Community

Santa Barbara is increasing penalties for the misuse of shopping carts by those who have taken them off of a store's property, as well as businesses who don't collect them.

The city's Ordinance Committee takes up the issue Tuesday afternoon.

An email alert at UC Santa Barbara was sent out to notify students and staff of a mountain lion sighting.

The big cat was seen Monday night after dark near Campus Point, which isn't a place that mountain lions are typically spotted.

Santa Barbara's Downtown Organization has parted ways with one of its longtime staff members and organizers Kate Schwab.

Schwab left the group this week; no reason for her departure was provided.

A popular Santa Barbara holiday night market that had been slated for a November opening in the Paseo Nuevo mall has been cancelled.

The market, which had been set to run from late November through December, has a conflict with its landlord over the lease.

Santa Barbara has added more staff to improve enforcement out of its City Attorney's Office.

Over the last few years, the office has been in need of extra staff as the caseload has gone up in areas including code enforcement, vacation rentals, criminal prosecutions, and nuisance abatements.

Patrols were stepped up all night Tuesday and into Wednesday morning after a mountain lion was seen at UC Santa Barbara.

The big cat was seen at Campus Point near the lagoon and surface road turnaround.

Events up and down the South Coast this week are looking to spotlight going green with electric vehicles, but for those interested in a less-conventional mode of green transport, electric bicycles have been growing in popularity as a rental and even daily transport option. 

The city of Santa Barbara has spent months studying locations for the possibility of a new police command headquarters.

The new preferred site appears to be the Cota Street commuter lot. The lot is currently used as parking during the week, and a farmer's market on Saturday.