Author: KEYT

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – With over 30 inches of rain in some areas of the Central Coast since November 1st, this wet weather season is already one to remember for years.

Some of the more intense areas have been San Marcos Pass and Gibraltar Lake.

Another weekend of rain, at times very steady, has arrived.

This, combined with the winter King Tides during the full moon cycle – and there is likely to be more impacts to the coastline, creeks, and some of the two lane highways. Already tons of debris have been pushed out by the runoff and then pushed back on shore with the tides. This includes full sized trees.

Rainfall totals will vary from 1 – 3 inches along the already saturated coast.

The tides will be among the highest the area will experience. Saturday morning about 8 a.m. will be an active hour. Barricades are already up along the breakwater wall near the Santa Barbara Yacht club. Yellow tape is along the sand berm coming in from the west. Much of it has eroded away but underneath in some areas are large boulders.

Just as one crashed boat has been removed from a Santa Barbara beach east of Stearns Wharf this week by Marborg, another is on shore by the volleyball courts.

Friends and passersby who wanted to help the owner Nya Burke, shoveled out sand at low tide and were able to turn the vessel back to the ocean. They wait now, for the high tide to see if it will float and get pulled out.

“It was all the way, like, maybe ten feet over there and then got pushed up. So angle it, anchor it. So when it starts to float, we’ll have an angle out,” said Burke.

One of those helping out has done this before, when he was a kid, helping his dad working for insurance companies.

Dave Abernathy said, “some salvage work up there in Fort Bragg. Sent me in with a line to get it off the beach, you know.”

As they worked on the vessel the Green Flash, he said, “just a bunch of, volunteers right there to dig out a spot where you can turn. Yeah, we’re going to spin around.”

By nightfall it was going the right direction and awaiting the rising tide.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – One of the the first repair orders for Santa Barbara’s Coast Village Road to start the year will be a repaired sign.

The wooden sign that welcomes the public to the popular street near Montecito was damaged in a car crash on New Year’s Day.

It’s the oldest of the two signs welcoming people to the area coming from west to east. Half the sign is still up and twisted. The bottom half is broken off and on the ground.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning beachgoers about dangerous conditions along the coastline for the next few days.

A “Beach Hazards Statement” for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties has been issued by the NWS through Monday morning.

According to the NWS, dangerous rip currents and elevated waves are expected along the Central Coast coastline.

It also said other impacts may include minor coastal flooding due to abnormally high tides between seven to seven-and-a-half feet, along with gusty southerly winds.

The conditions come with the arrival of “king tides,” a seasonal occurrence when tides are at their highest and lowest point of the year.

Peak tide times are expected in each morning between 7 a.m. to 11 a. m.

With the Beach Hazards Statement now in effect, the NWS is advising the public to keep out of the water due to dangerous swimming conditions or to stay near occupied lifeguard towers.

Anyone who visits the coastline is also warned to especially avoid rocky areas along the coastline.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A sailboat you may have seen before Christmas on a Santa Barbara beach is now gone.

This large sailboat came ashore to the east of Stearns Wharf. The mast hit a protective fence and the dredging pipe while it was bobbing back and forth for days.

Earlier this week a Marborg Industries crew was hired to come in with a piece of heavy equipment and take the broken boat away in a dumpster. All of the remaining splinters and debris was removed by hand to make sure the beach was safe.

One day after this vessel was removed, another boat hit the beach further down towards the volleyball courts. It does not have hull damage.

That issues is now the focus of a boat-rescue plan.

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Caleb Nguyen

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (KEYT) – SpaceX is scheduling a Falcon 9 rocket launch for the Italian Space Agency and Italian Ministry of Defense at 6:09 p.m. Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

A backup opportunity will be available on Saturday, Jan. 3, at the same time if needed for the COSMO-Sky Med Second Generation, according to SpaceX.

This is the 21st flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which launched several others, including 11 Starlinks, according to SpaceX.

The first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base following stage separation, according to SpaceX.

Several Central Coast residents may hear one or multiple sonic booms during the launch, though conditions and weather may play a part in the launch.

A livecast of the mission will start 15 minutes before liftoff which are viewable either on SpaceX’s website or its social media page.

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Some local politicians and civic leaders are speaking out against a surge in ICE arrests in Santa Barbara county over the last week.

Santa Maria seemed to be a hub of ICE’s activity.

Local leaders say it started right after Christmas, has continued daily, and patterns are giving indications of racial profiling.

Immigrant rights groups say nearly 150 members of Santa Barbara county’s communities–including about 85 residents of Santa Maria–were reported earlier this week as having been apprehended by federal agents.

“In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen more than 100 folks get arrested by ICE, many of them with no warrants out for their arrest,” says Maria Salguero, an Immigrant Defense Attorney.

Central Coast leaders say that number increases on a daily basis, raising more alarm bells from within the community.

“The purpose for being here today is to shine light, and to also ask for local elected officials to enact protections,” says Santa Maria city councilwoman Gloria Soto.

Advocates say many of the people apprehended by ICE since December 27th didn’t know their immigration status was in question, they had no criminal records, and no warrants were issued for their arrests.

