Author: KEYT

Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Local veterans held a “Hands Off” protest this morning.

They’re questioning President Trump’s sweeping cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Trump administration released an internal memo in march announcing a drastic reorganization of the VA, according to the Associated Press.

Trump officials say up to 15% of the workforce could be cut, eliminating approximately 72,000 positions.

“The congressman opposes it emphatically,” says Greg Haas, district representative for Salud Carbajal. “He’s a veteran himself, but really, this is about all the veterans. This is one of the things he writes letters about or talks about to the secretaries and directors of we need more staff, We need you hiring more staff.”

It would return the department to 2019 staffing levels, and require staff to work from their offices full-time, eliminating remote and tele-work staff.

“Our veterans need more, not less,” says Haas. “Because they’ve done a great service for us. And we need to recognize that and honor that.”

An assembly of nearly a hundred veterans gathered for a peaceful “Hands Off” protest at the Veterans’ Memorial Building in San Luis Obispo Monday morning, receiving supportive honks from passersby.

“I just think all of these budget cuts are awful,” says Carolyn Biedinger, wife of a Vietnam veteran. “Asking people to go to war and to kill other people and then come home and fit in is very difficult. And so the vets need mental health programs as well as medical care.”

The protesters criticized secretary of defense Pete Hegseth’s treatment of women soldiers, stood in honor of their loved ones who served and died, and expressed hope that the VA will not be gutted.

“I think there’s an encouragement of male dominance and misogyny and that women aren’t equal,” says U.S. Navy veteran Tina Miller. “That’s somewhat antiquated, isn’t it?”

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said in late March that the cuts to the VA were about efficiency, not slashing benefits or health care.

“Now there’s one thing that’s going on around everywhere I go. And I’m just going to address it upfront,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “No disability benefits are being cut and no benefits of anything are being cut. And no health care budgets are being cut. Those are things that we do inherently.”

All branches of the military were represented by the attendees of Monday’s demonstration, and veterans were present from as far back as World War II.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Local dentist and humanitarian Dr. James Rolfe is known for his community work and his 24-hour clinic in Santa Barbara. For decades, Rolfe has provided dental care to people in need both locally and abroad, including in Afghanistan and, more recently, the West Bank, Palestine.

“There was no dental care at all in this whole province [of Afghanistan], and people had to go to a barber to have their teeth extracted without anesthetic,” said Dr. Rolfe. “That was the only care they could get. I had the same kind of feeling about Palestine, so I decided to go there and see for myself.”

Rolfe says that when he arrived in Palestine to work with United Nations hospitals, he found people deeply depressed, lacking hope, and unable to care for themselves—many having “basically given up.”

The humanitarian crisis in Palestine has reached catastrophic levels, with recent reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry indicating more than 5,300 Palestinians killed and nearly 18,000 injured since March. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations continue to devastate civilian areas, while access to food and medical aid remains severely restricted. According to the World Food Programme and UNICEF, over 66,000 children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition, with rates of acute hunger tripling since March 2025. Food prices have surged up to 1,400% following Israel’s blockade and destruction of agricultural infrastructure. International efforts to deliver aid and promote peace have been repeatedly hindered, and diplomatic calls for a ceasefire continue amid growing global concern over the escalating violence and humanitarian collapse.

“I knew things were really bad, but I found out they were even worse,” Rolfe said, reflecting on his visit to the West Bank in May.

“We really don’t see how this is affecting the people. I saw them as the nicest, kindest, most considerate people I’ve ever met. I didn’t have any conflict or disagreement with anyone.”

The 85-year-old dentist says his work is challenging but rewarding. He funds the missions himself, which allows him to remain independent.

After returning from Palestine, Rolfe wrote a personal statement to reflect on and process his experience.

“What I felt was that we really need to support the Palestinian people, because this is about freedom,” he wrote. “I think it basically depends on the United States. Israel would not be doing these things if it weren’t for U.S. support. This is something we have to deal with internally. We even see people who stand up for Palestinians being deported just for voicing their opinions under the First Amendment. Palestinians are not allowed to be free, and they are not allowed to be free because of U.S. policy.”

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Christer Schmidt

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – Two power outages left more than 3,500 PG&E customers without electricity on Sunday.

One was a planned shutoff near Lake Nacimiento that, according to PG&E, affected 2,067 customers.

PG&E says power was shut off around 2 pm on Saturday due to risky wildfire conditions.

The second was reported at 10:39 AM near Arroyo Grande and affected 1,505 customers.

