Author: KEYT

Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Some schools are starting classes this week and orientations are underway.

Allan Hancock College held its annual ‘Hancock Hello’ in two parts–last week at the Lompoc satellite campus and tonight at the Santa Maria campus.

It’s a chance for new and returning students to bring their parents, learn about the campus and the myriad services—from counseling to clubs—the college has to offer.

Informational booths provided a one-stop-shopping experience in both English and Spanish.

“We’re offering campus tours,” says Allan Hancock College’s Public Information Analyst. “And so that’s the way for these new students to get familiar with the campus. So when they show up on their first day, they don’t have to worry about getting lost or of seeming unfamiliar. it’s a really nice crowd even this early in the event. So that’s great just to see all these students coming out and having fun and just, getting used to the environment.”

Classes begin next week, with local high school grads enjoying the Hancock Promise of 2-years of tuition free schooling.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City Council took its staff’s recommendation to consider and deny the appeal of the Architectural Board of Review’s approval of a housing project at the corner of 418 N. Milpas and 915-923 E. Gutierrez.

Mayor Randy Rowse was the tie-breaker in the 4-3 vote.

Rowse joined Mike Jordan, Eric Friedman, and Meagan Harmon in denying the appeal.

Friedman said he was concerned the appeal, based on health and safety concerns, didn’t meet the legal standard.

The project is slated to be four stories on less than an acre, with at least 90 units.

At least 16 would be set aside for low- to moderate-income renters, and one would be slated for workforce housing.

The project would include studios, as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Eight longtime current tenants must be assisted to move or remain on-site.

Robert Ludwick, who owns the property and brought attorney Beth Collins to the meeting to speak on his behalf, chose not to comment following the vote that will allow him to move ahead with his plans.

He appeared disheartened by the project neighbors who spoke in opposition to the development.

The project got its “Milpas Gardens” name from a nursery that used to be located on the land.

Collins and her colleagues shared slides showing the income levels needed to qualify for the affordable, workforce, and market-rate units based on the area’s median income.

It is in Wendy Santamaria’s District 1.

She said she is a renter and that the residents who spoke out against it are her constituents.

She applauded their efforts despite the outcome.

“We need more housing being built, but it needs to be affordable and first and foremost for our workforce and our working families,” said Santamaria. “I’m going to be working hard to make sure we get that in the future.”

The Architectural Board of Review approved the Milpas Gardens project earlier this year.

Natasha Todorovic said the appeal in her name was funded in part by a GoFundMe campaign.

She still has concerns for health and safety, including traffic, flooding, earthquakes, and more.

“What we are trying to do is protect Santa Barbara, and for whatever reason the Eastside keeps getting dumped on — every bad project goes on the Eastside,” said Todorovic.

She lives across the street and describes it as a cottage neighborhood.

“We absolutely understand the need for housing, but it is the right housing done in honor of the neighborhood, respectfully, so it is livable,” said Todorovic.

California communities are under pressure from the state to address the housing crisis.

Residents said in Santa Barbara it is more of an “affordability crisis.”

One speaker called it a “density giveaway” that waives parking requirements.

Jose Arturo Gallegos said he used to live near the area. During public comments, he told the council he was concerned the Milpas corridor would look like a “mini-Manhattan” if it is built.

“I already knew what the decision was going to be, I knew that way ahead of time,” said Gallegos.

Councilmembers heard dozens of public comments before deliberating.

They also visited the location on Monday, the day before the vote.

For more information visit https://santabarbaraca.gov

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Andrew Gillies

EDITOR NOTE: On Tuesday, Victoriano Lopez Feliciano and Gabriel Victoriano Lopez Feliciano were charged with the murder of Paulina Lopez Gonzalez on Aug. 9, 2025.

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Two Santa Maria brothers, 27-year-old Victoriano Lopez Feliciano and 32-year-old Gabriel Lopez Feliciano, were taken into custody Sunday in connection with a fatal shooting Saturday.

On Aug. 9, around 11:02 p.m., officers responded to the 1200 block of West Main Street for a reported shooting and arrived to find a woman with life-threatening injuries, according to a press release from the Santa Maria Police Department.

“There was a party at that location,” said Detective Sergeant Trevor Hutton with the Santa Maria Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. “I’m not exactly sure what the party was for, but they do rent that location out for events such as this.”

The woman was transported from the scene to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, police said.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, around 6 p.m., Santa Maria Police detectives and deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office located and arrested the brothers in connection with the homicide investigation in Taft, in western Kern County, police said.

The brothers were taken into custody without incident, police added.

“It has not appeared to be any type of ongoing threat,” said Det. Sgt. Hutton. “It appears to be an isolated incident. It does not appear in any way to be gang-related at this point in the investigation. And there’s no threat to the community.”

