News

This is a huge weekend for flower fans on the South Coast. The main exhibit hall at Santa Barbara’s Earl Warren Showgrounds is home to something that’s become one of the biggest events in the orchid world. The 74th Annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show takes place this weekend.

St. Patrick’s Day will be a day of fun, and merriment for many on the Central and South Coasts this weekend.

But, it means much more for one woman.  It’s the anniversary of when she got a second chance at life.  This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of a lifesaving double lung transplant for Courtney Ferriera of Santa Barbara.

We’re following Dr. Julie Barnes as she prepares to do part of a checkup. Her patient is unusual. It’s a rare snow leopard, normally only seen in Asia. This is part of a typical day for Barnes, who is the Zoo’s Vice President of Animal Care and Health. The veterinary staff at the zoo has a big job, being charged with overseeing the well being of more than 500 animals ranging from gorillas to cobras.

Fire investigators say arching power line caused the massive Thomas brush fire, which killed two people and destroyed more than a thousand structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The long awaited report on the December 4th, 2017 blaze says high winds caused some power lines in the foothills northeast of Santa Paula to come in contact with each other, creating an electrical arc.

It’s an issue which puts thousands of Methodists on the Central and South Coasts, and the churches they attend in conflict with the governing body for the religion. The international leadership rejected proposals to remove what many see as discriminatory language focused on LGBTQ members from its guidebook, the “Book of Discipline.”