Author: KEYT

Alissa Orozco

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Two Pro-Palestinian activists were arrested Wednesday afternoon after they and three others stormed a Cal Poly Administration Building and vandalized it.

An email sent out campus-wide yesterday by Cal Poly President, Jeffrey Armstrong, says five pro-Palestinian activists stormed the university’s Financial Aid and Student Accounts office in the Administration Building and began spray painting all over the walls, windows, floors, and computers.

Armstrong states while no one was physically hurt, the incident was “traumatizing for numerous Cal Poly employees and students who were in the office at the time.”

The activists reportedly spray painted various pro-Palestinian phrases: “Free Palestine,” “Free Gaza,” “Cal Poly Divest,” “Let Gaza Live.”

As campus police arrived, the activists fled the scene but two were taken into custody for questioning.

Assistant Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, Matt Lazier, confirmed to your News Channel one of the suspects arrested was a Cal Poly student, while the other had no affiliation with the university.

Multiple people have been arrested on the campus in recent years in protest of the Israel-Hamas War. Eight people were arrested and several other protesters sustained injuries back in January 2024 during a planned pro-Palestine protest.

Most recently, President Armstrong spoke before Congress in May to testify about antisemitic incidents on campus.

“I want to emphasize that our goal is continuous improvement. We will work to give each student the safest possible environment free from discrimination and religious intolerance so they can learn, grow and succeed. We call it being ready day one,” said President Armstrong.

Regarding Wednesday’s incident, Armstrong said in the email, “we will not stand for illegal attacks against our institution, its employees and its students. There is simply zero tolerance for it.”

“Anyone who views this kind of shortsighted, disgusting and illegal activity as acceptable has no place at Cal Poly and will be rooted out.” 

The university asks anyone with information regarding Wednesday’s incident, including the identities of those responsible, to contact the Cal Poly police at 805-756-2281.

Your News Channel has reached out to the university and new information will be added to this web article as it becomes available.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – It’s the final phase, or to some, the final frontier of construction for a highway widening project from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara.

A large portion of the project has been funded, and work up to Summerland has been completed. That has added a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction. It is set for car pooling in the busy morning and evening hours, and open for all drivers the rest of the day.

Work on the Montecito segment is in progress. It also will include an additional lane in each direction.

The last phase is a connection from Montecito to Santa Barbara, all it needs is the last portion of state transportation funds.

That work will include a new southbound on ramp from Cabrillo Blvd, and a new improvements for Union Pacific trains through the area.

The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) works with CalTrans and other state agencies on funding, design, and implementation of these projects. SBCAG is made up of leaders from the county and cities within the county.

This year, Mayor Randy Rowse of Santa Barbara is the Chairman of SBCAG.

Rowse says he is awaiting the important phone call about more freeway funding.

Speaking recently about the process, Rowse said, “staff will find out on June 6, I think by 5 o’clock I think that is the witching hour that in fact we got our grant funding  that we are pretty optimistic about. Hopefully I will come back with those big cardboard checks that represents a whole lot of money.” He plans to go to Sacramento for the funds at the end of the month as soon as a date is set.

If all of the pieces come together, SBCAG says the project’s projected timeline has a finish in 2028.

For more information go to: SBCAG

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –

CIF-State SoCal Regional Semifinal Baseball:

Division 3: University City 9, Dos Pueblos 1

CIF-State SoCal Regional Semifinal Softball:

Division 3: Legacy 2, St. Bonaventure 1

Division 5: Orcutt Academy 10, Hueneme 0 (Orcutt will play at Rancho Mirage in Regional Final on Saturday).

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Ryder Christ

EDITORS NOTE: The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office clarified that the woman in the video was heavily intoxicated and that the footage does not show her exiting the car on her own.

ORCUTT, Calif. — When Michael Zoppo of Santa Maria bought his Meta Glasses three months ago, he never expected to capture the body of a woman being dumped while filming his young son at a park.

“I originally got them for sports, youth sports, with my son biking and other activities. I did not expect to film what I saw with them.”

While filming his son climb up a tree at Waller Park in Orcutt, he noticed a man drag a body out of a car in the nearby parking lot.

“I didn’t think it was a dead body originally, just because it looked like the gentleman was talking over them and there was not a lot of movement,” he said, adding he originally thought the man was going to help her.

“Maybe he’s helping her until I saw him drag her out of the way so he could leave, leaving her in the asphalt.”

Zoppo kept calm and acted quickly. When the driver made a wrong turn out of the park, Zoppo used his Meta glasses to discreetly call 911 and relay the car’s license plate number.

