Author: KEYT

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT)- San Marcos boys water polo got defensive against Buena in a 10-7 Channel League game.

The Royals held the Bulldogs to just two goals in the second half as goalie Titus Fernandez totaled 8 blocks in the game.

Offensively San Marcos was led by Christian Yonker who had 3 goals while Pepperdine-commit Will Stuart and Jake Magid added two goals apiece.

(Will Stuart converts the penalty shot in the first quarter).

The Royals jumped out to a 4-1 first quarter lead but trailed 5-4 at the half.

The reigning Channel League champion Royals are now 2-0 in league.

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Mike Klan

FULLERTON, Calif. (KEYT). – The winless streak is over. The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team turned in a stout defensive performance to hold on to a 1-0 lead at Cal State Fullerton and win their Big West opener. Buba Fofanah scored again, Owen Beninga kept another clean sheet, but for the first time this season, they did both in the same game. Most importantly, the Gauchos finished, and not just in front of goal. While Beninga will get credit for the shutout (which he deserves), the defensive corps in front of him — Haruki Utsumi, Drew Kamienski, Calle Mollerberg, Eddie Villeda, Jacob Blach and Colby Renton — each put in tremendous shifts to keep all 17 of the Titans shots out of the net.

HOW IT HAPPENEDThe hosts had control of the match through the first 10 minutes as Santa Barbara had to weather an early storm. In the first two minutes, the Titans had a shot blocked, another bounce off the crossbar and a third go wide left. While Fullerton managed five shots in the first 10 minutes, only one required saving, and it was a largely tame effort.

And after the 10th minute, it was the Gauchos who started to take more and more control. They crafted enough of a threat to win back-to-back corner kicks in the 12th minute, then Steinar Bjornsson and Fofanah had shots blocked within a minute of each other. Santa Barbara continued to knock at the door, winning a couple more corners and seeing another shot from Bjornsson blocked. In the 22nd minute, they should have had a tap-in after Calle Mollerberg split the Titan defense with an incisive pass for Bjornsson to run on to, allowing the Icelander to play a pass across the face of goal, where both Fofanah and Thomas Noordegraaf were racing to meet it. Unfortunately, neither could put a toe on the ball to direct it goalwards.

In the 27th minute, the Gauchos finally broke through. Villeda played another deft through ball for Zac Siebenlist, who raced to meet it before it crossed the endline. The sophomore pulled a pass back for Fofanah arriving at the front post, only to see his shot saved at close range from the Titan goalkeeper. However, the Gauchos were clearly due a break. The rebound from the initial save bounced right back off of Fofanah and into the back of the net, putting Santa Barbara on top.

While the Gauchos maintained a comfortable hold on the game after the score, they had to manage a few issues. In the 32nd minute, the Titans worked their way into a one-on-one with Beninga, but Villeda made a great recovery to get in the way before the Fullerton player could get a shot off. In the 45th minute, just 15 seconds before halftime, the Titans had a shout for a penalty kick, but the referee ruled (and upheld after VAR review), that Blach’s tackle was fair.

With a lead at the break, the Gauchos dug in and spent the majority of the second half soaking up pressure, looking to hit the Titans on counterattacks where they could while the defense worked to maintain the lead. Their best opportunity for a second goal came in the 67th minute, less than 60 seconds after the Titans had been forced to change goalkeepers, but Siebenlist’s shot was denied by the new netminder in what was the save of the evening.

As it turned out, the Gauchos had no need for a second goal, as the defense did its job. The Titans took nine shots in the second half but managed to put only one of them on target, which Beninga saved comfortably. The reigning Big West Freshman and Defensive Player of the Week showed off his trademark aerial dominance a couple of times in the second half, either catching or punching away corner kicks, but the 45-minute stand was largely orchestrated by the back line in front of him. Of the eight second-half shots that Beninga did not have to save, four were blocked by the Gauchos.

BY THE NUMBERSWith three clean sheets in as many appearances, Beninga now ranks fourth in The Big West for shutouts on the season. The two players next ahead of him have taken 10 games to collect their four.Wednesday night’s victory was the 20th in conference openers for Tim Vom Steeg as head coach of the Gauchos.Wednesday was also Vom Steeg’s 23rd career victory over fellow Big West coaching legend George Kuntz. Since Kuntz took over the Titans in 2025, Vom Steeg’s Gauchos are 7-3-3 against them.

