Wednesday, July 1, 2026 Sign In

Keith Hamm’s Year in Review

Editor and reporter Keith Hamm picks favorite articles from the past year.

Keith Hamm’s Year in Review

For our annual review of stories, our writers and editors have put together lists of the stories they were proud of this year, or just had fun writing or reading. Here are news editor Keith Hamm's picks.

County Public Works Deputy Director Tom Fayram (at the podium) with sign language interpreter Jo Black at Carpinteria City Hall

'Significant Storm' on the Way for Santa Barbara County, Officials Warn

Normally I wouldn’t drive southbound on a Friday to cover a press conference in Carpinteria. But big rains were on the way, and all levels of bigwigs — from local to federal — were lined up to speak. Turns out, they were in the early stages of unwittingly predicting the unpredictable. Three nights later, it rained boulders.