Author: KEYT

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The annual Veterans Day event in Santa Barbara brought hundreds together to honor veterans with music and speeches.

The 11 a.m. event at the Santa Barbara Cemetery was presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 and the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation.

It included a UCSB Color Guard Presentation, the Gold Coast Pipe and Drum Band, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, Sons of the American Revolution, singer and former police Sergeant Dave Gonzales and the Prime Time Band.

A special wreath was also presented for each branch of the military.United States Marine Corps Brigadier General Frederick Lopez, said, “this is a great military community throughout. Just to have it on this site, it is special. There are men from the Civil War all the way up to Iraq and Iran so it is a very special place.”

This year featured the song “The Veteran,” by Barry De Vorzon. De Vorzon is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written special songs for the Unity Shoppe and is featured on the annual holiday telethon. He is also a veteran.

De Vorzon said “I’m one of the fortunate ones that came back and enjoyed a lovely happy life.   There were unfortunately a lot of guys who didn’t.  They either didn’t come back or came back as damaged goods and Ireally wrote this song for those veterans.”

A resident who attends both the Memorial Day and Veterans Day events Ricardo Bimbela, said “they gave their duty for our country and the least we can do is honor them. Their service, we can not ever  forget that.”

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The top 150 Santa Barbara High School athletes of all-time were honored at the Santa Barbara Club hosted by the Dons Ye Old Gang and the school’s alumni association.

4-Time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Randall Cunningham and 3-time Olympic Gold medal winning volleyball player Karch Kirlay were some of the bigger stars that attended the gala.

Cunningham graduated from Santa Barbara High in 1981 while Kiraly was a 1978 Dons graduate.

The following day Cunningham held a kids-only event at the very Santa Barbara downtown Boys & Girls Club that helped Randall develop important life skills while he was growing up.

He threw the football to kids and also signed autographs.

The 150 top athletes coincides with Santa Barbara High School celebrating 150 years of being opened, making it one of the oldest high schools in California.

Here is a complete list of the 150 Dons greatest athletes in school history.

John Whittemore Track and Field 1918Keith Gledhill Tennis 1928Mike Dimas Football 1930Robert Eugene Lillard Baseball 1931Lou Tsoutsouvas Football 1933Harry McLaughlin Basketball 1936Bill Peters Football 1937Dario Castagnola Football 1938Thomas Kruger Tennis 1939Chuck Sylvester Football 1940Gene Mangini Baseball 1941Doug Spence Football 1941Peter Zucco Football 1941Eldon Ford Tennis 1943Alex Bravo Football 1949Eddie Mathews Baseball 1949Gene Bowman Football 1950Marshall Howe Football 1950Del Mora Football 1950Peter O’Garro Football 1950Marv Goux Football 1951Neill Wright Baseball 1952Gates Foss Track and Field 1953Payne Green Basketball 1953John Osborne Baseball 1953Bill “Gabe” Arellanes Baseball 1954Ernie Zampese Football 1954Al Geiberger Golf 1955Rino Filippin Baseball 1955Rodger Schmandt Baseball 1957Bill Oakley Baseball 1958Hayward Williams Football 1958Bob Looney Basketball 1959Rod Dowhower Football 1961Johnny Gilbert Track and Field 1961Gary Hart Football 1961Jim Murphy Football 1961Manuel Robledo Football 1962Jeff Jameson Baseball 1963Victor Bartolome Basketball 1966Joseph Charles Núñez Football 1966Dave Thompson Baseball 1967Grady Hurst Football 1968Bob “Bigman” Pointer Football 1968Sam Cunningham Football 1969Eddie Bowman Baseball 1970Booker Brown Football 1970Earl Pointer Football 1970Jamaal Wilkes Basketball 1970Don Ford Basketball 1971Alton Hayes Football 1971Alfonso Guzman Soccer 1972Russ Hafferkamp Water Polo 1972AC Cunningham Football 1973Philip Pipersburg Track and Field 1973Steve Dudley Football 1975Craig Gilbert Basketball 1975James Hunter Football 1976Vaune Kadlubek Water Polo 1976Jesse Orosco Baseball 1976Rudy Ybarra Soccer 1976Steve Crandell Basketball 1977Gus Guzman Soccer 1977Tony Gilbert Track and Field 1978John Hanley Volleyball 1978Karch Kiraly Volleyball 1978Cindy Schmandt Cross Country 1979Mike Falberg Tennis 1980Alison Hardy Tennis 1980Eric Sappenfield Cross Country 1980Mark Wooldridge Tennis 1980Mark Basham Tennis 1981Lynn Carpenter Cross Country 1981Baraza Thomas Cross Country 1981Randall Cunningham Football 1981Lisa Strand Volleyball 1981

