Author: KEYT

Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- It is expected to be mostly clear for the weekend of the 41st Annual Vintners Festival this weekend.

Wine loves can Fall in love with local wineries and restaurants from the region and meet the faces behind the tasty drinks and food. Over 70 wineries, chefs and restaurants will be in attendance. The event begins at 1 p.m. at Vega Vineyard in Buellton and will conclude at 4 p.m.

The Morning News sat down with Vega Vineyard owner, Jimmy Loizides to talk about the exciting weekend.

So, grab a friend, your taste buds and your wine tasting outfit and head to Buellton!

You can find tickets at sbvintnersweekend.com.

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Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – A rare tornado warning surprised many and rattled nerves throughout the Central Coast late Monday night.

The warning was issued at 11:21 p.m. on Monday night by the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Cell phone users along the San Luis Obispo County coastline down into the Santa Maria Valley were alerted through a loud warning on their device that indicated severe thunderstorms capable of producing a tornado were located in the region.

“It was pretty scary,” said Eddie Rocha of Santa Maria. “When I saw it, that was the first time I saw one of those.”

The message advised people to immediately seek shelter in a basement or in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.

It also indicated for anyone outside, in a mobile home, or vehicle should move into the closest substantial shelter to protect themselves from potential flying debris.

“We don’t have a storm shelter,” said Chris Nartatez of Nipomo. “We thought, well, we’ll just stay here. We’ll be okay and if we hear the roof rattling, we’ll get up. I thought it’s a good that we get those kind of warnings to be prepared.”

According to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services (OES), it appears, no known tornadic activity ending up happening during the storm.

“We’ve been in contact with the National Weather Service (NWS) related to last night’s tornado warnings,” said Anita Konopa, San Luis Obispo County Emergency Services Coordinator. “At this time it does not look like any tornadoes actually touched down, but they’re still doing some research and talking to people to determine whether or not there was any touched down overnight. The good news from a damage standpoint is that we’re getting a lot of feedback from the public and from our first responder agencies that there wasn’t a lot of damage and that things were actually pretty calm considering kind of the weather behavior that was happening.”

Konopa added due to certain topographic conditions on the Central Coast, the NWS must overcome physical challenges in their tornado forecasting process.

“We’ve talked to our friends at the National Weather Service about when we’ve been getting these tornado warnings, it’s been very spur of the moment,” said Konopa. “It’s happening right now without a lot of advance notice, which is different than what you see in the news in the Midwest in areas that are very flat. One of the issues that we have here with their ability to forecast that is that due to the mountainous terrain and the way that their equipment sits without a line of sight due to our hills and our mountains, it’s much more difficult to forecast and anticipate and predict that there may be tornado activity here.”

Konopa is also advising the public to prepare ahead of time so they are knowledgeable what to do when the next tornado warning comes in.

“The kind of the feedback that we’ve been getting from the public is more curiosity and interest in what causes this, how can we know more, what should we sign up for,” said Konopa. “We are encouraging people like we do in every kind of weird emergency type situation is sign up for alerts, go to AlertSLO.org. Get signed up for these types of alerts so you get that information and listen to emergency officials when they send out information.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A huge tree branch snapped as the driver of a truck was passing through a Santa Barbara park parking lot this morning, damaging the vehicle but no serious injuries were reported.

It happened on the tail end of a night of rain.

The bulk of the rain went north of Santa Barbara or south to Ventura County. For parts of the night there was a dry spot over Santa Barbara with rain moving high and low over the region.

The Santa Barbara City College Parking lot was swamped by runoff water below the construction site for the new Athletic Department near the football field. Workers opened up the drain and cleared debris to get the water moving from what a passerby said was a small lake.

The tree incident was before 9 a.m. as a worker on a house project nearby was turning through the parking lot. The Chevy Silverado ZR2 was not in a parking space and was moving when the Coastal Cypress branch came down on the cab and truck bed.

The City of Santa Barbara dispatched a forestry crew to do a surgical series of cuts on the branches to relieve the pressure on the vehicle. Portions of the tree limbs were strewn about the area. It’s not known if the tree had previous issues or indications that the branch was going to break off.

