Author: KEYT

Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Lompoc city councilman Steve Bridge, who’s accused of fraud, appeared for the fourth day of his preliminary hearing this morning.

Some of the most damaging testimony against the Lompoc councilman came from a private investigator.

Detective Ronald Murillo testified Steve Bridge claimed he “ginned up the invoices,” that he was the “guilty party,” telling the investigator his actions were “a little shady.”

A city utilities employee testified about how the city rebate program at the center of the case works.

Bridge is accused of defrauding the program.

The employee says a water leak rebate application at a house owned by Bridge was flagged due to an incorrect address.

That led to the discovery of additional oddities on other invoices and eventually to the fraud charges.

The hearing is scheduled to resume in three weeks.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On OurMobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for theNews Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – With the potential of an unpermitted event called Deltopia, Isla Vista beaches will be closed from 8:00 a.m. Friday, April 3rd through Monday, April 6th at 8:00 a.m.

The beaches have been a source of health, safety and environmental concerns in the past when large events take place.

A social-media driven event known as “Floatopia” took place in 2009 at a time when the resources were not in place and the crowd size was overwhelming.

The county says, “the beaches at Isla Vista were left strewn with trash and debris, including human waste.”

The Deltopia event got its name when those gathering for a similar Spring Break weekend brought it up to Del Playa Drive, overlooking the ocean in subsequent years. It was not sanctioned and resulted in numerous medical calls for service, broke balconies and two deaths were listed as being connected to the activity.

This year the only permitted event is the Soltopia festival on April 4th, hosted by the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara’s Associated Students Board. This event is at the top of the “loop” and free using park land and nearby areas. There are no beach activities.

There will be free admission, musical events, other art, food vendors and security. It is a public event and organizers have encouraged community members and families to attend. It was presented earlier this year to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

This event also encourages people to eat and shop in the Isla Vista community where the year-round economy struggles during school breaks. The community has about 20,000 students who attend UC Santa Barbara or Santa Barbara City College.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department through the Isla Vista Foot Patrol will enforce the beach closure and an ordinance banning amplified music.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (KEYT) – Recreational vehicle owners may be able to spend the night closer to the beach soon in the City of Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara Harbor Commission is looking at new revenue options and RVs could be allowed in an area where they are currently off-limits for now.

The preferred site under review is the Palm Park to the east of Stearns Wharf. It is the same lot where the Skater’s Point skate park is located.

Restriping would take place and there would be room for an estimated 26 RV spaces.

In a presentation to the commission the process involved several steps including a change to the municipal code by the Santa Barbara City Council and a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission.

Revenue from the lot area now is estimated at $348,000 a year and the plan would have to be developed with fees that exceed the current mark.

This idea came out of a request citywide for all departments to present new funding solutions at a time when overall, the budget is struggling.

The Waterfront budget is an enterprise fund and operates independently from the larger city General Fund.

Issues at the waterfront alone include new costs for dredging going forward, insurance increases for Stearns Wharf and a gap in leases including at the former Anchor Rose site which is empty.

RV parking fees in the future would be an annual source of income and a new revenue stream.

The Palm lot has 127 spaces in the eastern half right now.

In the area, RV parking is popular along the Rincon and Emma Wood State beach in Ventura County.

(More details, video and photos will be added later today.)

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Alissa Orozco

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – On Thursday, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) was granted a 20-year license renewal to continue operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach.

The renewal was announced by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission during a virtual ceremony, officially determining Diablo Canyon as “safe and environmentally sound to operate for another 20 years.”

The plant was initially set to retire in 2025, but as the state’s largest source of clean energy, state officials directed Diablo Canyon to remain open to help reach California’s climate goals.

According to PG&E, the power plant helps meet nearly 20 percent of the California’s clean energy, providing energy to roughly 10 percent of the state’s population, or four million Californians.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A Santa Barbara nonprofit is turning soup into a lifeline for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Organic Soup Kitchen is hosting its “Spring Souper Bloom” fundraiser at its distribution center.

The event brings the community together to support a mission rooted in nutrition and care.

For 17 years, the organization has provided medically tailored meals to those in need.

That includes low-income seniors and people battling cancer or chronic illness.

Now, the goal is to keep that critical support going strong.

Guests will enjoy an evening of seasonal soups and community connection.

Funds raised help deliver meals designed to support healing and overall health.

Organizers say demand is growing, but there’s encouraging progress.

“We’ve actually been able to lift our waiting list, which is huge for us, because it means more people are getting the care they need right now,” said marketing director Natasha Nazerian of the Organic Soup Kitchen.

The Spring Souper Bloom event is on Thursday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m., at the Organic Soup Kitchen in Santa Barbara.

For more information, visit: https://organicsoupkitchen.org/.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Ashlee Buzzard appeared briefly in a Lompoc court room Wednesday morning as Judge Stephen Dunkle set the dates for two upcoming hearings.

April 22nd at 1:30pm is for a motion filed by Buzzard’s public defender Erica Sutherland last Friday to compel forensic discovery.

May 6th at 1:30pm is a hearing on Sutherland’s other motion to quash and traverse a search warrant.