Kelly Strand Volleyball 1981Tom Curren Surfing 1982Kim Mearig Surfing 1982Paul Nicholson Football 1982Sally Ostrander Tennis 1982Colleen Patton Tennis 1982Lola Trenwith Tennis 1982Karl Tucker Volleyball 1982Jason Gamble Football 1983Holly Ford Basketball 1984Pete Kwiatkowski Football 1984Lee Nelson Volleyball 1985Dina Trenwith Tennis 1985Tim Trigueiro Tennis 1985Brian Alderman Swimming 1986Kevin Bolden Football 1986Dante Robinson Football 1987Shannon Frowiss Basketball 1988Paul Johnson Basketball 1988Faha Banks Basketball 1989Paul Perkins Football 1989Stephanie Rempe Soccer 1989Janelle Thompson Basketball 1989Julie Whalen Volleyball 1989Simon Banks Football 1990David Fischer Volleyball 1990Kristen Knapp Basketball 1990Kerry Lawyer Track and Field 1990David Palmer Basketball 1990Poncho Renteria Football 1990Chris Sanchez Football 1990Matt Renshaw Volleyball 1992Alex Decret Tennis 1993Torlando Bolden Football 1994Lindsay Gassner Swimming 1994Linnea Mendoza Volleyball 1994Khalid Hurst Football 1995Brad Kittredge Water Polo 1995Carlos Morales Soccer 1995Mike Garrett Basketball 1996Pilar Montgomery Tennis 1996Phillip Pipersburg Jr. Track and Field 1996Ryan Spilborghs Baseball 1998Sarita Yardi Tennis 1998Greg Snyder Water Polo 1999Thalia Munro Water Polo 2000Matt Vasquez Baseball 2000Lisa Willett Basketball 2000Aaron López Soccer 2002Santiago Aguirre Basketball 2003Dylan Axelrod Baseball 2003Brian Snyder Water Polo 2003Taylor Rochestie Basketball 2004Tyler Wilson Water Polo 2004Kami Craig Water Polo 2005Cord Phelps Baseball 2005Carson Clark Volleyball 2007Kelly Easterday Water Polo 2007Kristen Dealy Volleyball 2008Roberto Nelson Basketball 2009John Uribe Football 2009Shane Lebow Golf 2010Jose “Tony” Alfaro Soccer 2011Bolden Brace Basketball 2016Kevin Gowdy Baseball 2016Amber Melgoza Basketball 2016Sawyer Rhodes Water Polo 2017Ben Roach Soccer 2018Will Rottman Volleyball 2019Bryce Warrecker Baseball 2020Pepper Marks Wrestler 2023Andreas Dybdahl Cross Country 2024Carter Battle Track and Field 2025Kai Mault Football 2025Luke Zuffelato Basketball 2025

The Top 150 selection process included an esteemed committee which included all of the athletic directors since 1990, coaches, local sports journalists and alumni.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) A freeway exit that is not supposed to be used by trucks and tall vehicles is set to close for good in the new year.     

The Santa Barbara Planning Commission gave the Los Patos Exit closure and underpass removal the green light.

Drivers along the 101 may know it better as Exit 95.

They may also know it from photos and videos of high profile vehicles getting stuck.

In June, a big box truck got stuck under the bridge that has a sign that reads 12 ft. 3 in.

The City of Santa Barbara Public Works Operations Manager Adam Hendel said the closure has always been part of the 101 Freeway project that is currently underway.

“The bridge doesn’t meet standards it is only 12 feet 3 inches high and it was built in 1901 so it’s over a century old and we do get large trucks crashing into the bridge, in fact a couple weeks ago a truck got stuck underneath,” said Hendel.

The removal will take place mid 2026.

“So, Spring 2026 at the earliest, and there will be a transition with that but we will close the 101 southbound  in partnership with Caltrans at Los Patos and work will happen behind the closure,” said Hendel.

The rusted railroad bridge will be replaced at a later date.

A temporary shoo-fly track will be installed to allow trains to bypass construction of the replacement bridge.

And the city is also planning new landscaping in the area that could be used for housing down the road.

New plants will be near the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge where people go to see wildlife and bird watch.

Michael Tiffany said he was aware of the plan and doesn’t think people heading south will mind going to another exit to get to the refuge.