“My understanding is that some of those arrests have been targeted, with a lot of the targets being people who are of indigenous backgrounds,” says Soto. “And so the trend that we’re noticing is that a lot of these arrests may be racially profiled.”

State senator Monique Limon, Santa Maria city councilwoman Gloria Soto, immigrant legal defense attorney Maria Salguero, and others spoke at Friday morning’s press conference.

Leaders say that some people are caught off guard when their immigration status is in question, and that fixing their status is not always as easy as it seems.

“Certain governments, even in the United States, that there are consular offices, they’re refusing to give them any sort of identification in retaliation for their political involvement in their home countries,” says Salguero.

Leaders are demanding greater transparency and better protections for families who are allowed to live in the U.S. amid a surge in arrests.

During this recent surge in arrests, at least one person with a criminal background was arrested.

Homeland Security says a man named Juan Perez-Tello was arrested December 28th in Santa Barbara.

He was sentenced for child sexual abuse in 2005.

Local leaders and advocates say you can join the Rapid Response Network to find ways to help.

The number for their hotline is (805) 870-8855.

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Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – An upcoming infrastructure project on a busy Nipomo roadway will disrupt traffic flow in the area for several months.

On Monday, Jan. 12, the Nipomo Community Services District (NCSD) is scheduled to begin what is officially known as the “Frontage Road Trunk Sewer Replacement Project Phase 1.”

Expected to last through June, the $3.8 million project entails the replacement of sewer pipeline on South Frontage Road between Tefft Street and Division Street.

Between Division Street and Grande Avenue, pipeline will be enlarged in size from 12 inches to 18 inches, while pipe between Grande Avenue and Tefft Street will increase from 10 inches to 15 inches.

During work hours, detours will be in place directing traffic to use alternate routes between Tefft Street and Division Street.

Drivers can expect impacts through a handful of traffic control measures that are still being finalized with San Luis Obispo County.

To help minimize the disruption, construction will not take place during the busiest commute hours during weekdays.

Work on the project between Division Street and Hill Street will happen each day beginning at 8:30 a.m. and last several hours through the mid-afternoon.

Work between Hill Street and Tefft Street will take place during evening hours.

According to the NCSD, the project is being done in preparation so the wastewater treatment facility can accommodate future in the community.

In addition, the NCSD is closing its secondary wastewater treatment plant at Blacklake Golf Resort and needs a larger pipeline to handle the increased outflow to its primary site located along Highway 101 and Southland Street.

A second phase of the project will take place on North Frontage road from Tefft Street to Juniper Street and will take place at some point in the future.

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). -The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Basketball team tipped off 2026 with a home showdown versus Cal State Fullerton today, a contest the Titans won 62-61. The high-intensity game went down to the buzzer and is just the second loss of the Gauchos’s season, who are now 2-1 in conference play and 11-2 overall.

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ”One thing we’ve learned how to do is execute in close games. And I thought we did a great job executing down the stretch,” Jimenez said. “But your luck’s going to run out. You can put yourselves in positions to win, but we probably had three games where we’ve won on either a buzzer beater or three seconds etc., and at some point, your luck’s going to run out and it’s going to go the other way.”

HOW IT HAPPENEDCal State Fullerton set their tone early on, initiating a hard press defense that would define their style of play for the duration of the game. Though the Gauchos won the tip off, the Titans made the first basket with a layup and started 2-0. Zoe Borter responded for the Gauchos, launching the first of her soon-to-be signature three-pointers.

It was a fast-paced back and forth, with each team scoring clusters of points at a time, but the Gauchos kept the lead they established at 3-2 and stayed several baskets ahead. They exited 22-18 from the first quarter.

The Gauchos’ lead held early in the second after Jessica Grant kicked it off with a signature three-pointer.

Halfway through, Fullerton tied it at 27-27 before putting themselves ahead 29-27. Santa Barbara got its lead back after a layup-free throw combo by Julia Púente-Valverde gave them 30 points. The half closed out at 37-33 Gauchos.

Fullerton tied it 37-37 almost immediately in the third, making two layups in the first minute. Borter sank another three to bring it back to 40-37, but the game was tied again at 42-42.

The Gauchos held it at 48-47 for nearly three minutes before they exited the quarter still ahead 50-48.

The Titans outlasted the Gauchos through the fourth, holding Santa Barbara to just 11 points – its lowest-scoring quarter of the game. After Olivia Bradley opened the period with a layup, the Titans went on a ten-point scoring run that brought them their first tangible lead at 58-52.

By the time the Titans’ streak had ended, the Gauchos had just two minutes to put a stop to the operation. In cinematic fashion, Santa Barbara made seven back-to-back points, overcoming Fullerton’s buffer and coming out ahead 61-60. But then, after collecting 23 offensive rebounds, the Titans’ 24th sealed the game

After missing a layup with just seconds remaining, the Titans stole the final offensive rebound and returned it into the basket. They came away 62-61 to become the first Big West team to defeat the Gauchos this season.

The teams varied greatly in terms of offense, with Santa Barbara shooting 50% and sinking 21 of their 42 total shots. Cal State Fullerton, however, relied on offensive rebounding and made only 26 of 73 shot attempts.

