Author: KEYT

John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – A new, fresh and innovative festival is sprouting up for the Spring in Isla Vista known as Soltopia.

It takes place Saturday April 4 from noon until 6 p.m.

This is a permitted event that has cleared all the hurdles with Santa Barbara County Supervisors, Sheriff’s Department and other agencies after it was presented by the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) earlier this year.

“I feel really thankful for some of the people at the county that did sit down and walk us through important things that we had to consider along the way, even though it was a crazy timeline,” said IVCSD Community Programs and Engagement Director Myah Mashhadialireza.

Organizers said clearly it “is in no way” anything related to the unpermitted Deltopia event that has been a problem-filled and costly annual activity about the same time in Isla Vista. Deltopia was created out of the Flotopia event that left beaches strewn with trash and other waste in 2009 after a massive social media blitz promoting it to area residents. The next stop was Del Playa Drive and the name Deltopia.

This year the most significant change has been the ban on amplified music (except for the permitted event.)

The IVCSD has been working closely with the UC Santa Barbara Associated Students on a focused, community oriented festival with live music, art, food, bathrooms and security. All residents and their families have been invited. The goal is to keep it local and keep it safe.

“And this hopefully hits all those marks that people will get to have their own event, really enjoy something to support our local businesses for the local artists,” said IVCSD General Manager Jonathan Abboud.

There will be six stages, 80 performers and eight entertainment zones, including many suggested by the residents of the area as part of an outreach to create a festival-for-all.

Mashhadialireza said, “We want people to be able to enjoy themselves, and they voted on all of these musicians and bands that we have and deejays, so we know they like them.”

Abboud was part of a team handing out wrist bands for Isla Vista and UC Santa Barbara residen ts and verifying their local addresses. He said the crowd was enthusiastic. “People are so excited. They are telling us that it’s going to be better than Deltopia.They are excited for the free food. They’re excited for the curation element because we’ve curated six different stages.”

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department has said it will still be staffing with extra deputies on Del Playa Drive for any large crowds or needs in the area. In the past there have been numerous calls for medical issues linked to drugs and alcohol, cliff falls, and injuries.

Most arrests were from out of towners.

The beaches closed on the order of the county at 8 a.m. today and will reopen Monday.

One resident was not happy with the new rules but will check out the festival. C.J. Eftekhari said, “It’s better than nothing. And I think they’re doing a good job with the wristbands and I’m gonna check it out. I’m open minded, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Parking in the area will have restrictions. The nearby Goleta streets in some areas will have local permit parking only. This is mainly off Storke Road near Isla Vista. Special permits were issued to Girsch Park teams as well.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Hundreds are expected to gather at Old Mission Santa Barbara this Good Friday for a quiet moment of reflection.

The annual ceremony remains a meaningful tradition for the community.

Each year, it brings people together in remembrance and faith.

The event continues to draw strong turnout from locals and visitors alike.

Good Friday at the Mission will include morning prayer at 8:00 a.m., Stations of the Cross in the Olive Garden at noon, and quiet prayer from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion is at 3:00 p.m.

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Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Jackson Flora is making his case as the top college pitcher in the country and you probably won’t get any arguments from Cal Poly.

The hard-throwing right-hander pitched a complete game 4-hit shutout with nine strikeouts as UCSB beat Cal Poly 6-0 to begin this 3-game Blue-Green rivalry series.

Flora is now 6-0 on the season with a microscopic 0.69 ERA.

It’s the second straight year that Flora has tossed a complete game shutout versus the Mustangs.

The Gauchos offense backed Flora with a 5-run fourth inning highlighted by a 2-run single by Cole Kosciusko and a 2-run double from Nico Libed.

With the win UCSB improves to 6-4 in the Big West and 17-10 overall while Cal Poly is now 8-3 in Big West play and 17-11 overall.

Game 2 of this series is Friday 6 p.m.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – There’s a new documentary that chronicles life after the 2023 Lahaina fires.

It follows residents and leaders as they rebuild their communities.

The screening will include a panel with Direct Relief and local experts.

The film shines a light on the strength, culture, and community coming back to life after the fires.

The screening is this Friday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m., at the Lobero Theatre.

For more information, visit: https://www.lobero.org/events/lahaina/.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – For decades, visitors have walked through a Santa Barbara museum to experience history up close. Now, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum is entering a new chapter—one that’s prompting reflection across the community as it prepares to leave its longtime home.

Inside the museum, moments that shaped the world feel almost within reach. From fragments of the Declaration of Independence to relics tied to Apollo missions, the collection offers a rare, intimate look at history—often just inches away from visitors.

“It’s the world’s largest privately owned significant manuscript collection,” said Director Norman Cohan.

For more than 40 years, the museum has welcomed the public free of charge, drawing visitors from across the country. Many describe the experience as both powerful and inspiring.

“I come from Fairfax, Virginia and this is just incredible to see all these historic pieces here,” said visitor Laurie Sullivan.

But that experience is about to change.

The Santa Barbara location will close its physical doors on April 5, as thousands of manuscripts are relocated to Florida. Some materials will also be digitized, allowing broader global access.

Local leaders say the loss will be felt.

