Author: KEYT

Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – New mapping that goes into effect today shows a greater number of homes in San Luis Obispo are now at risk of being damaged or destroyed from a wildfire.

San Luis Obispo City Council recently approved an updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map, a requirement by the state for all municipalities.

The new map, along with homeowner mitigation requirements, officially went into effect on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

The new map shows many more homes are now located within risk zones designated moderate, high and very high.

According to the city, the amount of homes that are now listed within “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone,” has increased 250% compared to 2011, when the map was last updated.

“In 2011, there was about 36 parcels that were in that very high fire hazard zone,” said Fire Chief Todd Tuggle. “As we fast forward into 2025, 15 years later, what we’re looking at is there’s about 2,800 parcels in that Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Additionally, the state added two more zones, so there’s now a High and a Moderate Zone in the local responsibility areas as well, and there’s an additional about 1,500 parcels in each of those zones, so now in the 2025 maps where we previously we had a very small number of impacted parcels, now there’s a really a big chunk of our city is within a fire hazard severity zone.”

The Fire Hazard Severity Zones have been determined CAL FIRE by looking at certain criteria, including large areas with similar wildfire risks, based on factors like slope and vegetation.

The State’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone model is based on two important factors, how likely an area is to burn and how a fire would behave under extreme conditions, such as strong winds, dry vegetation, and hot weather. 

“The zones developed by CAL FIRE include a more robust modeling capacity than what was available in 2011,” said Tuggle. “The biggest thing that’s been learned in that in the subsequent 15 years is that when fire burns from the vegetation towards the built environment, there’s two ways that fire can initiate structure fires or start buildings on fire. That’s either through direct flame contact, in other words, flames literally touching a house or embers cast where embers are lobbed into the air and are caught by the wind and then land in the built environment. We’ve seen that over and over again. We’ve seen it in Santa Rosa. We saw it in Paradise. We saw it in LA and in Pasadena just this year, and what happens is when those embers are cast down into the urban environment, they find a receptive fuel bed, whether that’s leaves in on a roof or in a gutter or in mulch or brush up against the house or even combustible fences, and so those embers can then catch those combustible materials near structures on fire, which then leads to the structure fires themselves.” 

With the updated map now in effect, property and homeowners are now required to take necessary steps to reduce wildfire risks, such as adding and maintaining defensible space around buildings.

“The most immediate will be the need to create defensible space,” said San Luis Obispo City Manager Whitney McDonald. “It will be essentially looking at vegetation around your home, making sure that it really puts into practice some sort of evasion practices, and really looking at your vegetation and making sure your, your trees are limbed up, and don’t have things growing over your roofs, and also to clear dead material, and trying to make sure that in the event of a fire or a wildfire nearby, that embers that could be floating don’t catch on fire any of the vegetation surrounding your home and then be more likely to get into your home itself.”

In addition, certain one designations will also require property and homeowners to take extra steps to mitigate wildfire risks.

For more information about the updated San Luis Obispo Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map, click here.

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Below is a press release from the City of Goleta regarding a special city council meeting being held Monday, July 21st.

GOLETA, Calif. –  The community is invited to the City of Goleta’s Special Council meeting this Monday, July 21st, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. The Council will discuss the City’s next steps following recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in our region. The Council heard from community members on the topic during public comment at its July 15th meeting. Participate in the July 21st Special Council meeting either in-person, via Zoom, or by watching live on our website, Goleta TV Channel 19, or on our YouTube channel. 

How to Participate:

Attend In-Person: City Council meetings take place in Council Chambers at Goleta City Hall located at 130 Cremona Drive. In-person simultaneous Spanish interpretation is now conducted at all City Council meetings. Agendas are also translated into Spanish and can be found on the City’s website in advance of the meeting at www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas.

Virtual Participation: Join the meeting via Zoom. A link will be available in the agenda. Oral comments during a meeting may be made by electronic participation.

Written Participation: If you would like your comment to be distributed to City Council, please submit via email by 12:00 p.m. on the Monday of the Special City Council meeting. Please submit your comment to the City Clerk at: cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org. Your comment will be placed into the record and distributed appropriately.