UP NEXTSanta Barbara returns to Harder Stadium for their first home conference match of the season on Saturday, hosting UC Riverside at 7 p.m. The Highlanders suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in their conference-opener on Wednesday night, falling to a late CSUN goal. The Gauchos have not lost to the Highlanders on home soil since 2017. Tickets for Saturday night’s match are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets, and fans can catch all the action from anywhere by watching live on ESPN+.

(Courtesy UCSB Athletics).

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Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT). – Senior defender Nico Baltazar scored his first goal of the year in the 51st minute and junior forward Sean McTague produced the game winner four minutes from full time as the Cal Poly men’s soccer program opened Big West play Wednesday evening with a 2-1 victory against UC Davis in a nationally-televised matchup on ESPNU.

Senior goalkeeper Nicky McCune chalked up three first-half saves for Cal Poly (4-3-3, 1-0-0), which extended its unbeaten run to six successive matches. Opening defense of its 2024 Big West regular season title with three points, Cal Poly also stretched its program record unbeaten streak at Mustang Memorial Field to 13 successive matches.

McCune recorded all three of his saves inside the opening 17 minutes and the Mustangs nearly broke through in the 24th before senior midfielder Bakuena Ramakatsa’s backheel flick outside the penalty area sailed wide of the left post.

It was the Aggies though who notched the opening goal in the 49th minute with defenders Gavin House and Andrew Dutra combining to set up forward Chase Tanon.

The Mustangs, however, equalized less than three minutes later as defender Michael Vick picked out Baltazar from the corner as Cal Poly’s defender scored with his first shot attempt of the season.

Cal Poly placed six of 13 shot attempts on target and was whistled offside nine times before McTague produced the game-winning goal in the 86th, firing outside the right post and into the left corner following an assist from junior midfielder Jackson Miller.

The Mustangs resume Big West play at UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).

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Alissa Orozco

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KEYT) – In a press release sent out Wednesday morning, the San Luis Obispo County Airport shared their dedication to keep air travel safe and reliable despite the Federal Government shutdown.

The Federal Government shut down at midnight Wednesday after a deadlocked Congress failed to reach funding deal. As a result, thousands of federal workers have been furloughed – however, government workers deemed essential, such as air traffic controllers and the TSA, will stay on the job.

As an essential federal safety function, air traffic operations and security will remain uninterrupted at SLO airport, along with Santa Barbara and Santa Maria airports. All three airports say they do not anticipate any major impacts from the shutdown.

SLO airport says the shutdown, if prolonged, may impact federal funding for long-term airport infrastructure projects, which are critical for the region’s growth and connectivity. However, day-to-day flight operations remain unaffected.

Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A collision involving a train and semi truck occurred late Wednesday afternoon on Highway 1 near the intersection of Brown Road just south of Guadalupe.

Around 4:15pm, a 2020 Peterblit semi-truck was traveling northbound on Highway 1, making a right turn onto a dirt road leading to an agricultural field, and approached an uncontrolled railroad crossing. An Amtrak train also traveling northbound crashed into the right side of the truck as it made its way through the railroad crossing.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Public Information Officer Scott Safechuck says approximately 260 passengers were aboard the Amtrak train, with three being transported the hospital with minor injuries.

The vehicle driver was sent to the hospital with major injuries and later died from the severity of his injuries. All transported by two ambulances to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.

According to Safechuck, the semi truck spilled about 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel and is not actively leaking.

Highway 1 is open south of Guadalupe, but remains closed between Highway 166 and Brown Rd. as crews work on the area.

Several law enforcement and emergency agencies have responded to the incident, including California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, Amtrak Police, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Guadalupe Fire Department and the Santa Maria Fire Department.

At 7 p.m., CHP officers taped off a stretch of the highway close to the location where the crash happened so investigators could continue to work into the night.

California Highway Patrol recommends Amtrak travelers double-check their itineraries for any possible changes in the upcoming days.

Several truck parts of all sizes could be seen strewn across the roadway, as well as along the shoulder of the road on both sides of Highway 1.

