From our start in 2007, Noozhawk has been partnering with Santa Barbara County’s vibrant and diverse nonprofit community through our Good for Santa Barbara section.
It’s dedicated to local philanthropy and the impactful contributions of donors, volunteers and professionals.
Each November, our Giving Tuesday Guide kicks off the charitable giving season, featuring local charities and their missions.
Throughout the year, we provide in-depth coverage of philanthropy while offering a comprehensive platform for nonprofits to showcase their work, complete with direct donation links to support these vital community organizations.
I want to thank our presenting sponsor, the SBCC Foundation, for helping us make our 2024 edition happen, along with a small army of additional sponsors:
- Champion sponsor: One805
- Lead sponsors: Direct Relief, Hillside and Santa Barbara Foundation
- Sustaining sponsors: Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, Family Service Agency, Montecito Bank & Trust and Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics
- Patron sponsors: American Red Cross-Pacific Coast, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and VNA Health
- Advocate sponsors: Sanctuary Centers Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Audubon Society and SB ACT (Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation)
- Supporting sponsors: AHA! Santa Barbara, Ensemble Theatre Company, Santa Barbara School of Squash and Savie Health
This year’s Giving Tuesday Guide was put together by Kim Clark, one of my business partners and Noozhawk’s business development vice president, and her team of sales manager Sheridan Taphorn, Lauren Hodgins and Jasmin Frausto.
It’s not too late for nonprofit organizations — specifically, the ones you support — to be included in our very affordable guide. For more details, email Sheridan at staphorn@noozhawk.com.
This time of year, we at Noozhawk are also reflecting on what makes Santa Barbara County special, including readers like you who value professional local journalism.
Our own year-end fundraising campaign is underway, and your support is crucial to maintaining our independent newsroom in 2025.
Every day, and night, Noozhawk’s team of professional journalists works to bring you the news that matters — from breaking stories to in-depth coverage of local government, education and business.
And obituaries and local sports.
We keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone, but we depend on your financial support to sustain our work.
Will you help us today with a contribution?
Thank you for your readership and support.
Fueled by a week of carnage on Santa Barbara County roadways, including our heartbreaking and infuriating top story, Noozhawk drew an audience of 148,379 readers over the last seven days, 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.
As a reminder, this is my opinion column and not a news story, and I write it in my civic role as Noozhawk’s publisher. I am not a reporter.
1. Father Charged with Murder in Alleged DUI Crash After Girls Killed Near Lompoc
In an absolutely sickening tragedy, a 23-year-old Cuyama father has been charged with double murder after a Nov. 20 high-speed police chase ended in a vicious crash that killed his two young daughters near Lompoc.
As our Janene Scully reported, Brian Hernandez Cervantes is accused of killing 3-year-old Stella Aliyah Hernandez and 7-month-old Luna Alani Hernandez when his Infiniti sedan split in half after slamming into an oak tree on Harris Grade Road.
The California Highway Patrol said the collision occurred just before 4 p.m. after Cervantes fled an attempted traffic stop at high speed, recklessly passing vehicles on the narrow two-lane road before failing to navigate a curve near Rucker Road, about a mile north of Lompoc.
Both girls were in child safety seats, but the violent impact tore the car in half, ejecting one child still strapped in her seat.
CHP officers, who arrived moments after the wreck, found both children had suffered fatal injuries.
Cervantes was found with moderate injuries and the driver of a Toyota Equinox that was struck by crash debris was unhurt.
The criminal complaint filed by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office charges Cervantes with “willful murder in conscious disregard for human life.”
He also faces charges of child endangerment, driving under the influence of alcohol, and reckless driving causing injury.
Court records reveal the dumbass had six prior citations, including speeding and driving with a suspended license, and a 2022 reckless driving conviction.
On Nov. 25, Cervantes pleaded not guilty before Superior Court Judge John McGregor in Santa Maria.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 22 before Superior Court Judge Steve Foley in Lompoc.
Until then, he is being held without bail in the North County Jail.