Over 50% of the Gauchos’ points were three-pointers, while Fullerton shot just 10% from beyond the arc, going 2 for 19. The Gauchos hold the second best three-point defense in the nation, a point heavily aided by their performance versus the Titans. Fullerton was a spirited opponent, forcing 13 turnovers and making 16 second chance points.

Jessica Grant shot 57% from the three and currently resides as one of the nation’s top 10 best three point shooters. She led the Gauchos in points against the Titans with 12. Skylar Burke headed the rebounding effort, grabbing eight, while Maddie Naro threw a game-leading six assists.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos continue their home stay with a game against CSUN on Saturday, Jan. at 2:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).

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Mike Klan

FULLERTON, Calif. (KEYT). -The UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball team dropped its first conference game of the season to Cal State Fullerton Thursday night. Despite winning the rebounding battle and making nine more 3-pointers than the Titans, the Gauchos’ 24 turnovers led to 42 points for Fullerton.

HOW IT HAPPENEDAn opening three kicked off the scoring for the Titans and the Gauchos responded with a Hosana Kitenge layup to get on the board. Following the basket, the Titans went on 13-0 run. Six turnovers by the Gauchos propelled the run. After taking a timeout, UC Santa Barbara started to get to the rim and hit open shots in a back-and-forth stretch.

During the middle part of the half, Cal State Fullerton went on another big 14-0 run as the Gauchos trailed 32-13 at the nine-minute mark. At that point, Mahaney and Kitenge were the only two players to make shots for the Gauchos before CJ Shaw hit a three shortly after.

The Shaw three was part of a short spurt of the Gauchos’ 9-2 run to cut the lead to 13. In the final minutes of the half, the teams went back and forth and UC Santa Barbara went to halftime down 50-36.

To start the second half, both teams traded baskets and chipped away at the Titan lead. Zion Sensley hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 12, and just after, the Gauchos cut the lead to 10 after a Marvin McGhee IV dunk.

Following some back-and-forth, back-to-back threes cut the lead to eight with just under 11 minutes to play, but Fullerton went on a 7-0 run to build their lead back to double digits. It was the closest the Gauchos would get and ultimately fell 95-84.

NOTABLESMahaney’s 23-point outing was his third 20-point game this season.This was the first game this season, and the Gauchos did not record a single block.The Gauchos won the rebounding battle but lost the game for just the second time this season. They are now 7-2 when they outrebound their opponent.The Gauchos made nine more three pointers than the Titans, outshooting them 41.2 percent to 29.4 percent.The Gauchos were perfect from the free-throw line, making all 10 of their shots.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos will stay on the road as they head to CSUN to take on the Matadors on Saturday, Jan. 3. The Gauchos and Matadors will tip off at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet with live stats available.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).

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Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT). – Sophomore Hamad Mousa finished with a game high 26 points Thursday evening and fellow guard Peter Bandelj produced the go-ahead and eventual game-winning layup (left) with 18 seconds remaining as the Cal Poly men’s basketball program resumed Big West play and opened 2026 with a 67-65 victory against defending conference champion UC San Diego.

Bandelj added 15 points for Cal Poly (6-9, 2-1), which snapped UC San Diego’s 16-game winning streak against Big West opponents dating to Jan. 18, 2025.

Held scoreless for the final four minutes, UC San Diego clung to a 65-64 advantage following a missed three-pointer by guard Alex Chaikin with 38 seconds to play. Mustang junior guard Jake Davis rebounded and, following a Cal Poly timeout, Bandelj drove the left baseline with his layup to place Cal Poly in front.

At the other end of Mott Athletics Center, an attempt at the rim from Tritons guard Leo Beath bounded off the iron with Cal Poly sophomore guard Cayden Ward rebounding. Fouled, Ward converted one free throw attempt before a three-pointer from Beath sailed wide at the buzzer.

Prior to the final minute, Cal Poly’s last lead was an 18-16 advantage seven-and-a-half minutes into action. UC San Diego dissolved that edge with a 13-5 run and led by as much as 40-31 two-and-a-half minutes before the break.

Mousa, however, responded for Cal Poly with back-to-back three-pointers and a layup from Ward with a second to go cut UC San Diego’s lead to 42-39 heading into the locker room.

The Tritons, limited to a 21.2 (7-for-33) percent second-half shooting mark, failed to stretch their lead past six points during the second half.

Cal Poly Noteworthy (versus UC San Diego)

Up Next: Cal Poly returns to the road Saturday, Jan. 3, visiting Long Beach State (4-10, 0-2) at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.A double-digit scorer in all 14 appearances, Hamad Mousa retained the Big West scoring lead, improving his average to 21.0 points per game.Peter Bandelj, meanwhile, moved to fifth among Big West scorers at 16.1 points per game.Cayden Ward led all players Thursday with a season best 11 rebounds.Cal Poly’s Thursday win snapped a five-game series slide versus UC San Diego.The Mustangs, who entered Thursday’s matchup ranked 12th among NCAA Division I programs with 31.7 three-point attempts per game, attempted a season high 42 against UC San Diego.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)

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