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Caleb Nguyen

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. — A Falcon 9 rocket soared into the skies over California’s Central Coast Monday afternoon as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-14 mission — a major rideshare launch that delivered 70 diverse payloads into low Earth orbit, including research satellites, orbital transfer vehicles, and a unique memorial spaceflight capsule.

According to SpaceX, Transporter-14 is part of its dedicated smallsat rideshare program, offering cost-effective access to space for a wide range of customers. Monday’s launch included CubeSats, microsats, reentry capsules, orbital transfer vehicles, and scientific experiments from around the globe.

Among the 70 payloads was a special Celestis Memorial Spaceflight known as the Perseverance Flight, which carried more than 150 capsules containing cremated remains and DNA samples of loved ones, pets, and public figures from across the world.

One of those honored on this flight was the late Wesley Melvin Dreyer, a longtime aerospace engineer from San Diego. Over his 42-year career, Dreyer played a key role in advancing U.S. aviation and defense technology — including serving on the investigation team for the Challenger disaster, and contributing to major programs such as the Tomahawk missile and the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft.

His daughter Kelly shared that her father became an aerospace engineer “because he couldn’t be an astronaut.”

The Perseverance Flight is designed to orbit Earth two to three times at speeds reaching 17,000 miles per hour before reentering the atmosphere. The memorial capsules are expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where they will be recovered and returned to families as keepsakes .

The Celestis payload flew aboard Nyx, a reusable orbital capsule developed by European startup The Exploration Company. The capsule’s prototype version, called “Mission Possible,” served as the delivery vehicle for the memorial capsules during Monday’s launch.

As its name suggests, Transporter-14 is the 14th mission in SpaceX’s rideshare series. The program began with Transporter-1 in January 2021, which set a record for the most satellites launched on a single rocket, sending 143 payloads into orbit on one flight.

Following stage separation, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster completed its 26th flight, landing successfully on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

The booster has previously flown on missions including NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, and 15 Starlink.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Smiles and cheers of joy spread up and down the streets on Santa Barbara and Ortega streets.

Thousands gathered for the 51st annual Summer Solstice Parade which began at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The theme for this year’s festival is “Wild World” and many eye catching floats and costumes were brought to the festivities like mushrooms, lions and big colorful floats.

 “This parade today, to me it really embraces everything, like all colors, all genders, all political affiliations, everybody, kids, grandparents, adults,” said parade goer, Lisa Urwick. “You can come in a suit and tie. you can come wearing rainbow and butterfly wings, like nobody cares. It’s just whatever you want. It’s really a fabulous celebration of just life.” 

“I really love the parade, it’s very fun and watching all the floats and the dancers is very fun,” said Carsyn Rose who was attending with her dog. “They’re always very like happy and excited, it’s very interactive which I really liked.”

For some parade goers, attending the parade has been a tradition for many years.

“I went to college here at UCSB and so I definitely came during all that time, but my parents brought me, cause they’re very artsy and my aunt is very artsy,” said Urwick.

The parade included creativity colors and unique creations for everyone to enjoy.

The Summer Solstice Festival officially wrapped up on Sunday.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – CAL FIRE SLO crews issued an evacuation warning for the Sandy Point Campground after a 2-acre fire broke out at Lake Nacimiento just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Forward progress of the fire stopped at 7:06 p.m., according to CAL FIRE SLO.

CAL FIRE SLO crews continued to work on hot spots and fully contained the fire at 9:31 p.m. Saturday.

Campgoers are asked to avoid the area until emergency responders have cleared the scene, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

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Caleb Nguyen

OXNARD, Calif. – Oxnard Police Department officers arrested a 32-year old man for numerous felonies after he threatened to kill his 33-year-old girlfriend with a firearm Friday.

OPD investigators searched the 32-year-old’s car and home, where they found two loaded firearms –both of which the Oxnard man could not legally own due to previous convictions.

OPD officers then arrested the man for several crimes including making criminal threats, assault with a firearm, domestic battery resulting in injury and illegal firearm ownership.

Those suffering from domestic violence or victims of any crime should contact the OPD at the following number or on their website.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Summer Solstice 2025 festival has officially kicked off on Friday.

This years theme is Wild World and final preps for the big parade were being done at the community arts workshop on Friday afternoon.

“It’s going to be fantastic, I’m so excited, it’s always fun to be a part of Summer Solstice, just to see everyone that comes out and get to celebrate,” said artist, Louis John. “It’s a really great thing that Santa Barbara and the festival does,”

One artist shared what viewers can expect for Saturdays parade.