The CHP’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team has joined the complex inquiry, which involves crash reconstruction, traffic engineering and automotive engineering.
Two GoFundMe accounts were established to assist Stella and Luna’s family and have raised more than $50,000 as of Nov. 29.
One of the accounts has been paused after raising just under $25,000 for the girls’ funeral.
The second account was opened to assist the girls’ heartbroken mother, Serena Aguilera. It had raised nearly $25,000 as of Nov. 29. Click here to make an online donation.
Aguilera’s family is deeply entrenched in the Los Alamos Valley, and the community has rallied around her.
The Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club is hosting a barbecue chicken fundraiser beginning at 11 a.m. Dec. 1 until the food is gone. For donations or to purchase $15 tickets, call 805.714.2390 or Venmo: James-McCullar.
2. RV Explodes, Catches Fire in Santa Barbara Neighborhood
A recreational vehicle exploded and burst into flames on Nov. 22 in Santa Barbara’s Veronica Springs neighborhood off Modoc Road.
As our Daniel Green reported, the explosion inside the RV — parked on the street near the intersection of Torino Drive and Cambria Way — shook nearby houses and drew an emergency response from Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County firefighters.
“There was this huge black ball and fire,” said witness Lowell Miller, who rushed to the scene after hearing the 1:30 p.m. explosion from his home.
Also rushing to the scene was our Ray Ford, who lives in the area and captured some dramatic photos of the fire and its aftermath.
No injuries were reported, according to Santa Barbara fire Capt. Josh Brousseau.
The RV’s owner has not been identified, and the cause of the blast remains under investigation.
Resident Ron Stankowski reported smelling gasoline in the area earlier that day.
Firefighters confirmed no risk of additional explosions before arranging to have the gutted vehicle towed.
3. Multiple Crashes Reported on Slippery Roads as Season’s 1st Storm Hits Region
Multiple crashes were reported on rain-slickened roads throughout Santa Barbara County on Nov. 23.
One of them forced an hours-long closure of Highway 101 near Rancho Dos Pueblos on the Gaviota coast, and subsequently snarled detoured traffic on Highway 154 over San Marcos Pass and through the Santa Ynez Valley.
As our Josh Molina reported, a pickup truck rollover knocked down utility lines across the highway at Las Varas Canyon, near Rancho Dos Pueblos, about three miles west of Goleta.
The 11:25 a.m. wreck left Verizon cables draped across the highway after the driver flipped her pickup, which severed a utility pole as it rolled up an embankment.
Authorities say the woman, whose identity was not released, suffered minor injuries and was transported by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
All southbound lanes were blocked and northbound traffic was restricted to one lane.
Northbound motorists were diverted at Winchester Canyon Road and southbound traffic was diverted at Highways 154 and 246.
By 10 p.m., Caltrans had opened one lane in each direction.
Highway 154 experienced its own difficulties when a 3:20 p.m. multivehicle collision at West Camino Cielo blocked eastbound traffic for 45 minutes.
Santa Barbara County fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said only minor injuries were reported in that crash.
Earlier on Highway 101, a 9 a.m. crash near El Capitán State Beach resulted in one major and three minor injuries.
Authorities say the victims were all transported by AMR ambulances to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Travel was little better on the Gaviota coast on ensuing days. Amid continued drizzly conditions, rollover wrecks with injuries were reported throughout the day Nov. 26, including another crash that sheared off a utility pole.
4. Insurance Changes Coming to Some Sansum Clinic Blue Shield, Anthem Patients in 2025
Sansum Clinic patients are again facing insurance network changes in 2025, with Blue Shield Medicare Advantage HMO members losing in-network access to the health-care provider starting Jan. 1.
The clinic, which merged with Sutter Health last year, announced that while commercial Blue Shield plans will remain in-network, Medicare Advantage HMO members must choose different plans by Dec. 7 to maintain access to Sansum doctors.
As our Giana Magnoli reported, Sansum is still negotiating with the perrenially elusive Anthem Blue Cross for 2025 coverage.