The preliminary hearing remains unscheduled.

A resident of Vandenberg Village, Buzzard is accused of murdering her 9-year-old daughter Melodee on a road trip and leaving her body on a Utah roadside last year.

The upcoming hearings will be open to the public.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On OurMobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for theNews Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The new ADA ramp is now complete at Old Mission Santa Barbara after months of work.

It is on the front-right side of the landmark building in Santa Barbara.

The fundraising goal of $1.1 million was met and support came in from the parish and community at large.

This ramp is a natural extension of the original architecture. Stones from the same quarry as the church’s iconic façade were used in the project.

The ramp is open in time for Easter Services this weekend.

A special dedication will take place April 12 at 4:30 p.m. with an official blessing, ribbon cutting and reception.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo Regional Airport is starting off its Earth Month sustainability events with a parking lot clothing drive.

The donations are going to the Lumina Thrift Store, simultaneously reducing landfill waste and supporting victims of domestic violence.

On April 8th, airport workers will be participating in a runway cleanup event, enhancing airfield safety through environmental stewardship.

A decarbonization showcase and solar ribbon cutting is slated for the morning of April 22nd, celebrating major milestones for the airports’ sustainability efforts.

Smaller events and efforts take place throughout the month between the ones highlighted here.

“Our theme for this month is from Plan to Practice,” says Joe Goble, public information officer at San Luis Obispo Regional Airport. “So kind of seeing how our passengers and people in our community can get involved with the sustainability measures that we do here every day. donations like this, anyone can get involved. Whether you’re a passenger, whether you’re just a community member or a stakeholder of any kind.”

More information about the airport’s Earth Month events can be found by clicking here.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A new one-day festival using existing venues in Santa Barbara is expected to energize the night time music scene and help to revive downtown.

“State Fest” is set for April 4th from 6:00pm to 2:00am.

It is a chance for participants to build their own festival experience. The organizer says it will include eight venues, 12 stages, and over 30 artists.

State Fest Promoter MJ Morrison says, “Santa Barbara’s unique. You’ve got a three block radius in downtown, the 400 to 600 block specifically where you’ve got really high quality nightlife venues for live music.”

Cover charges will range from free to $15. There is also an all access VIP option.

“State Fest” Map via StateFestSB

Performers will include False Puppet, DJ Darla Bea, Wyatt Earp, The Coveralls and many other local bands and DJ’s. There will also be Techno and special dance shows.

This gives the venues a chance to connect and share music fans throughout the eight-hour event. For those out on a Saturday night, this festival style approach gives them a much fuller experience and they can sample a wider variety of entertainment.

“Putting a really big act on a really big stage next to someone like, for another venue that isn’t necessarily known for that,” said Morrison, will give the guest a variety of choices.

This also creates an event without having to put up fences, pay for additional security or go through a lengthy permit process.

. The Cruisery and its adjacent night spot Unbearable on Haley St. are all in with multiple music acts.

Owner Aron Ashland said, “whether you’re someone that likes to dance or likes to see bands or just wants a great cocktail, I think that those things are all going to be options, options for you when you come down here. And that’s, I think, different than just a normal Saturday night.”

Unlike the larger clubs and music spots, “So “I think it’s going to be even more intimate and more, exciting to see these people perform,” said Ashland who has made may suggestions to the city on ways to revitalize downtown.

The locations for State Fest include Son Y Sabor, Wildcat Lounge, Night Lizard, Institution Ale, The Cruisery, Unbearable, EOS and Wine Therapy.

The VIP pass will be available only for pick up at Son Y Sabor.

Morrison said the concept came together because existing locations were. already booking acts regularly and saw a way to elevate it. “I’m just putting on events that are really fun that people actually want to go to. Like, sometimes it’s just as simple as that,” he said.

A drink cover product called NIght Cap lets you put that over your glass and pop in your straw it’s an added safety feature at all of the locations.

For more information go to: State Fest

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Maria Valley Chamber will hold its 2026 Housing Summit on Wednesday afternoon at Allan Hancock College.

According to the Chamber, the discussion during the nearly three-hour event will center on current legislative updates, local development trends, and real-world solutions to current housing challenges.

The Chamber added the annual summit will bring together key voices from across industries to explore the current housing climate and what the future may hold for the Santa Maria Valley.

Those who attend will learn about local housing trends, development updates, and opportunities to support sustainable growth in the Santa Maria Valley and Northern Santa Barbara County region.

Some of the local professionals that are scheduled to speaks are Suzanne Singh, Santa Maria Valley Chamber Vice President of Economic Development and Government Affairs, Staci Caplan, Broker/Owner of Pacific Crest Realty, Chenin Dow, City of Santa Maria Community Development Director, Thomas E. Stevens, Space Launch Delta 30 Executive Director, attorneys Mack Carlson and Chris Guillen from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Ben Fine, Coastal Community Builders Vice President of Construction), Dan Ferreira, US-Offsite Founder and CEO, and Ken Trigueriro, People Self Help Housing, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The 2026 Housing Summit will begin at 4:15 p.m. in the Boyd Concert Hall on the Hancock College Santa Maria campus.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.