Victoriano Lopez Feliciano was booked for murder, and his brother, Gabriel Lopez Feliciano, was booked on charges of being an accessory after the fact, police said.

“We’d like to thank the Kern County Sheriff’s Office for taking our suspects into custody,” said Sgt. Hutton. “We appreciate their help.”

The investigation into this homicide is still active and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Servin at 805-928-3781 ext. 1367.

You can also report your information while remaining anonymous by calling 805-928-3781 ext. 2677.

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Andrew Gillies

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, Victoriano Lopez Feliciano and Gabriel Victoriano Lopez Feliciano were charged with the murder of Paulina Lopez Gonzalez in connection with an Aug. 9, 2025, shooting in Santa Maria.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, Victoriano Feliciano also faces special allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, personally used a firearm, and committed the crime while lying in wait.

The District Attorney’s Office also charged Victoriano Feliciano with unlawful sex with a child under the age of 16 in connection with a separate case involving a sexual assault survivor identified only as Jane Doe.

Gabriel Feliciano has also been charged with the murder of Paulina Lopez Gonzalez and faces the special allegation of lying in wait, prosecutors said.

The charges stem from an Aug. 9 incident in which Santa Maria police responded to the 1200 block of West Main Street around 11:02 p.m. for a reported shooting. Officers arrived to find a woman, later identified as Lopez Gonzalez, with life-threatening injuries. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Santa Maria Police detectives, with assistance from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, arrested the brothers the following evening in Taft, in western Kern County. They were taken into custody without incident.

Both men are scheduled to return to court for a continuation of their arraignment on Aug. 25. They are being held at the North County Branch Jail without bail, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. – A new batch of firefighter cadets have started training at Hancock’s Fire Academy in Lompoc. 

And this year they’ve been awarded a grant from a world famous rock band.

Today is the second day of class work in Lompoc, but in a couple months they’ll be starting their active, hands-on demonstrations, drills and exercises at the interactive complex.

By then, they will have some brand-new personal protection equipment and other training materials, made possible by several sources of support including the All Within My Hands Foundation, started by the rock band Metallica.

The band has been providing grants like the Metallica Scholarship Initiative, which is what Hancock Fire Academy has received, for roughly seven years.

“Most everybody knows Metallica,” says Hancock Fire Academy Coordinator Leonard Champion. “Everybody knows what they bring to entertainment, to the music industry. So, yes, there is a little bit of a shock, when people say they’re donating $75,000 to help in scholarships and purchasing equipment.”

Instructors say it came as a complete but happy surprise that the foundation had chosen Hancock Fire Academy to apply for the grant in the first place, as they have specific criteria including quality of training and skill level at graduation.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Free treats, a nuzzle from a therapy dog and some on-the-spot prizes are all part of Passenger Appreciation Week going on at the Santa Barbara Airport this week.

The airport is out front during this special week to share many perks. That includes coffee from the Santa Barbara Roasting Company, ice cream from McConnells, Ivan nutrition bars (locally based), coloring books and emergency information from Direct Relief and tickets to UC Santa Barbara sports. The airport also has luggage tags, small wooden airplane kits for kids, wing pins from Alaska Airlines and stickers.

Cottage Hospital therapy dogs are giving passengers some stress relief in their walk between the gates. Nadine Melancon handles a couple of poodles and said she is at the airport on a regular basis. “I come when ever I am in the neighborhood, once a week.”

The airport has been busy this summer season which follows in line with recent years post-Covid. The annual passenger count has exceeded 1-million since 2022.

Data from the airport shows:

2024: 1,418,996 passengers

2023: 1,277,545 passengers

2022: 1,219,581 passengers

Santa Barbara Airport Director Chris Hastert says he is personally meeting passengers and getting input through conversations. “We make little changes based on their feedback,  so we have a new  crosswalk  over to the bus stop.” He also says business travel can make an impact. “If somebody mentions a route you can  never  discount it. There could be a local company with 100 employees that travels back to that location that we don’t know about so we listen to everything.”

One traveler, Vivian Leilani Shay came in from the bay area, she said, “I love Santa Barbara airport. I think it is just the quaintest easiest airport ever.”

Jennifer and Bryan Brown were traveling with their son Max who had a skateboard carry-on and said compared to New York, “this is so much easier a dream.  We are so happy to fly out of here  than to   leave from LAX  (Los Angeles). It has gotten easier, you don’t have to take your shoes off and  the machines here, you don’t have to take your laptops out. I think once you get through the gate  everything is pretty simple. “

Seeing the passenger perks when she arrived Shay said she had a stronger sense of comfort  here. “We literally flew over my house today so I texted my neighbors saying ‘sorry guys that was  me if you heard the noise!’  Yea flying is privilege and I don’t  take it for granted and it is wonderful that we have such good infrastructure here.”

