Author: KEYT

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A groundbreaking ceremony was held this morning to mark the beginning of the redevelopment of a high-profile building in Santa Maria that is seen a potential catalyst for the long-planned revitalization of downtown area.

The multi-story Heritage Walk Lofts project is located in Santa Maria Town Center West in the well-known building that formerly housed Mervyn’s and Fallas department stores.

Santa Barbara-based The Vernon Group is planning to turn the two-story 85,000 square foot building into a 104-unit residential complex called Heritage Walk Lofts.

“It’s six years in the making,” said The Vernon Group President Brett Vernon. “Honestly, today is such a huge milestone.” 

The project is the first in a number of developments The Vernon Group has proposed for the downtown area that is centered around Broadway and Main Street.

“It’s an adaptive reuse,” said Vernon. “They’re going to be loft style apartments where each loft has a second story in it. A lot of them have spiral staircases going up or really going for that loft style and embracing it. There’s going to be a courtyard in the middle that’s private to the residents and a breezeway access into it. There’s going to be residents on both the inside and the outside of the building, and it’s primarily just for residents here to start the initial migration of of people living downtown.”

For many in the city, especially longtime leaders like Mayor Alice Patino, the project is seen as transformational and a potentially the start of the long-planned revitalization effort to remake the downtown area.

“This is huge for the City of Santa Maria,” said Patino. “It is a big day. We have gone through focus groups. We have gone through meetings of the Planning Commission and at the City Council level to get this finally off and rolling.

In addition to Heritage Walk Lofts, The Vernon Group has also proposed a project called the Alvin Newton Apartments that is planned for the lot next door to Bank of America, which is located adjacent to the Santa Maria Town Center mall.

A third proposed project is the Perlman Apartments, an affordable housing development that would be located directly across the street from the Alvin Newton Apartments on the site that is the current home of Perlman Park.

Another residential project called Crossroads would be build catty-corner from the Perlman Apartments on the lot that formerly was the site of Boot Barn.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – There could have been a big pivot in the City of Santa Barbara and with its biggest event of the year a few weeks ago, but those involved stayed the course and there’s been a big payoff, for the most part.

Old Spanish Days is now over except for the final paperwork and after-action meetings.

Depending the area, some say it exceeded the forecasted turnout and other areas where people saw a shift from the normal crowds, depending on the day and time.

El Presidente Fritz Olenberger said he saw full crowds at the Fiesta Pequeña kickoff event at the Old Mission, Las Noches de Ronda at the Courthouse Sunken Garden and at both parades. De la Guerra Plaza, the main mercado had many hours with full crowds, and some mid afternoon periods where no lines were running.

Across the street Casa de la Guerra had a smaller stage and more vendors. It had offered a “beer garden” concept in the past but decided not to this year, and instead offering it to Old Spanish Days (OSD). OSD could have put a beer garden together, but felt the vendors and dancing stage was the best offering and it was “packed” all weekend, according to Olenberger who checked often to see if the plan paid off. “Loved it, and it’s it’s an amazing event. It really pulls this city together, ” he said.

At one point he was featured by spending time with a pile of Fiesta posters, signing them for the shoppers.

The two settings across from each other “complemented each other. It was it was just an enormous mass of people and everybody was having fun,” said Olenberger.

Where you could find a simmering conflict would be the mood of the vendors who paid for their spots and saw many unpermitted street vendors setting up around downtown undercutting their prices. Those eating bacon wrapped hot dogs and papusas say the prices were very good, the food was authentically prepared on site and they sellers were open after midnight.

Those vendors for months have been the focus of government hearings, since they generally do not have health permits, inspections, refrigeration or sanitation as required by the county. Santa Barbara County Health officers were in the downtown area for Fiesta, wearing their identifications, and inspecting the Old Spanish Days booths for compliance.

According to a few of the sellers who have been there before, the food orders were down about 20-30 percent from past years, but they felt it was a success and a good choice to be in the hub of activity.

   Ruben Orozco from Elubia’s Kitchen said, “It was good. We will be back. Its great for the community. Sales were down. There were a lot of out of town hotdog and food trucks on or near State Street.”

Old Spanish Days and the city have said they will address the issue.

On the street one highlight was the “banda” spontaneous music that was seen strolling on State Street throughout the weekend, usually with a big crowd of festive dancers following along.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, “I think it’s great for the city spirit, too. You know, there was a lot of rumors and negativity floating around. I just thought the energy and, the positivity outweighed everything else. I thought it was fabulous. “

Look around the worn out plaza are Olenberger agreed it was a sign of a lot of people on the site. ” I was here, right here at this location, Friday evening, and it was so packed I couldn’t even move. And people were having a blast.”

