On June 7, five young people lost their lives in a horrific crash in Santa Maria. Five days after that, Noozhawk’s coverage dominated last week’s Best of Bill column.
The high-speed wreck — at 1:40 a.m. at the intersection of South Broadway/Highway 135 and South Miller Street — killed five North County teenagers:
- Jenny Gutierrez, 19, of Santa Maria
- Ava Díaz, 17, of Santa Maria
- Nick Muñoz-Gautreaux, 17, of Lompoc
- Guendi Escalante, 16, of Santa Maria
- Bella Vigil, 16, of Santa Maria
A sixth occupant of the obliterated car — 24-year-old Aurelio Calixtro Matias — was hospitalized in critical condition at Marian Regional Medical Center.
Santa Maria police had not determined who was driving, but investigators said alcohol may have been a factor.
An appeal was issued for witnesses to come forward with information about the circumstances of the crash, and what preceded it.
The tragedy reverberated through the North County, drawing vigils and memorials at the crash scene.
At least one of the teenagers has already been buried. The funeral for another is the morning of June 19. A third service is scheduled for June 25.
Two of the teens were students at Pioneer Valley and Santa Maria high schools, and a third was a former Pioneer Valley student now at Delta High. One attended Maple Continuation High School in Lompoc.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors held a moment of silence for the victims on June 9.
It was a big deal.
Now, nearly two weeks later, the public is still looking for answers.
There’s been not a peep out of Santa Maria police about the investigation or the lone survivor’s status.
There’s been no further comment from officials — from the city, from the county, from the schools and school districts.
There’s been nothing.
The death of any child is tragic. I don’t know what to call it when five die together, but the subsequent silence is just peculiar.
I hope that changes today. Five grieving families deserve better.
While we’re waiting, Noozhawk drew an audience of 131,907 readers this past week, according to our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories that our Google analytic says you were reading over that seven-day period.
At this point, you should know by now that this is my 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. Police Detain Several People After Shooting on Santa Barbara’s Westside
Speaking of a lack of information, Santa Barbara police have released few details about a June 17 Westside shooting that likely was connected to a man with a gunshot wound showing up at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital not long afterward.
As our Evelyn Spence reported, police on June 18 would only confirm that the investigation of the shooting in the 1200 block of San Pascual Street remains active.
Officials declined to provide additional information about possible suspects, a motive or the condition of the man with the mysterious gunshot wound.
A day earlier, Evelyn reported that police responded to the area near the notorious Bohnett Park around 4:20 p.m. after dispatchers fielded calls about gunfire in the neighborhood.
Shortly afterward, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital notified police that a man sporting a gunshot wound had arrived at the emergency room for treatment.
Investigators later stopped a vehicle they believed may have been connected to the shooting.
The car was pulled over near the southbound Highway 101 exit ramp at Castillo Street. Several people were detained but none had been arrested as of June 18.
The shooting occurred in the same neighborhood where 29-year-old Luis Gerardo Terrazas was fatally shot in February … at Bohnett Park.
Earlier this month, police announced the arrests of three suspects — 19-year-old Jorge Hurtado of Camarillo, 18-year-old Jimmy Alexander Mora Jr. of Ventura, and a juvenile — in connection with that homicide.
Believe it or not, gang involvement is suspected.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has filed murder and attempted murder charges against Hurtado, along with gang and firearm enhancements alleging the killing was committed for the benefit of the Eastside criminal street gang.
As of June 19, he remains in County Jail on $3 million bail.
Charges against Mora and the juvenile have not been disclosed.
2. City Council OKs Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment That Will Forever Change Downtown State Street
Downtown Santa Barbara is poised to see its biggest transformation in decades, with hundreds of office workers and new residents breathing life into the long-vacant anchor buildings at Paseo Nuevo.
As our Giana Magnoli reported, the City Council voted 6-0 on June 16 to advance redevelopment agreements that would convert the former Macy’s into Yardi Systems offices and the former Nordstrom into 80 to 112 apartments.
The agreements return to the council for final approval June 30.
Mayor Randy Rowse and Council members Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan and Kristen Sneddon voted for the redevelopment.
Councilwoman Wendy Santamaria oddly abstained after mildly picking at a few seemingly minor nits, like parking discounts.
City leaders said the two projects could dramatically reshape the atmosphere and economy of downtown by bringing daily activity to buildings that have sat largely dormant for years.
Kevin Yardi, senior vice president of global solutions at Old Town Goleta-based Yardi Systems, said the real estate software company expects hundreds of employees to work each weekday from the downtown location at the corner of State and West Ortega streets.
At the opposite end of the open-air mall, on the corner of Chapala Street and West Canon Perdido, Irvine-based Shopoff Realty Investments is planning an apartment project that will include 80 to 112 rental units, 10% of which will be restricted to moderate-income households for at least 90 years.
In case you were wondering, none of the units can be used as short-term vacation rentals.
“This is a really defining moment for downtown Santa Barbara and for State Street, and at the center of State Street sits two long-vacant anchor buildings that have generated no activity, no jobs, no revenue for years,” said Tess Harris, the city’s State Street master planner.
Jordan added that Santa Barbara is “getting the best project we’re going to get as it exists today.”
Officials estimate the two projects represent roughly $100 million in private investment.
Existing retail shops, restaurants, Center Stage Theater and the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara will remain.
If approved, construction could begin as soon as 2027 following design review and permitting.