Just Watch: You can watch the meetings live on our website in high definition at www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendasor live on Goleta TV Channel 19. Meetings are also available live and recorded on the City’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/cityofgoleta1) where you can add auto-generated closed captions or Spanish-language captions in video playback.

An agenda for the Special Council meeting is scheduled to be released this Friday, July 18, and can be found on the City’s website. Sign up to receive an agenda sent to you via email or text here: https://tinyurl.com/y36ervg4.

Traducción al Español:

GOLETA, Calif. – La comunidad está invitada a la reunión especial del Consejo Municipal de la Ciudad de Goleta este lunes 21 de julio de 2025 a las 5:30 p.m. El Concejo discutirá los próximos pasos de la Ciudad luego de las recientes actividades del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) en nuestra región. El Consejo escuchó a los miembros de la comunidad sobre el tema durante los comentarios públicos en su reunión del 15 de julio. Participe en la reunión del Consejo Especial del 21 de julio, ya sea en persona, a través de Zoom, o viéndolo en vivo en nuestro sitio web, Goleta TV Canal 19, o en nuestro canal de YouTube.

Cómo participar:

Asista en persona: Las reuniones del Concejo Municipal se llevan a cabo en las Cámaras del Concejo en el Ayuntamiento de Goleta ubicado en 130 Cremona Drive. La interpretación simultánea al español en persona ahora se lleva a cabo en todas las reuniones del Concejo Municipal. Las agendas también se traducen al español y se pueden encontrar en el sitio web de la Ciudad antes de la reunión en www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas.

Participación virtual: Únase a la reunión a través de Zoom. Un enlace estará disponible en la agenda. Los comentarios orales durante una reunión pueden hacerse mediante participación electrónica.

Participación por escrito: Si desea que su comentario se distribuya al Concejo Municipal, envíelo por correo electrónico antes de las 12:00 p.m. del lunes de la reunión especial del Concejo Municipal. Por favor, envíe su comentario a la Secretaria Municipal en: cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org. Su comentario se colocará en el registro y se distribuirá adecuadamente.

Solo Ver: Puedes ver los encuentros en vivo en nuestro sitio web en alta definición a www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas o en vivo por el canal 19 de Goleta TV. Las reuniones también están disponibles en vivo y grabadas en el canal de YouTube de la Ciudad (www.youtube.com/cityofgoleta1), donde puede agregar subtítulos generados automáticamente o subtítulos en español en la reproducción de video.

La agenda de la reunión especial del Concejo está programada para ser publicada este viernes, 18 de julio, y se puede encontrar en el sitio web de la Ciudad. Regístrese para recibir una agenda que se le enviará por correo electrónico o mensaje de texto aquí: https://tinyurl.com/y36ervg4.

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Below is a press release the Solvang Danish Days Foundation regarding 2025 Solvang Danish Maid, Addie Madrid

SOLVANG, Calif. – The non-profit Solvang Danish Days Foundation has officially announced the festival’s 2025 Danish Maid, Addie Madrid, who is set to preside over this year’s 88th Solvang Danish Days (www.SolvangDanishDays.org). The newest Danish Maid will fulfill her “royal” duties during this year’s event weekend – Friday through Sunday, September 19 through 21, 2025 – as she becomes the fourth woman in her family to hold the title of Solvang Danish Days Maid.

Solvang Danish Days has grown and evolved since its humble beginnings in 1936, when a one-day celebration commemorating the 25th anniversary of Solvang’s 1911 founding was first conceived. Danish Days is now a weekend-long festival showcasing the Danish-settled village’s heritage and history. The annual event, which honors the town’s Danish roots, includes authentic food, music, dancing, parades, live entertainment, and family activities. The 2025 Solvang Danish Days theme – “Be Happy – Vær Glæde!” – will be celebrated during this year’s September event weekend.

Serving as the 2025 Danish Maid, Addie follows the regal, third-generation path of her grandmother, Glenda Jaeger Madrid, Danish Maid in 1971; her mother, Ashlee Madrid, Danish Maid in 1999; and her sister, Aleena Madrid, Danish Maid in 2022.