“This is a tragic event and a reminder to all of us to exercise extreme caution when driving in agricultural rural areas, especially at uncontrolled railroad crossings. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the tanker truck driver which sadly lost his life,” stated CHP Thursday morning.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A Santa Barbara man was convicted today in a child abuse case that resulted in the death of a three-year-old back in 2023.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney, three-year-old Mila Solis suffered months of abuse from her mother’s boyfriend, 27-year-old Elvis Alberto Lopez. A final violent attack left the young girl with a severed spine and ruptured aorta, causing her death on February 4th, 2023.

Lopez entered a not guilty plea during initial conviction, claiming the toddler had fallen off the bed while they both slept and injured herself.

Evidence was presented by the prosecution showed that Mila’s death was caused by deliberate injury. Lopez was convicted on Oct. 1 by a jury of first degree murder, with the special circumstance that the murder was committed during the commission of Mayhem. He was also found guilty of assault on Assault on a Child Under 8 Causing Death and four counts of Corporal Injury to a Child.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Karapetian, who led the prosecution, said in the press release:

“We are profoundly grateful to the jury for their careful attention and service throughout this emotionally difficult case. Mila was a beautiful, loving child, and while nothing can bring her back, this verdict ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his violent actions.”

Lopez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Sentencing for Lopez is scheduled for December 4th, in Department 2 of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, in front of Judge Pauline Maxwell.

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John Palminteri

Santa Barbara, Calif. (KEYT) – The annual return of the Pianos on State art experience in Santa Barbara could be hitting just the right note to help stimulate the economy.

This combines spontaneous music and the art of custom painted pianos into the downtown area from the waterfront to the Arlington Theatre.

It also veers off slightly to the top entrance at the landmark Lobero Theatre on Canon Perdido St. and also on Victoria Street at the New Vic Theatre entrance.

At any hour between now and October 19th any member of the public, some with professional skills and some just beginners, can sit down and play the piano. It’s free play.

Each one of the pianos has been painted by local artists and they have a special sponsor from a local business. This all adds to the colorful presentation that has strolling pedestrians and bike riders enjoying a rolling soundtrack for multiple blocks.

It is already turning heads and keeping people engaged longer than they had planned in some cases.

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Wendy Santamaria said, “the fact that this is all up and down is really a great way for the community to get involved and spend more time downtown and more time on State Street.”

She was only making a brief stop for lunch and stayed longer. “I just came from grabbing lunch at Yona Redz and I heard the piano.” She then crossed the street to check it out.

At the keyboard was the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Roger Durling who was on a break and practicing a song. “You don’t have to be a good piano player. You could be you know, an amateur. Just come in and tinkle.”

The way the pianos bring in people who are then sometimes bringing in others, or sharing time “benefits all of us, the restaurants and the stores,” he said.

Cities like Denver and New York also have similar programs. The entertainment value also adds to the comfort of the trip down the street and is sometimes a destination for people who would not necessarily have something else to do there.  It all helps the economic return in an area that is looking for a boost.

Many friends and family are taking videos and sharing on social media.

The organizers, the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative say on the Pianos on State website: You don’t have to pass any test, you don’t have to have any qualifications, they’re there for everyone. 

A local attorney, Seth Noorzad has been playing on several pianos during the first two days of the project. “It doesn’t matter, you know, if you’re good or not. It’s just out here, you can just play a little bit for a second or, you know, a little more. You can sit down however long you want.” It comes without pressure. “It doesn’t have to be perfect,” he said.

It won’t be uncommon to see some people trying out all of the pianos.

One performer Ed Baum set up a special camera to record his work. Once it was set he started in on the classic Eagles song, “Hotel California.”

Over the years, artists such as Zach Gill from singer Jack Johnson’s band has put on a lunchtime show that has attracted a street full of onlookers.

There have also been nearby performers coming from their stage shows who move out to the street and do an after party performance at the pianos.

The project comes with support from the City of Santa Barbara, The County Office of Arts and Culture, the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Arts Fund.

Friday there will be a rolling set of special performances that will feature several musicians and theatrical performers spending time at different pianos. It is the 5th annual Masq(p)arade! There will be shows every fifteen minutes from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.

Masq(p)arade! 2025 Schedule & Lineup:5:30 – 5:45 PM Nadine Pearson @ The Red Piano (519 State St)6:00 – 6:15 PM Haiku in C Minor @ World Market (610 State St)6:30 – 6:45 PM Out of the Box Theatre Company @ Tondi Gelato (401 Paseo Nuevo)7:00 – 7:15 PM Konrad Kono @ Bank of America (834 State St)7:30 – 7:45 PM Piano in the Sky @ The Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St)

For more information, sponsors and a map go to: Pianos On State

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — Santa Barbara is facing a growing addiction crisis that is straining families and community services, but one local program is giving people hope — and a second chance.