“He went left, and in that moment, I kind of took action,” he said. “Called the dispatcher right away… I told them what was happening. I think there’s a lady down in the parking lot.”

Deputies from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office intercepted the vehicle before the man could leave the park. The woman, who appeared unresponsive, was taken away in an ambulance.

“She was not moving or talking when they were trying to ask her questions.”

Zoppo said he had heard of similar body dumpings in the area but said he never imagined witnessing such an event—especially at a public park in the middle of the day.

“There’s kids… I’ve never, in my 35 years of living, seen something like that,” he said. “It’s wild… It happened right here.”

Despite the disturbing experience, Zoppo said he doesn’t want the incident to change how his family views the park.

“It sucks that that happened, but I don’t want that to diminish the community,” he said. “I’ll still be here. I’ll still feed the ducks and the squirrels.”

Zoppo’s advice to parents who may face a similar situation: stay calm and protect your children from seeing disturbing events.

“Just make sure your kid doesn’t see it,” he said. “Because it’s traumatizing for me as an adult to kind of see her—half her clothes pulled down and her face down in the asphalt.”

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Officers have clarified that the woman was intoxicated, and that the Meta glasses did not get her opening the door and getting herself out of the vehicle.

The man and woman both have multiple warrants.

The condition of the woman and the identity of the man have not yet been released by authorities.

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Mike Klan

GOLETA, Calif. – Dos Pueblos was the last high school baseball team in the 805 area still playing in the playoffs but the Chargers dream season is finally over.

University City of San Diego scored 4 runs in the first inning and they cruised to a 9-1 victory at DP in a CIF-State SoCal Division 3 regional semifinal game.

The Chargers avoided the shutout with a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Nick Salcido in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Charlie Potter led DP with two hits and reached base three times.

The loss wraps up an historic season for Dos Pueblos.

The Chargers won five playoff games which included a CIF-Southern Section Division 4 championship game appearance as well the program’s first win in a CIF-State playoff game.

Dos Pueblos(23-12) says goodbye to 12 seniors who certainly left their mark on the program.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Win-dow is a new restaurant that has arrived in Santa Barbara from Los Angeles and Long Beach, where it has five locations.

This is the first one outside of that zone, and the owners found Santa Barbara fits their simple, retro feel for the business.

It is a small building on the corner of Chapala Street and Ortega Street. It has been a restaurant off and on for years, but has no dining structure.

It didn’t matter to the first customers.

The grand opening for The Win-dow smashburger menu came with a free double cheeseburger for all customers who made one other purchase.

The menu is very simple. Beyond the burger – either a single or double, with a vegetarian option – there is a fried chicken sandwich, fries, a kale salad and a grain bowl. To refresh your meal, they have shakes and cold drinks. That’s about it.

The South Coast Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting Thursday around 10:45 am, prior to the 11:00 am opening. A line up the street was already cued up.

One of the co-founders, Jeff Goodman said, “we’re one of the original smashburgers in L.A. We opened in 2019 before it blew up into a trend, but our mission was really about better fast food. You can see it is not just burgers, although as you can see we serve a delicious burger. We also serve a killer fried chicken sandwich.”

Other co-founder, Paul Hibler, was not present.

The official logo has a dash in the name. Win-Dow. Goodman said it is for “style.”

Many of the first customers gave their meal a thumbs up, but their stuffed cheeks and smiling facial expressions spoke louder than words.

The cost of a cheeseburger is $4.35. That is considered one of the lowest for this type of popular menu item in the area.

It is a casual restaurant with outside tables for about 50 guests. There’s no enclosure, which will test the weather durability of loyal customers in cold, rainy or windy conditions. That is not expected to be a problem in the start up phase now.

Online ordering is expected to be popular, making The Win-dow a grab and go stop for those looking for a quick filling meal for a fraction of the cost of a larger sit down restaurant.

The restaurant has hired 25 employees.

Wednesday was a private opening for friends and family members who were eating menu items and filling out a sheet to give their review of The Win-dow.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week, with a 9 p.m. closing time.

For more information go to: The Win-dow

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Alissa Orozco

June is here and its officially the start of summer here on the Central Coast. There are inclusive events for everyone in the community that you won’t want to miss out on. Here’s what’s going on this weekend near and far:

SANTA BARBARA – SOUTH COUNTY

Photo: Santa Barbara Zoo

Meet Me in Old Town Goleta ~ Thursday, June 5th in Goleta

📍Goleta Valley Community Center

⏰ 5:00pm – 8:00pm

🪩 Invite family and friends to meet you in Old Town! The City of Goleta is hosting three community events to support local businesses in area, and its a great opportunity to explore the heart of Old Town. The evening will have yummy food, games, and live music from East Valley Road! Learn more here.

