ava is receiving around-the-clock care from an incredible team of doctors and nurses,” her parents, Jess and Rob Stephenson, wrote in an Oct. 26 GoFundMe post.
“There have been some small, encouraging signs, and we are holding onto each one while knowing there is still so much we don’t know.”
The family expressed heartfelt thanks for the community’s overwhelming support.
“Even in the midst of so much uncertainty, we feel held, supported and less alone,” the Stephensons wrote. “Our gratitude is immeasurable.”
As of Oct. 30, the fundraiser had collected more than $146,000 to help Ava’s self-employed parents remain near their daughter at the undisclosed hospital.
Click here to make an online donation.
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories that are worth your read:
» Santa Barbara Sees Record High Tides; Rain Likely for Halloween — Executive editor Giana Magnoli says we should be prepared to weather the weekend.
» Santa Barbara Council Approves Stricter Access to City Budget Reserves — Just a few months after a two-term City Council member discovered that Santa Barbara has been using its reserves to pay for stuff, the council decides to tighten up its spending protocols. Staff writer Rebecca Caraway has the details.
» Noozhawk Voter Guide: November 2026 — For the last 2½ months, Team Noozhawk has been bombarding you with 2026 election information and candidate profiles. Now it’s up to you. Polls close at 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
» Victim in Fatal Crash in Santa Barbara Parking Structure Was Los Angeles Woman — After providing a lesson in state law to Santa Barbara police leadership, editor in chief Tom Bolton finally gets the identity of the woman killed in the Oct. 6 crash inside a city parking garage.
» Smoky Design Proposed for New Whiskey ‘N Rye Restaurant in Goleta — Staff writer Pricila Flores is only reporting on the concept of the new Whiskey ‘N Rye Smokehouse in Goleta’s Camino Real Marketplace, but she already has me hankering for the end result. Not that I need a cue to eat barbecue brisket — as you can see in my Instagram feed from @quesmokeshack, Whiskey ‘N Rye’s outpost in the downtown Santa Barbara Public Market.
» Marcia Heller: ‘Thriller! Thriller!’ Zombies Rock and Roll — Copy editor Marcia Heller helps liven up a gathering of the undead at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden. It’s a “Thriller!” of a performance.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? The Rack Family-Friendly Pool Hall Opens at Site of Former Don Q.
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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.
Nov. 4 — The Santa Barbara Women’s Club asked me to regale its members with stories about Noozhawk’s start, growth and future. I can do that.
Nov. 5 — The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury has requested my presence for a discussion with panel members about issues affecting the county and Noozhawk’s role. I’m happy to accept, no subpoena required.
Nov. 17 — I’m emceeing our next Spotlight Santa Barbara event, this one featuring NPR national political correspondent and Fox News contributor Mara Liasson and moderated by my friend, Pete Peterson, dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy. I’m guessing they’ll have lots to talk about with the Nov. 3 election. Click here to purchase tickets online.
Dec. 10 — Having not learned their lesson from last year, the Channel City Club has invited me back to emcee its Christmas brunch at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. I’m privileged to do this in honor of my close friend, the late Erin Graffy, the club’s longtime host.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
This is just plain corruption, and state Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón and Assemblyman Gregg Hart, both Santa Barbara Democrats, should be ashamed of — and answer for — their roles in it: Timeline of the Top-Secret, Top-Dollar Capitol Annex Project in Sacramento.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
I’ve got brisket and #VotingMatters with our partner, CalMatters, in my Instagram feed this past week, but the real stars are The Birthday Boys, my grandsons, Nico and Wes.
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Watch It
This gives new meaning to autumn leaf peeping. HT to Best of Bill reader Stefany Gomez.
