Author: KEYT

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – If you’re strolling along the streets of Santa Barbara, you may notice some of the city’s most iconic buildings lit up green for mental health awareness at night.

For one family, these green lights carry an extra special meaning.

“I’ve had a family member who has a mental health disorder. He has been in and out of hospital in and out of jail for various reasons,” said Tom Franklin of Santa Barbara.

Franklin is the President for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Santa Barbara County.

He’s also devoted to a loved one suffering from a life long case of schizophrenia, tied with alcohol abuse.

“You combine alcohol with a mental illness… and you get violence… and just very unreasonable behavior,” said Franklin.

Franklin sought help, without much luck at first.

“And for most of those 14 years, services have been very hit and miss,” said Franklin.

About a month ago, Franklin’s loved one tried to break into his home.

“Right around midnight I heard this big crash. There was a big picture window in the front of our house…and he had broken that window,” said Franklin.

Thanks to the Department of Behavioral Wellness 24/7 Access Line, Franklin dialed it and got help right away. 

“Absolutely I was afraid for our safety… in fact, I told my wife to lock herself inside her bedroom,” said Franklin.

His loved one ended up assaulting an officer, and is currently in jail.

Officers of the Santa Barbara Police Department believes Franklin’s family is just one of hundreds affected by mental illness.

“We all know someone if it’s not us. It’s a family member a close friend so I think it touches everyone that touches the community, but also touches the families inside the department,” said chief Kelly Gordon of the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Franklin hopes everyone can turn awareness into action by seeking help for those struggling.

“We definitely have people that are suffering with mental illnesses. We have a lot of families that are suffering. We have a lot of program set up. We have a lot of resources that are out there,” said officer Tommy Diefenthaler of the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Mental health resources are available for people of all ages including kids throughout Santa Barbara County.

“And especially with young children are a Headstart children who were born during Covid times, there was a lot of milestones that were really not reached so we see that now… and we want the community to know that our services are in Spanish as well as English and we do have bicultural staff willing to meet clients and families wherever they’re at,” said clinical services director Nuvia Almanza of CommUnify.

As for Franklin, he is grateful for the local resources here in Santa Barbara County.

“My hope for the community is that they take advantage of the services offered by NAMI, the Mental Wellness Center and the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness … and don’t be afraid if you make a call, and don’t get a response, call again,” said Franklin.

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Alissa Orozco

PISMO BEACH, Calif. – A handful of beaches on the Central Coast are getting the recognition they deserve, and Pismo Beach reels in another big win!

After a just few months after being declared the Best Coastal Small Town, Pismo Beach was named #2 Best Beach in California by USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

An iconic location on the Central Coast, Pismo Beach was praised for its laid-back California charm paired with its picturesque ocean views. It was beat out of the #1 spot by another Central Coast location, ‘Olol’koy Beach Park in Oxnard.

Nearby Butterfly Beach in Montecito also made the list at #8, known for its breathtaking views of the Santa Ynez mountains and vibrant marine life.

The top ten winners included:

1. ‘Olol’koy Beach Park (Oxnard Beach Park)

2. Pismo Beach

3. Huntington State Beach

4. Carlsbad State Beach

5. Ventura Beach

6. Crissy Beach

7. Malibu Lagoon State Beach

8. Butterfly Beach

9. Newport Municipal Beach

10. Santa Cruz Main Beach

“With so many incredible beach towns across California, we’re honored to consistently rank among the best,” said Gordon Jackson, Director of Tourism and Events for the Pismo Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. “We work hard to make Pismo Beach a truly unique destination that delivers that classic California coastal feeling people come looking for.”

You can view the complete list at USA Today.

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Alissa Orozco

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – The state of California is restarting a new summer food program to help families make healthy food choices this summer. Maritza Perez from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department spoke with your News Channel to talk about “SUN Bucks.”

The Summer EBT program known as “SUN Bucks” provides families $40 for food in the months of June, July, and August, totaling $120. The program ensures children have access to nutritional meals and food even when they’re not in school.

“It’s important, certainly to keep the nutrition going, right? A lot of kids getting their food from school, reduced or free lunches, and then in the summertime that goes away. So this helps with that,” Perez explains.

The county says children who qualify for free or reduced lunch at their schools will automatically be mailed the SUN Bucks EBT card. The California Department of Social Services says children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, attending Head Start, and/or are considered a runaway are also categorically eligible and are automatically enrolled. 

Families will have 122 days to use their food benefits, any unused balance that is left over after the 122 days will expire.

“SUN Bucks, you can use them at grocery stores, farmers markets, anywhere that accepts CALfresh benefits. So this is food that is cold, not warmed, not things like vitamins, so things that you find on the shelves, anything with the nutritional label, and that’s cold.”

If you are unsure if your child qualifies for the SUN Bucks program, the county suggests checking in with their school before September 2nd, 2025. Visit the California Department of Social Services website to learn more.

