Did you know Noozhawk was one of the first online-only, professional local news organizations in California?
We launched in Santa Barbara in 2007 — back when many still believed real local news had to arrive on paper, delivering yesterday’s news tomorrow.
We believed there was a better way to cover Santa Barbara County, and we set out to prove it.
Eighteen years later, we’re still doing it — reporting local news on your schedule and the way you want it.
That matters.
At a time when many “local” news sites are funded, controlled and/or resurrected from far away, Noozhawk remains what it has always been: a homegrown, independent newsroom accountable only to you.
My business partner, editor in chief Tom Bolton, and I own the company. Our reporters and advertising sales team live here. We love and respect this community as much as you do.
When you support Noozhawk, you’re backing professional journalists covering the community where you — and they — actually live. We’re not a project, a brand name or an experiment.
We’re also not a nonprofit diverting limited local charitable dollars away from essential services that feed, clothe and care for those who truly need them.
We’re raising $125,000 by Dec. 31 to help fund next year’s reporting, including expanded coverage in the North County, where reliable local news and sports reporting have been in short supply.
Please join the Hawks Club today. Your financial support directly powers Noozhawk’s newsroom and the local journalism you depend on — 24/7.
On behalf of Team Noozhawk, thank you.
Noozhawk reached an audience of 141,005 readers this past week, according to our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my recap of the Top 5 stories you were reading, as tracked by our Google Analytics.
For the record, this is my opinion column, not a news story.
And before we get started with this week’s not-so-cheery roundup, my Noozhawk colleagues and I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
1. GPS Tracker on Bicycle Leads to Arrest of 2 People at Santa Barbara Hotel
A stolen bicycle’s GPS tracker pinpointed its exact location at a Santa Barbara hotel, guiding police right to the room where two suspects were arrested after a brief standoff.
As our Tom Bolton reported, Santa Barbara police received a 9-1-1 call shortly before 8:30 a.m. Dec. 13 about an unreported stolen bicycle actively pinging inside a room at the Agave Inn, at 3222 State St. near MacKenzie Park.
Officers responded and were able to see the bicycle through the room’s window, police said.
The two occupants refused to answer the door or respond to officers, however, and one of the numbskulls allegedly tried to escape through a bathroom window.
An investigation determined the pair also possessed other stolen property and had outstanding arrest warrants.
An SBPD spokesman said 27-year-old Adrian Rodriguez and 28-year-old Amanda DeLuna were arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of theft, narcotics-related offenses and resisting arrest.
As of Dec. 19, both remained jailed without bail.
2. Coroner Identifies Driver Killed in Highway 101 Crash West of Goleta
A 25-year-old Los Angeles County man was identified as the driver killed earlier this month in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 101 west of Goleta.
As our Giana Magnoli reported, the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau said Scott Kim — of Stevenson Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley — died in the wreckage of his Lexus SUV.
The crash occurred around 3:15 a.m. Dec. 4 just east of Dos Pueblos Canyon Road.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Kim was driving east on the highway when he veered off the roadway, struck a no-parking sign and slammed into a eucalyptus tree.
County fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said emergency responders provided first aid, but Kim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Funeral services are pending, but a GoFundMe account was established to help Kim’s family with expenses.
The post described him as having “a gift for making the people around him smile. He brought friends closer together, filled rooms with laughter, and showed up for others with sincerity and warmth.”
The site had raised more than $28,000 as of Dec. 19. Click here to make an online donation.
3. Firefighters Make Quick Work of Blaze at Downtown Santa Barbara Restaurant
Santa Barbara firefighters quickly extinguished a small kitchen fire at a downtown restaurant the morning of Dec. 13. The place was closed at the time and there were no injuries or damage.
Fire Battalion Chief Jon Turner told our Tom Bolton that crews were dispatched shortly before 8 a.m. to the China Pavilion at 1202 Chapala St., at the corner of West Anapamu Street.
Turner said firefighters arrived to find light smoke coming from the building’s rooftop HVAC system and forced entry to search for the source of the fire.
“The fire was located inside the kitchen,” he said, declining to provide further details pending conversations with the restaurant’s owners.
A witness told Noozhawk the fire may have been caused by a pot of food left on the stove.
Firefighters doused the flames and ventilated smoke from the building.
4. $31 Million Permanent Supportive Housing Complex Coming to Goleta Valley
Dozens of formerly homeless individuals will soon have a permanent place to call home with a new, $31 million supportive housing development under construction in the eastern Goleta Valley.
As our Pricila Flores reported, the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara is building Hollister Lofts, a three-story, Spanish-style apartment complex at 4560 Hollister Ave., near the Goleta Cemetery and east of San Marcos High School.
The project will provide housing for 34 formerly homeless individuals.
The development will include 35 units: 29 studios, five one-bedroom apartments, and a two-bedroom unit for an on-site manager.
Plans also call for an elevator, 18 parking spaces, bike storage and outdoor patio space.
Construction began in November and is expected to be completed by spring 2027. The project marks the first permanent affordable housing built on county-owned property.
