Watch: In Mystery Death, Family Deplores UCSB Cops' Report - Plus: Wharf Restaurant Shocker, Homeless Contract Dispute, Jail Data Surprise, More...
It's a Three Amigos episode, as the Newsmakers TV gang breaks down the week's biggest stories in Santa Barbara.
In a frosty, formal statement, the UCSB Police Department this week tried to close the book on lingering questions about the tragic Valentine’s Day death of 18-year old Liz Hamel.
Heartbroken over the sudden and shocking loss of their only child, her parents were not convinced.
On this week’s edition of Newsmakers TV, Josh Molina explains the latest twist in the sorrowful story, as the university cops maintain the veil of secrecy that has surrounded the incident since the freshman student’s crumpled body was found on the ground outside a UCSB dorm — while her family insists the full story of her death has not been been properly investigated.
It's a Three Amigos episode, as Nick Welsh also joins the genial host, with his analysis on the latest data dump about the controversial Santa Barbara County Jail, which shows that large portions of the locked-up population suffer from mental health or addiction problems better dealt with through treatment than incarceration.
The gang also stages a spirited chin wag about a shocker lawsuit filed against the city by owners of The Harbor restaurant on Stearns Wharft, the big fight over a contract to operate the FARO homeless navigation center, and the latest in the City Hall brawl over the redevelopment of Paseo Nuevo.
Plus: how plans for a satellite Music Academy facility, once eyed for a (checks notes) cannabis emporium and museum, offer a rare glimmer of hope for the revitalization of State Street.
All this and more, right here, right now, on Newsmakers TV.
Check out Episode 535 via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. Our podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, or on Soundcloud here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs the show every weeknight at 5 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. on weekends.
Image: Liz Hamel on move-in day at UCSB, fall 2024 (family photo).