“We’ve created something called House of Huerta like a fashion house and we have created clothing made with cat food cans and we’re making hats out of food containers, household recycling,” said parade prop maker and artist, Emma Jane Huerta. “But we’re going to have a very elegant fashion show, because we’re actually the clowns of solstice,”

Independent artist for the parade shared where his inspiration came from.

“If you see me without my head gear on I have long white hair and a beard and I look like a white lion,” said independent artist Richard O’steen. “I’m part Scottish, so the lion is a symbol of Scotland. My first parade that I was in was in 1987, I moved here in 1984 and then watched it for a couple of years and said ‘I got to get in there.'”

The festival includes a kid zone and will officially wrap up on Sunday.

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Ryder Christ

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — Santa Barbara County’s once-high hopes for cannabis tax revenue are going up in smoke, with a new Grand Jury report warning the program may soon become a financial burden without major reforms.

Tax revenues peaked at $15.7 million in fiscal year 2020–21 but are projected to bring in just $5.4 million this year. At the same time, compliance, enforcement and administrative costs are climbing. The Grand Jury warns the program could run a $3.8 million deficit by fiscal year 2025–26 if changes aren’t made.

The drop in revenue is driven by an oversaturated market, declining wholesale cannabis prices, competition from illegal suppliers and high costs of doing business. The wholesale price of cannabis has fallen from about $1,200 per pound in 2020 to as low as $250 this year, the report said.

Rising costs have made it increasingly difficult for cannabis growers in Santa Barbara County to stay in business. Cultivators face steep financial barriers, including application fees as high as $10,450, annual renewal fees nearing $5,000, and compliance management costs exceeding $4,200. In addition to these regulatory expenses, growers must absorb high startup costs for infrastructure, security and maintenance. The report notes that many operators have been forced to shut down because they can no longer recoup their investments or turn a profit.

The county continues to face challenges in collecting accurate tax revenue due to its reliance on self-reported gross receipts from cannabis operators. Only three audits were completed last year, with six more planned for the coming year.

In June, the Board of Supervisors voted to disband the Sheriff’s Cannabis Enforcement Team, a five-member unit that had conducted dozens of raids since 2018. Most team members have been reassigned. One deputy will continue working on cannabis-related felony warrants, and the remaining funds will be redirected to audits and compliance monitoring.

During that meeting, Board Chair Laura Capps sharply questioned Sheriff Bill Brown about a $19,185 monthly lease for the cannabis enforcement team’s headquarters in Santa Maria—stressing that it amounted to more than $1.2 million since 2019.

“It’s an alarming, eye-popping number that shows me I’m not sure we’re using these funds efficiently,” Capps said during a tense exchange, asking whether anything could justify such high rent.

Brown responded that the lease also covers space for narcotics operations and had historically been used to store seized marijuana. He noted plans to relocate to a smaller facility within six months.

The board also approved funding for the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, including two therapists to support families affected by deportation.

The Board of Supervisors has 90 days to respond to the report. While some of the Grand Jury’s recommendations are already being implemented, such as reducing enforcement spending, the report warns that broader structural changes are needed to stabilize the program’s future.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The filmakers of tomorrow are coming home after spending a week in the Santa Ynez Valley at a special camp.

It’s in a collaboration with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) and the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County.

The camp was held in the Santa Ynez Valley near Cachuma Lake at the rustic Camp Whittier.

The participants get the tools and the instruction to create mini films from their ideas.

David Guerrero-Jimenez is 14-year-old from Santa Barbara and came with an idea. “I wrote a script, before beforehand, and I brought it here, so we used some of it. “

The young filmmakers can make any type of movie they would like, but this setting seems to inspire most of them to go with one specific theme.

Claire Waterhouse, the SBIFF Education Director, says, “our campers are often inspired to make horror films mostly every summer. It’s a chance for them to test their creative skills, and there’s so much that goes into making a horror film with angles and lighting and music, so it’s a really fun challenge to see them they love watching horror movies.”

“We learned a lot on, camera angles and lighting and, line execution, which is all critical for making films because it can determine, like, the mood, the setting or the vibe of the film,” said Guerrero-Jimenez.

One student Jax Palumbo wanted to be an actor and be tougher than he is in real life. “I played like a bad guy, and I wanted to be, better looking, more menacing.”

Among the mentors was Producer Joe Medjuck, who worked on movies including Ghostbusters. “It’s amazing how good many of them are. They’re learning the artistic part of a very early.” He was very impressed. Watching them work, “we see kids this age making finished films that they can show to people right away.”

In addition to making movies, there’s also time for many summertime camping experiences here around the camp, including hiking, archery and campfires with smores.

Next month the finished films will be shown at a First Thursday screening session in downtown Santa Barbara.

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