The Noozhawk newsroom has grown fast this year, and with more reporters producing more daily coverage of Santa Barbara County than ever — or anyone else — stories can move quickly through our site.
It’s a good problem to have, but if you miss a day — or a few — it’s hard to keep up.
So starting Dec. 7, we’re launching the Weekly News Report, a Sunday morning newsletter that rounds up the most important and most-read stories of the previous week.
Every Sunday at 6:15 a.m., you’ll get a curated list of 10-15 standout Noozhawk stories — top reads, must-knows and editor picks — delivered straight to your inbox.
It’s the easiest way to stay connected to the comprehensive, daily coverage you count on.
The new newsletter is free and doesn’t replace anything — you’ll still get the A.M. Report, P.M. Report and Breaking News alerts.
We’ve also kicked off our Year-End Webathon, with a goal of raising $125,000 by Dec. 31. As of Dec. 5, we’re almost halfway there.
Your financial support directly fuels the reporting you rely on — breaking news, sports, public safety, schools, government — plus deeper projects planned for 2026.
Will you make a contribution today, in any amount, to keep our newsroom strong?
On behalf of Team Noozhawk, thank you.
Noozhawk reached an audience of 156,775 readers this past week, according to our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my take on the Top 5 stories you were reading, as compiled by our Google Analytics.
As a reminder, this is my opinion column, written in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. It is not a news story.
1. San Marcos High School Student Dies in Skateboarding Accident
In the days since a San Marcos High School senior died from injuries suffered in a Thanksgiving Day skateboarding accident, the Santa Barbara community has rallied around his grieving family.
As our Josh Molina reported, 17-year-old Tayden Tomblin died Nov. 29 after suffering a traumatic brain injury two days earlier during a family visit with friends in Palos Verdes.
San Marcos Principal Dare Holdren said Tomblin was a standout student involved in water polo, swimming, the Entrepreneurship Academy and the Cafe Royale Culinary Arts Management Program.
“He had an incredibly bright future,” Holdren said in a message to the campus community.
“There are no words to express the loss of one of our students, and it would be futile for me to try now,” he said. “I … only ask that you honor Tayden’s memory by continuing to cherish your friends, your family and yourselves.”
Holdren also noted that Tomblin became an organ donor, a final act of generosity that will save lives.
On Nov. 29, more than 50 family members and friends gathered at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance to take part in an emotional Honor Walk from the intensive care unit to the OneLegacy organ donation center, with hospital staff lining the hallways in support.
Tomblin is survived by his parents, Rosalyn and Tyler Tomblin, and his 13-year-old sister, Hudzyn.
Funeral services are pending but a paddle-out at East Beach is scheduled for 4 p.m. Dec. 10.
A GoFundMe account was opened by family friend Nellie Hill to help the Tomblins with medical and funeral expenses.
Hill said the funds raised also will be used to establish a nonprofit organization called “Non-Negotiable” to focus on helmet education and providing helmets to youth.
“This Thanksgiving weekend, the Tomblin family experienced a tragedy no family should ever endure,” Hill posted on the site. “Their beloved 17-year-old son, Tayden, passed away from injuries sustained in a skateboarding accident while the family was visiting friends in the Los Angeles area.
“As we all process this devastating loss, many friends and loved ones are asking how they can help.”
As of Dec. 5, the account had raised more than $80,000. Click here to make an online donation.
2. Goleta Grandmother Juana Flores Deported on Thanksgiving Day
Juana Flores, a Goleta illegal immigrant who had fought to remain in the United States on humanitarian grounds, was deported to Mexico by the Homeland Security Department on Thanksgiving Day, according to her lawyer.
Attorney Kraig Rice told our Josh Molina that Flores, a 62-year-old grandmother of 22, went to a routine immigration check-in in Santa Maria, where she was taken into custody and deported without warning on Nov. 27.
Flores came to the United States from Mexico without a visa in 1988. She later married her husband, Andres — who became a permanent resident in 2009 and earned his U.S. citizenship in 2015 — and they raised their family in Santa Barbara County, including a son, Caesar, who currently serves in the U.S. Air Force.
She received several extensions to remain in the United States on humanitarian grounds, but the last one expired in 2019. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ordered her back to Mexico, and she left voluntarily.
Flores returned to Santa Barbara County in 2021 after being granted another humanitarian parole, but Rice said an extension was denied in 2024.
“What a message to thank a service member,” he said. “To deport his mother on Thanksgiving Day.”
Flores’ husband and family met her in Mexico, where they plan to remain.
3. Housing Trust Fund Halts Building of 3D-Printed Affordable Home in Goleta
The Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County has pulled the plug on its proposed 3D-printed affordable home project in Goleta, citing rising costs, burdensome regulations and difficulties securing a suitable printer.
As our Josh Molina reported, the project aimed to build a one-story, 3D-printed housing prototype at 550 Cambridge Drive.
“Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to move forward,” Housing Trust Fund CEO Jon Peterson said, calling the decision “difficult” and disappointing.
In 2023, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments awarded the trust fund $372,414 for the project through the Regional Early Action Planning Grants Program.
About $126,837 was spent on early stage work and cannot be returned, while the remaining roughly $245,000 will be sent back to SBCAG for reallocation.
Peterson said escalating construction costs and California’s stringent seismic requirements proved challenging.
He also said the original printing partner — Apis Cor of Melbourne, Florida — was unable to proceed. A company representative later disputed that, telling Josh that negotiations ended over pricing, not equipment failure.
The Housing Trust Fund plans to release a white paper detailing lessons learned from the effort.