PHOTO: Mike Mesikep

PHOTO: Mike Mesikep

“This [year’s Danish Days] feels especially meaningful. I am proud to serve as 2025 Danish Maid and even prouder to be part of a three-generation legacy in my family. To now step into my family members’ Danish Maid shoes and represent the same tradition that has shaped our family and this valley, is a dream come true. It connects me not only to my heritage but to the heart and history of this place I’ve always called home,” said Addie Madrid, 2025 Solvang Danish Days Maid.

Addie was born and raised in the Santa Ynez Valley, but her roots reach across the seas to Denmark. Her mother, Ashlee, is of mixed background, including Danish ancestry, and her grandmother, Glenda, traces her Denmark ties to her Danish-born parents, Marie and Johannes Jaeger.

Addie mused, “Our family’s story feels like something out of a treasured fairy tale.”

Addie’s great-great-grandfather, Viggo Tarnow, came to the United States from Copenhagen in 1914. He settled in Minnesota where he met and married Cora, later moving his family, including their daughter, Marie, to California. Tarnow taught at Solvang’s Atterdag Folk School and helped to shape what is now the Atterdag Village of Solvang senior care center. His love for the Santa Ynez Valley ran deep, and through his dedication, Addie’s family became woven into the very fabric of Solvang.

Addie’s great-grandfather, Johannes Jaeger, came from Tindbæk, Denmark, in 1948, with hope in his heart and carpentry tools in his hands. In Solvang, he met and married Marie Tarnow, and together they built not just homes but a life of service and commitment to the community. Johannes became a partner in the Madsen & Jaeger Contracting Firm, and many of the Solvang structures that he helped build, still stand today – such as the large windmill on Alisal Road and the Solvang Brewing Company windmill on Mission Drive. Alongside Marie, he gave back to the community through volunteer work at Atterdag College, Bethania Lutheran Church, the Elverhøj Museum of History & Art, and more.

“My ancestors’ story reminds me that building a life is not only about what you create, but who you uplift along the way,” Addie remarked.

The 2025 Danish Maid reflected, “My own memories of Danish Days have always carried that same sense of purpose and joy. For five generations, my family has helped bring this celebration to life, through folk dancing, baking, crafting open-faced sandwiches, and volunteering at the festival workers’ Danish luncheon from 1994 to 2014. I remember being a little kid in the kitchen, buttering trays of bread, stacking sandwiches, and peeking out the back door to catch a glimpse of the Carlsberg horses pulling their grand wagon through town.”

As Addie grew she would become more involved in the Danish Days “duties,” helping to serve coffee and jam at the aebleskiver breakfast tents, marching in the Saturday parade alongside her sister, and proudly leading the Children’s Parade.

Addie continued, “Every Danish Days weekend has felt like a blend of the past and present, honoring history while creating new memories.”

Over the years, Addie’s grandmother, Glenda Jaeger Madrid, has created many hand-sewn dresses for her, for her sister, Aleena, and for Addie’s mother, with Addie’s 2025 Danish Maid dress being the most recent. Addie and her grandmother worked together to create her new Danish Maid dress, based on a blue and yellow-gold color scheme because Addie felt that they were “light and bright,” and reminded her of her two favorite things, the ocean and sunshine.

The design of Addie’s Danish Maid dress is rooted in the traditional costume from Hedebo, Denmark, the region in which her great-grandfather, Johannes Jaeger, was raised. Addie’s great-grandmother, Marie Jaeger, made the lace used for the ruffle on Addie’s sleeves, and her great-great grandmother, Marie’s mother, made the crocheted trim on the dress’ apron.

Seventeen-year-old Addie is heading into her senior year at Santa Ynez High School. She plays  varsity volleyball and beach volleyball, and is involved in the Pickleball Club and the AP Art Club. Addie added, “I also serve as a youth leader at Valley Christian Fellowship, which means a great deal to me.”

After graduation, Addie plans to attend San Diego State University to major in psychology and business, with the dream of one day returning to the Santa Ynez Valley to run a business of her own. “If there’s anything my family’s story has taught me, it’s that coming home and giving back is part of who we are.”

