Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) People of all ages got a kick out of a free line dancing pop up on Wednesday night.
The SB Public Market hosted the line dancing at its event center next door.
Instructor Tin Lee of Santa Barbara Event Horizon taught the newcomers how to do it.
They plan to host more line dancing pop ups in the New Year.
Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara City Councilmembers approved the purchase of an emergency shelter at 816 Cacique St.
The city bought the property from People Assisting the Homeless know as PATH for $3.75 million.
They will spend another $25,000 making improvements, using funding from Measure C.
“Owning this facility gives us the flexibility to innovate and respond more effectively to the challenges of homelessness and to shape a more sustainable and comprehensive shelter system that meets the evolving needs of our residents,” said City Administrator Kelly McAdoo.
The space is large enough to serves about 100 people.
Clients are offered shelter, meals, case management and more.
Mercy House Living Centers, who have a housing-first philosophy, will serve as interim service provider.
For more information, visit Homelessness Initiatives (SantaBarbaraCA.gov/homelessness).
Mike Klan
SANTA BARARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Gauchos were down 13-4 less than four minutes into the game and they never could catch up in a 67-64 loss at Green Bay(6-7).
UCSB trailed 42-30 at halftime and was able to cut the deficit to 63-62 when freshman CJ Shaw made a three-pointer with :52 seconds left.
Marcus Hall had a game-high 25 points for the Phoenix and his layup with :29 seconds to play pushed the lead to 65-62.
Aidan Mahaney, who led UCSB with 18 points, made a layup with ten seconds to make it 65-64.
But Green Bay’s Preston Ruedinger converted both free throws with :07 seconds to go and UCSB never got a final shot up as they fall to 8-4 on the year.
It was the Gauchos second straight loss as they scored just 15 first half points last weekend in a double-digit loss to future Big West opponent Utah Valley in Salt Lake City.
UCSB has played it’s last three games without starting point guard Miro Little who is sidelined with a foot injury and there is no updated timetable on his return.
The Gauchos host Portland on Monday, December 22nd at 2 p.m.-
News Channel 3-12
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KEYT) – President Donald Trump delivered a live address to the Nation Wednesday evening from the White House.
The President touched on topics such as the economy, military, border control, and previewed plans for the remainder of his second term.
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara County Fire department’s newest chief, Garrett Huff, was sworn in Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
Afterwards, he called his wife and son up to the podium to be part of the important task to pin his new badge as chief on his uniform. The room was full of family members, including his parents and sister, along with friends and fellow fire personnel.
Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Garrett Huff said, “it takes a village to raise a fire chief, and I couldn’t have done this journey without anyone in this room, so thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.”
Huff has already had some duties in the spotlight. He was part of the ribbon cutting ceremonies for the new joint communications center near the fire headquarters on Cathedral Oaks Road. The department has 16 stations and a staff of about 245.
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Jarrod Zinn
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Someone in Santa Maria is due for a lump of coal in their stocking this Christmas.
Toys were stolen and a building was vandalized.
Catholic Charities of Santa Maria has been holding its annual Toys For Tots drive at the Knights Of Columbus Hall on McClelland, next to the old DMV.
Late Tuesday morning, a volunteer named Paola Oros arrived to find damage to the Knights Of Columbus Hall building, bags of toys ripped open with items missing, bikes knocked over or missing, and more.
“I come in and I see that it’s kind of messy and there’s like some bag, like I didn’t even notice. Like my survival skills were not great,” says Paola Oros, Catholic Charities Nutrition Educator. “I was like, okay, my goal right now is to count the bikes. Some of the bikes were missing. The refrigerator door was opened, the doors to the office were open. So I was like, okay, that’s kind of strange.”
She heard a noise and called police, thinking the thief might still be nearby.
“Just coming in and then feeling that feeling of, okay, something’s off, but I have to get this done,” says Oros. “And then hearing the sound, that’s when I was just like, Okay, that’s it. I’m. Yeah. So I left.”
A drone search was initiated when officers arrived, but nobody was found.
“Every bag had a number on it, and that number represented a family,” says Ruth Sherrill, Catholic Charities Of Santa Maria. “It could be like one child, it could be seven children. It would be horrible if we give a bag and three of the five children got gifts and then two don’t.”
Catholic Charities volunteers say the Knights of Columbus Hall Building had been locked Friday afternoon and that the crime could have been committed any time between then and Tuesday morning.
“A lot of volunteers and community members have donated,” says Sherrill. “They put a lot of thought and heart into fulfilling the wishes for these children. And just to see to see that torn apart is…”
Catholic Charities’ distribution takes place on Thursday, but organizers say they’re thinking of holding another one between now and Christmas day.
