May 28, 2026

		

Jorge Mercado

Jorge Mercado is a staff writer with the Business Times. His beats include technology, agriculture, cannabis, energy and the environment, and higher education.


| Wednesday, May 27th, 2026

AI, housing dominate discussion at Santa Barbara County Economic Summit

Economy, Latest news, Santa Barbara County, Subscriber content, Tri-County Economy

Artificial Intelligence was the main talking point at UC Santa Barbara’s Economic Forecast Project’s annual Santa Barbara County Economic Summit held at the Granada Theatre on May 21. One of the keynote speakers was Zack Kass, the former Go-To-Market at OpenAI, who held an event at the same location a few months earlier to talk Read More →

| Monday, May 25th, 2026

Hoka sales continue fueling Deckers growth, strong earnings

Earnings, Latest news, middle, Retailing, Santa Barbara County, Subscriber content, Tri-County Economy, Tri-County Public Companies

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| Sunday, May 24th, 2026

Kamran & Co. taps Tim Welsh as CEO

Latest news, Santa Barbara County, Tri-County Economy

Santa Barbara-based Kamran & Company, a provider of custom foodservice equipment and integrated fabrication solutions, announced the appointment of Tim Welsh as CEO. He succeeds Founder Kamran Amiri, who will continue to serve as President and Chairman. “Tim brings a unique combination of operational leadership, development expertise, and strategic vision,” said Amiri. “As we enter Read More →

| Sunday, May 24th, 2026

Central Coast jobless rate continues declining in April

Central Coast, Columns, Economy, Latest news, left, Tri-County Economy

The tri-county unemployment rate in April was 4.1%, down from 4.4% in March and 4.8% in February, according to the California Employment Development Department’s latest numbers released May 1. This was the third consecutive month that the unemployment rate has fallen in the tri-counties. Ventura County’s rate was 4.2% in April compared to 4.4% in Read More →

| Friday, May 22nd, 2026

UCSB’s College of Engineering plans 1st online master’s program

Higher Education, Latest news, left, Santa Barbara County, Subscriber content

In an effort to expand its engineering programs, the Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara will launch the university’s first fully online master’s degree program in the fall of 2027. Announced May 14, the new Master of Engineering and Technology Leadership is a huge milestone for UCSB, as it will extend the Read More →

| Wednesday, May 20th, 2026

Santa Barbara County names new CEO

Economy, Latest news, middle, Tri-County Economy

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has named its next county executive officer.  Jana Petersen is set to become the new CEO of Santa Barbara County, pending a contract approval from the Board of Supervisors meeting set for June 9. Once approved, Petersen will assume the role on Aug. 20, according to the May Read More →

| Wednesday, May 20th, 2026

$2M in funding secured for SLO Airport

Columns, Latest news, left, San Luis Obispo County, Tourism, Tri-County Economy

The San Luis Obispo County Airport will be receiving $2.25 million in federal funding to improve its baggage screening system, according to U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal, (D-24), who secured the money. Announced May 20, the airport’s current system is too undersized and too outdated to meet current operational demand. As a result, the grant will Read More →