Author: KEYT

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol began receiving calls about a mountain lion on Highway 101 around 10:20 a.m. Monday.

Witnesses reported seeing a large cat get hit near the Castillo Street off-ramp.

The remains of the mountain lion were later spotted on the right shoulder of the southbound side of the freeway.

Julia Di Sieno, co-founder and director of the Animal Rescue Team in Santa Ynez, said she initially thought the lion might still be alive, but it did not survive.

“A gorgeous mountain lion bolted across the southbound 101 at the Castillo off-ramp and was struck by a vehicle several vehicles ahead of me,” Di Sieno said. “I immediately exited the highway and got back on northbound as I was calling Fish and Wildlife to report the deceased cat.”

Di Sieno returned to the scene as officers arrived.She questioned why the cat was so far displaced from its natural habitat.

There have also been recent mountain lion sightings in Ojai.

Di Sieno said she would like to see Santa Barbara County construct a wildlife crossing in the area.

“We have a couple of those placed strategically along Highway 154,” she said.

A major crossing project in Agoura Hills — the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing — is set to be completed by the end of the year.

For more information about that project, visit https://annenberg.org.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – With the start of the 82nd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo now just hours away, final preparations are taking place all day long Tuesday at the Santa Maria Elks Event Center.

Throughout the 107 acre property located just off Santa Maria Way on the east side of Highway 101, Elks volunteers, vendors and other workers are together putting the final touches on their setup for the start of the unprecedented five-day event, which begins Wednesday.

“We are busy getting set up,” said Scott Parsons, Santa Maria Elks Recreation Vice President. “We have our vendors rolling in. We have lots of our incredible volunteers putting banners up and finishing some touch up painting. Wednesday is looming around the corner, so we’re trying to get all of our T’s crossed or I’s dotted, making sure everything’s tied down and everything looks great because tomorrow is going to be here before we know it. For the 7 p.m. performance with gates opening at 5 p.m., we have to have things wrapped up.”

Earlier this year, the Elks Recreation, which operates the annual event, announced the addition of a fifth day of action, marking the first time in the long and storied history of the rodeo, the event would stretch over five days.

On Wednesday, the rodeo kicks off with a full night of action with an Xtreme Bulls event.

“For the first time ever, the Xtreme Bull tour of the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) is going to be here in Santa Maria,” said Johnna McGuire, Elks Recreation Media Director. “Wednesday night will be all bulls. We’re super excited. It going to be all bulls all night. We’ve been so blessed in the last few years. We’ve been had mostly sold out performances and it’s been really tough to get tickets and we we get it. It’s hard. We want everybody to be able to come, so this year we were able to to add a day and add something new and exciting for people to come and really watch. We all know the bulls are a favorite. We all love the bulls and they’re always at the end of the night, so sometimes not all the little ones make it for that one, but this will be great because it’ll be all bulls all night.”

The Elks will hold its traditional lineup of rodeo events on Thursday through Sunday, and will once again feature world-class PRCA rodeo action, such as bull riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping, team roping and bronc riding, as well as WPRA barrel racing and breakaway roping, kids mutton bustin’, Elks team roping, Junior breakaway roping, speciality acts, and the always popular Flying Cowboys motorcycle stunt riders.

“82 years is is pretty amazing,” said McGuire. “What’s happened in the last 13 or 14 years of what this rodeo has come to mean to me, not just for Santa Maria, but for the whole Central Coast and actually for like the rodeo profession, it really is a standout premier rodeo. We have one of the largest international audiences on Cowboy Channel, and again this year’s performances will on the Cowboy Channel app. This rodeo just really is that that one event that brings the whole Central Coast together.”

The 82nd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade will be held May 28th-June 1st, 2025.

For more information about the 82nd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade, click here for the official website.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA MARA, Calif. – Country singer-songwriter Larry Fleet will take the stage in the Minetti Grandstand Arena, as part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series presented by the Chumash Casino Resort, during the 2025 Santa Barbara County Fair.

The Santa Barbara County Fair announced Fleet’s performance on Friday, July 11th, with special guest Cripple Creek!

Fleet was working blue-collar jobs to make ends meet long before landing his recording contract with Big Loud Records, and creating some of his biggest hits including, Workin’ Hard, Things I Take For Granted, A Man’s Prayer, – and independently releasing Hard Work & Holy Water. The Tennessee-born artist and his music pays tribute to the music that raised him.

Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, May 30, 2025, starting at 10:00 am on the Fair’s official website.

The 2025 Santa Barbara County Fair runs July 9 through July 13 and this year’s theme is “Dancing To Your Own Beat!”

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A new addition has just arrived to the Santa Barbara Zoo!

Five-year-old male Amur leopard, Tamur (pronounced tuh-MOOR), has arrived to Santa Barbara from the San Diego Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP).

SSP is a program designed to maintain the genetically diverse and stable population of animals in captivity, “with the ultimate goal of supporting species conservation efforts worldwide.”

Amur leopards – also called the Korean leopard, Far East leopard, and Manchurian leopard – are the most endangered big cats on Earth. The Santa Barbara Zoo says there are just under 100 are estimated to remain in the wild, with threats including poaching, forest fires, development, and, at this point, inbreeding.

Approximately 200 Amur leopards are in human care, primarily in zoos in North America, Europe, and countries of the former Soviet Union, and are part of globally cooperative conservation breeding programs.

“Welcoming Tamur is a powerful reminder of the critical conservation work we do here every day,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, Vice President of Animal Care at the Santa Barbara Zoo. “The Santa Barbara Zoo is deeply committed to protecting endangered species like the Amur leopard. Every animal move is carefully planned with the future of the species in mind, and we’re proud to play a role in helping ensure their survival.”

Santa Barbara Zoo will say farewell to its current amur leopards, Marta and her mother Ajax. Marta, born on August 6, 2021, made history as the first Amur leopard born at the Zoo in over 20 years will now reside at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio, Her mother Ajax, one of the most genetically valuable female Amur leopards in North America, also moved to a new home at the Nashville Zoo.

The Zoo says while Tamur is still acclimating to his new habitat and may not always be visible, Zoo guests are encouraged to stop by and welcome him during their next visit.

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Alissa Orozco

CAMARILLO, Calif. – Three businesses in Camarillo were busted in a recent tobacco decoy operation by the Camarillo Community Resources Unit and Camarillo City Code Enforcement. The plan involved sending a person under the age of 21-years-old into establishments and attempt to purchase tobacco products.

The goal is to limit underage access to tobacco products and confirm businesses are operating within the law, as California Penal Code Section 308(a) prohibits the sale of tobacco and tobacco paraphernalia, including electronic cigarettes, to those under the age of 21.

The underage decoy appears young, provides identification when asked, and makes no attempts to mislead the seller. The decoy is supervised by peace officers during the process.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) confirmed that out of the 19 businesses checked during the operation, three businesses sold tobacco products to the underage decoy. They did not disclosed how much each business was fined, however “clerks of a corporation/business/retailer who sell, give or furnish tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 years old have committed a misdemeanor crime and can face a fine of $500 for a first offense, then $1,000 for a second offense, and $5,000 for a third offense.”

The three businesses fined in the operation included: Vons located at 5275 Mission Oaks Boulevard, Mobil Gas located at 4735 Pleasant Valley Road, and Chevron Gas located at 522 Las Posas Road.

The tobacco decoy operation was paid for by a newly acquired Tobacco Grant from the California Department of Justice, according to VCSO.

Anyone who knows of adults furnishing tobacco products to minors or establishments who sell tobacco products to minors please call the Sheriff’s Office at (805) 654-9511 or email Senior Deputy Matthew Koenig with CRU (matthew.koenig@ventura.org). 

 

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – There is now a sweet way to help the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County at a time when federal funding is being drastically reduced.

The Foodbeats program encourages you to sign up with a donation of $5 or more per month. With that you will get special notifications that could include perks and deals you will enjoy often for being a supporter.

Rori’s Artisanal Creamery is part of the kick-off with a “No-Expiration Buy One – Get One” scoop of ice cream as a member to Foodbeats.

Rori Trovato the owner of Rori’s Artisanal Creamery. She said, “we decided to do a buy one-get one and five percent of all of those proceeds will go to the Foodbank. (Beside Santa Barbara) now we are rolling it out to all eight of our stores. ( from Arroyo Grande to Santa Monica)” For now she says, “we don’t have an end game.”

The $5 donation through Foodbeats to the Foodbank can be turned into $25 worth of food help for those in need including friends, families, farmworkers and neighbors across Santa Barbara County who are vulnerable and rely on the Foodbank distributions.

Funding cuts are taking a hard hit on the Foodbank. Millions of dollars in support has been cut and alternative ways of fundraising are being created and kicking in. There is also a reported rise in the need for food assistance countywide.

