Our 167th Year
Keystone pipeline
Festival of flavors
Critics blast biden after report shows thousands of jobs lost - A5
Santa Ynez Valley Restaurants Weeks return on Jan. 16 - B1
RAIN TOTALS
Santa Barbara County Building
YESTERDAY.........................0.00” 0.00” SEASON TOTAL ...................11.28” 0.00” 698.75 CACHUMA LAKE LEVEL ....000.00
35.9%
$2.00
S A T U R D A Y , J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 2 3
A break from the rain
NEWS-PRESS EXCLUSIVE
New DA stresses public safety
Santa Barbara County gets a day of sunshine before clouds return
29 killed in battle after El Chapo’s son arrested Conflict comes ahead of President Biden’s visit By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS
John Savrnoch addresses staff, officials, family, friends and media after being sworn in as the new Santa Barbara County district attorney.
John Savrnoch talks to the News-Press about his goals
A visitor to Stearns Wharf enjoys some time under a sunny sky.
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
No one would have blamed new District Attorney John Savrnoch if during his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday he had taken a moment or two to relish, even savor the moment. After all, after 30 years as a prosecutor, the last seven as assistant district attorney under former District Attorney Joyce Dudley, he had reached the pinnacle of his career. Why shouldn’t he feel more than a bit of pride? But that wasn’t where his mind went. Instead, his thoughts were on the mission ahead, and on the person who he was replacing. “I was feeling great excitement about the opportunity to serve the public at this level and leading such an amazing staff,” he told the News-Press in an exclusive interview. “There was also a tinge of sadness as I felt like I was saying goodbye to my mentor and friend Joyce Dudley.” Ms. Dudley told him he was going to make an outstanding district attorney for Santa Barbara County. “It is my highest honor to swear you in.” As he did during the election campaign and at his swearing-in ceremony, newly sworn-in District Attorney Savrnoch made it clear what tops his agenda. “Safe neighborhoods, safe homes and safe roads are my top priorities,” he said. “Gun violence, domestic violence and DUIs cause Please see DA on A2
The sun shined Friday on a reopened Stearns Wharf, surfers enjoying the big waves and something that was needed during the drought: more rainfall for local reservoirs. That was the scene in Santa Barbara County during a respite from rainfall, which isn’t expected to resume until Sunday. Friday was sunny, but the National Weather Service said today will be mostly cloudy. The heaviest rainfall came during Wednesday’s night storm, which damaged the building that will house a future restaurant at Goleta Beach. Goleta Beach Park remained closed when the News-Press stopped by the site on Friday. The aftermath of the storm included tall waves Thursday, some of them higher than the Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara and the Goleta Pier. Officials closed both piers, but Stearns Wharf reopened on Friday. “The Santa Barbara Waterfront and Harbor were hit hard by the combination of large swell and high tides overnight and this morning,” said Shelly Cone, public information officer for the city of Santa Barbara. “There was localized coastal flooding and storm surge that impacted waterfront parking lots, beaches, the harbor and Stearns Wharf.” The city of Santa Barbara Please see WEATHER on A2
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McCarthy wins speakership on 15th vote THE CENTER SQUARE
Above, five inches of rain fell over seven days at Lake Cachuma. Below, Goleta Beach Park remained closed when the News-Press stopped by on Friday. The area was hit hard by Wednesday’s storm.
(The Center Square) – California Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the U.S. House early Saturday after the 15th round of voting and a week of turmoil and nonstop negotiations. Rep. McCarthy received 216 votes to 212 for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, with five voting present. The five voting present lowered the threshold for the 218 votes that Rep. McCarthy would have needed if everyone voted. Just a couple hours earlier, Rep. McCarthy fell one vote short of becoming the next speaker of the U.S. House in the 14th round of voting. Rep. McCarthy lost a dozen rounds of voting across several days this week as a small group of conservative Republicans remained steadfast in opposing him, but Saturday morning’s final ballot won him the position. Please see SPEAKER on A2
LOTTERY
i n s i de Classified.............. A8 Life..................... B1-4 Obituaries............. A4
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KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
(The Center Square) – Gunfire erupted between the Mexican Defense Forces and the Sinaloa Cartel after the cartel leader’s son was arrested and shortly after President Joe Biden announced he was meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador next week. On Thursday, Ovidio Guzman, the son of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested by Mexican authorities, El Universal first reported. El Chapo is currently incarcerated in a maximum security federal prison in Colorado. Ovidio Guzman was captured by Mexican military forces after they imposed blockades and engaged in gunfire in Culiacán and Los Mochis. He was later transferred to a military prison in Mexico City, Jorge Sánchez Torres with NRM Comunicaciones reported. Please see CARTEL on A7
Sudoku................. B3 Business . ............. A5 Weather................ A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-16-18-41-45 Mega: 24
Friday’s DAILY 4: 8-6-3-0
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-20-46-59-63 Mega: 13
Friday’s FANTASY 5: 3-19-26-28-32
Friday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-03-11 Time: 1:41.80
Wednesay’s POWERBALL: 12-32-56-67-68 Meganumber: 26
Friday’s DAILY 3: 9-0-1 / Midday 6-2-3