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Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. – The Dana Reserve development in Nipomo will once again need to go through the approval process with San Luis Obispo County leaders following the announcement of a legal settlement this week.

On Wednesday, NKT Development, along with the Nipomo Action Committee (NAC), and the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) announced the three sides have reached an agreement to end a lawsuit that was filed by NAC and CNPS soon after the Dana Reserve was approved last year.

The two non-profit organizations filed the suit in an effort to stop the project, citing several concerns, most notably environmental impacts the development would create.

After months of negotiating, the agreement establishes a revised Dana Reserve Specific Plan, which will create a smaller, less environmentally impactful development.

“It’s been a long process,” said Alison Martinez, NAC Director. “We were never about a no project. We’re always about compromise, so we asked for that many times. We’re pleased that the developer came to the table even after the project was approved. We’ve worked for at least six months to try and get some kind of settlement, something that we can all live with and I think we’ve achieved a good compromise.”

“We are happy that we were able to reach a settlement,” said Jocelyn Brennan, Dana Reserve Representative. “We met over several months and there was a lot of give and take in back and forth, compromise and sacrifice, and we have come to agreement that we feel, really addresses the concerns of all parties. I think all parties are really ready and excited for this to move forward. We’re very excited to see homes built.”

One of the biggest elements of the agreement include the reduction in housing units by 229, which equates to an approximately 16% smaller project size.

Another key element of the settlement will be a newly created offsite biological mitigation effort, which the parties said will help support long-term protection of sensitive manzanita habitats outside of the project boundaries.

The new design will now protect additional sensitive plant species and 195 coast live oak trees, as well as contribute financial resources for public benefit specific to Nipomo, which will overseen by the Nipomo Action Committee.

Now that the settlement is in place, the project will once again need to go through the county approval process.

“The changes that were made to the project as part of the settlement, now we’ll go to the county for review,” said Brennan. “They’ll go to the (San Luis Obispo County) Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors. We are looking at probably August and September.”

With the timeline still unknown, it’s unclear just how long it will be before any potential construction could begin the large-scale development that would include more than 1,200 housing units, along with commercial properties and other amenities. 

“Every year that passes, home prices go up,” said Brennan. “We’re excited to actually move forward. right? The timing is important and financially, it’s important to move forward with the project, and not only for the project itself, but also for the housing crisis.”

“I think it has been so contentious throughout the years,” said. Martinez. “I understand everybody comes from a different place and we understand that, so we’re really hopeful that as we’ve worked together, that Nipomo can come back together the way it used to be. This was never meant to divide the community, but people need to be heard. They have, opinions and they feel very strongly about Nipomo and that’s a great thing about our community. We have a passion for our own community, so I think that this hopefully will mend some of the bridges.”

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Joey Vergilis

LOMPOC, Calif. – Lompoc High School’s senior running back, Jacob White, is closing out his high school career with a spring to remember.

Just last weekend, White anchored the Lompoc Braves’ 4×400 relay team at the CIF Central Section Masters Meet in Clovis. This weekend, he’ll suit up with the best of the best, representing the Santa Barbara County All-Star team in the 14th annual FCA All-Star Classic.

But perhaps the most meaningful moment is still to come — on June 6, Jacob will walk across the stage and graduate from Lompoc High.

After suffering an injury during his sophomore year, the athlete lost his way. He got mixed up with the wrong crowd, his grades slipped, and he lost focus and motivation.

“I would be like, ‘I don’t need this class to do what I want to do in the future,’ and it ended up in a spiral — not doing work,” White admitted.

Redemption, however, was within reach. With unwavering support from his mom, stepbrother, coach, teachers, and friends, White refocused — both academically and athletically — and began to unlock the potential that had always been inside him.

That commitment became the key to his turnaround.

White said, “Locking in was just breaking old habits, building new good ones, and just accepting that you’ve got to get rid of certain things and stop wasting so much time.”

His lifelong best friend, Izzy Elizondo, put it best:

“He’s been through a lot — I know that he has — and to overcome that, you have to have some kind of courage.”

You can catch Jacob White and Izzy Elizondo back in action one last time on Saturday night at Santa Ynez High School. The duo will suit up for the Santa Barbara County All-Stars in the 14th annual FCA All-Star Football Classic, proudly representing the Lompoc Braves. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The trends may be shifting from those looking for just white sand beaches or pamper-forward resorts. Architecture may be the foundation of some travel plans.

The Visit Santa Barbara 2025 Annual General Meeting made that connection Thursday. It focused on the intersection of hospitality and the architectural heritage of Santa Barbara. 

Local tourism leaders describe how Santa Barbara is one of the perfect locations for that type of offering. Local historian, Neal Graffy, discussed how the city’s architecture was shaped in the 100 years since the 1925 earthquake. The region has Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings in all directions.