Zoo Brew ~ Saturday, June 7th in Santa Barbara

📍Santa Barbara Zoo

⏰ 5:00pm – 8:00pm

🪩 Drink beer, Save Wildlife! This 21+ only event invites you to explore the zoo and its wildlife, while enjoying tastings from local breweries and vendors! A general admission ticket includes unlimited tastings, and if you’re a Zoo Brew VIP, appetizers are included too. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will also available for purchase. Learn more here.

World Ocean Day ~ Sunday, June 8th in Santa Barbara

📍Santa Barbara Zoo

⏰ 10:00am – 2:00pm

🪩 To celebrate World Ocean Day, the Zoo will dedicated the day to its marine wildlife. Keepers will host talks on snowy plovers, otters, and penguins, animal encounters, and other ocean-related activities. All special events will be in included with Zoo admission. Learn more here.

2025 Walk to End Epilepsy ~ Saturday, June 7th in Goleta

📍UC Santa Barbara – Pauley Track

⏰ 9:00am – 12:00pm

🪩 Join in on this community effort to raise awareness and funds for Epilepsy research. You can join in-person or online to help the Epilepsy Foundation reach their goal of $20,000. There is no fee to register, however when you raise $50 or more you’ll earn this year’s official 2025 Walk for Epilepsy – Santa Barbara event merchandise. Learn more here.

19th Annual Los Olivos Jazz & Olive Festival ~ Saturday, June 7th in Los Olivos

📍Lavinia Campbell Park

⏰ 1:00pm – 4:00pm

🪩 This annual event brings together what the Santa Ynez Valley is known for: great wine, food, and music. Taste wine from local wineries, listen to world-class, professional jazz musicians, and sample different olive-themed dishes prepared by local chefs. Learn more here.

SANTA MARIA – NORTH COUNTY

Photo: House of Pride & Equality

Santa Maria Pride 2025 ~ Sunday, June 8th in Santa Maria

📍Santa Maria Fairpark

⏰ 11:00am – 5:00pm

🪩 Join in on one of the first of many Pride events on the Central Coast! The theme for this year’s Santa Maria Pride is “Strength in Diversity!” The day will feature a vendor market, resource fair, food trucks, a beer garden, all-ages drag shows, and performances by Forever Green, Mestizo, PCPA, Santa Maria Civic Theatre, Revive Dance Co., and Sparx the DJ. Learn more here.

Flag Day Ceremony ~ Sunday, June 8th in Santa Maria

📍Santa Maria Elks Lodge

⏰ 2:00pm

🪩 The Santa Maria Elks Lodge is celebrating the adoption of the nation’s flag, dating all the way back to 1777. Officer and members will kick off the ceremony at 2:00pm, followed by a cold cut buffet lunch! Learn more here.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

Photo: Charles Paddock Zoo

Ice Cream Zoo-fari ~ Saturday, June 7th in Atascadero

📍Charles Paddock Zoo

⏰ 5:00pm – 8:00pm

🪩 This family-favorite event lets you eat unlimited ice cream, live music, activities for all ages, and zoo animals! Tickets include full Zoo admission and unlimited sweet treats! Tickets are $16 for 13 years and up; $11 for 3 to 12 yrs., FREE to ages 2 and under. Learn more here.

Pridefest 2025: Paddling with Pride! ~ Saturday, June 7th in Morro Bay

📍Coleman Park Beach

⏰ 11:00am – 2:30pm

🪩 Celebrate Pride Month Central Coast-style with a paddle out! Wear your brightest colors, and paddle to make a community rainbow alongside Padding Paws’ most adorable, adoptable pups. The community is encouraged to bring their own paddle boards, kayaks, and life jackets – though a limited amount will be available to borrow. Learn more here.

SLO Blues Baseball – Fireworks Show ~ Friday, June 6th in San Luis Obispo

📍Sinsheimer Stadium

⏰ 6:00pm

🪩 Come cheer on the San Luis Obispo Blues as they take on the Menlo Park Legends this Friday! The season will run through July, and the team is bringing back many family-favorite events including post-game firework shows! Learn more here.

Family Free Day: Buzzing Beauties ~ Sunday, June 8th in San Luis Obispo

📍San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden

⏰ 10:00am – 2:00pm

🪩 Families can enjoy free entry to the botanical garden, and educational activities that focus on our local pollinators. Pack a picnic for the day and enjoy a stroll through the garden. Learn more here.