3. Dolly Parton’s Former Solvang ‘Weekend Retreat’ on the Market for Almost $2 Million
Dolly Parton fans with a spare $2 million now have a rare opportunity to own a piece of country music lore in the heart of Solvang.
As our Pricila Flores reported, a triplex at 561 Alisal Road that once belonged to the legendary singer, songwriter and businesswoman has hit the market for $1.995 million.
The property features a three-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage built in 1920; a stained-glass “Dolly” window; a commemorative historical plaque; and a growing reputation as one of the Santa Ynez Valley’s most unusual celebrity homes.
It being Solvang, there’s also a miniature working windmill.
Current owner Cris Lapp said Parton owned the property from 2004 to 2014 and used it as a private retreat for herself and members of her staff.
He said traces of the country superstar remain throughout, from decorative touches to stories shared by neighbors who recall her visits.
The property includes three residential units and has generated plenty of buzz among locals and Parton devotees alike. Pricila’s story even caught the attention of Elle Décor, a national design publication, which highlighted the listing based on her report.
Lapp, a real estate broker with Black Oak Homes & Mortgages and a former tenant of one of the units, said he hopes the next owner won’t just buy a house — they’ll buy a little piece of Dolly history.
“That is just me, I want a mega fan,” he said.
4. Updated Flood Hazard Maps Go Into Effect in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County property owners may want to take a fresh look at their flood risk after updated Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard maps officially took effect last week.
As our Daniel Green reported, the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps replace maps that have been in use for the past decade.
The maps could affect whether some homes and businesses are considered to be in flood-prone areas, potentially affecting flood insurance requirements and costs.
“While some properties will see reduced requirements under the new maps, many projects will continue to require oversight,” county spokesman Lael Wageneck said.
Officials said the most significant changes are expected along the South Coast, east from Santa Barbara to the Ventura County line, as well as portions of the Santa Ynez Valley.
Areas such as Montecito have seen substantial landscape changes since the deadly 2018 flash flooding and debris flows.
The maps were developed using updated technology and topographic data to better reflect current conditions.
Click here to review the maps for yourself and to determine how your parcel is affected through FEMA and county flood-control resources. Click here for more information about flood insurance.
The county Flood Control District can be contacted at fccontact@countyofsb.org or at 805.563.3440.
5. 3-Vehicle Highway 101 Collision in Montecito Causes Heavy Traffic
A three-vehicle crash on Highway 101 in Montecito snarled traffic on June 16, creating major afternoon backups in the highway widening construction zone and onto surface streets throughout the area.
As our Evelyn Spence reported, emergency crews responded just before 4 p.m. near the newly reopened Olive Mill Road exit on the southbound side of the freeway.
According to the California Highway Patrol, all the drivers and passengers involved suffered minor injuries, with one transported by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The wreck stalled traffic between Olive Mill Road and Las Positas Road — seven miles to the west — while rerouted motorists packed Montecito surface streets, bumper-to-bumper.
Congestion worsened when a secondary three-car chain-reaction collision occurred around 5 p.m. on Alameda Padre Serra near Cedar Lane above the Lower Eastside.
The CHP is investigating the circumstances of the freeway collision.
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Good Reads
Here are six other stories you should read:
» Demolition Launches New Era in History of Vandenberg Space Force Base’s SLC-6 — North County editor Janene Scully has the explosive details as Vandenberg Space Force Base takes the next step in its space launch transformation.
» Rick Caruso-Funded Sheriff’s Office Site Opens at Miramar in Montecito — South County editor Evelyn Spence checks in at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department’s new not-a-substation office for deputies patrolling Montecito.
» Farmhouse Motel Lawsuit Accuses City of Buellton of Gentrifying Avenue of Flags — Janene covers a dispute over the future of Buellton’s Avenue of the Flags.
» Goleta Design Review Board Supports Fairview Gardens Farm Renovation Project — Staff writer Pricila Flores digs into makeover plans for the venerable Fairview Gardens Farm.
» Local High Schoolers Launch SportsMatch to Connect Santa Barbara Through Pickup Sports — Sports editor Diego Sandoval is always on the hunt for a pickup basketball game or beach volleyball match. Thanks to local teenagers Owen Eiler and Paolo Shamshiri, there’s an app for that.
» Explorer Charles R. Greene Jr. of Santa Barbara, 1935-2026 — Charles Greene was one of the most fascinating, curious and self-effacing gentlemen I’ve ever known. He was one of Noozhawk’s earliest supporters and remained so until an insidious health condition irreversibly dimmed his light. Prayers to his wife, Barbara, and his family and friends. R.I.P.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? One Person Killed When Vehicle Veers Off Highway 101 in Santa Maria.
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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.
July 23 — In the second event of a series Noozhawk is hosting with Spotlight Santa Barbara, I’ll be moderating a discussion we’re calling “California’s Problems, Santa Barbara’s Choices.”
Our panelists are Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce; UCLA economics professor Lee Ohanian; Pete Peterson, dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy; and former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin.
We’ll be at the Lobero Theatre again so save the date.
Oct. 29 — I don’t recognize who Scouting America — Los Padres Council is describing, but I’m being recognized with the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award at the annual Salute to Scouting celebration at the Santa Barbara Club, #myhomeawayfromhome.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Santa Barbara might want to remember the quote, “We’re going to demolish or remove it”: Arizona State University Moves to Seize, Raze Historic Phoenix Home to Build Medical School.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
My Instagram feed leads off from the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s #thegreatestshowondirt.
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Watch It
This cat hits all the right notes for a meowsage. HT to Best of Bill reader Dolores Whitmore.
