Author: KEYT

Mike Klan

WICHITA, Kansas. – Few could have seen this loss coming.

After steamrolling their way into the quarterfinals at the National Baseball Congress World Series, the Santa Barbara Foresters seemed poised to add another championship to their record total.

But the Foresters were upset by the Lonestar Kraken 6-4 in the elimination quarterfinal round and end the season 27-11.

Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning the Foresters got off the mat with three runs showing the heart of a champion.

Easton Moomau doubled in Cole Chamberlain to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Moments later Brenton Clark slugged his first home run of the summer, a clutch two-run, game-tying blast to right field.

(Brenton Clark celebrates with his teammates after his game-tying home run. NBC Tournament).

But the Kraken responded with two runs in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring double.

The Foresters went 1,2,3 in the bottom of the ninth inning as they see their season end in the quarterfinals for the second straight season.

The Foresters have an NBC Tournament record 10 championships.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Inside a windowless room off a quiet street in the Funk Zone, Chef Lennon Silvers Lee serves more than sushi — he offers a personal meditation on craft, culture, and what it means to pursue perfection, one grain of rice at a time.

That pursuit has earned Silvers Omakase its first Michelin Star, a rare accolade for a restaurant so understated in presentation and so exacting in execution. At just ten seats wide, Silvers is a study in minimalism — pared down to the essentials, leaving what remains to shine.

Specializing in the traditional Japanese experience of omakase – literally translating to “I’ll leave it up to you” — diners are guided through a chef-curated multi-course meal built entirely around his vision and ingredients available that day.

“It allows you to try new things, which I think is great. I think in this world, everybody should just continue to try new things because you never know what you might like if you never try it. I think it’s a beautiful thing.”

A transient menu and fresh ingredients leaves Lee with little room for boredom. 

Each day from Tuesday to Saturday, he prepares for service with fresh fish imported from Japanese markets, Southern California distributors, and local fishermen.

“805 Seafood! They’re my boys, add that in there!”

Among the prized offerings: hamachi, shima aji, uni, and bluefin tuna. But ask Lee what truly sets his menu apart, and he won’t hesitate.

“The rice is everything. The rice has always been everything.”

Silvers is the only restaurant outside of Japan to use Tanada Isehikari rice from Doyuuno Farm, a specialty grain grown organically in Satoyama. Milled in-house and making up the base of roughly 90% of the menu, the rice is cultivated with mineral-rich mountain water and no pesticides—labor-intensive, but essential.

“That’s what’s important to this cuisine — the tradition, heritage, and culture,” Lee says.

“I think we think, ‘Oh, good fish,’ and put toro or truffle or caviar or something fancy on top and then it’s good sushi. But it doesn’t matter what’s on top. The rice is everything.”

It’s this fundamental ingredient Lee credits with earning Silvers its Michelin recognition.

His path to fine dining wasn’t forged through culinary school or high-end internships. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Lee got his start at 17 as a dishwasher at his brother Phillip’s restaurant, Sushi by Scratch, in Montecito.

“It was the first time in my life that I didn’t look at the clock while I was working,” he recalls. “That’s how I knew I fell in love with it.”

Over the years, he worked his way up — prep cook, line cook, eventually executive chef. When Scratch earned its Michelin Star in 2021, Lee was leading the kitchen.

“The first star I got was in 2021 and it was… very different because it was around COVID,” he says. “There wasn’t a ceremony, there wasn’t any type of stage performance, so I never experienced the Michelin Guide in a normal setting. Also, I was running that restaurant, but I was the executive chef — I wasn’t the owner.”

Now, he and his brother Philip are the first siblings in the U.S. to earn Michelin Stars at two different, independent restaurants at the same time.

Silvers is deeply personal for Lee. After a decade of working alongside his brother, he chose to create a space grounded in his own values — a space where Japanese tradition and craftsmanship take center stage. From Kagami crystal glassware to Damien Hirst artwork, every detail is intentional, handmade, and masterfully selected.

“I feel like there’s a time and a place to be cost-effective for a lot of restaurants to survive. But that wasn’t our goal here. My goal was to be as extraordinary as I could.”

“My goal was to open a restaurant that, if I went to, I’d be super stoked.”

The space itself includes two rooms: a minimalist but elegant waiting room, and a sleek service room where the ten-seat counter transforms into the stage for Lee’s artistry. 

Silvers’ minimalism won’t carry onto the check. Beginning July 1st, the starting price for an evening at Silvers is $235 — a $50 increase he attributes to recently instated tariffs on imported goods.