They are open for material or cash donations during normal working hours at the Knights Of Columbus Hall.
Police are still looking for the thieves.
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John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Long lines and crowded parking lots used to be an indicator of a busy holiday shopping season, but on the Central Coast without seeing that it is hard to tell where the buying power is these days.
It may be in front of a computer. It may also be cooling off.
A new poll released on ABC news shows more than 40 percent of the shoppers will be spending less this year than last year.
Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo Mall had that rarely seen vibrant look from the past the day after Thanksgiving but since then it has been a leisurely stroll for shoppers without that sense of the scramble for deals.
At the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta, at 10 a.m. you could get a parking spot in the first half of the parking lot. That’s a good tip for mid week early shoppers. It will likely have a different look this weekend.
On line shopping is still taking the foot traffic away for many stores. Those who are looking for boutique items or something made locally, they are out in person to touch and feel the products. Some are also very committed to helping the local retailers, an essential piece to the local economy.
George Castillo was shopping downtown and said the economic challenges has led to changes. “Kind of, getting tough, recently. In the past have been having a budget around, maybe like $300 for a family of five. And so I try to drop down to like $150, half of what it used to be.”
A different approach comes from Emma Millar who says “my family started doing a “Secret Santa” instead of everybody gets a gift, so we only have to buy a gift for one other person in our family. So I guess that means that we’re all actually spending less. “
Eeven though shoppers are seeing some very good deals right now, some are telling us they’re going to wait until just before Christmas, when prices might go down a little bit more. Then there are those who are holding back some money to take advantage of some of the sales after Christmas just for themselves.”
Retailers are doing all they can to catch the eye of shoppers in person, but some shoppers say they are clicking through on their computers too for places where they may be some savings. But only if it is the right fit.
Caitlyn Perry is one of them. “I tend to not shop online as much just because I get overwhelmed. I don’t know if it’s gonna fit. Like I add too much to my cart and then just never, never look at the cart again.”
In person shopping in the last days before Christmas can also give you an advantage with the right size and feel of a product even if you have to do some driving to get to the right spot.
Millar says, “I actually I love the outlets, (in) Camarillo. That’s what I’ve been doing because I like the the in-store feel, but then everything is marked down, so it’s very nice if I can find stuff online that’s not like clothing, then I will because it is cheaper. But the clothing I will go to the Camarillo outlets. “
For those supporting local boutiques they say a unique find is common. Castillo said, “Oh, yeah. No, those, those kind of special items kind of stick out more to people. I think that’s what makes a great gift, too.”
One shopper knows what ever gift is given to a special friend there will be no complaints. “I’m lucky enough to only have one dependent. And she is a dog and she doesn’t really care what I got for her. But, yeah, I mean, I’m a student, so I have a limited budget,” said Millar.
The weather may also be a factor to speed things up with rain in the forecast in the days before Christmas.
Andrew Gillies
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has officially denied the transfer of permits necessary to restart oil production locally to Sable Offshore during its meeting Tuesday.
In November, a majority of the Board voted to direct staff to prepare a report supporting the denial of the permit transfers which was adopted after Tuesday’s vote.
“There is just too much evidence in the record that shows a pattern of noncompliance and either ignorance of our rules or just blatant disregard,” explained Supervisor Lavagnino on his approval of the staff report after approving of the transfers earlier this year.
In February, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors was deadlocked on the permit transfer decision, previously approved by Planning Commission, on a 2-2-1 vote with one member, Supervisor Hartmann, recusing herself as one of the involved pipelines lies beneath the property line of her Buellton home.
“They still have a pending application with no action taken on it,” said Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, public information officer for Santa Barbara County following the vote in February. “It hasn’t been approved or denied. It’s now up to Sable to decide what to do next.”
In response, Sable Offshore filed a lawsuit in Santa Barbara County Superior Court over the permit transfers alleging violations of the County’s Petroleum Code.
County Code Chapter 25B, adopted in 2001, allows for the Board of Supervisors to conduct a review of already-issued Final Development Permits (FDP) for transfers or changes in ownership that have been approved by the County Planning Commission if an appeal is filed.
That code states that after receiving an appeal or appeals of a Planning Commission decision, the Board, “shall affirm, reverse, or modify the planning commission’s decision at a public hearing.”
February’s deadlock vote resulted in no action and the permits remained in limbo.