While waiting for planes the airport passengers can also taste a locally made beer from Figueroa Mountain Brewing. Friday, “Fig Mountain” will have some specials for the travelers as part of their promotional day to encourage people to their tasting rooms in the Funk Zone and the Santa Ynez Valley.

Saturday there will be a locally owned mobile book business, All Booked Up.

The airport has just added a Sunday non-stop flight to Phoenix on Southwest. This past weekend it was full.

For more information go to: Santa Barbara Airport Passenger Appreciation Week.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

VENTURA, Calif. — Fifteen-year-old Grace Nackers swam from Anacapa Island to Silver Strand Beach in Ventura County on Aug. 8, completing the roughly 12-mile crossing in 7 hours and 24 minutes to raise awareness and funds for first responders and veterans.

Nackers, the daughter of a Ventura Fire Captain, began the swim before sunrise and reached the beach after 1 p.m., battling strong currents, big swells and high winds along the way. “It was definitely a really big challenge,” she said. “I was expecting really smooth waters originally, but… it became a lot more of a challenge than I expected.”

The longtime competitive swimmer said she has dreamed of making the crossing since she was 12. “I just see Anacapa and it’s right there and I’m like maybe I could swim there one day,” Nackers said. She trained year-round in the pool and during the summer in open water, often swimming at 5 a.m. along the coast to build cold-water endurance.

During the swim, she spotted a mola mola, or sunfish, which she described as “really inspiring.” She credited her motivation to honoring her father, his coworkers, and other first responders who have taken their own lives. “I gotta keep going to show others that they can persevere and keep going and reach for new,” she said.

Her father accompanied her on a kayak for the duration of the swim. “We persevered together… just getting to swim seven hours together,” Nackers said.

Nackers is also fundraising for the Sept. 7 9/11 stair climb at the Crowne Plaza in Ventura, aiming to sponsor veterans, firefighters and first responders who served during major wildfires.

People may still donate by visiting her Instagram @bluebirdoceandays.

For more information and to see other local swimmers who recently accomplished the crossing visit https://santabarbarachannelswim.org

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Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif. – Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark College welcomed freshmen and returning students back for the first day of the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 11.

They are all part of the Ventura County Community College District, which now offers bachelor’s degrees in some majors.

In addition to being the first day of school, Ventura College is celebrating its 100th anniversary and Oxnard College is celebrating its 50th. Moorpark College marked its 50th back in 2017.

After classes on Monday, some students bought new and used books. One math textbook was in the $200 range.

Plenty of students lined up to check out financial aid.

Isaac Morales chose to wear a suit and tie for his first day of classes.

“I always like to dress, obviously,” said Morales. “I’m going to school to be a lawyer.”

The college offers pre-law courses.

Ventura College’s Director of Marketing and Outreach, Vanessa Stotler, wants students to know there is still time to enroll.

“We have classes that start later in the semester, and so every single month we have classes, so it is really meant to fit somebody’s schedule,” said Stotler.

It’s too soon to tell if enrollment — about 14,500 last year — is up. She said it has been rather flat.

Educators want students concerned about the political climate to know they are here for them.

“It is a very big thing at the forefront of us welcoming students back, so we are being very careful about just being cautious of what is out there, right, and we do have signage posted on our doors to make sure that we are keeping ICE out and our students safe,” said MESA Program Coordinator Mayte Ipatzi Guevara.

The Hueneme High and UCLA graduate was the first in her family to graduate college, and now she helps others through the MESA Program.

MESA stands for Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement.

Signs on campus that read “Everyone is welcome here except ICE” encourage students to know their rights, including the right to remain silent.

One of the perks at Ventura College is the library terrace, which has an ocean view on clear days.

Thanks to the ocean breeze, students and educators said smoke from the Canyon Fire in Ventura County and the Gifford Fires in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties has not been an issue.

That’s good news for student-athletes who are already on the soccer, football, and baseball fields practicing.

Matthew Ramirez, who went to Moorpark High, is a member of the Ventura College Pirates baseball team.

“I’m excited to start the year. I was a freshman here last year, so it is always exciting seeing new guys on the baseball field, also starting class. Teachers are great here, so I am just really excited,” said Ramirez.

Since students start so early, they also graduate early — in mid-April.

For more information visit https://vcccd.edu

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. – As the Gifford Fire rages on for an 11th straight day, crews are preparing to launch a new operation Monday in San Luis Obispo County to the help in the effort to gain the upper hand in the battle against the biggest wildfire in California this year.

“Essentially what we’re doing is we’re fighting fire with fire,” said Rich Eagan, Gifford Fire Public Information Officer. “We’re going to be starting fire to hopefully engage it to the burn area currently and protect the Garcia Wilderness area.”

The firing operation is scheduled to take place over a 36-hour period weather permitting.

