Author: KEYT

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The annual Fiesta at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church went on all weekend.

Dance groups worked for months to perform in front of friends and family at the church.

The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Catholic church on the corner of Nopal and Montecito Streets.

It is known for affordable food made by families sharing their cooking traditions.

People dined on tamales, pozole, churros and more while they were entertained.

“We love dancing here because it is an amazing community, we have diversity between like three (years-old) all the way to 93 (years-old) and love that,” said Angela Petresku of Me Sabor Dance Studio on Gutierrez St. in Santa Barbara.

Fernando Espinosa said making all the tamales was worthwhile and a lot of work.

Their tamales are such a big hit that people will be buying dozens more to take home.

There is usually a long line to buy them.

Everyone was welcomed to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta.

Visitors didn’t have to be a church members and security guards were on hand in case of emergency.

The Fiesta ran through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

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Caleb Nguyen

OXNARD, Calif. – The Dallas Cowboys continued their stay in Oxnard preparing for the 2025 NFL season.

Fans from across the country came to enjoy practice from America’s Team and a chance for autographs.

Sports Anchor Caleb Nguyen had details with the latest from camp, including Micah Parsons’ looming trade request from the franchise.

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Christer Schmidt

ATASCADERO, Calif. – Forward progress on a barn fire in Atascadero was halted by Atascadero Fire Department with assistance from the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department and CAL FIRE SLO.

The barn, located on the 8600 block of San Carlos, was destroyed during the blaze. Nine acres were approximately burned.

Two of the property owners transported themselves to Twin Cities Community Hospital. Four horses died during the fire.

The cause of the fire remains uncertain.

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Christer Schmidt

CRESTON, Calif. – Forward progress on a vegetation fire near Odonovan Road in Creston was stopped by air attack.

The fire hit approximately 30 acres before being contained.

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Christer Schmidt

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura Police Department (VPD) arrested a suspect after a call reported a hit-and-run on northbound Victoria Avenue near Avocet Drive.

VPD says the 21-year-old man was found by the officers after the victim of the hit-and-run followed the suspect vehicle and provided real-time updates to dispatchers.

Officers say they attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver did not yield, and a vehicle pursuit ensued.

During the pursuit, officers say the suspect’s truck hit one of the patrol vehicles before rolling over near Thille and Partridge Streets.

The suspect sustained minor injuries and showed signs of intoxication, according to the VPD. He was treated at Ventura County Medical Center before being booked in Ventura County Jail.

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Christer Schmidt

TEMPLETON, Calif. – A vegetation fire near Vineyard and Hidden Valley Road in Templeton has had forward progress stopped.

CAL FIRE SLO reports that a tree fell on a power line and caused a small fire.

The fire only hit about a quarter acre around 12:18 pm and was quickly contained.

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Christer Schmidt

VENTURA, Calif. – A Ventura Patrol officer arrested a suspect wanted in connection with a prior Grand Theft investigation.

The Ventura Patrol (VP) officer says they recognized the 45-year-old man from the Grand Theft investigation and attempted to initiate a traffic stop near Sherwin Avenue and Ventura Boulevard.

VP says the suspect failed to yield and fled quickly and recklessly on their motorcycle. Officers say they did not pursue the suspect initially due to the danger posed.

A VP motor officer says they later observed him continuing to drive recklessly in the area of Seaward Avenue and Thompson Boulevard. Moments later, the officer says they saw a collision between his motorcycle and a truck, which caused the suspect to be ejected from the motorcycle.

The motor officer says they attempted to detain him, but the suspect fled on foot.

A coordinated search ensued. During the search, officers say the suspect entered several private yards and temporarily hid in one until being discovered by the homeowner, prompting him to flee again.

After an hour, officers say they located and apprehended the suspect.

Officers say the motor officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital, and has since recovered fully.

The suspect was arrested for the prior Grand Theft and faces additional felony and misdemeanor charges, including felony evading, resisting arrest causing injury, hit and run, and prowling. He is currently booked at the Ventura County Jail.

A review of previous records showed that the suspect had prior convictions for burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, and Grand Theft of a vehicle.

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Christer Schmidt

PORT HUENEME, Calif. – A 56-year-old Oxnard resident was arrested Thursday night regarding a road rage incident.

Officers were dispatched to Fifth Street and Rice Avenue after a motorist reported that a suspect pointed a semi-automatic firearm at them while they were stopped near the intersection. The caller stated that when the light turned green, the suspect fled in his vehicle.

Oxnard Special Enforcement Unit (OSEU) says they located the vehicle in the 200 block of East Hueneme Road in the city of Port Hueneme. Officers say they spoke with the suspect, seated in the driver’s seat, and the passenger in the seat next to him.

OSEU says the pair were removed from the vehicle. They said the passenger was found to have narcotics and was under the influence.

During a search of the vehicle, they say they found a loaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun registered to the suspect.