“This isn’t meant to be a casual night out or just getting food,” Lee explains. “It’s meant to be a birthday or an anniversary, or a celebration—something cool! I want our guests to feel like it’s not just a restaurant. I want you to feel like you’re going out for a night out.”

Still, despite the accolades and attention, he has no plans for expansion — at least not yet.

For Chef Lee, one restaurant, one room, one night at a time is more than enough. And for those lucky enough to get a reservation, it’s easy to see why.

Silvers Omakase in the Funk Zone is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., by reservation only.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA. Calif. – La Misa Del Presidente is a vital component to Old Spanish Days, bringing with it the religious aspect of this traditional event.

Even before the Fiesta Mass began, those attending were welcomed with a special message from the Chumash community and prayers from 160 years ago from a direct descendant James Yee.

The music from a mariachi band was selected for this holy ceremony.

The Mass was a time to pause from the party atmosphere to reflect on the times we live in, and the times we have lived during past Fiestas.

Father Joe Schwab from the Old Mission Santa Barbara said, “I am proud to be part of a city that is a welcoming city, that believes we have room for people, that we don’t have to get rid of people. We have to invite people in to be part of this beautiful experience.”

The church was at capacity for this special event.

Many of those attending were coming back to the mission where the Fiesta Pequeña event, which opened Old Spanish Days last night.

An audience of over 5,000 people were on the Mission grounds and across the street at the Rose Garden park for the annual event.

After the mass those inside came out to the courtyard to talk about what they heard inside and what it means to this year’s Fiesta.

Laurie Sullivan grew up locally and lives in Virginia these days. “With the Mass talking about community coming together It really touched my heart. And then you have the mariachis playing and lifting us up. It just made me so happy,” she said.

Also reflecting, Joanna Sanchez said, “and not only to have us here in the early 1800s and celebrating our history of Rancho California days. Now we’re here in 2025, celebrating all over again.”

There were many people who attended the mass and reception that come every year and several people who live outside of the area make it an annual visit for this mass, Old Spanish Days and to share in this community celebration they say is one of a kind for them.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The final touches are taking place on the floats that will be in Friday’s Fiesta parade, El Desfile Histórico.

The floats will represent different historic groups in Santa Barbara and some of the special participants over the years, including the past presidents.

They all start with a flat base and are built up from there at the back lot of the Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum.

Each one will have decorations including colorful flowers, and specially crafted designs.

The float for Santa Barbara High is one-of-a-kind this year because of the special anniversary for the historic high school.

Annette Cordero, who went to Santa Barbara High in 1975, said, “I think our major thing this year is that we’re celebrating our 150th year in existence. And so it’s our sesquicentennial, and we’re having a big all Dons reunion this October. And we’re really trying to do it up because it’s a historic event. We’re really excited about this, and we wanted to have all of our banners and showing on our 150th.”

On board will be “Bossie the Cow”  a fabricated animal that once stood on top of a building on Milpas Street near the campus.

The floats will be interspersed between the marching entries, the carriages, and the 400 horses that will be part of the annual event.

You can watching person on Cabrillo Boulevard,  on the air or on line at KEYT.com where we will be streaming the event starting at noon.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — One person is dead, two others are hospitalized, and three suspects are now in custody following a stabbing on State Street early Friday morning — just hours before the historic Fiesta parade.

The Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) is still investigating the incident and arrested 29-year-old Luis Gerardo Terrazas, in connection with the incident on Friday.

The SBPD later arrested a second suspect, 28-year-old Juan Fernando Rios, and took him into custody Saturday.

Rios was previously arrested in connection with a stabbing on State Street in February of 2018.

On Sunday, SBPD Police say 30-year-old Sergio Rivas was arrested without incident by investigators. He was also found to be in possession of a loaded firearm, according to the agency.

Santa Barbara Police Department shared that detectives believe that the individuals involved knew each other.

It’s raising concerns in the community as thousands flooded downtown for Old Spanish Days Fiesta.

“It’s unbelievable,” said local artist Chloé Marie Hourdequin. “There are so many people out, and there are children out too, while this happened.”

The attack happened just after midnight, around 12:23 a.m. on August 1.

Santa Barbara police say a passerby flagged down officers in the 500 block of State Street near Haley and Cota Streets, reporting a man with a knife.

Responding officers found a person with a stab wound on the ground and additional officers quickly secured the area and located two more victims nearby. All three were transported to Cottage Hospital, where one person transported from the scene later died.

The victim was identified as Anthony Michael Bisquera Hartley after a GoFundMe page was put up to raise money to help with burial costs. You can find the GoFundMe here.

“It is just horrendous to think that someone can commit that kind of atrocity in basically the most well-protected area,” Hourdequin said. “There are cops on every corner down here.”