Down the waterfront palm fronds were on a wide area of Cabrillo Boulevard and Chase Palm Park keeping workers busy picking them up one-by-one by hand.

The normally soaked Funk Zone drained well in this storm without any street closures or detours for drivers.

During the mid-morning, the U.S. Coast Guard was dispatched to the Carpinteria coast where it was orbiting a vessel that was a concern from the night before. Exact details were not immediately known, but the chopper was visible from the coastline.

The morning commute had a handful of minor crashes in Summerland, Carpinteria and Montecito but drivers were not significantly delayed, and there were no full closures from rainfall.

Thousands of commuters who live in Ventura County and work in Santa Barbara or Goleta take this route daily.

Just before noon, a vehicle went off the freeway, southbound at Refugio, and rolled over on to the Union Pacific railroad tracks. One person was inside and was able to get out without serious injuries. Trains were stopped while Smitty’s towing removed the vehicle. Santa Barbara CHP and County fire were on the call.

In areas known for street flooding including Gutierrez Street in Santa Barbara, business owners have placed sandbags and plastic barriers up to keep water from coming off the street and through their doors. Some of the water comes in waves due to the speed of passing cars.

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

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Patricia Martellotti

VENTURA, Calif. (KEYT) — Senator Monique Limón took the spotlight today at a powerful gathering at Ventura City Hall, where families and civic leaders shared deeply personal stories of how affordable housing is transforming lives across the the region.

Resonating through the room were voices of parents, children, and community advocates who testified how access to stable, affordable homes has brought security, dignity, and opportunity to their lives. Many spoke of the stress lifted, the prospects restored, and the future they dared to hope for again.

Sen. Limón — whose district spans both Santa Barbara and portions of Ventura County — addressed the crowd, pledging continued legislative support and urging local and state partners to keep expanding access to housing that changes lives. 

City officials and housing advocates confirmed that moments like today are more than symbolic — they are essential to building political momentum behind the urgent work of closing California’s housing gap.

Ventura’s event drives home one clear message: affordable housing isn’t charity — it’s justice. And with leaders like Sen. Limón at the helm, there’s renewed hope that more families will find the homes they deserve.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – As a multi-week road resurfacing project ties up several busy Santa Maria streets, the city is asking the public to be patient and cautious as work continues.

Work has been ongoing for several days throughout the city and is expected to continue through November.

“Last year we went through and and repaired some of the subgrade to these roads,” said Santa Maria Public Works Director Brett Fugoni. “This year, we’re cutting it with what we call ‘chip seal.’ It’s a way to preserve the actual road so we can put a wear layer and a coating on top of the road, and that helps seal the road, prevents water from getting into the road and provides a wear layer for the asphalt.”

As construction has been taking place, it has created heavy traffic conditions, especially this week along South Bradley Road between East Stowell Road and East Betteravia Road.

“There will be impacts,” said Santa Maria Public Works Director Brett Fugoni. “We try to do the best we can to try to minimize those, but some impacts are just unavoidable.”

Fulgoni pointed out the all of the road work is taking place on Santa Maria’s busiest streets, including Broadway, Betteravia Road, Stowell Road, Bradley Road, Blosser Road, Cook Street, Miller Street, and many other locations.

“These are the main corridors,” said Fulgoni. “That’s why it’s so impactful.”

While the construction project is taking place, drivers can expect delays that could add up to several minutes, so the city is urging the public to plan their trip accordingly.

“Please be patient,” said Fulgoni. “We have published on our website exactly where we’re going to be with. If you’re interested in knowing that information, it’s readily available yourself and take a look at the schedule. If you have some more critical to be, make sure you’re not going to be impacted by the project because it’ll be citywide. Give yourself enough time to get to where you need to go.”

The City reports the cost of the project is $3 million and is being funded by Measure A, Gas Tax, and SB-1 Gas Tax dollars.

“The gas taxes that you pay is what, paying for this,” said Fulgoni. “The project is 10th of the cost to do chip seal versus putting down asphalt.”

For the list of construction project locations and dates, click here for project information on the City of Santa Maria website.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — The scent of hay and pumpkins is filling the air again as Lane Farms officially kicks off another fall season in Santa Barbara.

