May 30: Ground has been broken on Carpinteria’s new water treatment facility on 6th Street. The $90 million dollar Advanced Purification Project will convert 1.3 million gallons of water to usable standards each day, and is projected to meet 25% of the Carpinteria Valley’s water useage once it’s built and functional. Construction is expected to take up to two years.
May 28: The City Council has voted to move ahead with a ballot measure for a quarter-cent sales tax increase this November. CVN reports the increase could bring in another $700,000 a year in revenue, and would have people paying about 25 cents more for every $100 spent, or five dollars for every purchase of $2,000. The move comes after the council did polling and other research on the issue last year.
May 21: There was a spike in violent crimes in Carpinteria in 2025. The latest report from the county sheriff’s office says there were 40 reported crimes that qualified as violent last year, compared to 26 in 2024, for an increase of 67%. During the same time, property crimes decreased seven percent, and the number of serious crims reported to police declined from 204 to 200 during 2025.
May 21: Six local cannabis farmers have filed appeals of the county’s threat to revoke their licenses because of the aroma coming from their farms. The county board of supervisors has taken a hardline approach to the industry, threatening to cancel the business licenses of farms that don’t have expensive odor-scrubbing equipment installed. Nine local farmers have been served with potential shutdown notices.
May 28: HopeNet, an advocacy group for mental health and suicide prevention, is closing for good. Coastal View News reports the group felt it couldn’t accomplish any more under its current business configuration, so they’re ceasing operations, with a pledge that individual board members will continue spreading the word about mental health issues and suicide awareness.
May 20: Rudy’s Mexican Restaurant won’t be returning to its former location at Shepard Place Shops. Siteline SB reports the restaurant, which was heavily damaged in a kitchen fire last year, is now looking for a new location in town, with the former space now up for lease. There are unconfirmed reports that Casa Don Roge Mexican Restaurant will be moving into the old Rite Aid Store on Linden Avenue.
May 28: Construction has yet to begin to replace the Carpinteria Avenue bridge over Carpinteria Creek. The City Council this week got an update on the project, for which construction was expected to start last year. They were told that the overall cost will be $100,000 cheaper than projected, though it’s still unclear when the new bridge will be built. At the same time, council members heard that the new dog park at Monte Vista is proceeding as planned thanks to a $200,000 grant from the capital improvements budget. That project is still in the planning phase.
May 11: A fire broke out May 11 on one of the many offshore platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel. 26 workers at Platform Habitat were evacuated from the platform as fire crews worked to douse the flames. The Independent reports the platform, which is about eight miles off the shore at Summerland, was being used to decommission abandoned wells in that area, and authorities say no oil was spilled as a result of the fire. Two workers were injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Ongoing: Registration for summer workshops. Ongoing: Palate To Palette Silent Auction 865 Linden Avenue, call 805-684-7789.
Ongoing: Improv, Tuesdays 7pm, $10 at the door. May 27: “Our Faces Will Always Be Japanese” May 29: Petty Party June 13-14: The Caverns 4916 Carpinteria Ave., tix available at thealcazar.org
Ongoing: Carpinteira Songwriters Circle Tues. 4pm Babies Are the Best, Wed. 9am. Conversational Spanish, Tues. 2pm. 5141 Carpinteria Ave., carpinterialibrary.org.
May 27: Vinnie Berry, Corktree Cellars 6pm
May 28: Cubensis, Ojai Underground 7pm
May 29: Petty Party, Alcazar Theatre 7pm
June 13-14: The Caverns, Alcazar Theatre