Some of the area’s most iconic landmarks, include Old Mission Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

He said tourists began coming to the region for not just the weather but long stays at the new Potter Hotel on the beach and the Arlington Hotel in upper downtown. They needed something to do, and the tourism industry began. “Now we’ve got these people staying for months, two months, three months. What are we going to do? Well, that created our tourism industry, celebrating our natural destinations creeks, canyons, the ocean islands and our man made endeavors at orchards, farms, ranches, the historic adobes, the mission,” said Graffy.

May is California Tourism Month. It celebrates the role of tourism to the Santa Barbara South Coast.

The industry generates more than $2.24 billion annually, including $82.9 million in tax revenue and supports more than 15,000 local jobs.

“As the summer travel season approaches, Visit Santa Barbara’s Annual General Meeting shines a spotlight on the South Coast’s tourism industry,” Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, said. “Tourism is essential to the Santa Barbara South Coast, driving economic prosperity, supporting thousands of jobs in a wide variety of businesses and enhancing the vibrancy of our region.”

Janega-Dykes will discussed the state of the South Coast tourism industry and travel trends, followed by a presentation by Neal Graffy on Santa Barbara’s architectural heritage. It commemorates 100 years since the 1925 earthquake that shaped the region’s Spanish Colonial Revival style. 

She says, “from the red-tiled roofs to the white stucco walls, Santa Barbara’s architecture tells a story that continues to captivate visitors from around the world.” “I can’t emphasize enough the role of Santa Barbara’s esthetic and how we stand apart from our coastal competitors. It dominates how we promote the Santa Barbara South Coast today, really spanning from Summerland and Montecito, Santa Barbara and north to Goleta.”

Graffy has written numerous monographs and books on Santa Barbara history and is a guest lecturer and former board member at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. 

Additionally, he has served as chairman of the Santa Barbara County Landmarks Commission and president of the Santa Barbara Corral of Westerners.

In his talk Graffy said before the image of Santa Barbara began evolving to what it is today, “most people thought California and the people back East thought this was a land of horse thieves, desperadoes, and wild Indians.”

He says now, interesting history is in every direction. “I have one tour that’s just a one block tour. I walked a block into history and it takes 45 minutes just to do one block. So there’s just so much that Santa Barbara has to offer with history and also accommodations, of course, which brings our tourists here,” said Graffy.

Part of the event included a sit down talk with Entrepreneur, StonePark Capital founder and hotel owner Andrew Firestone. “We’re going to reinforce the fact that our guests are in somewhere very unique in California, that the architecture, the design, the culture of Santa Barbara is special.   I take it for granted. I’ve been born and bred here. I’ve been here my whole life, and I need to take a look at that.”

Firestone spoke of sharing the past story of Santa Barbara with his workers and help them have a better understanding of the regions history to share with those visiting. In 2022  Santa Barbara welcomed its newest hotel, Courtyard Santa Barbara Downtown, a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. It includes the Saint Remy restaurant.

(Firestone and Jess Parker are the founders of StonePark Capital.)

The meeting luncheon was held at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The museum currently has a special exhibit on the 1925 Earthquake.

For more information go to: Visit Santa Barbara, The Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Courtyard Santa Barbara and StonePark Capital

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Mike Klan

COLOMBIA- The USA Cadet Women’s National Team won gold at the PanAm Aquatics U17 Championship with an 18-7 win over Canada. Caroline Daniel scored four goals to lead the offense with Paige Segesman adding three goals on the way to earning title match MVP honors. Shelby Killingsworth and Gianna Adams combined in net for 10 saves. Team USA finishes their run in Colombia with a 7-0 record.

Team USA started strong with Daniel and Madison Mack building a 2-0 lead to open the match. After Canada scored, Segesman hit on a power play to close the quarter up 3-1. Canada cut the deficit to one in the second quarter at 4-3. Team USA then ran off four in a row from Juliana Horton, Addison Ting, Daniel and Campbell Pence for an 8-3 edge. Horton closed the high scoring period with a power play strike to give the United States a 9-4 advantage at the break.

Horton is a freshman at Santa Barbara High School while Jade Pattison is a defender from San Marcos High School. Both play for Santa Barbara 805 Water Polo Club.

The United States took control of the match in the third with another six girl outburst, including two more from Daniel, to build a 15-5 lead. Kiernan Hogan opened the scoring for Team USA in the fourth quarter for a 16-6 lead. Segesman finished off the scoring late in the period as Team USA rolled to the 18-7 victory. The United States went 6/14 on power plays and 2/3 on penalties while Canada went 1/9 on power plays and 0/1 on penalties.

(Most of this article courtesy of USA Water Polo).

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A hard working crew has cleared out a canyon, where fire dangers were growing between Santa Barbara and Montecito.