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Ryder Christ

MONTECITO, Calif. – Legendary music producer Alan Parsons is helping lead preparations for the One805LIVE! benefit concert supporting first responders and mental health services—and he’s donating a signed acoustic guitar as part of a giveaway to raise awareness for the cause.

Parsons, known for his iconic work on Abbey Road, Let It Be, and The Dark Side of the Moon, is a longtime Santa Barbara County resident and founding board member of the One805 nonprofit. Though originally from the U.K., Parsons has lived in the area for two decades and now calls the community home.

“It’s just a real privilege to be working with these people and helping the first responders,” Parsons said. “Dealing with mental health among first responders—that’s another very important thing.”

The benefit concert is set for September 20 at actor Kevin Costner’s estate in Montecito and will feature performances by a variety of artists including Trisha Yearwood, The Fray, Sammy Hagar, and John Kay of Steppenwolf.

Parsons is serving as the music supervisor for the event, curating the artist lineup for the all-star benefit concert.

“I’m the one responsible for probably putting the order of play for each of the acts and how long they get,” he said. “There’s a lot of artists to squeeze in a single afternoon.”

He described the behind-the-scenes work as complex, requiring careful coordination of shared instruments, stage equipment, and rehearsal schedules. “There will be a bit of cross-pollinization between the artists,” Parsons said.

All performers are volunteering their time. A large team is also working behind the scenes to coordinate stage production, hospitality, and logistics.

“It’s tremendously well organized,” he said. “I’m just there to help out with the musical contributions.”

Parsons said he’s proud to support a cause that resonates deeply with the community he now considers his own.

To further raise awareness, One805 has partnered with NewsChannel to launch a guitar giveaway contest. Parsons has signed the acoustic guitar, and the winner will also receive two tickets to attend the One805LIVE! concert, which raises funds for mental health programs, resiliency training, and essential equipment for local fire, police, and sheriff’s departments.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Meet Gus, a shih-tzu maltese mix 9-year-old bundle of joy. Santa Barbara Humane’s Chief Operating Officer brought Gus onto the Morning News show Thursday in hope of helping him find his fur-ever home.

Gus is a bundle of joy, sweetness and is great with people and other dogs. He is great with kids and has the sassiest under-bite. He’s been at the shelter since July and has his blood work done.

Gus is one of 87 other animals hoping to find their next owner.

For those who love Basset Hounds, Cheez-boy is a pure bred, also hoping for find his new home and owners as well as Po the husky, who has been available since January. For more information on Gus and other animals available for adoption, visit Santa Barbara Humane.

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Alissa Orozco

AVILA BEACH, Calif. – Starting Monday, the US 101 interchange at Avila Beach Dr. will be closed for forty days as part of San Luis Obispo County’s plan to reconfigure the US 101 and Avila Beach Dr. interchange with a roundabout.

A new roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Avila Beach Dr. and Shell Beach. The $13.8 million project will add features such as sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, bike lanes, and a shared use path, ultimately easing weekend congestion.

A brand new park and ride facility will installed, along with 43 new paid parking spaces. Plus, a brand new RTA bus stop and a new bus stop for the Avila-Pismo trolley.

The upcoming detour and construction of the roundabout will be stage four of the project, and is expected to conclude September 26th.

Aaron Yonker, a public works supervising engineer with the county, joined your News Channel to detail the changes coming in the next couple days in Avila Beach.

A temporary bike and pedestrian path will be in place during construction, which can be accessed from Avila Beach Drive (via Ontario Road) and Shell Beach Road. Drivers will be detoured to use the San Luis Bay Dr. interchange to the north.

Yonker says traffic control and flagging personal will be on-site during construction to assist with traffic congestion during peak hours.

“Drivers should anticipate to see an ample amount of construction advisory signs informing them of this closure along the 101 and on the local roads advising them where to go,” Yonker says.

The county says surrounding businesses will not be impacted by the 40-day construction. Yonker says feedback from the community and business owners prevented the project from beginning earlier in the season.

Businesses will remain open during the project.

“We’re encouraging the community to get out there and and visit the community, continue to visit the businesses, but they should expect that there will be signs in place and some traffic control measures to kind of help them along their way.”

Construction closures will begin August 18th until September 26th.

The county has set up a community hotline where questions, comments, and concerns can be sent in via phone at 805-788-3423. For more information visit the project website.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A former Santa Barbara High School graduate and Marine is missing and presumed dead after a training accident on a Montana lake—just months before he was set to begin an ambitious, record-setting ocean row to raise money for veterans. Now, his twin brother is leading a private search and recovery effort, hoping to bring him home.

James “Dingo” Dominguez, 58, was training with the OARward Bound team to row 16,000 miles across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans in a multi-year journey from Morocco to Tanzania. The mission aimed to raise awareness and funds for nonprofits including the Wounded Warrior Project.

