🌱 Santa Barbara New Sister City + 2 Critically Injured After Fight

Morning, neighbors. It's me, Rose Mendez, your host of the Santa Barbara Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in our community today.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: A passing morning shower. High: 63 Low: 43.
• Thursday: Cool with some sun. High: 60 Low: 45.

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Here are the top three stories in Santa Barbara today:

1. Miraflores, Peru, will become Santa Barbara's new sister city, replacing San Juan Metro Manila, Philippines. The City of Santa Barbara’s website states that "the Sister City
   Program is part of the People-to-People Program initiated by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 to promote friendship among people regardless of race, color or creed … through the activities of private citizens, organizations, and the City itself." Santa Barbara has five other official sister cities, including Kotor, Montenegro; Partas, Greece; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Toba City, Japan; and Weihai, China. (Santa Barbara Independent)
2. Santa Barbara detectives are investigating a confrontation between two groups that occurred around 3:00 a.m. on Mar. 12 on the 500 block of State Street. Officers arrived on the scene and found one man with stab wounds on Ortega Street and another man with stab wounds on Cota Street. Both men are said to be in critical but stable condition. Police have not released whether the incident was gang-related or not. (KCLU.org)
3. Spring Magic, a pop-up exhibit at The Voice Gallery in La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara, is open from noon to 5:00 p.m. now through the month of March. A collaboration between Funk Zone art gallery Silo118 and the BG Gallery in Santa Monica, the exhibit "displays a fantastical imagining of the magical, whimsical, jovial quality of early spring" and features local artists. (Santa Barbara Independent)

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Today and tomorrow in Santa Barbara:

Wednesday, March 15

• Legacy Arts Listening Room Music Series At 1230 State Street (5:00 PM)
• Trivia Night At The Santa Barbara Wine Collective (6:00 PM)

Thursday, March 16

• Global History and the California Missions: A Sea Story At Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• A Feb. 26 video of two gray whales playing off the Santa Barbara coast is going viral! Passengers on a whale watching boat, the Sunfish vessel from Channel Islands Expedition, saw the whales do tricks and play just inches from the hull. (Santa Barbara Edhat)
• Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is following the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines for COVID-19. The CDPH recently updated the guidelines, including isolation time and healthcare worker vaccination requirements. View the link to see the full updates. (Noozhawk)
• Finding your next home shouldn't be a headache! Check out the latest homes for sale in the Santa Barbara area, including a two-bedroom place on Old Mill for $474,000! (Santa Barbara Patch)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll see you soon.

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!