4. Milpas Street Soon to Be Home to 23 Apartments at Nightclub Site
Another apartment project has been proposed for Santa Barbara’s Milpas Street corridor, continuing the rapid transformation of the Lower Eastside commercial strip.
As our Josh Molina reported, a developer plans to demolish the longtime La Pachanga Night Club at 518 N. Milpas St., the Luxus car wash next door at 524 N. Milpas and surface parking on the backside to make way for a three-story, 23-unit apartment building.
The Historic Landmarks Commission recently granted design approval. Story poles were erected to mark the proposed height of just under 45 feet.
Commissioner Cass Ensberg praised the scale of the DMHA Architecture-designed development.
“I think it is a beautiful design,” she said. “I appreciate that it is being kept to three stories.”
The project includes six one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom apartments and three three-bedroom units. Two of the units would be reserved for very low-income residents.
Plans include parking for 19 vehicles and storage for 28 bicycles.
Commissioners suggested adding more art and color to reflect Milpas Street’s Latino cultural heritage, with ideas such as murals or “Milpas poetry.”
Although most of the panel supported the design, commissioner Ed Lenvik dissented, citing concerns about walkability and ground-floor residential frontage.
In addition to a charming new look to the block, the project will erase one shady, almost-forgotten landmark of sorts: the former office of the notorious Dr. Julio Diaz, the disgraced ex-physician convicted in 2015 on federal charges of overprescribing painkillers.
Thanks in part to the reporting of our Giana Magnoli and then-Noozhawk Lara Cooper as part of our 2011 Prescription for Abuse series, federal authorities opened an investigation of Diaz, who is serving a 27-year sentence at Lompoc Federal Penitentiary for his crimes.
The latest housing project follows recent approvals for larger apartment developments nearby, including a 90-unit project at 418 N. Milpas St. and an 82-unit project at 711 N. Milpas St.
5. Vandal Damages Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Mosaic, Church Pews in Santa Barbara
Damage to a treasured religious shrine and church interior has shaken Santa Barbara’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish community after an early morning attack on Dec. 2.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, a mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe and several pews were damaged with a hammer at the Roman Catholic church at 227 Nopal St. on the Lower Eastside.
The break-in and vandalism came just days before the church’s Dec. 12 feast-day celebrations commemorating the Virgin Mary’s appearance to Saint Juan Diego in December 1531 in Mexico.
Father Pedro Lopez, the church’s pastor, said the attack struck at the heart of the parish.
“It was terrible,” he said. “Especially when we saw the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, because she means so much to the people of our community.”
The Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine is behind an iron fence at the corner of Nopal and East Montecito streets. The small space is typically blanketed by a sea of lit votive candles and other tributes left in her honor.
Lopez said broken door handles appeared to indicate the point of entry but he added that nothing was stolen from the church.
Repairs are expected to cost thousands of dollars, however.
Santa Barbara police arrested a man at the scene shortly after 1 a.m.
Cmdr. Chris Payne said officers responding to reports of glass breaking found the suspect holding a hammer near the damaged mosaic. He said the man, who appeared to be a transient, charged at officers and was subdued with a Taser.
Authorities identified the suspect as 53-year-old Antonio Dorado Arroyo, who was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on multiple felony vandalism, burglary and assault charges. As of Dec. 5, he remained there with bail set at $50,000.
It was not known if the alleged attack would be categorized as a hate crime.
Lopez said the parish will continue its Our Lady of Guadalupe feast-day celebrations “responding with love.”
“As much as it hurts to see what happened, the presence of Our Lady of Guadalupe is always with us,” he said.
“We are very much comforted by her love for the people and all who have devotion to her, so we will continue to celebrate in her honor.”
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories that are worth your time:
» ‘We Have Each Other’: Chefs Remain Optimistic After Fire Destroys Goleta Home — Staff writer Pricila Flores interviews three of the victims of a Nov. 28 Goleta house fire. Although they lost everything, the trio of chefs expressed gratitude for the outpouring of assistance and generosity.
» Santa Barbara Considers Ban on Small Plastic Water Bottles, Mylar Balloons — South County editor Josh Molina reports on the latest pressing issue before the Santa Barbara City Council. Hey, look! A squirrel!
» Paseo Nuevo Housing Plan Falls Short with Santa Barbara Council — In meaningful news, Josh is there as the council pumps the brakes on city staff’s eagerness to fast-track Paseo Nuevo redevelopment plans. By the way, architect Brian Cearnal’s clever illustration of the mall’s enormous proposed project is not to be missed. Scroll down in the story for it.
» Guadalupe Breaks Ground on ‘Royal’ Makeover of Historic Theater — North County editor Janene Scully opens the curtain on an important civic project in Guadalupe.
» Santa Barbara’s Lucky Penny Finds Added Value in Its Design with Coin Phaseout — Lucky Penny gives staff writer Daniel Green its two cents on the demise of the penny.
» Holiday Events, Parades Across Santa Barbara County — Pricila spreads the holiday cheer with a roundup of local Christmas season events.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Driver Hospitalized After Rollover Crash in Downtown Santa Barbara.
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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. 11 — The Channel City Club has asked me to emcee its Christmas brunch at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. I’m honored to be recruited, all the more so because I’m following the giant footsteps of my close friend, the late Erin Graffy.
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
First of all, we need to stop referring to them as bikes — they’re electric motorcycles: The Shocking Crash That Led Marin County to Reckon With the Dangers of E-Bikes.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
Christmas trees and forced family fun are in my Instagram feed this past week.
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Watch It
Spectacular doesn’t begin to describe these views. HT to Best of Bill reader Bill Owens.
