So much can happen in 365 days, and Noozhawk was there to tell readers all about it during 2025.
Using website analytics, Noozhawk has compiled a list of most-read stories from the year.
Noozhawk readers were especially interested in reading about vehicle collisions, unique weather events and Santa Barbara’s commercial real estate decisions.
1. Motorist Killed in Foggy Morning Crash on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara
A crash that law enforcement officials called a gruesome scene left a motorist dead early on Nov. 1 in Santa Barbara.
During the foggy Saturday morning, a silver sedan flipped and landed on the shoulder, past the Castillo Street offramp, ejecting the driver, 24-year-old Emanuel Aragon, onto the center lane.
Oncoming vehicles apparently hit the man, according to fire Battalion Chief Brandon Paige.
Two other vehicles collided, but the occupants declined medical treatment for their minor injuries.
California Highway Patrol Officer Jonathan Gutierrez said drugs and/or alcohol were suspected to be a factor in the collision.
2. 3 Dos Pueblos High School Students Killed in Vehicle Crash
A trio of Dos Pueblos High School students coming back from lifeguarding in Jalama Beach died in a vehicle collision on May 18.
Jake Curtis, 18, Michael Ochsner, 17, and Alexander Wood, 15, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Nearly 1,200 people came together for a community vigil held at Dos Pueblos High School for the three teenagers.
The California Highway Patrol said their vehicle was driving southbound, toward Santa Barbara, when it entered the northbound lane and struck another car head-on.
The Lompoc residents in that car, Lompoc Valley Medical Center Dr. Hafez Nasr and his wife Saghar Golpayegani, suffered major injuries. After a long recovery, Nasr returned to work in September.
3. 2 Critically Injured When Plane Crashes, Burns on Bishop Ranch in Goleta
A small plane that crashed and burned near Highway 101 in Goleta left two people critically injured on Jan. 29.
The single-engine Cirrus SR22’s occupants, a 29-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, suffered major injuries and were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Following the crash, a small vegetation fire erupted but was quickly put out by firefighters.
CHP Officer Ricardo Ayala pulled the pilot away from the burning plane.
He initially was conducting a traffic stop on Los Carneros Road in Goleta when he heard an explosion in the air and rushed toward the scene.
He found the burning plane and the injured pilot trying to climb out.
The woman in the plane had been able to get herself out of the wreckage, and a civilian helped her further.
4. Macy’s Building Set for Demolition After Report Finds No Historical Significance
The Macy’s building in Santa Barbara’s La Cumbre Plaza is set to get demolished in 2028, following the end of its lease, to make way for a housing project.
Demolition was given the go-ahead after a January report from the City of Santa Barbara that concluded that the building has no historical significance.
Developers Matthew and Jim Taylor proposed a huge housing project, The Neighborhood, to take its place.
The duo envision a 689-unit apartment project complete with retail, commercial and dining as well as park and public spaces.
The 26-page report detailed that commercial space’s history. However, that historical context was not significant enough to Macy’s presence in Santa Barbara.
The housing project would have 94 studios, 381 one-bedroom units and 192 two-bedroom units, and the city is trying to work with developers to increase the number of affordable units.
5. Snow, Hail, Flooding Create Hazards for Santa Barbara County Drivers
A cold weather system brought snow, hail and flooding throughout Santa Barbara County on Jan. 26.
The snow and slush also caused a crash on Highway 154 and left a woman with minor injuries.
Other drivers on the roads claimed seeing an inch of hail on the roadways.
6. Santa Barbara Pays 2 Department Heads Nearly $800,000 in Employment Settlements
The City of Santa Barbara paid out almost $800,000 to two department directors in a quiet legal settlement.
The agreement detailed amounts to former Library Director Jessica Cadiente and former Public Works Director Cliff Maurer.
Cadiente was paid $500,000, which included attorney fees, when leaving the city.
Additionally, she was on a paid leave of absence for nearly a year, totaling $241,000, according to public records. She had been placed on leave in March 2024, alongside library services manager Molly Wetta, for undisclosed reasons. Sources at the time told Noozhawk that both employees had been outspoken about the delayed Michael Towbes Library Plaza construction project.
Maurer received nearly $281,000, which was his complete annual salary for the upcoming year. His last day was Feb. 12, and his resignation surprised city officials.
City Administrator Kelly McAdoo said at the time that she could not comment on the content or intent of the settlements.
7. Mom of DUI Driver Gets Settlement from Solvang Restaurant
A Solvang restaurant paid $1 million to the mother of a DUI driver despite the City of Santa Maria contesting the settlement.
Lompoc resident Vincent Bruce Becerra, 20, died after driving under the influence, crashing and getting ejected out of his car near the intersection of northbound Highway 101 in 2022, according to the California Highway Patrol.
That’s where a Santa Maria Police Department transport van driven by Officer Eduardo Servin ran over the 20-year-old, according to court documents.
Becerra’s mother, Julia Becerra, filed a lawsuit against the city and Adiamo Solvang Inc. (Cecco Ristorante) over liability for her son’s death.
Cecco was where Becerra worked, and the lawsuit claimed he was being served alcohol by the bartender during his shift on the night of the fatal collision.
The restaurant and Julia Becerra reached a settlement, and a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge in Santa Maria declined the city’s challenge, naming the settlement as a good faith one.
8. Sheriff’s Deputies Fatally Shoot Suspect After Attack in Goleta Valley Grocery Store
Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a man on Oct. 20 who was attacking another person in a Goleta Valley grocery store.
The Sheriff’s Office responded to the 5170 Hollister Ave. Ralphs store for a report of a man “actively assaulting a victim with a weapon.”
The suspect, identified as Abdou Rahman Nyan, 34, of Connecticut, allegedly stabbed and cut the victim outside the store before fleeing into the Ralphs bathroom, where he barricaded himself.
After he locked himself in the bathroom at the back of the store, deputies put store display racks in front of the door in an effort to contain him, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Raquel Zick.
The suspect then opened the door and charged toward law enforcement, clutching a metal trash can and holding a knife in each hand, Zick said.
One deputy used a Taser device while two others fired six rounds from their service firearms.
The altercation was reportedly over the suspect abusing the victim’s dog, according to Zick.
Authorities temporarily closed down Ralphs and the Magnolia Shopping Center after the stabbing and the shooting.
The two deputies who fired their guns, identified as Sgt. Eric Degladillo and Deputy Anthony Muneton, were placed on paid administrative leave, which is department policy after a law enforcement shooting.
9. 1 Dead, 2 Wounded in Downtown Santa Barbara Stabbings
A downtown Santa Barbara fight early on Aug. 1 left one person dead and two people injured with stab wounds on the 500 block of State Street during Old Spanish Days Fiesta.
Anthony Michael Bisquera Hartley, 30, died of his injuries, and two other men had non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The District Attorney’s Office initially charged two other men involved in the incident with murder, before more video evidence showed that Bisquera Hartley was armed with a knife and had attacked one of them.
Investigators determined that Sergio Rivas acted in self-defense when he stabbed Bisquera Hartley, and Juan Fernando Rio acted in lawful defense of Rivas.
Luis Gerardo Terrazas faced assault charges by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, and personally using a deadly weapon, related to the incident, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Rivas faced charges for assault with a deadly weapon against J. Ramos, court documents identified.
Rivas also faced gun-related charges relating to being in possession of a firearm and ammunition and carrying a loaded firearm in public while being a felon, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