Despite increased law enforcement presence for Fiesta, the violence unfolded just steps away from where families gathered to celebrate. Witnesses say the street was busy with music, dancing, and vendors in the moments leading up to the stabbing.

“I don’t know what it was about. I don’t know what transpired before that,” said one street vendor who witnessed the scene. “Everybody was just dancing on the street prior to that. It’s a very, very sad day, and I just hope [the victim] gets justice.”

The 500 block of State Street was closed from Hotel Santa Barbara to Old Kings Road as police investigated. A command post was set up at the corner of State and Cota Streets.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse thanked first responders and urged the public to remain vigilant during the busy weekend.

“Our police department was on the scene within moments to render aid and locate anyone involved,” Rowse said. “All city resources are deployed to ensure a safe Fiesta weekend. If you see something of concern, always say something and call the police.”

Some community members expressed frustration and fear in the wake of the incident.

“I feel like it could have been a different outcome if there was a quicker response,” one vendor said. “There’s a bunch of cops out — it’s confusing.”

Others, like local resident Scott Martinez, said they still trust law enforcement.

“I’ve always felt safe in Santa Barbara because we’ve always had plenty of police here, and I’ve always respected the police,” Martinez said.

But for vendors like Sarina Carbajal, the risk of tensions boiling over during Fiesta remains top of mind.

“With drinking and Fiesta, it gets really wild out here,” Carbajal said. “So it could have been a confrontation.”

The Santa Barbara Police Department has asked anyone with information to contact the Santa Barbara Police Department at 805-882-8900.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – For its 101st year, El Desfile Histórico celebrated Santa Barbara with the most popular event of the city for many residents.

This parade made its way down Cabrillo Boulevard at noon under warm summertime conditions with a back drop of the ocean and palm trees.

It is one of the nation’s largest equestrian parades with over 400 horses.

There were 58 entries and 27 historic carriages.

It captivated the eyes of thousands of spectators, many that came hours in advance and secured their best viewing spots.

Every few moments, starting with the flower girls, you could hear the cheer “Viva la Fiesta!”

Fiesta began in 1924.

Drew Wakefield, one of the most vocal participants shouted from a carriage, “a great, a magnificent, incredible day. Viva la Fiesta! Fiesta Friday, Old Spanish Days.”

Generations have enjoyed this blend of the Spanish, Mexican, Religious, Indigenous and Ranchero history.

Steve Golis, a local commercial realtor and lifelong horse back rider, said, “it is my 30th year, it is the best.”

Gary Simpson the owner of the ACE Home Improvement Center and sponsor rode in a carriage and said, “Viva la Fiesta Capture the Spirit !” That was this year’s theme. “This is the most incredible thing ever. What a crowd, What a day.”

Teresa Kuskey, a former Saint Barbara for the parade, said, “this is the way to show love and joy and the spirit of Santa Barbara and community, like these types of events.”

Riders came from hundreds of miles away to showcase their skills. There were horses most spectators have never seen up close.

Many of those who grew up in Santa Barbara or left and came back say this parade and the Fiesta spirit runs deep in their family.

 Renee Vargas was in a Fiesta dress saying, “I used to be in the children’s parade, and my parents, grandparents were born from here. It is something I undertake every year.”

Within its presentation of historic carriages and traditions it is a storyline of Santa Barbara.

Jean Michel Cousteau was a former Grand Marshal. He said, “it is an emotional experience that everybody needs to experience because it goes to your heart. It never goes away!”

There’s no shortage of fun at this event with cheering, waving, some horns, and flying confetti.

Angelica Martin let loose a secret. “Don’t tell my husband, but some of our city fire department, when they come out, they spray everybody (with a hose). It’s so fun and interactive. And I get to see the kids get out there. That’s the best part.”

About that time, firefighters came down with a splash of water towards the crowd with small extinguishers. They also hooked up a big hose for a tall shot in the air that send a spray across the crowd.

Keith Strauss was sitting on the edge of the parade route. He said, “it was great. I mean, what else could you imagine besides the confetti?” And handfuls of confetti were being tossed.

For someone who is here from halfway around the world it was a visit she will never forget.

Jo-ann Roots is from South Africa and said, “we do not have Old Spanish Days in South Africa, so I’m enjoying this very much. The tradition, the outfits, the culture, it’s amazing.”

News Channel’s Beth Farnsworth, John Palminteri, CJ Ward, Ivania Montes, Evan Vega, Mike Klan, and Scott Hennessee were all live from the parade as part of the televised broadcast.