Without an agreement, commercial EPO and PPO contracts would end Jan. 1, while HMO and POS contracts would terminate March 1.
Since joining Sutter Health, Sansum has received $30 million in investments for service expansion, including new outpatient operating rooms at its Foothill Surgical Center.
Click here for the latest insurance information on Sansum’s website.
5. Man Arrested After Allegedly Sneaking into Montecito School Classroom, Sleeping Overnight
Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies took nearly an hour to reach Montecito Union School after staff discovered a man who had spent the night in a second-grade classroom, raising concerns about response times to school security incidents.
As our Josh Molina reported, school officials called authorities at 8:18 a.m. Oct. 29 but deputies didn’t arrive until 9:15 a.m. because they were responding to an incident in Carpinteria.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick told Josh that five units prioritized tracking the suspect, who had left campus, rather than responding to the school first.
“In those time spans when people are awaiting a response, it does seem like an eternity,” she acknowledged, but noted that the incident didn’t warrant a Code 3 emergency response because the suspect wasn’t reported to be aggressive.
Deputies eventually arrested the man, identified as 19-year-old José Gonzalez, near Birnam Wood Golf Club, two miles away, on suspicion of misdemeanor burglary, trespassing and probation violation.
The incident roiled the campus community, sparking questions about law enforcement response times.
“I am not happy with the response time, but I am not unhappy with the first responders,” Montecito Union Superintendent Anthony Ranii told Josh.
He said second-graders started their day in the school’s Nature Lab “while we did a safety sweep and cleaned the classroom.”
The school also initiated several security changes intended to prevent a reoccurrence:
- Added a second evening safety check
- Locked public access gates overnight
- Banned custodians from using earphones and/or loud music during cleaning
- Required classrooms to remain locked unless actively being cleaned
- Commissioned an external Safety and Security Assessment
- Partnered with the Montecito Association to address Sheriff’s Department response times
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Good Reads
Don’t miss these six stories before you go:
» Santa Barbara Rescue Mission Serves Annual Thanksgiving Feast
— Staff writer Rebecca Caraway stops by the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission for a nearly 60-year holiday tradition.
» Fire Damages Indochine Lounge in Downtown Santa Barbara — Executive editor Giana Magnoli follows the sirens to a daytime fire at a closed downtown nightclub.
» Senior Cottages Housing Plan Gets Praise from Santa Maria Planning Commission — North County editor Janene Scully has an update on an innovative project designed to accomplish dual housing goals.
» Montecito Bank & Trust Community Dividends to Support Mental Wellness, Foster Youths — Rebecca is on hand as Montecito Bank & Trust gives away $1 million to local nonprofit organizations.
» Community Reacts to Upcoming Closure of Guadalupe Fixture Masatani’s Market — It’s the end of an aisle for a venerable Guadalupe market, and Janene finds the community grappling with the loss of what is much more than a homegrown, multigenerational grocery store.
» Mark Patton: Original Peabody Stadium Kicked Off 100 Years Ago This Week — Sports columnist Mark Patton journeys back in time with a fascinating account of the origins of Santa Barbara High School’s Peabody Stadium.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Erin Graffy: The Child Estate Becomes a ‘Child’s Estate’.
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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.
- Dec. 6 — Well, this is awkward. The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is honoring me as Man of the Year at the annual Goleta’s Finest celebration at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara. See you there.
- Jan. 7 — I’ll be sharing Noozhawk’s story and discussing the future of local news — and local news in Santa Barbara County — with my friends at the Minerva Club of Santa Maria. The Minerva is one of the oldest, continuously operating women’s clubs in California and a community treasure since 1894.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Here’s a Gem State of a sign that a picture’s worth a thousand words: Signs of Idaho.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
I had a month’s worth of #latergram pix in my Instagram feed this past week. In my defense, it’s been a ridiculously busy month!
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Watch It
Pecking order power play. HT to Best of Bill reader Mary Amos.