They are goats and sheep from the California Grazing Co. based in Nipomo.

The week-long effort ended Wednesday morning and the crew is on to another assignment.

Tall brush and grasses, that were starting to turn brown, were chewed up and leveled.   

That will prevent a fire from spreading in the area that is surrounded by the Montecito hills and the densely populated Santa Barbara Eastside.

The Eucalyptus Hill Improvement Association coordinated the effort with funding from the Fire Safe Council.

250 goats and 200 sheep were on the hills between Lou Dillon Lane and Alston Road.

Sue Burk is the President of the Eucalyptus Hill Homeowners Assn. She says, “if a fire took off, no matter what direction it’s blowing, it could be devastating to the homes in this area. So and after what happened down south earlier this year we’re on it. We we want to get this done.”

She said the demand for the goats has been high. “The goats are only available for a short period of time, the spring, and the summer. And so everybody else has contracted them out. So we only we snuck in there.”

The goats and sheep are part of a larger crew that will be working in areas such as the Trout Club off Painted Cave Road, Bell Canyon in Ventura, the land behind the county fire headquarters and parts of Monterey County coming up.

For more details go to: California Grazing Company. Michael Klain, Co-Owner | (530) 518-6926 | info@calgrazing.com 

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is awarding 7.7. million dollars this graduation season.

Hundreds of recipients filled the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens for a group photo following an awards ceremony that had the looks and feel of a graduation.

Parents and relatives and supporters applauded with pride as the recipients went up on the garden steps and announced the named of their scholarship and where they are headed to study.

Foundation President and CEO Melinda Cabrera said donors attend the ceremony year after year.

Some have created memorial scholarships named after loved ones.

“It’s wonderful to see how their gift keeps giving life and opportunity  to new students it’s really wonderful,” said Cabrera.

Other scholarships are created to fit criteria. There’s one for a students who bowl and another for young fine artists.

Others come from donations, with no strings attached, allowing the award-winning nonprofit to make sure they go to students in need.

The average undergrad scholarship is $3,500.

Graduate students often receive more.

Students are grateful and excited about their future.

“We are all going up there and saying our names and where we are going off two,” said Dos Pueblos senior Amirsam Jabarri I’m going off to UC Berkeley.”

He wrote an essay and had an interview but he thinks a letter from his English and mock trial teacher Hannah Krieshok helped “seal the deal.

Many of the students already know what they want to do with their education.

San Marco High senior Kian Strenn plans to go to UCSB to study electrical engineering.

“The most important part of our society is our future and I think  that donating to help students fulfill their potentials allows us to do thing that we wouldn’t have been able to do  before,” said Strenn.

When he can afford to Strenn plans to give back.

“I hold donors to such a high regard, “said Strenn, “I hope  one day to be able to give back to the community in the same way.”

The foundation calls that a virtuous circle.

Cabrillo High School senior Jose Soriano plans to go to Santa Barbara City College.

His goal is to become a multi-media journalist or a public information officer.

Donors attended to a thank you dinner following the ceremony at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

For more information visit https://sbscholarship.org

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The 82nd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade is starting its first-ever five-day run Wednesday night with a brand new event featuring an exclusive show of bull riding only.

Kicking off the long-time Santa Maria showcase annual event is a night of Xtreme Bulls, an all-bull riding tour that’s part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

“To bring in an old bull riding event on a Wednesday night, you’re going to see the the NASCAR of rodeo,” said Fred Boettcher, PRCA Extreme Events Director. “It’s 40 of the best bull riders matched up with stock from Flying U Rodeo Company from Marysville, California. You’re going to see National Finals Rodeo bucking bulls. And what does that mean? That means we got some of the best bucking bulls in the country assembled tonight.”

The new event highlights the growth and popularity of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo, which has been held over a four-day period for the past several decades.

“We’ve been so blessed in the last few years,” said Johnna McGuire, Elks Recreation Media Director. “We’ve had mostly sold out performances and it’s been really tough to get tickets. It’s hard. We want everybody to be able to come, so this year we were able to to add a day and add something new and exciting for people to come and watch. We all know the bulls are a favorite. We all love the bulls and they’re at the end of the night, so sometimes not all the little ones make it for that one, but this will be great because it’ll be all bulls all night.”

Looking ahead, the PRCA is hoping this event becomes part of the Elks Rodeo tradition and will return in the years ahead.

“I sure hope so,” said Boettcher. “I don’t like to count my chickens before they’re hatched, but we’ll put on a good show tonight, and I hopefully come Sunday, we sign a new contract for next year.”

While the bulls begin the rodeo on Wednesday, the traditional format that features several other events, such as barrel racing, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, team roping, and bareback riding, breakaway roping, mutton bustin’ and more, will begin on Thursday and run through Sunday.

For more information about the 82nd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade, click here to visit the official website.

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