“Artifacts from ancient Egypt… just a lot of stuff that you wouldn’t see anywhere else, and it makes me sad that they’re moving,” said Santa Barbara City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez.

As the final days approach, visitors are being encouraged to take one last look before the transition.

“I hope people will come out and learn from the artifacts while they still can,” Gutierrez added.

While the building may soon go quiet, museum leaders say its mission will continue—reaching new audiences beyond Santa Barbara.

“Perhaps this can further the cause of enlightening humanity,” Cohan said.

The museum’s physical chapter in Santa Barbara is ending—but its history, and its impact, are far from over.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Lompoc city councilman Steve Bridge, who’s accused of fraud, appeared for the fourth day of his preliminary hearing this morning.

Some of the most damaging testimony against the Lompoc councilman came from a private investigator.

Detective Ronald Murillo testified Steve Bridge claimed he “ginned up the invoices,” that he was the “guilty party,” telling the investigator his actions were “a little shady.”

A city utilities employee testified about how the city rebate program at the center of the case works.

Bridge is accused of defrauding the program.

The employee says a water leak rebate application at a house owned by Bridge was flagged due to an incorrect address.

That led to the discovery of additional oddities on other invoices and eventually to the fraud charges.

The hearing is scheduled to resume in three weeks.

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John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – With the potential of an unpermitted event called Deltopia, Isla Vista beaches will be closed from 8:00 a.m. Friday, April 3rd through Monday, April 6th at 8:00 a.m.

The beaches have been a source of health, safety and environmental concerns in the past when large events take place.

A social-media driven event known as “Floatopia” took place in 2009 at a time when the resources were not in place and the crowd size was overwhelming.

The county says, “the beaches at Isla Vista were left strewn with trash and debris, including human waste.”

The Deltopia event got its name when those gathering for a similar Spring Break weekend brought it up to Del Playa Drive, overlooking the ocean in subsequent years. It was not sanctioned and resulted in numerous medical calls for service, broke balconies and two deaths were listed as being connected to the activity.

This year the only permitted event is the Soltopia festival on April 4th, hosted by the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara’s Associated Students Board. This event is at the top of the “loop” and free using park land and nearby areas. There are no beach activities.

There will be free admission, musical events, other art, food vendors and security. It is a public event and organizers have encouraged community members and families to attend. It was presented earlier this year to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

This event also encourages people to eat and shop in the Isla Vista community where the year-round economy struggles during school breaks. The community has about 20,000 students who attend UC Santa Barbara or Santa Barbara City College.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department through the Isla Vista Foot Patrol will enforce the beach closure and an ordinance banning amplified music.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (KEYT) – Recreational vehicle owners may be able to spend the night closer to the beach soon in the City of Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara Harbor Commission is looking at new revenue options and RVs could be allowed in an area where they are currently off-limits for now.

The preferred site under review is the Palm Park to the east of Stearns Wharf. It is the same lot where the Skater’s Point skate park is located.

Restriping would take place and there would be room for an estimated 26 RV spaces.

In a presentation to the commission the process involved several steps including a change to the municipal code by the Santa Barbara City Council and a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission.

Revenue from the lot area now is estimated at $348,000 a year and the plan would have to be developed with fees that exceed the current mark.

This idea came out of a request citywide for all departments to present new funding solutions at a time when overall, the budget is struggling.

The Waterfront budget is an enterprise fund and operates independently from the larger city General Fund.

Issues at the waterfront alone include new costs for dredging going forward, insurance increases for Stearns Wharf and a gap in leases including at the former Anchor Rose site which is empty.

RV parking fees in the future would be an annual source of income and a new revenue stream.

The Palm lot has 127 spaces in the eastern half right now.

In the area, RV parking is popular along the Rincon and Emma Wood State beach in Ventura County.

(More details, video and photos will be added later today.)

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Alissa Orozco

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – On Thursday, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) was granted a 20-year license renewal to continue operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach.

The renewal was announced by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission during a virtual ceremony, officially determining Diablo Canyon as “safe and environmentally sound to operate for another 20 years.”

The plant was initially set to retire in 2025, but as the state’s largest source of clean energy, state officials directed Diablo Canyon to remain open to help reach California’s climate goals.

According to PG&E, the power plant helps meet nearly 20 percent of the California’s clean energy, providing energy to roughly 10 percent of the state’s population, or four million Californians.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A Santa Barbara nonprofit is turning soup into a lifeline for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Organic Soup Kitchen is hosting its “Spring Souper Bloom” fundraiser at its distribution center.

The event brings the community together to support a mission rooted in nutrition and care.

For 17 years, the organization has provided medically tailored meals to those in need.

That includes low-income seniors and people battling cancer or chronic illness.

Now, the goal is to keep that critical support going strong.

Guests will enjoy an evening of seasonal soups and community connection.

Funds raised help deliver meals designed to support healing and overall health.

Organizers say demand is growing, but there’s encouraging progress.

“We’ve actually been able to lift our waiting list, which is huge for us, because it means more people are getting the care they need right now,” said marketing director Natasha Nazerian of the Organic Soup Kitchen.

The Spring Souper Bloom event is on Thursday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m., at the Organic Soup Kitchen in Santa Barbara.

For more information, visit: https://organicsoupkitchen.org/.

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