Addie concluded, “Velkommen to Danish Days 2025! I’m so excited that we get to gather once again to celebrate our heritage, our stories, and everything that makes Solvang feel like home, for locals and for visitors. Whether you’re here for the buttered rye bread, the parades, or simply the feeling of community, I hope this weekend reminds you – just like it reminds me – of where we come from and why we keep returning.”

More information about Solvang Danish Days, including a brief history of the event, updated 2025 schedule and details, parade applications and contact information, is or will be available at www.SolvangDanishDays.org. Solvang Danish Days is also on Facebook and Instagram at facebook.com/SolvangDanishDays and @DanishDays.

Any questions, media requests for interviews and/or photos, may be directed to Anna Ferguson-Sparks, Stiletto Marketing, at 1.877.327.2656 or solvang@stilettomarketing.com.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Appearing more confident than nervous at every turn, the leaders of Old Spanish Days are quickly smashing rumors of cancelations.

Within the last week, multiple calls have come in with questions about events being planned by Old Spanish Days, along with related events by other organizations.

As of Wednesday, all events are on. That includes La Reception del Presidente, Fiesta Pequena, Las Noches de Ronda, La Misa de Presidente, DIGS! (Celebración de los Dignatarios) at the Santa Barbara Zoo, Mercado de la Guerra – Casa de la Guerra entertainment and El Desfile Historico (the Fiesta Parade.)

The Fiesta three-day event by Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is also on. It is a church event. It features a variety of authentic homemade food, entertainment and traditional games.

The Children’s Parade El Desfile de los Ninos, is run by the City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department and it will take place on Saturday, August 2.

Th Fiesta Rodeo and Stock Horse show will take place at the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center. It is free.

El Presdente Fritz Olenberger said Wednesday after the recent Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE) search warrant raids through the Department of Homeland Security at a cannabis farm in Carpinteria and Camarillo, he understands concerns over more high profile actions. He doesn’t believe it will impact Old Spanish Days. “Raiding a marijuana farm is quite a bit different than raiding a 101-year-old festival,” he said.

805 UndocuFund Executive Director, Primitiva Hernandez, said she does not want to see Fiesta take place this year. Speaking Tuesday outside the Board of Supervisors hearing room she said this was not the time for this type of event and also had issues with its overall history in Santa Barbara.

 “My own learning has been acknowledging the struggles that the people here have gone through. And I think if we want to move forward in a positive way and reparations need to be made,” said Hernandez.

The most recent efforts by the group have been to address the enforcement actions in recent weeks, with a team of citizens looking out for government vehicles and maintaining both a hotline and social media resources.

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Aidan Mahaney has played in three straight NCAA Tournaments and he plans to keep that streak going for his final season in college at UCSB.

The Gauchos will be his third college program for the 6’3 senior guard.

Mahaney was a standout at his first college stop at Saint Mary’s.

He played two seasons for the Gaels where he collected such honors as First Team All-WCC, a Lou Henson All-American, NABC First Team All-District, WCC All -Tournament Team, and WCC All-Freshman Team.

Last year he played at national powerhouse Connecticut where he played in 34 games, averaging around 12.5 minutes per game.

Mahaney scored in double-figures six times including a season-high 15 points against Providence.

“I take a lot of pride in my leadership,” began Mahaney. “I feel like I come from 2 really big time programs so to come in here and bring in some of that championship DNA that I feel like I have accumulated over my first 3 years in college is big. You know kind of being a vet here, one of the only guys on the team to ever make it to the tournament and obviously that is our goal this year so really just trying to impose my knowledge and my will to win on these guys right now.”

UCSB head coach Joe Pasternack added, “He was all conference for two years in the WCC, had a great experience learning at UConn didn’t get to play as much as he wanted to but I think he is really, really hungry for his last season of college basketball.”

The Gauchos are finishing up the second of an eight-week summer practice session.

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Tracy Lehr

CAMARILLO, Calif. – On July 10th, a disabled Army veteran and security guard said he got caught in the middle of protesters and ICE agents at Glass House Farms on his way to work in Camarillo.

Aerial video shows George Retes arriving in his white car at the state licensed cannabis farm.

