Mike Klan
GOLETA, Calif. – Kacey Hurley threw for two touchdowns and also rushed for a pair of TDs in a 59-6 Dos Pueblos rout over visiting Hueneme.
Earlier in the week DP blasted Westlake 50-7 in the Chargers season opener.
Ruby Streatfield ran for two touchdowns against Hueneme while her older sister Sterling Streatfield had an interception on defense.
Caleb Nguyen
VENTURA, Calif. – An 82-year-old Ventura man died after a two-car crash at Wells and Darling Roads around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the Ventura Police Department.
VPD officers found two drivers at the crash site, where the 82-year-old suffered major injuries, requiring hospital transport, where he later died, according to the VPD.
The second driver suffered a non-life-threatening injury and was also taken to the hospital for treatment, according to the VPD.
Drugs or alcohol do not appear to be factors in this crash and the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the deceased’s identity once next-of-kin are notified, according to the VPD.
This remains an ongoing investigation and those with information on the crash are encouraged to speak to the VPD at the following phone number.
Mina Wahab
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Casa de la Raza translates to “Home of the People,” and it has been a refuge for community members for more than 50 years.
“In the past, there have been legal help, mental health services, mental wellness programs, exercise classes, Zumba. You know, there are so many things that happen here,” said Lisa Valencia Sherratt, Casa de la Raza Inc. Board President.
The original La Casa de la Raza nonprofit organization has been unable to operate for the past four years due to an involuntary bankruptcy case dating back to the summer of 2021. During that time, the courts appointed a trustee over the property and operations were temporarily halted, cutting off services at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when La Casa was providing hundreds of meals a week, financial support, eviction protection, and mental health services to low-income Eastside residents.
In its absence, a legally unaffiliated group known as La Casa Founders Holding Company or the Restorative Justice Education Center took over the space at at 601 East Montecito Street in an effort to provide similar services. That second group, led by Jacqueline Inda, has operated out of the historical building since, running a food pantry and offering support to families affected by the recent surge in immigration enforcement.
“The building, when we received it about five years ago, was about 45 percent condemned. We went in and rehabbed it room by room as a promise to the people who needed it and to the community, to keep the doors open,” said Inda.
In May 2025, city inspectors red-tagged the property for multiple code violations, declaring it unsafe to occupy. Following repairs, a second inspection in July allowed limited use, but certain areas remain closed until additional work is completed.
In July, a court settlement cleared the property for sale at an asking price of $4.35 million.
With the original La Casa group planning a return, it remains to be seen what happens to Inda’s role.
“There are a lot of different legal things going on and have been for at least five years, and at least 15 years before that, between different parties. Where I stand, and where I have stood for the last five years, is holding the space open. And we are the third link here,” said Inda.
Inda says her biggest fear is that a developer will buy the property and change its original mission.
“It makes my stomach turn because my kids grew up here, because this is home to so many people,” she said.
According to the Santa Barbara Independent, the advisory board for the original La Casa de la Raza, which includes Valencia Sherratt, Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino, Pete Leyva, and Ismael Huerta, is now working to purchase and preserve the building. The plan is to restart operations with a reimagined Family Resource Center under Director Marisol Ortiz, using sustainable business plans developed with guidance from professionals in health, mental health, finance, higher education, and organizational development.
Valencia Sherratt says her organization is exploring partnerships with the hope of reviving the community hub.
“When the building is sold, so many issues and challenges from the past will have been resolved. We are looking forward to that and a clear path forward with the community, as part of the community, serving the community. So yeah, it just brings hope,” she said.
In the meantime, the Restorative Justice Education Center plans to continue offering services.
Ryder Christ
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Hundreds of children in Santa Barbara County will start the school year with new backpacks, supplies, clothing, and shoes through Unity Shoppe’s annual Back-to-School Shoppe.
The nonprofit’s General Store has been transformed for August into a dedicated school supply center, where families in need can choose items free of charge. Executive Director and CEO Angela Miller-Bevan said the program is made possible through community partnerships and generous donors.
“Backpacks for over 600 children and school supplies,” Miller-Bevan said. “And the greatest thing about this is that they get to come here and they get to choose everything with dignity, respect and choice. And that’s what Unity Shoppe is all about.”
This year’s partners include Arturo’s Barber Shop, which has collected funds and provided 250 free haircut vouchers for local children, along with Vans, Deckers, Carvin to Kabobs, and other supporters. Miller-Bevan said those contributions ensure students not only have the tools they need, but also feel confident as they start the school year.