“We’ll have helicopters,” said Eagan. “We’ll have drones and we’ll actually have hand crews as well. That is the game plan at this point.”

According to a Los Padres National Forest release, the goal of the operation will be to reduce vegetation ahead of the main fire, depriving it of fuel and increasing the likelihood of containment.

Forest officials added the operation will take place along the north perimeter using established control lines, ridges, and roads around the Garcia Wilderness, with aerial ignitions planned for steep, inaccessible areas such as Pine Ridge.

Additional information said holding crews will work directly behind ignition teams to keep the fire within containment lines, while night-flying helicopters and water-dropping aircraft will assist ground crews as needed.

Firefighters are eager to clamp down on the Gifford Fire, especially since it has now burned into the Garcia Wilderness, a 14,100 acre wilderness area located in the Los Padres National Forest east of the San Luis Obispo.

“It’s got a heavy fuel because there’s no burn history in that area,” said Eagan. “In other words, it’s neve had a recorded burn in that area, so usually when you go out on incidents and fires, you have previous history to do your tactics and strategies on. We don’t have that on this one, so we’re basically making our own footprint, so to speak.”

As of Monday morning, the fire has burned nearly 120,000 acres, and has caused evacuation warnings and order to expand into more populated areas, so the firefighting strategy is beginning to become more aggressive.

“It is this is a critical time,” said Mark Ruggiero, Gifford Fire Information Officer. “That’s why we’re getting so many resources in that part of the fire because we’re going to hit it with everything. We have to try to divert it and stop it from getting any larger.  Keep in mind that when we do these types of operations, we’re putting fire on the ground to meet fire, so it may look like there’s more fire and there is, but that’s how we fight fire. Our goal is the next 24 to 36 hours is to see if we can get these contingency lines into the north, and get the lines in and do our burning operation and secure that into the fire. I believe that once we secure that northern end of the fire around the Garcia mountain Wilderness,  Avenales Ranch Road, Pozo area that will be looking a lot better. and the public will have a good idea that it’ll be a lot safer.”

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from United Way of Santa Barbara County regarding the appointment of their new board chair, Susan Hersberger.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — United Way of Santa Barbara County is proud to announce the appointment of Susan Hersberger as its new Board Chair, succeeding Cliff Lundberg, Vice President Emeritus at Westmont College. Lundberg served with exceptional dedication, as United Way’s longest-serving board chair — providing years of steady leadership through organizational transformation, program growth, and through times of crisis.

Hersberger assumes the role at a pivotal time for United Way, as the organization continues its trajectory of growth and impact. She brings to the position a deep commitment to community service and a wealth of strategic leadership experience from her 25-year tenure at Aera Energy, where she directed public affairs, community engagement, and philanthropic investments while also serving in leadership roles in numerous civic organizations. At Aera, Hersberger was instrumental in building sustainable community partnerships and driving forward large-scale philanthropic and stakeholder initiatives across the company’s California operating locations.

Since joining United Way of Santa Barbara County’s Board of Directors in 2017, Hersberger has played a critical role in guiding the organization’s direction and growth. She was instrumental in launching the local Women United affinity group, which brings together female leaders to support women and families in need. She has also provided valuable leadership as a member of the Marketing & Communications Committee and the Management Committee, contributing to strategic planning, brand evolution, and operational excellence for the organization.

“Since I became involved with United Way of Santa Barbara County, I have been impressed and inspired by the difference United Way makes in the lives of local school children and families, both in times of crisis and every day,” said Hersberger. “It’s a privilege to join with United Way’s innovative and dedicated leadership and staff, our board, and our many partners, donors, and volunteers to continue this work.”

United Way is entering a new chapter of strategic expansion—heightening support for education, financial stability, and community resiliency outcomes. Under Hersberger’s leadership, the Board will guide ambitious initiatives, including enhanced regional partnerships, donor engagement strategies, and data-driven program innovation aimed at meeting evolving community needs.

“I am thrilled to welcome Susan as our new Board Chair,” said United Way CEO Steve Ortiz. “Her exemplary leadership and deep commitment to our mission will be a steady pillar as we continue our trajectory of innovation and growth. We offer our sincere thanks to Cliff Lundberg for his wisdom and leadership through the last decade of service.”

In her new role, Hersberger is committed to building upon the momentum of recent years—ensuring that United Way continues to serve as a trusted community partner for generations to come.

About United Way of Santa Barbara County 

Since 1923, United Way of Santa Barbara County has been a key leader in local efforts to empower children, families, and communities through its own unique collaborative programs and initiatives, partnership convening efforts, volunteer development, and funding. United Way’s mission is to enrich the lives of children and families and build resilient communities by leading local programs and partnerships that improve academic achievement, financial security, and community resiliency. To learn more, please visit unitedwaysb.org.

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