But on July 15, during a training session on Flathead Lake in western Montana, a powerful wave storm capsized the boat he was aboard. Two people were rescued, but Dominguez was swept away. His brothers, Jerry and Armando, are now searching for his remains after officials called off the official rescue.

“That wind was pushing the rowboat, and I don’t think he could keep up,” said Armando Dominguez. “So the challenge that we are having right now is the resources to go back and look for him.”

Jerry Dominguez said the crew took every precaution. “It wasn’t like they willy-nillied the whole thing. I have every confidence in the captain, the lead person on the boat. They did their due diligence with weather checks—everything they had to do before they got on the water for training.”

Dominguez, a 1985 graduate of Santa Barbara High School, was recently married and living in Wyoming. His wife’s life is now in limbo, awaiting confirmation of her husband’s death.

“I understood that he had to do so many hours of training—it was probably about 200-plus hours that he needed to get in to participate,” Jerry said. “The boat had just gotten wrapped, meaning they put the logos and sponsor names and so forth.”

Jerry has since created a GoFundMe page to raise money for a private search and recovery effort. The family plans to rent a boat and deploy a waterproof drone to resume the search.

This tragedy is the latest to strike the family. Loved ones say they are also related to the man who was fatally stabbed on State Street during this year’s Fiesta celebration.

Dominguez’s family is now taking search efforts into their own hands. The GoFundMe page reads:

“Our efforts were temporarily postponed due to limited equipment and resources, but the search will soon be back on — and I plan to be back out on the lake to assist personally.”

For more information about Dominguez and OARward Bound visit, https://oarwardbound.com

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Scott Hennessee

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A new art gallery is opening soon in Santa Barbara that will feature works from neurodivergent artists.

“We’re calling all neurodiverse and special needs artists to submit an entry,” Art Labbé Santa Barbara Executive Director, Nathaniel Grotenhuis said. “This year’s theme is called, ‘This is Me.’ It’s a self-reflection, a self-portrait or a poem that speaks about who you are. All of those works will be displayed here in our gallery.”

The call for entries is open until August 22nd. 

Art Labbé Santa Barbara is set to open on September 18th at 111 Santa Barbara Street in the Funk Zone, joining their existing galleries in Santiago, Chile and Coral Gables, Florida.

The Art Labbe Foundation currently provides free weekly art and music sessions to people with special needs. They plan to expand opportunities for people with special needs to create art in and around the new gallery space.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. – Incentive programs and revitalization efforts are in progress in Lompoc.

Residents and city leaders are excited about these developments.

Many long-time residents remember Lompoc being much more of a vibrant community than it’s been in the last decade, but they’re anticipating  a healthy comeback in the next few years.

The city of Lompoc is making several efforts to incentivize new arrivals, both domestic and business related.

“We have a chance for ourselves for 2400 housing units,” says James Mosby, mayor of Lompoc. “The state is kind of requiring us to build through our arena plan and we have River Terrace that’s pushing through. And I know a lot of the vacant property, people are now approaching, especially with the economic incentives that we’re putting forward.”

In response to Governor Newsom’s order last year, the Lompoc riverbed has been largely cleared of the presence of homeless encampments, and law enforcement is urging those who stay there to get the help they need.

“They’re doing a good job out there working on it,” says mayor Mosby. “Cleaning up the Lompoc Fire has been involved, local police departments involved, the sheriff’s involved.”

By reducing impact fees, city officials seek to reduce the cost on developers, incentivizing new affordable housing developments.

“Hopefully they bring their businesses back here or the people working at the base can find Lompoc again,” says mayor Mosby.

And one project many locals are looking forward to is the restoration of the Lompoc Theatre, which is moving along on schedule.

“It’s coming back,” says David Ramsey, Lompoc Theatre’s general contractor. “You can see it everywhere, all over the city. You can see that things are coming back and this building is going to make it really, really wonderful.”

Another way the city is trying to make things more affordable is by issuing credits to residents on recent electricity bills in the range of $200 per meter, a stimulus that comes just in time for school to start.

The Lompoc Theatre is expected to open its blackbox theatre early next year, and city officials look forward to more progress for other businesses.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – With the Gifford Fire burning just a few miles away east of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Air Tanker Base is providing valuable support in the ongoing firefighting effort.

Since the fire broke out along Highway 166 on Friday afternoon, the base has been a whirlwind of activity with several air tankers and helicopters flying in and out on a repeated basis.

“We do have a lot of activity here,” said air tanker captain Dawn Blumberg. “It seems kind of chaos, but it’s more like orchestrated music.”

With the Gifford Fire burning in some of the most rugged and remote wilderness landscape on the Central Coast, having firefighting support from the sky is a crucial element in the difficult battle to put out the flames.

