Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How Tuesday night’s Highway 144 shutdown could change your commute

Make time for Powerhouse Ladies Play Peake Ranch Winery! on the Santa Barbara Patch calendar

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Friday September 11th Patch AM
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Hello again Santa Barbara! We're bringing you the latest town highlights. Don't miss out, keep going! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Tuesday night's Highway 144 shutdown could change your commute
  • How new reading tests are changing Santa Barbara kids' classroom experience
  • Want free tacos and train rides for your Santa Barbara commute?

Also on today's calendar: Powerhouse Ladies Play Peake Ranch Winery! and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: I'm a rock group with 4 members; one member was assassinated. What am I? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Mostly sunny and humid, with a high of 82 and low of 63 degrees.
  • Saturday: Nice with brilliant sunshine, temps: high: 78, low: 61.
  • Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 81 and low of 58 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Full Overnight Closure of Highway 144 in Santa Barbara Set to Take Place Tuesday, September 15 (independent.com) — Expect a full overnight closure of Highway 144 in Santa Barbara from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, while crews replace Southern California Edison poles. Local access will be maintained, but drivers should follow posted detours via Alameda Padre Serra and Baker Pass Road and allow extra travel time.
   

2. Reading Scores Up in Santa Barbara Unified After Implementing Literacy Screener (independent.com) — Santa Barbara Unified elementary families are seeing encouraging gains in early reading after the district rolled out one-on-one literacy screeners in nine local schools. Kindergarten through second-grade proficiency rose double digits, and the district is now extending assessments into grades three through six to better target support, catch gaps early, and give Santa Barbara students stronger foundations for junior high.
   

3. Free lunch, train station tours offer fresh look at coastal rail commute commute - Santa Barbara News-Press (newspress.com) — Santa Barbara commuters can explore a lower-stress way to get to work at a free Lunch and Learn event on Sept. 30 at the downtown train station. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., attendees can grab street tacos, tour the historic station, and learn how to qualify for up to 10 free Pacific Surfliner rides between Ventura County, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara.
   

4. UC Santa Barbara Named 2026 AWS Champion (ucsb.edu) — UC Santa Barbara has been honored as a 2026 AWS Champion for a major project that moved most of its administrative systems to Amazon's cloud. The shift cut costs, retired aging servers, freed campus space, and improved reliability, positioning UCSB as a technology leader that could benefit students, researchers, and staff across the Santa Barbara community.
   

5. Old Spanish Days Thanks Volunteers for Hours of Assisance During Fiesta 2026 (keyt.com) — Old Spanish Days volunteers gathered at the Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum to celebrate their work on this year's Fiesta. Organizers praised these longtime helpers as the heart of the century-old tradition, noting many are already clearing their schedules and inviting friends to help keep Santa Barbara's signature celebration thriving in 2027.
   

📸 Around Santa Barbara

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Santa Barbara

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • [FOUND] Thank you for all the kind words and advice!
    They really meant a lot. A neighbor spotted Laifu and contacted me. Now she's home! Yay! Cat Missing Last seen on Punta Gorda Street near the bus… (Nextdoor Eastside)
  • Good morning.
    While you are figuring out how to stay cool the next few days - please consider putting out water dishes for the birds and wildlife and changing… (Nextdoor San Roque)
  • Geronimo Hospitality Group posted a job opening for Night Auditor - Hotel Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara. Apply here.
  • United Ground Express posted a job opening for (SBA) Part-Time Lead Ramp Agent (United) in Santa Barbara. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Santa Barbara here.

Ok Santa Barbara! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Mount Rushmore (Thank you J.J. W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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