The Back-to-School Shoppe is open throughout August at Unity Shoppe’s General Store, 1401 Chapala Street in Santa Barbara. Families must have a referral to participate.
For more information on donating or getting involved, visit unityshoppe.org or call 805-965-4122.
Tracy Lehr
OXNARD, Calif. – People behind the scenes at the Dallas Cowboys Training Camp helped wrap up the team’s summer visit to Oxnard.
As fans watched the final football practice on the River Ridge Playing Fields, City Corps went to work.
The youth development organization gives young people ages 12 to 25 work experience and community service skills.
During the three-and-a-half-week camp, City Corps helped fans find their way around. They also helped set up and break down the area.
City Corps’ Deysi Guerra said she got a lot out of the experience.
“I like it because I get to meet many people, I get to help out the community, and I get to show others what it is like to be working in City Corps and showing people around here in the camp,” said Guerra. “It is really nice; they get to see you helping out and giving service to the community.”
Guerra wants people to know they can be a part of City Corps, too.
City Corps members and many other community volunteers come back year after year.
Local fans do, too.
“I’m from Oxnard, we bought this [pennant] to hopefully get it signed,” said Stephanie Ochao.
“Go Cowboys!” added Gabriela Zuniga.
The friends came out on the final day to support all the players and spend time with family.
Fans lined the fence around the field to see their favorite players in Oxnard. They had a great view of them taking turns catching footballs and being tackled on a practice mat.
The souvenir stand stayed busy as fans bought helmets, T-shirts, and other items to remember the experience.
For more information visit https://www.oxnard.gov and https://dallascowboys.com
Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – People driving along E. Gutierrez Street in Santa Barbara may notice a mural in progress.
The artist calls it “Hope Grows Wild.”
Orielle Anaïs is leaving a white space in the middle so it can be used as a projection screen for special events.
“These are all California native wildflowers and pollinators, and I am celebrating nature, our connection to nature, and the importance of celebrating our roots,” said Anaïs.
The mural is for a multimedia production studio and event space called LoDo Studios.
Anaïs also has some of her fine art on display inside.
She said she wanted the mural to include California wildflowers and living creatures such as bats and hummingbirds, which she said are in danger due to climate change.
Although it is nearly complete, the mural will be officially unveiled on Oct. 25.
For more information visit https://orielleanaiscom and https://lodostudios.com
Jarrod Zinn
NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – We’re seeing fewer smoke plumes from the Gifford fire today, just in time for the first day of school for many counties, including San Luis Obispo.
Local school officials say firefighters’ hard work gave them a lot of confidence for the start of school.
The last two weeks of 2025’s summer vacation on the central coast was overshadowed—literally in many places—by the Gifford fire, and the smoke it released into the air.
Thursday marks the first day of school in San Luis Obispo county, and officials at Lucia Mar School District report high levels of attendance as firefighters continue working hard to get the Gifford fire under control.
“The sun is shining. Most of the smoke from the Gifford fire has dissipated,” says Paul Fawcett, Lucia Mar School District’s superintendent. “Our attendance is actually up right now. And we appreciate all of our first responders and their hard work to make that happen.”
Lucia Mar’s superintendent Paul Fawcett announced that even though they look forward to welcoming everyone back to school, for families should prioritize safety and simply call the school if they’ve been impacted by the Gifford fire.
School officials happily report the number of families that have had to take them up on that is very low.
“I really appreciate school administrators who have the empathy and the foresight to understand that children learn best when they feel safe, and that sometimes we do need to be flexible with families within limits and give them the opportunity to have stability,” says Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D) of Morro Bay.
Despite the challenges this large wildfire has presented to firefighters, their hard work has helped Central Coast schools make sure the year is off to a safe, strong start.
“Lucia Mar School District extends from Shell Beach all the way to Nipomo Elementary, which covers part of the Huasna valley and Huasna town site, which is in the warning zone and the evacuation zone,” says superintendent Fawcett.
The Red Cross has emergency facilities and evacuation shelters in place and either open or on standby should conditions change.
but they are similarly pleased to report lower numbers than they were prepared for.
And tonight at 6 there will be a virtual community meeting held by the Los Padres Incident Managment team.
You can watch it stream live on youtube and facebook.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On OurMobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for theNews Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
Dave Alley
GUADALUPE, Calif. – After several decades of planning, the City of Guadalupe finally has its long-planned brand new junior high school.