“Every single officer was giving me different commands, as you can see in the video, some are telling me to reverse and some are trying to rip my door open, some are banging on my windshield,” said Retes.

The 25-year-old Ventura resident and father of two, said he was sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray, also known as ‘OC’ in the military.

“They broke the window and they just dragged me out of the vehicle and then it took two officers to kneel on my back, one on my neck, and arrest me, even though my hands were behind my back.”

Retes works as a security guard for Securitas Security Services USA and was headed to work at Glass House Farms around 2:30 p.m. Thursday when he noticed the commotion.

He said he had turned ICE agents away from the farm before and wasn’t aware they had returned in force that day.

“I found out there was a barricade of ICE agents blocking anyone from driving up or down the street and so that is when I was met with that.”

He said he tried to explain that he is a U.S. citizen who was born in Ventura.

He attended Buena High and Vista Continuation High School before joining the Army at the age of 18.

“They just asked me what I was doing, they asked if I was a citizen and I told them ‘yes’ I told them everything; I was a citizen, I worked there, they didn’t care, they never told me my charges then they sent me away, they sent me to a place in downtown LA without even telling me what I was arrested for, they booked us I was there for three days and yeah in the facility, I can’t say much, I was put on suicide watch,” said Retes.

He said he was distraught over missing his daughter’s third birthday and not being able to contact his family or an attorney.

He said he was not allowed to wash the spray off his hands and body while in custody, despite complaining about the pain.

His hands burned, especially on the first night and still burn a bit now when he touches his eyes.

Retes said he was initially in custody with Cal State University Professor Jonathan Carvello, 37, who was arrested during the protest and released on bond following a court appearance on Monday.

When Retes was released on Sunday he was told charges had been dropped.

A memorial made of flowers and candles is growing outside the farm’s Laguna Road entrance for longtime farm worker Jaime Alanis Garcia, 56, who reportedly fell while being chased and died from his injuries.

Retes said he didn’t know him personally but is upset by what happened at his place of work.

“There is no reason to chase people through fields, there is no reason to have five people on one person, just everything they are doing is wrong, especially the way they are going about it, no one deserves to be treated the way they treat people.”

The Department of Homeland Security detained 361 people at Glass House Farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria.

At least 10 of them are described as teens, as young as 14, who were found at Glass House Farms in Carpinteria July 10.

The company has denied employing underage youth but could not be reached for comment.

Retes now plans to file a lawsuit and said he didn’t want to get into the specifics of his ordeal.

“It was a lot,” said Retes following a Zoom call with a number of journalists.

Retes chose not to comment on whether he voted for President Trump.

“It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, it doesn’t matter if you voted left or if you voted right, black brown, green, no one deserves to be treated this way,” said Retes, “it shouldn’t have happened, I hope this never happens to anyone ever again, no one deserves this.”

Retes said has not been able to return to work and is not sure if he will go back to the farm.

He said his car door is damaged and dented and still smells like the spray used on the crowd.

United Farm Workers helped him share his story and also shared a GoFundMe.

The message in the GoFundMe is as follows:

“My name is George Retes. I’m a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran, a U.S. citizen, and I work as a security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California.

On July 10th, I was wrongfully detained by ICE agents while simply trying to report to work. I was pepper-sprayed, tear-gassed, had my car window smashed, and was dragged out of my vehicle at gunpoint — all while I was nonviolent, and doing nothing wrong.

I clearly identified myself as a U.S. citizen and an employee of the farm, yet federal agents ignored me, yelled conflicting orders, and then violently detained me. I was held in custody for three days without any charges, without a phone call, and without access to legal help. I was never told why I was arrested. I never received care to clean myself despite being covered in tear gas and OC spray for days.

This is not how any person should be treated — especially not a veteran who served this country with honor. I didn’t break any law. I was just trying to go to work.

What happened to me wasn’t just a mistake — it was a violation of my civil rights. It was excessive force. And it was a failure of justice. I’m speaking out not just for myself, but for every person who could’ve ended up in my place that day.