“The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved the change of owner, operator andguarantor last fall, and the efforts to overturn that ruling failed at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors earlier this year,” argued Sable Offshore’s Vice President on Environmental and Governmental Affairs Steve Rusch in reference to the County’s non-decision. “The law is clear. The Planning Commission approved the permit transfer and its decision stands. Because the permits have yet to be transferred, Sable has asked a court to intervene and transfer the permits without delay.”
Sable Offshore noted in its May lawsuit that in 2023, the Planning Commission approved the transfer of permits from Plains Pipeline L.P. to ExxonMobil and its subsidiaries.
That decision was also appealed under County Code Chapter 25B and on Sep. 19, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved the Planning Commission’s decision with Supervisor Capps noting during the hearing that it was important that the, “County permit actually matches the company that owns the pipeline.”
Supervisor Capps voted in February, November, and yesterday not to approve the transfer of permits to Sable Offshore.
In September, a judge ruled that Supervisor Hartmann was eligible to vote on the permit transfers after denying damages to Sable Offshore for the delay.
“We as a County have a duty as local government to protect the public health, safety, and safeguard the county’s natural resources. That’s what local government does,” said Supervisor Joan Hartmann who recused herself again due to the potential conflict of interest.
On Dec. 16, Karen Harrison, Senior Counsel with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, wrote that because Supervisor Hartmann’s home is eight feet from one of the involved pipelines, she would not be in compliance with state law if she participated in Tuesday’s vote.
Supervisor Hartmann officially recused herself during Tuesday’s vote, but unlike the vote in February, Supervisor Capps was joined by Supervisor Lee and, for the first time, Supervisor Lavagnino in denying the permit transfers.
Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson was the lone vote approving of the transfers.
The permit transfer from former owner ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore is a necessary step for the Houston-based company to restart oil extraction from 114 wells on three offshore platforms, transportation through associated pipelines, and a refinement facility at Las Flores Canyon that have all been dormant since the 2015 Refugio oil spill.
Those offshore and onshore assets are collectively called the Santa Ynez Unit, detailed in the investor slide below, courtesy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The former owner of the Santa Ynez Unit and current permit holder, ExxonMobil, dropped its lawsuit against Santa Barbara County‘s denial of the company’s plan to truck oil from offshore platforms in February of 2024 after selling the oil production infrastructure to Sable Offshore.
According to court documents, Sable secured a $622,000,000 loan from Exxon to fund the purchase which is set to expire on a now-extended deadline where ownership would revert back to the oil giant unless oil from the Santa Ynez Unit enters the market.
Sable Offshore continued on with its plans to restart production without the permit transfer approval due to that financial deadline, but the County of Santa Barbara wasn’t the only challenge to its plan to make the deadline.
The company is still facing additional legal issues regarding its attempts to restart oil production including:
Lease Violation: Public claims in May to have restarted oil production may have violated leases issued by the California State Lands Commission
Civil Charges: The California Attorney General filed civil charges over alleged violations of state environmental laws while Sable and its subsidiaries were conducting pipeline work
Criminal Charges: The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges including five felony charges of knowingly discharging a pollutant into local waterways between at least October 2024 and April of 2025, 16 misdemeanor charges of obstructing a streambed, and improper actions concerning materials considered dangerous to local wildlife
“Sable has consistently ignored California law, as confirmed by the court’s decision today [May 28, 2025] to halt work on this aging oil pipeline in Santa Barbara,” said a spokesperson on behalf of the California Coastal Commission which is one of litigants who have filed in opposition to attempts to restart production at the Santa Ynez Unit. “This fly-by-night oil company has repeatedly abused the public’s trust, racking up millions of dollars in fines and causing environmental damage along the treasured Gaviota Coast.”
Regardless, in September of this year, Sable Offshore submitted official paperwork to restart oil production with the California Office of State Fire Marshal and simultaneously, the company informed investors in an 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission stating it was also pursuing a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel.
The proposed offshore transportation and treating vessel location would be approximately one nautical mile away from Platform Harmony and could bypass much, if not all, of the legal oversight of California regulators regarding restart plans.
“California has to make a decision soon on the pipeline before Sable signs an agreement for the OS&T and goes all in on the offshore federal-only option,” warned Sable Offshore’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Flores in an email to Your News Channel in October. “Sable’s situation in California is absolutely on Trump’s agenda given the project will pay out $2 billion in royalties over the next 10 years. That piqued the interest of the National Energy Dominance Council chaired by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.”
In late November of this year, Sable Offshore officially requested that federal regulators take over their attempts to restart oil production while excluding infrastructure subject to state-based oversight.