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Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.- A Tsunami Advisory that had been placed across the California coastline for several hours was lifted early Wednesday afternoon for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, as well as the rest of Southern California.

Also on Wednesday afternoon, San Luis Obispo County also cancelled an Evacuation Warning for areas near the bay in Los Osos.

The wide scale Tsunami Advisory was made by the National Tsunami Warning Center on Tuesday following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near the far eastern Russia coastline.

In San Luis Obispo County, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was quickly put into action once the Tsunami Advisory went into effect.

“Once we got the notification from the state that they were upgrading the Tsunami Watch to a Tsnuami Advisory, the County EOC was activated,” said Anita Konopa, San Luis Obispo County Emergency Services Coordinator. “It was activated at a fairly low level, but County OES staff was in there, as well as, law enforcement, fire, Public Works and EMS, just watch the situation and ensure that we were up to date on what was going on. The state was holding hourly conference calls with all of the operational partners on the coast, and providing us information on what they were receiving from the National Tsunami Warning Center, as well as the information they were getting from their tsunami playbooks. The tsunami playbooks are basically information that the state has that provides us detailed information based on the size of the tsunami, what the coastal threat might be and areas that need to be evacuated.”

Konopa added the EOC remained in operation until 3 a.m. Wednesday morning and then went into what is referred as “Level Four” or a virtual activation.

“Luckily we did not get the impacts that were forecast to happen,” said Konopa. “We were looking at potential wave heights in Port San Luis, up to 3.2 feet. We only hit about two feet. It did correlate with high tide, but luckily there wasn’t a lot of damage that happened.”

On Wednesday, Port San Luis was business as usual with beachgoers, boaters, fisherman and other visitors all going about their day under normal circumstances.

“Fortunately, we had minimal impacts,” said Matt Ashton, Port San Luis Harbor District Acting Director and Chief Harbor Patrol Officer. “We did see, a 2.7 foot surge come in around 2:14 a.m. and that was the brunt of it. We didn’t see any significant energy coming pushing damaging any of our infrastructure that we found yet. We still are assessing the damage, but so far haven’t found any and aren’t expecting to find a whole lot. We’ve been in coordination with the EOC for the county, the sheriff’s department, the Army Corps of Engineers for damage assessments, and so far, we’ve been able to report that we haven’t found much, so I think we got on this one pretty clean.”

The story was the same in nearby Pismo Beach, which looked like another summer day in July featuring pleasant weather conditions once the morning overcast lifted late in the morning. 

“We did see some additional waves come through,” said Pismo Beach City Manager Jorge Garcia. “We saw the tide rising a little faster than normal conditions would be, but nothing that couldn’t be managed or mitigated, so we’re back to normal operations today.”

Despite have little to no impacts from the waves, Garcia pointed out a Red Flag Warning was in effect on its beaches as a result of the Tsunami Warning.

“We have released a red flag warning here for our ocean conditions,” said Garcia. “That’s just because of the potential of additional surges or currents, so if you’re not anticipating them, it’s something to just be aware of. Our lifeguards are ready. We are staffed here on the beach and ready for the public to enjoy the community. We’ll continue to monitor the situation. We may need to have a red flag going into tomorrow into Thursday, July 31st, but we anticipate hopefully by tomorrow and this weekend to return back to normal operations.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The way to get a good view of Fiesta Pequena at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara is to be up at dawn.

Blankets and chairs went up starting with the mission bells ringing at 6 a.m., although the hard and fast time had a little flexibility this year.

When the time came, those who were already up and on-site were quick to secure their spot. That is 14 hours ahead of the annual show that will be a featured event during Old Spanish Days.

One resident Sue Kwasnick said, “I rarely get up early but for this. I am psyched because this is going to be one of the most amazing shows tonight and one of the most special moments of the weekend. This is my first time here.”

Thousands will come out to view the beautifully presented show with the mission steps serving as the dance floor and colored lights set up for a spectacular back drop to the show.

The asphalt area at the mission will have chairs for VIP’s and specially ticketed guests. The lawn on the mission property is open for viewing from blankets and small chairs. Beyond that there is a viewing area on the grass at the Rose Garden Park.

Thousands are expected for the show. It will also be broadcast on NewsChannel 3-12.

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Jarrod Zinn

SOLVANG, Calif. – The Fund for Santa Barbara held a milestone grant awards ceremony in Solvang this evening.

A cocktail hour in the outdoor reception area of the Corque Hotel in Solvang Wednesday evening was followed by a presentation of various stories reflecting The Fund for Santa Barbara’s mission.