“It doesn’t seem to get much use there isn’t a lot of traffic through it I seems to be a hazard I don’t think it will affect access to the refuge we come from the south so we take a different route anyway,” said Tiffany.

Many people are just discovering the area thanks to a new shopping area called The Post Montecito located at 1801 E. Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara.

It is close to the new roundabout along Cabrillo Blvd. and has stores from Los Angeles and New York including Teller, Spilled Milk, and Save Khaki United.

Rebecca Tanner of Runyon Retail said shoppers can take Cabrillo Blvd. to get to The Post.

“We don’t see there is going to be a problem with it. I think it will be great for businesses to not to have the through traffic coming up the street, especially with new businesses coming,” said Tanner.

The community hub in the center has a number of holiday events coming up this month and next.

We will have more on the upcoming exit 95 closure tonight on the news.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Aly and AJ wrapped up their Silver Deliverer tour at the Arlington Theatre Sunday night with a crowd from near and far and a crowd of millennials healing their inner child.

  American pop rock and indie duo Aly and AJ gave audiences a night to remember with songs from their newest album, including one from their EP-More Silver, which released in September. Singer-songwrtier and fiddle player, Amanda Shires joined the two on stage, sharing melodies and tunes.

They didn’t disappoint with music from the Into the Rush album which celebrated 20 years this year and of course, Potential Breakup Song to end the memorable night.

Aly Michalka moved to Santa Barbara a couple of years ago and the two have moved from their early Disney fame to a new chapter as independent artists. They finished their Silver Deliverer tour strong in their hometown of Santa Barbara and new and longtime fans loved the concert.

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Caleb Nguyen

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced a felony false imprisonment complaint against Ashlee Buzzard on Monday for an incident on Nov. 6.

Ashlee, 40, was last seen with her missing 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, on Oct. 9 and has not cooperated with law enforcement to confirm her safety or locate her, according to the SBCDAO.

The felony complaint ruled that Ashlee violated the personal liberty of Tyler S. Brewer through violence, menace, fraud and deceit, according to the SBCDAO.

The complaint also found the special allegation that the crime committed indicated planning, sophistication or professionalism, according to the SBCDAO.

This incident is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance and Ashlee is being held at the County North Branch Jail on $100,000 bail, according to the SBCDAO.

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Applications are open now for Cal Poly’s Bachelor Degree programs, being taught at the Allan Hancock College campus in Santa Maria.

The deadline is approaching, and Business Administration is the newest program.

Its the latest in a string of decisions to make getting a Bachelor’s degree more affordable.

“The Cal Poly Bachelor’s Degree Pathway is for transfer students, those who have completed the first two years of study at Allan Hancock Community College or another community college,” says Cal Poly’s Provost and Executive Director of Academic Affairs, Al Liddicoat.

A Bachelor of Arts program in Sociology was launched in 2024, joining Hancock’s nursing program, a cohort with Channel Islands.

“The first class from that’ll be graduating this year,” says Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College’s President.

Applications are now being accepted for those as well as the newest cohort, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

“Next year, Sociology continues and we’ll be adding a business degree on top of that,” says Walthers. “That’ll be just a tremendous value for local students.”

Classes are set to begin here at the Hancock campus in Santa Maria in the fall of 2026, but students will need to submit their applications by December 1st of this year.

“This program is going to, by the time it builds out into four full degrees, we think it’ll easily be 450-500 students a year participating in the program,” says Walthers. “Maybe even more.”

This program allows Allan Hancock students to finish their 4-year degree without having to commute to San Luis Obispo.

Students interested in applying can visit the application page on Allan Hancock College’s website by clicking here.

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Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – There’s a big milestone this year with the News Channel 12 Turkey Drive as Dimes Media celebrates its 10th straight year as a valuable partner with the annual fundraiser.

“Dimes is really prides itself on being a community organization,” said on-air radio personality Shawn Truax, who can be heard most prominently on 95.3 The Beach. “We’re involved in a lot of community activities and events and really like supporting our friends and neighbors, and with this event been going on for as many years as it has, and the amount of people that it helps, it aligns perfectly with everything that we’re about, which is really just making sure that our community is taken care of and we love being a part of it!”

The San Luis Obispo-based company owns and operates several popular Central Coast radio stations including: WiLD 106, 95.3 The Beach, 100.9 The Grade Classic Country Hits, KPIG, and K-News 98.5, and is using its airwaves to offer valuable information about the event.