“The fire is burning in areas where it’s incredibly steep and difficult terrain to access for firefighters on the ground, so the importance of the tanker base here and the proximity to the fire line is enormous,” said Andrew Madsen, Los Padres National Forest Public Information Officer. “The retardant being dropped is in areas that are inaccessible to crews on the ground, so it’s very important that we can help to try to slow the advance of the front.”

The Santa Maria Air Tanker Base is located on southern edge of the Santa Maria Airport, housed within the Central Coast Jet Center.

The base serves as an important station for firefighting aerial operations for incidents that take place not just on the Central Coast or the around California, but throughout the Western United States.

What makes the Gifford Fire unusual, as was the same for the recent Madre Fire that also burned around the Highway 166 area, is the close proximity of the fire lines to the base.

“With the Gifford Fire being so close to the air tanker base, we’re actually able to see the fire from the air tanker base, which is kind of rare,” Santa Maria Air Tanker Base Manager Miguel Quiz. “It makes turnaround times for the aircraft faster than usual. The tempo here has picked up pretty quick, but it also allows us to get more retardant to the fire and get it there faster. As the tempo picks up, we pick up and and we’re able to deliver a good product.”

Only a handful of miles separates the base from the fire, allowing planes and helicopters to make quick trips back and forth.

“We’re able to turn around in about 10 minutes time to get them reloaded, refueled and back into the air and then onto the drop site,” said Madsen. “The quick turnaround time from the airport here is critical at the current time to help hold the spread of the fire on the flanks where we’re seeing more aggressive fire behavior.”

With the aircraft able to load up and provide drops on the fire and able to return the the base and repeat the pattern within just a matter of minutes, it has provided aerial operations with the ability to drop more retardant than would be allowed if the fire were happening at a more distance location.

“From day one, we’ve been supporting up from about eight to 10 aircraft each day,” said Quiz. “We’ve pumped about 900,000 gallons of retardant so far on this fire, so each day we’re putting out about 150,000 to 200,000 gallons of retardant a day. We’ve gotten in a pretty good tempo and a pretty good flow of moving aircraft around and getting them to the fire in a good, timely manner.”

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival regarding the announcement of the 2026 dates.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) is pleased to announce the dates for the 32nd edition of the festival. The festival will run from April 23 through April 28, 2026.  The Opening Night Reception at the historic Fremont Theater will kick off the Festival on Thursday, April 23. It presents an opportunity to meet special guests, filmmakers, and major contributors.

Alongside its signature categories and competitions, the festival is launching two additions this year – an Episodic category and a special award recognizing the Best Genre/Horror Film.  Submissions are currently open in all categories including narrative features, short films, documentary features, and doc shorts, as well as episodic and horror.  SLOIFF is an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival for Documentary Shorts.

“We’re really excited to introduce our new Episodic program to the festival.  Over the last 10 years, the way we tell stories has changed, and we believe that in addition to traditional film formats, episodics have a place in our festival too. Adding this category creates a new opportunity for indie storytellers to showcase their work,” said San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Executive Director Skye McLennan. “We are also adding an award for ‘Best Genre/Horror.’ We have been testing the appetite for this category with our Red Eye Cinema programming over the last five years, and each year the demand for and the quality of the films has increased. We believe this is a trailblazing space in independent film – we want to encourage it and bring new works to our audiences.”

Highlights of the festival are the much-anticipated Surf Nite, as well as the Music Video Showcase.  Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase, Cal Poly Short Cuts, and Filmmakers of Tomorrow put a spotlight on local talent from California’s Central Coast and emerging youth filmmakers from around the world. Submissions are open through the end of November, please visit https://filmfreeway.com/slofilmfest for more details.  More information on the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival can be found at https://slofilmfest.org.

Editor’s Note:  For the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, an Episodic Series is defined as a fiction or non-fiction work designed for serialized, online, or broadcast storytelling. Creators may submit multiple episodes, provided the total runtime does not exceed 40 minutes, or a single episode up to 30 minutes in length. Both web-based series and traditional television episodes are eligible. Selected works will be featured as part of an episodic showcase, with final selections and episode choices determined by the festival’s programming team. Episodic submissions must be subtitled in English. 

ABOUT SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Celebrating its 32nd edition in 2026, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is a six-day annual event.  It showcases creative, diverse, and impactful works from around the world in a wide variety of venues, from the city’s classic art deco Fremont Theater to the SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre.  Named to MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Coolest Film Festivals” list, and USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, the 2026 festival runs from April 23-28.  SLOIFF is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Qualifying Festival in the category of “Best Documentary Short”.

Ideally situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, with its laid-back vibe and serene natural beauty, is a picture-perfect setting for this highly regarded Central Coast film celebration. Filmmakers rave about the warmth and engagement that is so much a part of the SLO Int’l Film Festival experience, as do the industry pros and film critics who are fast discovering the fest’s thoughtful audiences and unique programming sensibility.

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