“The Fund for Santa Barbara is a community foundation providing Movement Building Grants to organizations within Santa Barbara County, those organizations working at the grassroots level, seeking to make social justice change within the county,” says Eder Gaona-Macedo, The Fund for Santa Barbara’s executive director.

Representatives of the Fund for Santa Barbara say that though this event happens every year, this one is a significant milestone because it’s their largest grant cycle in their 45 years of operation.

“I think it’s essential that we all act together as a community,” says Ian Paige, on behalf of Indivisible of Santa Barbara. “What’s happened in the past historically, is one third of the population will be involved, one third of all the community will pull in the other direction. And that last third, the third that we’re trying to reach out to kind of sit by the sidelines and we’re trying to I think all of us are trying to get the people, not just the ones who are active, but the ones who are sitting on the sidelines.”

Some attribute the swell in grassroots support to the Trump administration’s federal funding cuts.

“This year has been really difficult for a lot of people given the immigration raids, federal cuts and just the ongoing change,” says Gaona-Macedo.

Recipients are awarded The Fund’s ‘Movement Building Grants,’ ‘Racial Equity Grants,’ and more.

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Ryder Christ

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — On Wednesday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) rescinded all designated federal Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, rolling back more than 3.5 million acres previously set aside for offshore wind development, including areas off the California coast.

Despite the sweeping rollback, the decision will not impact existing leases, including those tied to California’s offshore wind projects like the one near Morro Bay.

“This order, which the administration previewed through its action in January to end leasing of offshore wind in federal waters, does not affect existing leases, including those off California’s coast,” said American Clean Power-California spokesperson Wes Venteicher.

“The proposed federal interference with private economic activity is unprecedented and creates a troubling challenge for critical energy infrastructure investment of any kind — especially at a time of increasing energy demand. Offshore wind energy promises stable electricity pricing, good-paying jobs and grid reliability for California.”

Three global companies—Equinor (Atlas Offshore Wind), Golden State Wind, and Invenergy California Offshore—invested $425 million to develop floating wind farms across 376 square miles off the San Luis Obispo County coast. They also pledged an additional $27 million in community benefits and $66 million toward workforce training.

The region underwent extensive review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), culminating in a Final Environmental Assessment and a “Finding of No Significant Impact” in October 2022. In December 2022, BOEM held its first-ever offshore wind lease auction on the West Coast, awarding three leases within the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area—along with others off Humboldt Bay—covering roughly 373,000 acres with an estimated generation capacity of 3 to 4.5 gigawatts.

The Morro Bay wind project and the newly established Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary were designed to coexist through a carefully negotiated compromise. In October 2024, NOAA finalized the sanctuary’s boundaries, intentionally excluding the federally leased wind energy zones off Morro Bay to allow for the installation of subsea transmission cables.

Earlier that year, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council reached an agreement with the offshore wind developers expressing support for the sanctuary’s creation while allowing necessary infrastructure for floating wind energy. The adjusted boundary ensures that both cultural and environmental protections, as well as renewable energy development, can proceed without conflict.

When asked whether Trump’s latest rollback on offshore wind farms will disrupt development of the Morro Bay Wind Farm project, Venteich declined to comment.

The revocation does not affect existing leases, but it ensures that already suspended lease sales will not go forward according to The Maritime Executive.

The CADEMO Floating Wind Demonstration Project remains unaffected. Located 2.5 to 2.8 nautical miles offshore from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, the project lies entirely within California jurisdiction.

CADEMO plans to install four floating wind turbines, each capable of generating 12 to 15 megawatts, for a total output of around 60 megawatts. Developers have finalized a mitigation agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to ensure compatibility with Space Force operations. The project is expected to begin delivering power by late 2027.

Because CADEMO bypasses BOEM’s leasing process and is regulated under California’s permitting framework through the California State Lands Commission and CEQA, it is not impacted by the federal WEA rollback.

Meanwhile, actor Samuel L. Jackson is voicing support for offshore wind in a cheeky new marketing campaign by European energy company Vattenfall.

“Motherf—ing wind farms: Loud, ugly, harmful to nature. Who says that?” Jackson asks in the video.

The campaign promotes snacks made with seaweed grown near offshore wind installations.

Former President Donald Trump has long criticized wind energy.

“We’re not going to let windmills get built because we’re not going to destroy our country any further than it’s already been destroyed,” Trump said last month.

Rep. Salud Carbajal said the decision will hurt the nation’s wind energy sector and threaten thousands of jobs tied to the industry.

“Wind power is no longer theoretical—it’s vital to our economy and energy security. Undermining renewables not only hurts American workers and businesses, it hands the future of clean energy to global competitors like China. This is an America Last policy approach.”

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