“People described this to me as an undevelopable site when I first said where it was,” said John Polanskey, the Housing Authority’s director of housing development.
According to county officials, residents will have access to supportive services such as case management, wellness programs and educational resources through county agencies and nonprofit partners.
“Just giving somebody a key and saying, ‘OK, now you are housed,’ is only the very start of the road to where the individual really wants to be,” Polanskey said.
Tenants will sign month-to-month leases and pay 30% of their income toward rent, with the remainder covered by federal Section 8 assistance.
The project is funded through a combination of federal tax credits, state housing programs and county contributions.
5. Driver in 2024 Fatal Hit-and-Run Sentenced to 2 Years in State Prison
A Santa Barbara man has been sentenced to two years in state prison for the 2024 hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian near Santa Barbara City College.
As our Daniel Green reported, 57-year-old Brock Hoffman had asked Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Foley for probation for his crimes but that was rejected outright.
Foley imposed the sentence following emotional victim-impact statements from the family of 39-year-old Juan Lopez, who was killed around 11:30 p.m. on June 29, 2024.
Prosecutors said Lopez was struck as he crossed the street in the 800 block of Cliff Drive near Loma Alta Drive.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Hoffman fled the scene and later attempted to conceal damage to his vehicle.
He also didn’t turn himself in to Santa Barbara police until five days after he left Lopez dying in the street.
Hoffman at first entered a not-guilty plea before eventually pleading no contest to a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Lopez, a father of three, lived on the Mesa and was described by family members as a devoted parent and partner.
He shared three children with longtime partner Christina Godinez and helped raise her son from a previous relationship.
During sentencing, Lopez’s son, Juan Jr., urged the court to deny probation, saying Hoffman was “only sorry he got caught.”
Godinez told the court her children lost a loving father and were robbed of future milestones he will never get to see.
“It is our moral imperative as human beings to stop and help,” Foley said before ordering restitution and remanding Hoffman into custody.
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Good Reads
Don’t miss these six stories before you go:
» Scrooge Steals From Catholic Charities Toy Giveaway in Santa Maria — North County editor Janene Scully shares the details of a despicable burglary that cleaned out a Christmas toy drive.
» Amid Grief, Hanukkah Ceremonies Shed Light on Hope After Deadly Shooting — Staff writer Pricila Flores attends a Hanukkah menorah lighting, a symbol of Jewish faith, resilience and the power of miracles. With the dark shadow of the Dec. 14 massacre of Jews by Muslim terrorists in Australia, this year’s ceremony has an even greater — and much more somber — significance.
» Santa Barbara Commission Deems Proposed Project Too Pink, ‘Too Whimsical’ — Staff writer Daniel Green gets out a color wheel for Santa Barbara architect Jeff Shelton’s new project but finds the Historic Landmarks Commission raising a hue and cry.
» City Designates Music Academy of the West Arts Center a Community Benefit Project — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway tunes in to the Music Academy of the West’s proposal for a consequential downtown Arts Center.
» The Picklr Serving Up Indoor Pickleball Courts in Goleta — Pricila serves quite good news for pickleball fans, and lobs some quieter good news for nonfans.
» County Partners with Santa Barbara Volleyball Club on Indoor Facility — Pricila continues her impromptu tour of the South Coast’s suddenly ubiquitous indoor sports venues.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? 4 People Injured in Collision on Hollister Avenue Near Santa Barbara.
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Farewell to a Friend
We posted an obituary this week for my friend and former colleague, Sally Cappon, who died recently at age 94.
Sally was a fiercely competitive journalist, sports mom and even a baker, but also one of the most generous and genuine souls you could meet.
More than anyone, however, Sally was responsible for my love for and commitment to small-town local news.
In my former life as news editor and front-page editor of Santa Barbara’s old daily newspaper, I defined news as anything but local.
Needless to say, Sally’s folksy style of feature writing wasn’t my snobbish preference, although her journalism skills were undeniable.
After I resigned and Tom Bolton and I co-founded the late South Coast Beacon newspaper, we hired Sally as one of our reporters.
And, as the Beacon’s publisher, for the first time in my career, I had to go out and actually talk to community groups instead of just groups of journalists. When I had these conversations, it was astounding how frequently Sally’s name came up.
Time after time after time, I heard stories about Sally’s stories, some recent but most of them years if not decades old.
After listening to the umpteenth testimonial, it finally dawned on me why: Sally’s unique style was her ability to let her subjects tell their stories instead of interpreting them for readers.
The result was an authentic recognition among those subjects’ families and friends, and an enduring connection to the writer responsible.
The epiphany converted me, and I never looked back. Sally’s technique can’t be taught, but it’s the backbone of successful local news reporting.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you, Sally. Rest in peace.
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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.
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
Not all heroes wear capes — some don’t even wear shoes: Surf Lifesavers Lauded as Heroes for Running into Bondi Beach Massacre Mayhem.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
My Instagram feed got a military history lesson this past week when I emceed the Channel City Club’s five-star annual Christmas gathering.
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Watch It
Lindsey Stirling videos are a #bestofbill Christmas tradition.
