Santa Barbara

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Winemaker's 'Perfect' Site to Age Wine Wasn't So Perfect

Feds destroy 2K bottles of Ocean Fathoms' illegally made wine, though founders vow they'll be back

(Newser) - Ocean Fathoms claims the ocean floor about a mile off Santa Barbara is the "perfect" place to age wine. And perhaps it would be, if the winemaker had any authority to ferment its wines in the Santa Barbara Channel for a year. In 2021, the California Coastal Commission ordered...

Looking to Buy a Home? Here's the Most Affordable US City
Short on Cash?
Buy a Home Here
May 23, 2023 1:40 PM CDT

Short on Cash? Buy a Home Here

Head to Montgomery, Alabama, for the most affordable abodes; avoid Santa Barbara, California

(Newser) - With soaring home prices and interest rates, it may not seem like the best time to plunk down a down payment on a new home. Some US cities, however, make that goal more attainable than others, and WalletHub sifted through the data to suss out the top contenders. The site...

Heat Exhaustion Got to Her. He Went for Help, Never Returned

Body of Tim Sgrignoli, 29, found 4 days after hike with girlfriend in sweltering California mountains

(Newser) - The alerts from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department began late Sunday, noting the rescue of a female hiker suffering from mild heat exhaustion in the mountains over Gaviota, California, per NBC News . The initial post in that series of tweets from Scott Safechuck reported that the "search continues...

3 Life Sentences for Murder of Herbalist and Family

Prosecutor says Pierre Haobsh 'has no possibility of ever being released'

(Newser) - A judge in Santa Barbara last week sentenced murderer Pierre Haobsh to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. Haobsh was found guilty in November of carrying out the brutal 2016 murders of Dr. Henry Lan—a well-known Chinese herbalist—his wife, Jennie Yu, and their 5-year-old daughter,...

QAnon Follower Charged With Killing Kids Over 'Serpent DNA'

Matthew Taylor Coleman charged with Mexico murders of children aged 2 and 10 months

(Newser) - Update: The alleged QAnon follower accused of killing his two young children because he believed they had "serpent DNA" was indicted Wednesday. Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, of Santa Barbara, Calif., was charged with two counts of foreign first-degree murder of US nationals, making him eligible for the death penalty,...

Tarzan Actor's Son Was Only Pretending to Be Armed

Cameron Ely was shot 24 times after he fatally stabbed his mom, according to sheriff's office

(Newser) - After fatally stabbing his mother, the son of actor Ron Ely was shot 24 times by deputies despite not having a weapon, authorities revealed Tuesday. Outside the Tarzan actor's California home on Oct. 15, Cameron Ely told the responding deputies "that he had a gun, advanced towards the...

Audio: Son Blamed Actor Dad in 911 Call

Cameron Ely, 30, was a former Harvard quarterback

(Newser) - The son of Tarzan actor Ron Ely fatally stabbed his mother on Tuesday then immediately blamed his father, according to police and audio recordings. In emergency dispatch audio from the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office obtained by the Blast , the dispatcher tells officers a male caller hung up after claiming...

Cops Find Dead Woman at Actor's Home. Then, a Shootout

Police say Ron Ely's wife was killed by the couple's son

(Newser) - Two people were killed Tuesday at the California home of actor Ron Ely, who's described as safe and uninjured. Deputies responded to a call about a family dispute at the home in the Santa Barbara suburb of Hope Ranch around 8:15pm to find the body of an elderly...

Seismologist Warns 1925 Quake Will Strike—in 2025

The false alarm triggered alerts from the USGS and the 'Los Angeles Times'

(Newser) - On Wednesday afternoon California residents were shocked to learn that a powerful earthquake had supposedly hit the Pacific Ocean about 10 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara. They were probably just as surprised to learn a few minutes later that the magnitude 6.8 quake had actually happened in...