“We have a wide variety of listeners and a wide variety of stations between our five stations here,” said Truax. “We love the diversity that come together here for Dimes, not only with us here at the radio station, but also to give back and be a part of this community. It’s a very diverse community and we appreciate it and love that so much.”

The News Channel 12 Turkey Drive is set for Thursday, November 20, with all proceeds benefiting thousands of clients with Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Barbara County and SLO Food Bank in San Luis Obispo County.

“Whenever you have a situation like we have currently where people are food insecure, and they haven’t been before, this is a good thing, especially during the holidays, where we can help them not be so food insecure and put a holiday meal on the table for their family,” said Scott Taylor, The Grade 100.9 radio personality. “It’s going to make you feel good if you can help. Please do and it’s going to help other people down the road. Guaranteed.”

In addition to its on-air promotion over the past several days and weeks, on the final day of the Turkey Drive, Dimes will take part in the event providing a live broadcast from the main drop-off site at the News Channel 3-12 building in Santa Maria.

“It’s very different than being here in the studio,” said Truax. “We’re basically talking to people one on one and to be out there in person, and get to see the people that are in our community, our friends and neighbors, and that are actually taking part in this event, and see the faces and put a name to the faces, it’s just really great to see everyone that is involved in this event.”

For more information, or to donate, visit the News Channel 12 Turkey Drive webpage.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Travelers at the Santa Barbara Airport continue to watch the arrival and departure boards very closely, hoping to avoid any delays that would change their plans.

Thousands of passengers daily are coming and going. The government shutdown issues have led to restrictions by the Federal Aviation Administration. Santa Barbara Airport officials have posted the latest information on the airport website to assist travelers.   

One passenger, Jim Wacker was already weary Monday morning and said, “I got rebooked. I was already having a raggedy flight arrangement. I got rerouted from Seattle instead of Phoenix and we are going to be rerouted to JFK instead of Newark and my car is  at Newark.   It is going to be a fun day.  I am not arriving until tomorrow morning.”

Saturday alone nationwide, nearly 1500 flights were canceled and more than 5000 were delayed.

A traveler who came in a few days ago was able to get through without delays. Jesse Johnson said, “I came up Friday and I was nervous about it   am I going to get canceled?  I was going to a workshop. “

Efforts are underway to end the government shutdown, but even if that is announced soon it is unclear if all of the schedules can be restaffed quickly.

Many travelers even at small airports were lucky to avoid a delay.

Kimberly King was here for a half-marathon race over the weekend. “On the day that flew here we were on a flight that was kept on the scheduled but   two of the five flights got canceled so  we got lucky.” Temperatures were in the 70’s and she said, “I’m sad  to go home. I mean I wouldn’t mind a delay !”

 One traveler seeing the impacts from the air traffic controllers to the passengers said, “the whole situation is stupid.” Madeline McFeely went on to say, “I’ve been checking for a couple of times then I got a notice from Southwest that I would be leaving on time.”

One passenger ready to go out Tuesday morning found out Monday evening, the plane they would be on was not going to arrive Monday night and they would have to go out later in the week.

Airlines are also in touch with their passengers. Travel experts say non-stop flights are the most reliable during these conditions.  Multiple stop flights can lead to possible delays or flight cancellations.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The recent Beach Boys All-Star Tribute in September is paying off for some local nonprofits.

The tribute charity event led to some big check presentations.

Adams Angels and the Surfrider Foundation received the money raised outside the Granada Theatre.

The nonprofits and their supporters posed for photos with a giant replica check representing $101,075.98 raised during the September concert that looking like a loving reunion.

HECK CHEAdam’s Angels helps the unhoused every week rain or shine and the Surfrider Foundation of Santa Barbara helps beaches stay healthy.

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Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif. (KEYT) The Healing Portal hosted an early holiday boutique.

Master Healing Practioner Kelle Evans said they wanted to help people welcome in the season.

“Crystals, jewelry, they are all Reiki infused spiritual tools, I mean what a great gift to give someone because it is not only beautiful it is healing and we wanted to be the first ones on your gift giving season to start out the season right,” said Evans, “Because we do need the healing right now, there is a lot of pain, suffering stuck-ness  and people are also starting to discover their spiritual side, so we wanted to help them do that and we do that with these beautiful gifts from the earth.”

Shoppers had a chance to meet small business owners and makers.

They called the sale The Portal of Light.

It included discounts on sage, teas, crystals and jewelry.

The Healing Portal at 290 Maple Ct., Ste 118 also has Crystal Wave Workshop coming up on November 15.

For a link to more information visit https://www.healingportal.net

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