I’m calling for a full investigation into the actions of ICE and other agencies involved in this operation. I want the agents who ignored protocol and used force against me to be held accountable. And I want the public to know the truth: this raid didn’t just target immigrants. It hurt Americans too.

I will not stay silent.

I served this country, and now I’m demanding it do right by me.”

Your News Channel will continue to follow the lawsuit when it is filed.

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Dave Alley

PASO ROBLES, Calif. – The California Mid-State Fair kicks off its much-anticipated 12-day run in Paso Robles beginning on Wednesday afternoon.

Over nearly two weeks, at least 400,000 fairgoers are expected to attend the annual gathering that includes headline concerts, thrilling carnival rides, wide assortment of food and drinks, livestock show and auction, home arts exhibits and much more.

“We’re very excited to bring you this year’s fair,” saids Colleen Boroquez, California Mid-State Fair CEO. “We’re excited to bring you all the fun things that the fair has to offer. The carnival, the food, and just the atmosphere of coming together and seeing everybody who you’ve only seen, only see once a year at the fair.”

The Mid-State Fair opens its doors at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, which will be preceded with an opening ceremony set for 3:45 p.m.

The first 100 visitors will receive one complimentary admission ticket that is valid on any other day of the 2025 Fair, an exclusive 2025 California Mid-State Fair commemorative button and a bag of kettle corn.

The theme of the fair this year is “Off to the Races!” which will be prominently seen and felt by fairgoers during their time inside the Paso Robles Event Center.

In a release, the fair said the theme will be heavily referenced around the fairgrounds, buildings and exhibits, as well as an exhibition in the Ponderosa Pavilion showcasing the days when the Paso Robles Event Center (then known as the San Luis Obispo County Fairgrounds) hosted horse racing.

As typical, the fair has lined up another big name lineup of entertainment to fill the Chumash Grandstand Arena.

Flo Rida will begin the festivities with a performance on Wednesday night and will be followed by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry over the next several days, including Jon Pardi, Cody Johnson, 311, Viva La Quebradita, David Lee Roth, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, along with Country Rodeo Finals and a Monster Truck Takeover.

With typical temperatures during the fair reaching into the 90’s and often times into triple figures, the Paso Robles Event Center has made a push this year to keep fairgoers as comfortable as possible with the addition of several new cooling features.

“We have our misty midway,” said Boroquez. “There will be a portion of our midway that we have misters to help in case it gets over 100 degrees. We also have a cooling area at the Headliner Stage.”

In addition, there is a new hydration station located by the Frontier Stage where fairgoers will be able to fill up plastic bottles with free water.

Fortunately for visitors, this year’s fair is shaping up to be one of the coolest in many years.

On Wednesday, the high only reached into the mid-70’s and the forecast through the rest of the fair has temperatures mostly in the 80’s, approximately 10 degrees below the normal average.

The California Mid-State Fair will be held from July 16 through July 27.

Gates open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight and from Friday to Sunday from noon to midnight.

For more information, click here to visit the official California Mid-State Fair website.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. ⁃ Rivers are powerful forces of nature shaping landscapes and impacting millions who live nearby. 

Now, scientists at UC Santa Barbara are shedding new light on why some rivers split into multiple channels while others stay on a single path.

“When we think of floods, we always think of the context of rising water levels, right but rivers are not stopping rivers move around,” said associate professor of geography Dr. Vamsi Ganti of UC Santa Barbara.

Ganti and his team used decades of satellite imagery to study 84 rivers around the world. 

Their findings could make a big difference in places like Santa Barbara, where local creeks often overflow during heavy storms.

“Understanding how rivers move is critical for how we manage flood risk on the banks of the rivers, and also trying to figure out how the river movement can change in the future,” said Ganti.

“And his research is helping us understand these forces of nature so we can better live with them,” said science communicator Harrison Tasoff of UC Santa Barbara.

Researchers believe this study could help guide smarter flood planning in the region and even around the world.

“What this means for the community is, we have a better idea of how rivers behave and when they’re aggressive, and when they’re docile,” said Tasoff.

These discoveries can be especially crucial in communities still recovering from past disasters, like the deadly 2018 Montecito mudslides.

“My hope is that we start to incorporate … river movement into flood medication, such that we are better prepared,” said Ganti.