Families began arriving early to explore the popular pumpkin patch, petting zoo, and corn maze — a longtime local favorite that draws visitors from across the Central Coast.

Many say they came early to beat the growing weekend crowds and capture seasonal photos among the sprawling fields of orange.

From wagon rides to handpicked gourds, Lane Farms continues to offer a timeless autumn escape celebrating family, tradition, and community spirit.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The new look to downtown Santa Barbara will come with several different projects in the coming years including the possibility of a large housing addition where a portion of the Paseo Nuevo Mall is located.

The Santa Barbara City Planning Commission will get a close up look at the project today with its many moving parts. Those include some land rights and future profit equations, some that don’t immediately pencil out. Tax adjustments or other financial moves between the city and the developers have been discussed.

At the center of the remodel is the The Georgetown Co. and AB Commercial.     

The target area is a wrapped project from State St. at Ortega going west to Chapala street.

Planners are looking at the latest drawings. They are calling for 233 market-rate units and 80 affordable housing units – the exact prices are still not known.  

Normally, there is a building height limit of about 48 feet for this project.

With the state density bonus law that comes with affordable housing considerations, the height proposed here could be up to 75 feet.

That would take a separate action to approve the height limit over the current city standards.

Affordable units are also proposed on the top of Parking Lot 2 at Chapala and Canon Perdido St. The sizes range from a 435-square foot studio to 980-square foot three-bedroom unit.

Next week there will be two open houses for the public to visit and comment on the project.

October 15 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. These will be held at 707 Paseo Nuevo which is near the vacant Nordstrom building.

On that note, the Nordstrom building is not part of this project but it may also become housing and retail.

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

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) — They climb cliffs, brave flash floods, and search deep into the backcountry — but Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue volunteers are doing it all with equipment that’s decades old.

The all-volunteer team responds to hundreds of emergencies each year, from lost hikers to car crashes along mountain roads. Many say they’re still relying on outdated radios and rescue gear from the early 2000s, sometimes in life-or-death conditions.

Despite the challenges, team members remain dedicated to their mission — saving lives across some of California’s toughest terrain.

Volunteers say community support and updated tools are crucial to keep their life-saving work strong for the future.

“We’ll always answer the call,” one rescuer said, “but better equipment means we can do it even safer.”

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Andrew Gillies

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Two people had major injuries and an unborn baby died after a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of State Route 1 and Santa Lucia Canyon Road Tuesday.

On Oct. 7, around 5:30 p.m., dispatchers received a call about two-vehicle collision on southbound State Route 1 at Santa Lucia Canyon Road stated a press release Thursday from the California Highway Patrol-Buellton Area (CHP).

A preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of a 2021 Lexus was southbound in the fast lane of State Route 1 when the driver of a 2018 Honda CR-V was northbound on State Route 1 waiting to make a left turn onto Santa Lucia Canyon Road detailed the CHP.

According to the CHP, the Honda turned left through southbound lanes and directly into the path of the southbound Lexus.

The Lexus struck the right side of the Honda, causing major injuries to both drivers shared the CHP.

The pregnant driver of the Honda was flown to Marian Regional Medical Center where her unborn child was declared dead due to injuries from the collision explained the CHP.

The investigation into this fatal collision remains open and anyone with more information is asked to contact the California Highway Patrol Office for the Buellton area at 805-691-6160.

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – One of the hallmark events that heralds the holidays and the approach of a new year has arrived, California Polytechnic State Universities‘ dual-campus design program for the Cal Poly Rose Float.

Providing groundbreaking floats since 1949 for the Rose Parade sponsored by Honda – an annual New Years’ Day tradition which sprung from the Tournament of Roses – the college’s two campuses in San Luis Obispo and Pomona work together on these student designed and built exhibitions.

The formal unveiling of this year’s design, Jungle Jumpstart, and load-up of the first half of the float took place on Thursday at the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo, sending essential pieces off to Pomona to be joined with the south campus’s half.

Once the pieces are joined, the Pomona campus finishes the inner workings and applies the roses – an intricate and delicate process itself – finishing in time for the float’s 5-mile journey in Pasadena on New Years’ Day.

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