“Sable is committed to energy affordability and reliability and to recommencing oil sales in a safe and efficient manner,” shared Steve Rusch, Vice President of Environmental and Governmental Affairs for the Sable Offshore. “Sable has met all requirements for the permit transfer as previously confirmed by Santa Barbara County staff and by the Planning Commission. Not only have we demonstrated all required operator capabilities and financial requirements, but we have gone above and beyond those requirements. Today’s [Tuesday’s] decision does not impact Sable’s ability to continue operating the SYU facilities and pipeline system or its plans to re-commence oil sales. Sable will continue to defend our vested rights to pursue domestic energy supplies that are critically needed to make California more affordable and prevent our state’s energy infrastructure from collapse.”
Last month, the Trump Administration announced a large-scale expansion of leasing opportunities for oil and natural gas development in previously protected marine environments, including in the eastern Pacific, something the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors reaffirmed an opposition to during its meeting Tuesday.
“The Board of Supervisors finds that Sable reflects a record of non-compliant or unsafe operations systemic in nature for the Facilities being considered for operatorship, and therefore does not have the skills, training, and resources necessary to operate the permitted Facilities in compliance with the applicable permits and all applicable county codes,” concluded the County Board of Supervisor’s staff report regarding the permit transfer denial Tuesday. “Sable has amassed a significant track record of systemic noncompliance for the Facilities. This noncompliance demonstrates a lack of diligence, and a pattern and practice of failing to notify regulatory agencies and obtain authorization before beginning work, failing to maintain and/or provide necessary and accurate information to regulators, failing to comply with applicable laws, ignoring regulatory agency directives, and failing to competently operate and take all necessary measures to protect the environment. Further, Sable has made statements reflecting contempt for California’s regulations and regulators. The Board finds evidence that Sable is not capable of following state law, and state agency directives indicate that Sable will be likewise incapable of operating the Facilities in compliance with the county permits and all applicable county codes.”
Dave Alley
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – Arroyo Grande is celebrating the reopening of an important and busy roadway that has been closed for several months.
On Wednesday just before 2 p.m., the Traffic Way Bridge reopened for traffic for the first time since an infrastructure project that was called the biggest in the history of the city started this past May.
“It’s very exciting,” said Cheryll Maddaloni, who lives in rural Arroyo Grande. “It’s going to really help the flow to all of those businesses down there and provide easy access to the freeway. It’ll be great. It’ll be wonderful. I’m so excited that they built it so fast.”
Over the course of the past seven months, crews completely replaced the old bridge that was nearly 100 years old.
“It was originally built in 1932, and after monitoring all of the wear and tear, we noticed that it really needed to be rebuilt,” said Downing. “It was no longer safe. We were concerned about that, so the City Council took a leadership position of having the entire bridge redone all at once. Not in phases. We wanted to be proactive, not reactive.”
The bridge, which is located on Traffic Way just off of West Branch Street, is traveled by 11,000 vehicles daily, and is an integral part of the city’s infrastructure that helps link the Village area to the southwest portion of city, including Arroyo Grande High School.
“This project was a much-needed improvement to ensure the safety of our community for decades tocome,” Arroyo Grande City Manager Matthew Downing said in a statement. “While we knew that the complete closure of the bridge was going to be impactful, the City Council’s leadership, the community’s resilience, and the staff’s dedication all contributed to this successful outcome.”
Due to the nature of the project in removing the old bridge and constructing a new one, several traffic modifcations in the nearby area were temporarily put into place that created an entirely new flow of traffic through the popular Village area.
Now, with the new bridge completed, the city said traffic measures, as well as detour routes will be removed, which will restore the traffic pattern back to normal.
“Everything that we put in is temporary,” said Downing. “Everything that we put in has to come down. There is a timeline associated with some of those pieces, so everything that the contractors put in, like the temporary signals, some of that is in Caltrans jurisdiction, so we have to take those down. They won’t let us keep them, which is perfectly fine. We have to go through a normal process like everybody else. Some of the other key aspects, like the temporary traffic circle in front of the high school, the city put in, so we are developing a removal plan of how and when we do that. Obviously, it being right in front of the high school is very impactful. We will be talking to the council about what we learned through this process, about some of the improvements that we made and why might want to bring back on a permanent basis.”
The project is slated to cost nearly $14 million with funding coming mostly from federal sources.
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Andie Lopez Bornet
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – During the holidays, exercise and healthy living can be the last thing on someone’s mind. The Morning News was joined by Chanda Fetter, who is a master trainer and owner of CORESPORT in Santa Barbara.
Fetter is also on the board at State Street Ballet. She has been in the fitness world for the past 20 years and has some tips and tricks for all of us to stay healthy and fit for the holidays.
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