Good Samaritan’s Food for Good Recovery Program combines meals with culinary training to help people overcome addiction while learning new life skills.

For Juan Carvajal, the program has been transformative.

“It changed my life,” he said while preparing lunch with the Food for Good crew in Goleta. “It made me a better man … to do better things, make better choices.”

The program not only provides daily meals but also teaches clients how to cook and build confidence in the kitchen.

“It’s special because we get to help people that have been dealt a bad hand in life,” one program leader explained. “They’re able to learn skills and build confidence.”

Carvajal said the support he received inspired him to give back.

“I got the help here. It makes me feel like I’ll help somebody else too,” he said.

Organizers say demand is growing quickly, with more people reaching out for help every week

“We feed over 156,000 people per year from this kitchen and another one in North County,” one staff member noted.

The program even incorporates fresh ingredients from its own farm.

“Look at these eggs, they’re grown at our farm,” an employee said. “We have chickens and ducks.”

The program’s mission goes beyond meals. Leaders emphasize that Food for Good provides stability, job training, and a pathway forward.

“There are so many different types of homelessness — from being a foster child to somebody living in your car,” a staff member said. “We teach and build their skill set so that hopefully they can get a job in the culinary field.”

For clients like Carvajal, the daily routine has become a source of strength.

“It keeps me busy learning how to cook, learning new things every day,” he said.

Organizers hope to continue expanding the culinary program to reach even more people in Santa Barbara County. And behind every meal served, they say, is a story of resilience and hope.

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The California Fire Foundation and the state legislature have designated October as Firefighter Appreciation Month.

This year’s public memorial will once again honor our fallen heroes.

The California Fire Foundation has programs in place to support any responders or their families, throughout the state of California.

“Being a firefighter is dangerous,” says Brian K. Rice, president of the California Fire Foundation. “It can be deadly. It’s dirty.”

Starting with the Palisades and Eaton fires, 2025 has seen a higher level of wildfire activity than usual, all across the state.

“The number of calls is up there,” says Rice. “We’ve had 7200 wildfires this year to date. We’ve had 31 fatalities.”

On Saturday in Sacramento, a public ceremony will honor the lives of 30 fallen firefighters from California who have died in the line of duty, adding their names to the memorial wall.

“40 million people live in the state of California,” says Rice. “Our natural resources and our wildland area is always under constant, constant stress.”

Officials from the fire departments in Santa Barbara and SLO counties say they will not be adding any names, which is certainly a good thing for our Central Coast communities.

“Any time a fire department gets through the year without having a line of duty death, that’s a win,” says Rice. “But I will tell you, the California firefighters memorial is a living memorial because at this point in time, there will not be a year that passes in my lifetime that we don’t add a firefighter’s name to that wall.”

Saturday’s memorial service is open for public attendance, and will stream live on multiple platforms.

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Dave Alley

ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) – This week, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) debuted the wellness center on the Delta campus in Orcutt, which serves more than 300 students.

The new wellness center is the fourth for the school district, which previously opened centers at each of its other three schools, Santa Maria, Righetti and Pioneer Valley.

“Over the past two years, we’ve gained valuable insight from the success of the three WellnessCenters at our comprehensive sites,” said SMJUHSD Wellness Services Director Jose Pereyra. “Using that experience and creativity, we developed the Wellness Center at Delta High School. We carefully designed a plan tailored to the smaller space while ensuring it meets the unique needs of Delta students. The Wellness Center is supported by both a school counselor and a wellness coach, providing students with consistent care.”

According to the district, the centers are designed to offer students a place to decompress and refocus, practice healthy coping mechanisms, or talk with a counselor.

In addition, the district added each of the rooms include comfortable furniture and offer a wide range of positive literature that promotes mental wellness at school, home, and the community.

All four of the wellness centers are staffed by a school counselor and a certified wellness coach.

More than 26,000 students have visited the three district wellness centers since the first one opened in 2023, which SMJUHSD pointed out underscores the growing demand for mental health resources in schools.

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