VENTURA COUNTY

Photo: Downtown Oxnard

7th Seaside Tattoo Show ~ June 6th – 8th in Ventura

📍Ventura County Fairgrounds

⏰ Check for Event Times

🪩 Over 100 licensed tattoo artists & piercers from across the U.S. will come together in Ventura for a three-day celebration of ink, art, and culture! You can get tattooed and/or pierced by some of the best. And for those looking for something a little permeant, henna art and tooth gems will also be available. Learn more here.

15th Annual Beachfront Run ~ Saturday, June 7th in Ventura

📍Ventura Pier

⏰ Check for Race Times

🪩 This weekend, you can take in the scenery of Ventura Beach by signing up for a 5K, 10K, or Half Marathon! Each runner will receive a T-shirt and finishers medal! A variety of vendors and live music will also be onsite, and even if you’re not participating, come cheer on the winners during the awards ceremony. Learn more here.

Camarillo Pride Festival ~ Saturday, June 7th in Camarillo

📍Constitution Park

⏰ 12:00pm – 4:00pm

🪩 Camarillo’s 4th Annual Pride Festival will feature a family-friendly event with bounce houses, arts & crafts, music, games, and more! The event will act as a space for love, acceptance, and celebration for those part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Learn more here.

Oxnard Insect Festival ~ Saturday, June 7th in Oxnard

📍Plaza Park

⏰ 10:00am – 4:00pm

🪩 Lovers of all things that squirms, slithers, or buzzes will love this local festival! This is a fun opportunity for families to come together and enjoy insect demonstrations, live music, and food trucks! The festival will feature some special guests this year: crustaceans! Learn more here.

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Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. – The owners of the new Nipomo battery plant provided a tour to the media and county officials on Thursday morning, giving an inside look at the much-discussed facility that has drawn a lot of attention over the past few months.

During the 90-minute tour, leaders with Houston-based Alpha Omega Power, which owns the Caballero Battery Energy Storage Site (BESS), answered questions from media members about its operations and safety features.

“The community should feel safe because these assets has undergone a battery of real life tests,” said Guillaume Dufay, Alpha Omega Power Co-Founder/Chief Technology Officer. “It has undergone a battery of inspections directly from CAL FIRE (San Luis Obispo County Fire Department) that came to the site here during the commissioning and it has also complied with all the latest regulations and all the strict requirements from the National Fire Protection Association. We have done simulations. We have done real life tests to prove that a fire event or any kind of emergency situation is extremely unlikely, and if it ever happens, it will be contained. It will be managed and it has been proven to not cause any risk for life and safety and property around the area.”

The Caballero plant is located on Joshua Street in south Nipomo near Highway 101 and has been in operation since April 1.

“It’s a power asset that connects to the to the power grid of California,” said Dufay. “This has 33 battery energy storage systems that produce a 100 megawatts. We are providing power for about 100,000 houses for about four hours. It’s injecting power into the grid on a daily basis. Batteries are here to act as a buffer on the larger electric grid. They provide power when it’s needed the most and they absorb power when there’s excess power available on the grid, so for these reasons, we call them reliability equipment. They provide reliability to the grid.”

The battery storage system is adjacent to the PG&E Nipomo substation and began operating less than three months after a battery plant facility in Moss Landing in Monterey County caught fire.

In the aftermath of the Moss Landing incident, many in Nipomo community and surrounding areas raised concerns about having a battery facility located close to their home.

However, the Caballero operators point out the two facilities are entirely different in their design and safety features.

“Compared to Moss Landing, this particular system was built compliant with the most recent version of California fire codes for the 2021 version of the California Fire Code,” said Nick Warner with Energy Storage Response Group (ESRG). “In addition to that, there are a number of UL product standards and other requirements that were either imposed as best practice from the industry or by, Cal Fire and other local authorities, to ensure safety with the site. 

They added the company is hoping to provide transparency about the Nipomo plant through the media tour and a town hall meeting that was held on Wednesday night.

“There’s just absolutely no risk for anybody who lives in the vicinity,” said Dufay. “This is one of the safest industrial developments that you can have in this country. The more interest from the public is better for our industry. We are proud of what we’ve done. This is very safe. We want to share that. We want to bring that out to the community. We did an open house to to share the same message. We are here. This asset is safe. This is what it does. There’s no mystery. There’s no magic here. We charge lithium ion batteries and we discharge them and we have all the fire and safety equipment and all the analysis that have been done to comply with all the latest codes.” 

Columbus, Ohio-based ESRG operates the safety planning and has established the safety protocols that are in place for the Caballero site.

Warner, a co-founder of the company, was onsite for the tour on Thursday and pointed out the plant has gone through meticulous planning ahead of its opening to ensure the site meets the highest levels of industry and government safety standards.