On Thursday, history was made when the first ever students walked onto the campus of Guadalupe Junior High School, marking the debut of the new school.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said 8th grader Jade Cabandong. “It’s a big upgrade, and I just feel welcomed here.”
Class started just before 8:30 a.m. beginning a new era in the small city that now has its first-ever school designated specifically for junior high school students, those who are in 7th and 8th grades.
“It has all the amenities for their particular needs,” said Guadalupe Union School District (GUSD) Superintendent Emilio Handall. “We’re excited to be able to provide that to our seventh and eighth graders, which give them the opportunity to be better prepared for their high school experience.”
The effort to build a third school campus to join Mary Buren Elementary School and Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School has been a goal GUSD has been working on for about 30 years.
“I am super excited about it,” said Dolores Rosas, who not only has a child attending the new school, she also works in the front office. “We’ve been waiting for it. I’m very happy for the whole community that we’re going to have a new junior high for them. I’ve lived here all my life. I grew up here, so to see this makes me very excited for our community.”
In January 2024, after gathering the necessary funding, groundbreaking took place on a 17.6 acre site located in the Pasadera housing community.
After a year-and-a-half of construction, work is still ongoing throughout the campus.
Landscaping is still needed around the property, grass on athletic field space is just in the process of being seeded and the front remains without a marquee sign.
Final touches also remain in progress in what is identified as the school’s centerpiece feature, it’s new gymnasium, which Handall noted meets all current California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) standards and requirements.
“There’s a lot of work that still has to be that has to be done esthetically,” said Handall. “It’s not as appealing as we want it to be. It’s certainly not the final product, but we have some brainstorming to do for the spaces. Some of the spaces that we see right now that are open are due to preparation for the future we place new classes on those pads that have already been set up. The spaces that are closest to the administrative building and closest to our are our roads need some development. We’re not sure if we’re going to put in grass. We’re not sure if we’re going to pave it over. We’re not sure yet, but we’re certainly looking for ideas.”
In addition to the junior high school, the campus also includes what will soon be the home of an entirely separate school on the far south end of the property.
GUSD will open its Early Learning Center (ELC) for three-year-olds and four-year-olds when construction is completed by the start of January 2026.
“We are super excited about that project coming online,” said Handall. “That facility is specifically designed for three-and-four-year-olds meeting their early learning needs. Those classes will become available after the winter break, so the second semester of the year, we will transition our current preschoolers and transitional kindergartners over to that campus with the the support of all of our staff.”
Once the ELC is complete, Mary Buren Elementary School will the district’s campus for kindergarten through 3rd grade, Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School will have 4th through 6th grade, while the junior high school will be for 7th and 8th graders.
Handall added the total cost of the two new schools will land somewhere between $50-to-$55 million and has been generated through a variety of sources, including state funds, four separate local bonds, federal appropriations and various donations.
John Palminteri
CALABASAS, Calif. – The California Coastal Commission says the Air Force has not submitted enough information about the expansion project at Vandenberg Space Force base to allow the commission to make an appropriate decision.
One of the issues is the sound impacts on the rockets, especially with a launch approximately every three days with the expansion that is planned.
There will be about 50 launches this year. In 2026 the goal is 100 launches.
The plans include not just the Falcon 9 rockets that are used now with a booster that is returned to either an offshore or on shore pad, but also a larger rocket. That is called a Falcon Heavy with a total of three booster engines.
The commission says SpaceX launches are a federal activity. The commission says SpaceX is a privately owned company.
The majority of the launches now are to put the Starlink Satellites into a low earth orbit.
The Department of the Air Force did not comment at the meeting taking place in Calabasas. Information about its research on sound levels from launches and areas that could be impacted were provided.
SpaceX did not speak and there was no indication that anyone was in attendance.
Many of the concerns were around impacts to seals, sea lions, otters, butterflies and endangered species such as the Snowy Plover shore bird.
Past meetings have had public comments from residents nearly 100 miles away in Ojai.
The commissioners said they want to keep the communication open with Vandenberg and SpaceX on reducing impacts as the launches go forward.
Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-A swarm of bees made a home out of the tall tree in front of Santa Barbara City Hall.
The city put caution tape around the tree and called Santa Barbara Bee Rescue on Wednesday afternoon.
The contractor, who said he just goes by “The Bee Whisperer” got most of them out of the giant Pepper Tree.
He even has custom car plates that read BEE-RESQ.
He said he will be taking the hive to a local honey maker.