Family of 3 Dead in Murders at Upscale California Home

'This was not a random attack'

(Newser) - A family of three was murdered in their Santa Barbara County home this week, and authorities don't think the slayings are random. Authorities responded to a request for a welfare check at the upscale Goleta Valley home Wednesday and found the bodies of Dr. Weidong "Henry" Han, 57,...

Epic Senior Prank: Sic Mariachi Band on Principal

Santa Barbara High School's senior prank was a hit

(Newser) - When Santa Barbara High School principal John Becchio stepped into his office Tuesday morning, he was greeted by a strange sight: a four-piece mariachi band. "What are you doing here?" he asked, but by way of explanation, he had to endure an hour-plus of music as he walked the...

Critic: Shooter's 'Delusions Inflated' by ... Rogen Movies

Actor 'horribly' insulted, hits back at WaPo movie critic

(Newser) - In a column Sunday, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday suggested that Hollywood contributed to the feelings of the Isla Vista shooter —who declared in a video that he would take revenge on women who rejected him—and Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow aren't happy that Hornaday specifically...

Path to Massacre Lined With Lotto Tickets, Coffee Attacks

Shooting was second such attack in Isla Vista

(Newser) - When Elliot Rodger turned 19 in 2011, he decided that if he couldn't find "love, sex, friends, fun, acceptance, (and) a sense of belonging" in two years, then he would have his "Day of Retribution," his manifesto/memoir reveals. His quest for those things didn't go...

Rap Genius Dumps Founder for Screed on Calif. Shooter

He suggested Rodger's sister must be 'smokin' hot'

(Newser) - The co-founder of annotation service Rap Genius has been turfed out after making stunningly tasteless remarks on the manifesto of Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger. Mahbod Moghadam called the 141-page document "beautifully written" and speculated that the shooter's sister is "smokin hot." Rap Genius CEO Tom...

Shooter's Parents Sped to Try to Stop Him

All 6 of Elliot Rodger's victims now identified

(Newser) - When Elliot Rodger's parents realized just how dangerous their disturbed son was, they made a desperate attempt to try to stop him. They received a copy of his 141-page manifesto and saw a YouTube video outlining his plans for his "Day of Retribution" on Friday night and called...

California Shooter Is Son of Hollywood Director

Peter Rodger's son killed 6, wounded 7 in rampage

(Newser) - Looks like the 22-year-old who went on a shooting rampage in Santa Barbara, Calif., last night was the son of an assistant director on Hunger Games, says the Hollywood Reporter . The lawyer for Peter Rodger, second unit director on the film, told the AP that the family called police a...

Spring Break Party Descends Into Riot

Tear gas, rubber bullets fired near UC Santa Barbara

(Newser) - At least six police officers were injured and more than 100 people arrested after a street party near the University of California at Santa Barbara turned into what police called a "major disturbance, emergency situation." Even before trouble began, 56 of the estimated 15,000 revelers at the...

Judge Orders Randy Quaid, Wife Sent to Jail

Couple allegedly skipped out on $10K hotel bill

(Newser) - Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, are in jail in Santa Barbara after finally showing up for a hearing in the felony case against them. The actor and his wife, who allegedly skipped out on a $10,000 hotel tab , are being held on $100,000 bond. "The judge...

Thousands of Calif. Fire Evacuees to Head Home

(Newser) - Thanks to cooler, more humid weather and a drop-off in damaging winds, thousands of Santa Barbara wildfire evacuees are being allowed back home, the Los Angeles Times reports. Firefighters fought back the fire significantly last night, containing the 8,700-acre Jesusita blaze in Santa Barbara by 30%. Most of the...

Oprah's House Evacuated as Wildfires Rage

Calif. fires come within a few miles of host's $50m home

(Newser) - Oprah Winfrey's mansion in Montecito has been evacuated as wildfires rage a few miles away in Santa Barbara, a source tells Us Weekly. Movers have been seen shifting the talk show host's belongings from the $50 million home. The fires have forced more than 30,500 people from their homes...

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