🌱 Justice After 26 Years + Gun In Carry-On Luggage + Gun Buyback

Morning, everybody! Today’s Towel Day, which coincides with Geek Pride Day; did you know that fans of late author Douglas Adams created Towel Day in 2001 as a tribute, while Geek Pride Day memorialized the “Star Wars” premiere in 1977? I'm back this morning with the things happening locally. Today's briefing includes news about...

• ⚠️ A murder victim is named.
• ⬅️ Parklet appeals lost.
• ⚠️ Pedestrian death on train tracks.

💗 Please help us grow! Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can be in the know, like you!

🌥️ But first, today's weather: Low clouds may break. High: 67 Low: 51.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Santa Barbara Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99 percent of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Santa Barbara Patch newsletter possible.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Around Santa Barbara

• Conserv Fuel at 150 S. La Cumbre Road, $4.45
• Fuel Depot at 1929 Cliff Drive, $4.55
• ARCO at 1935 State St., $4.55

🦸 Superpower Poll!
A 2018 survey found that Americans would love to have the superpower of healing others. If we take this one off the table, which superpower would you love to have? So far, 33.3 percent chose the ability to time travel, while 11.1 percent each picked the ability to become invisible, fly, teleport, select lotteries and give money away, read minds, or have superhuman strength.

📰 Here are the top stories in Santa Barbara today:

1. Jefferey Douglas Kimzy, a Santa Barbara resident aged 20, was killed in Union Grove, Alabama, 26 years ago. It wasn’t until recently that the Sheriff's Office was able to identify the victim. The killer removed anything that could help identify the body. Thanks to “improvements in DNA and genealogical research,” a murder victim now has a name. (KSBY)
2. A northbound Pacific Surfliner train hit and killed a man in his 20s. What Amtrak called a “trespasser incident” was the train hitting the pedestrian after 10 p.m. “in the area north of Encore Drive, off Modoc Road, about a quarter mile east of Hollister Avenue.” We don’t know what the man was doing on the tracks. (NoozHawk)
3. You’re not supposed to put a loaded gun in your carry-on luggage at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. A man learned this the hard way on Tuesday morning when Airport Police escorted him out of the airport after Transportation Security Agency (TSA) officials found a “9 mm Beretta 92FS with a magazine loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition.” The traveler was headed for Phoenix Sky Harbor International but missed his flight. (Santa Barbara Independent)
4. Several months ago, the City Council revoked parklet permits for the Ca'Dario Restaurant, Courthouse Tavern, Folded Hills Winery, Foxtail Kitchen & Bar, Taza, and Trattoria Vittoria. The venues had until April 24 to remove them to comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). The restaurants appealed. On Tuesday, the councilmembers looked at each appeal and voted to deny them, meaning that the parklets have to be removed. "It’s something we were sworn to uphold. ADA is the law," said Mayor Randy Rowse. The restaurants can reapply for a new permit, but they have to dismantle existing parklets until they receive approval. (edhat)
5. On Saturday, the police department hosted a gun buyback event. How did it go? Reportedly, the Santa Barbara police collected 137 guns. “A variety of firearms were collected, including California legal and illegal guns.” A critic was upset that officers honored the promise of anonymity and didn’t check the guns for crime involvement. (Santa Barbara Police Department)

Interested in reaching our local readers with targeted messaging that drives traffic to your business? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

📆 Today in Santa Barbara:

• Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado discusses the state of our schools at the Carrillo Recreation Center (8 AM)
• English Conversation Group for adults at the Eastside Public Library (1 PM)
• Juegos In The Park at Bohnett Park (3:30 PM)
• Rev. Michelle Hubbard leads “The Golden Key” Class at the Community Room at Unity of Santa Barbara (5 PM)
• The SOhO Restaurant & Music Club hosts Os Mutantes live (8 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "Bishop Garcia Diego High School in Santa Barbara is looking for hosts for international students. If you know someone who might be a good fit for this opportunity, we offer a $500 referral bonus for any referral who becomes matched with a student. Use our Host Family Referral Form to share this opportunity with friends or family members." (Patch Neighbor Posts)
• "Small businesses financially hit by COVID-19 encouraged to apply for final round of relief grant program in Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara Foundation says 60 grants are left to award. The deadline for this application is June 7." (KEYT)
• "We're proud to play an integral part in TechTopia, a world-class tech sector on the Santa Barbara South Coast. HR Leader Randy Berg joined the Chamber of Commerce to share how Transphorm is advancing power conversion with innovative GaN solutions: https://bit.ly/451gXzI." (Transphorm Inc.)
• "The Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show takes place every Sunday year-round, as well as Saturdays of major holiday weekends! The show features fine and contemporary art and craft. Come meet over 150 artists and artisans and talk to them about their work. (Parks & Recreation)
• "Assistant professor Joan Dudney and her team's research is centered around how trees respond to drought, helping to better predict an ecosystem's response to severe weather and develop strategies to protect forests from climate change." (UC Santa Barbara)

You're officially in the loop for today. See you all Saturday for another update!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Christ follower. Wife. Book dragon. Proud supporter of the Oxford comma.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Santa Barbara Patch newsletter? Contact me at santabarbara@patch.com