The team hopes their findings will be used by planners and emergency managers across California and beyond.A new UCSB study reveals why some rivers split into multiple channels.

For more information, visit: https://news.ucsb.edu/2025/021948/rivers-choose-their-path-based-erosion-discovery-could-transform-flood-planning-and

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara’s biggest event, Old Spanish Days, will take place in about two weeks and thousands of people traditionally take part in the festivities.

Old Spanish Days Division Chief of Pageantry Casie Killgore said “personally, for me, Fiesta Friday is the best day of the year in Santa Barbara. ” She was born and raised in Santa Barbara and said, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. And I would never take a vacation on Fiesta Friday.  It’s a place to be.”

Although some summertime activities have seen lower turnouts in Santa Barbara County, including the just-completed County Fair, the Executive Board of Old Spanish Days is going all out for the event’s 101st year.

El Desfile Historico, the Fiesta Parade will again, be on Cabrillo Boulevard. The route at noon on August 1st will be direct from Castillo St. to Calle Cesar Chavez. It will not go past the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.

The carriages are expected to return to Pershing Park on a route that includes Yanonali and Garden Street.

Overall it will be slightly different. “It is a little shorter this year, but we want to pack the people in. We have announcing booths every half block. We have kits and help do a live, broadcast. And we’re just excited to bring the fun back into Fiesta,” said Killgore.

There will be many Fiesta activities including Fiesta Pequena, Las Noches de Ronda, the Children’s Parade and the downtown Mercado are all in the preparation stages. Just added has been the Casa de la Guerra entertainment stage of dance and music.

In the next two weeks groups involved in floats for the famous parade will be spending hours decorating to their themes. That work will be done in the back lot of the Carriage and Western Art Museum in Santa Barbara.

In the next week, there will be other announcements about Fiesta activities, any special additions, and ways families and friends can take part in the largest and most celebrated event of the year in Santa Barbara.

El Presidente Fritz Olenberger said, “after 12 or 15 years of photographing it, Gretchen and I are going to be in it in a carriage, and our kids and grandkids are going to be in a wagon. They’re going to be in the circus wagon. So that’s like the family circus.”

Killgore says it will be a full parade. “We’re coming back with 58 entries. We will have 27 carriages and we’re returning to a very equestrian focused parade with a lot of charro groups coming out. And we’re just really excited to bring back that Fiesta flair and some fun. “

Second Vice President Tony Miller said support from businesses has been a key factor to the Fiesta budget and the way many events are offered for free. “Year in, year out. And no matter what happens, they come back and they support our community.   We can’t do this without them.”

The history of this parade and those who want to experience it every year have a way of bonding the community especially in challenging times.

Killgore said, “it’s one day for us to come together as a community and celebrate and, you know, enjoy all the horses and really just enjoy the day as a community.”

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Coming to you LIVE from Transylvania, its Young Frankenstein!

The Theatre Group at Santa Barbara City College opened its 80th season with this musical comedy, adapted from the hilarious book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan.

Following the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania and brings to life a monster just like his grandfather’s! Along with some friends, Frankenstein sets off on a wild goose chase when the monster ultimately escapes.

Two stars of the popular adaption, Dillion Yuhasz who plays Frederick Frankenstein and Kate Brody-Adams who plays Igna, joined your Morning News to talked about the must-see musical comedy.

“This is just amazing. This has been a lot of work to put this show, from everything – the costumes, the tech side, Santa Barbara City College always just does such a good job with their shows. We are just lucky to get to be the actors in the show,” Yuhasz said.

The show features music and lyrics by Brooks and original direction and choreography by Susan Stromans.

“I think we’re doing a great job of lifting each other up, and that’s, I think that really is the most fun. I mean, getting up there and singing and acting and dancing is wonderful,” said Brody-Adams.

As of Wednesday morning, tickets for upcoming shows are sold out, but ‘stand-by’ tickets may be available to those who show up at the theatre an hour prior to showtime.

Performance times are Thursday through Saturday @ 7:30pm, Sundays @ 2pm from July 9-25 at the Garvin Theatre.

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