Foodbank of Santa Barbara County CEO Erik Talkin reported on the federal cuts to the County Board of Supervisors earlier this month. He said, “we’re looking at a dollar amount of about $5 million of food that basically has vanished or will vanish for the rest of this year and that represents a quarter of all the food we distribute in the county.”

With his granddaughter in the Public Market enjoying a cup of ice cream, Tom Luria said he will sign up to Foodbeats to make a donation, lend some help and get the deal. “I think you hear more about it in Santa Barbara just because people are of that nature they like to give and support those causes. There’s people in need we need to step up and help.”

He has two grand kids, so this ice cream offer will be a frequent stop.

For more information go to : Foodbeats

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Mike Klan

GOLETA, Calif. – Alexander Hajda keeps hitting home runs and Dos Pueblos High School keeps winning playoff games.

Hajda blasted a 3-run first inning home run and added a 2-run double in the fifth inning as the Chargers beat Thousand Oaks 7-1 in a CIF-Southern Section Division 4 semifinal game.

(The senior Hajda is greeted at home plate after a 3-run home run. Entenza Design).

DP will play Ganesha of Pomona in the championship game on Saturday, May 31 at Blair Field in Long Beach at 4 p.m.

The Chargers are making their first CIF-SS title game appearance since 1993.

Hajda has hit three home runs in four playoff games, the last two have come in the first inning at home.

Seth Tedeschi has started on the mound in every playoff game and the senior worked 4 2/3 innings allowing just an unearned run to the Lancers.

(Senior reliever Derek Brunet works out of a 5th inning jam. Entenza Design).

With the score 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, senior catcher Zach Gesswein delivered a run-scoring single to left and Hajda followed with a line drive double to left to boost the Chargers lead to 6-1.

Dos Pueblos finished fourth in the competitive Channel League and they have caught fire in the postseason winning their last two games by a combined 18-2.

They face a Ganesha team that is riding a 19-game win streak.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –

CIF-Southern Section Semifinals

Division 4:

Dos Pueblos 7, Thousand Oaks 1 (DP vs Ganesha in title game, TBD).

Division 5:

Elsinore 6, Camarillo 0

Division 7:

Mary Star of Sea 7, Channel Islands 6 (11 innings).

Notre Dame(Riverside) 5, Grace 4

Division 8:

Fillmore 5, Colton 0 (Fillmore vs Pioneer in title game, TBD).

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Santa Barbara County Fire Department crews were on scene of a house fire that spread into a quarter of an acre of vegetation just before 4:00 p.m. between Santa Maria and Cuyama at 1850 Miranda Canyon Road.

A single resident from the home was displaced but the SBCFD did not report any injuries from the incident.

The SBCFD took a defensive position on the flames and knocked it down just before 7:00 p.m..

The SBCFD are receiving aid from Los Padres National Forest among multiple other agencies to continue mop up duties.

The cause of this residential fire remains under investigation, according to the SBCFD.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – For several months, Katja Broomberg volunteered at a hospice center in Santa Barbara.

“It’s been a really eye opening experience … I don’t know how much it would mean to mean to me,” said student Broomberg of Laguna Blanca School.

Broomberg joined several students from Laguna Blanca sShool to work closely with residents, staff, and volunteers of Sarah House, home for end-of-life care.

“To be able to introduce to young people … in a way that hopefully … they’re not afraid but rather curious about this … plant more seeds … with different communities,” said administrator Paloma Espino of Sarah House.

“There was a resident at the house i was close with … he passed away unexpectedly … it hurt a lot … but it was that experience that thought me life goes on even with death,” said Broomberg.

Their experience at Sarah House was so powerful, students created an entire production exploring themes of death, dying, and care.

“It has really changed the way I think about … to live in the moment and appreciate everything I have,” said student Ada Green of Laguna Blanca School.

While this is the first time these students have worked with Sarah House, they’re hoping it won’t be their last.

“I’m hoping each one will have a better understanding of the end of life and will appreciate their own lives,” said artistic director Peter Lackner of Laguna Blanca School.

The teen cast hopes this production will ignite empathy throughout the community for years to come.

“Death is not the end of life … it’s a part of it,” said Broomberg.

The Sarah House Journals: End of Life Care Through the Eyes of Laguna Blanca Students kicks of on Tuesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m., and on Wednesday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m., at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, 1535 Santa Barbara Street.

All proceeds will benefit Sarah House.

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