“We’ve gone through large scale fire testing of the system,” said Warner. “We’ve done heat flux analyzes. We generated emergency response plans and other engineering assessments, in line with these codes and best practices, or in some cases in excess of these practices. Part of why ESRG is here today is because we’ve contractually agreed to provide 24/7 subject matter expertise and services to the site for the lifetime of the operation.”

Also on hand Thursday was San Luis Obispo County Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding, who represents the entire Nipomo area.

His office has fielded a number of questions, comments and feedback about the plant since it gained widespread attention earlier this year following the Moss Landing fire.

“I understand that the community is really concerned, but there was a lot of misinformation about this project,” said Paulding. “This project meets a set of safety standards that weren’t in place when, the Moss Landing facility was approved and constructed for example. I think everything has risks, right? I can’t stand here and say that this facility is a 100% safe facility. You look at Diablo Canyon, you look at the Phillips 66 oil refinery that used to operate here in my district. This facility is held to a set of standards and those standards have been adhered to and they’re operating in a safe way. We have an emergency response plan should there be an incident and it certainly gives me more confidence. I hope that the community can rest assure that plans are in place should there be an incident.”  

Also happening Thursday, as well as a day earlier on Wednesday, and scheduled for this coming Monday, is specialized training at the site with the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department/CAL FIRE and several neighboring agencies.

“The intent of the training is to familiarize all of our firefighters with the facility and orient them to procedures and talk about what we need to do in the case of emergency,” said Ryan Grebe, SLO County Fire Department Public Information Officer. “We’ve invited other agencies like Santa Barbara County Fire, Santa Maria Fire, Five Cities Fire, and all these other people who are going to be responding in the event of a large emergency, so we want to make sure they’re getting the training and that they’re familiar with the facility as well.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Special Olympics Torch Run came through the South Coast Wednesday with a quick stop to acknowledge funds raised at several local events.

The check presentation was made at the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department headquarters, with Sheriff Bill Brown and his staff welcoming he runners. “As we mark the 39th anniversary of the Torch Run in Southern California, I am filled with pride to see this tradition burning brighter than ever,” said Brown.

The law enforcement agencies on the South Coast escorted the runners through the streets by running and driving alongside them.

The route down the coast and into Goleta, continued after the stop at the Sheriff’s station. It went down State Street through the promenade and then along the waterfront. The day’s route continued into Montecito, Summerland, and Carpinteria.

This weekend the athletes will compete in Long Beach.

Among those to greet the torch runners was Commander Butch Arnoldi with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department. He has been a coordinator of the Torch Run efforts for several decades and has more than 50 years experience with the Sheriff’s Department.

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Jarrod Zinn

GUADALUPE, Calif. – It will now be easier for people to get between Guadalupe and Santa Maria.

The rumors are true, and it all starts on July 1st: SMOOTH’s Guadalupe Flyer will be merged with Santa Maria Regional Transit—or “SMRT”.

“We’re going to miss operating the Guadalupe Transit Service,” says Fil Simas, SMOOTH Transportation’s executive director. “We’re proud to have been a part of it, and we’ve been affiliated with it. We started it, we initiated it, nurtured it, helped it grow.”

Those in Guadalupe who ride the bus to and from Santa Maria may start seeing their drivers in new uniforms in July.

Riders will also no longer have to pay two separate fares.

These transit systems are currently two different entities, and passengers are paying two separate sets of fares, following two different online interfaces.  The Santa Maria City Council gave the green light to the potential integration of the two systems back in February.

“Our entire industry, both on the private side and the public side, have experienced significant challenges,” says Gamaliel Anguiano, City of Santa Maria’s transit manager. “I mean, leading into the pandemic and certainly coming out, that’s expedited conversation between the two communities about merging the two transit systems.”

SMRT will now be the central, one-stop-shop interface for all transit information.

“The consolidation of Guadalupe Flyer with Smart is only one additional step in the major reworking of the transit network throughout North Santa Barbara County,” says Anguiano. “But there are plenty more steps to come.”

Santa Maria Regional Transit will also add two new lines that Guadalupe Flyer riders will be familiar with.

Route 40 will take passengers from the Guadalupe transit station to the Santa Maria transit center.

And 41 will circle, providing stops around the Guadalupe transit center.

“If you’re a Guadalupe resident you’ll see the Santa Maria regional transit livery coming up. That is your bus. That is the busses will bring you into town and take you everywhere else,” says Anguiano.

Passengers can ride for free from July 1st through 11th.

Additionally, any Guadalupe resident who attends classes at Allan Hancock College will qualify for the Bulldog Pass, allowing unlimited free rides in Santa Maria while enrolled.

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