OSEU says the suspect was arrested for brandishing and illegal firearm possession. They also noted that the suspect showed signs of being under the influence of narcotics.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES, Calif. – The Gifford Fire has grown to 131,605 acres, larger than July’s Madre Fire, making it the largest wildfire this year in California. It is near Gifford Trailhead on Highway 166 near the eastern edges of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

As of Monday, Aug. 17, the fire is 97 percent contained with some Evacuation Orders and Warnings being downgraded or removed for the response that began on the first day of August. Information for each county impacted is detailed below.

Heavy smoke has been seen across the Central Coast and air quality alerts and warnings were issued for parts of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

For the latest on air quality across Santa Barbra County, visit here and for current air quality information for San Luis Obispo County, click here.

La Panza 2 camera at the northern edge of the fire captured at 4:52 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2025.

Nine people have been injured during the fire response shared the Los Padres National Forest.

Santa Barbara County Evacuation Information

Evacuation orders and warnings in Santa Barbara County have been issued for areas south of Highway 166 which forms the northern boundary on the county including:

East of the Willow Springs trailhead and West of Cottonwood Canyon Road

East of School House Road and West of Aliso Canyon Road

East of Cottonwood Canyon Road and West of School House Road

Upper Tepusquet Canyon

Those evacuations are shown in the image below with the fire boundary shown in bright red, Evacuation Orders highlighted in light red, and Evacuation Warnings highlighted in yellow. The dotted black line surrounded by yellow is the county border which roughly matches the path of now-closed Highway 166.

A temporary evacuation point have been established at the Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center at 4689 Highway 166 in New Cuyama that is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can visit the center to incident information, get relief from the smoke, N95 masks, and water.

San Luis Obispo County Evacuation Information

San Luis Obispo County has also issued evacuation orders and warnings that are shown in the image below with Evacuation Orders shaded in red and Evacuation Warnings shaded in yellow.

Source: ARC GIS

For those in need of help finding shelter after being displaced by the evacuations or would like more information about the response, call the American Red Cross at 805-678-3073 or visit the temporary evacuation point at the Santa Margarita Community Hall at 22501 I Street.

Front line of the Gifford Fire response from the air on Aug. 6, 2025. Image courtesy of the Los Padres National Forest

Lopez Lake is under an evacuation order in connection with the Gifford Fire. All visitors must leave the area and public access is closed until further notice. All reservations until Aug. 21, 2025 have been cancelled with refunds granted automatically shared San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation.

Direct Relief is managing multiple free mask distribution centers that you can find here.

Smoke from the Gifford Fire rising above the marine layer on Aug. 12, 2025. Shot from the Lopez Hill Camera part of the ALERTCalifornia Camera System.

The Gifford Fire first broke out before 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, and resulted from a series of spot fires along Highway 166 according to Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) officials, but an official cause remains under investigation.

Highway 166 to State Route 33, between Santa Maria and New Cuyama, was closed due to the fire, but was reopened under one-lane traffic control on Wednesday, Aug. 13 detailed the California Department of Transportation, District 5.

Over 4,900 fire personnel have been assigned to the fire which has destroyed at least five structures and resulted in the evacuation of over 780 homes detailed the Los Padres National Forest.

More information on this fire response will be added to this article and on Your News Channel broadcasts as it becomes available.

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Christer Schmidt

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – As more Generation X workers prepare to remain in the workforce well into their 80s, a growing number are choosing to change careers altogether—sometimes dramatically—according to recent research and career experts.

Psychotherapist Dr. Robby Ludwig says more people are changing careers later in life, driven by longevity, financial needs and evolving passions.

“People want to feel relevant. They want to use their talents and skills. They want to be impactful,” Ludwig said. “And they like the idea of earning money because very often we need to earn more if we’re going to be living longer.”

Many Gen Xers, defined as those born between 1965 and 1980, are reconsidering their professional paths after decades in traditional careers. Some are doing so out of necessity, while others are driven by newly discovered passions or values.

“As we get older, we change,” Ludwig noted. “In some cases, our jobs make those decisions for us.”

Career transitions in midlife can be mentally and financially challenging, Ludwig acknowledged. But she emphasized the value of strategic planning and networking. “I love the idea of having a plan B,” she said. “You know a lot of people, so you’re networking.”

Her YouTube series, The Pivot with Dr. Robby Ludwig, features high-profile guests like former news anchor Gretchen Carlson and actor Dean Cain, both of whom made notable midlife shifts into advocacy and independent filmmaking, respectively.

Among the most common transition strategies, Ludwig cited building parallel careers and returning to school—often through affordable online programs. “I see people doing that in order to create a whole new career for themselves either in the law or as therapists or artists or teachers,” she said.

With longer lifespans and evolving priorities, Gen X appears poised to redefine what a “career” looks like in later life—not just as a means of survival, but as a pathway to purpose.

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