Author: KEYT

Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A 26-year-old Oceano man was arrested for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats after stealing from a San Luis Obispo business Friday night, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

The 26-year-old laid shirtless in the hallway of the business at the 500 block of Higuera Street when an employee told him he had to leave at 10:24 p.m. on Friday, according to the SLOPD.

The Oceano man left but later returned, charging his cellphone in a bathroom within the business before an argument between him and the employee broke out, according to the SLOPD.

The employee told the 26-year-old he would call the police and began filming the encounter before the Oceano man knocked the phone out of the employee’s hand, according to the SLOPD.

The Oceano man then pulled a knife on the employee and threatened to kill him before the employee put up a trash can to defend himself from the attack, according to the SLOPD.

The 26-year-old then continued to threaten the employee, ran out of the restroom with the employee’s phone in hand, and later destroyed the employee’s phone in a nearby parking lot.

SLOPD officers could not initially find the Oceano man but later identified him thanks to surveillance footage.

SLOPD officers recognized the 26-year-old near Santa Rosa Park before arresting him in the park’s parking lot May 17.

The Oceano man was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail and is currently being held without bail under the following charges:

PC 211 – Felony Robbery 

PC 245(a)(1) – Felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon 

PC 422(1) – Felony Criminal Threats 

PC 136.1(b)(1) – Felony Preventing Victim from Calling Law Enforcement 

PC 594(b)(2)(A) – Misdemeanor Vandalism under $400 but with Priors  

PC 3455(A) – Misdemeanor Probation Violation 

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Caleb Nguyen

ATASCADERO, Calif. – CAL Fire SLO crews put out a half-acre fire and treated two people for smoke inhalation in Atascadero just past 6:00 p.m. Monday at 12005 San Antonio Road.

CAL Fire SLO crews mopped up the flames until 8:00 p.m. and an aircraft was cancelled as part of the response after forward progress was stopped.

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Mina Wahab

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — Nearly 70% of Californians voted in favor of proposition 36 last year.  “Prior to Proposition 36, you could be arrested, charged and prosecuted and convicted of a drug offense five times, ten times, 20 times and never have it reach a felony status. The people of California said, ‘that’s insane,’” said SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow. Dow says elevating the status of drug offenses from misdemeanor to felony makes convicted drug offenders choose rehabilitation over jail time.  “If you have two prior misdemeanor convictions for possession of a drug like Fentanyl or methamphetamine or cocaine with two priors and you now are convicted of your third, we can mandate that you go into treatment. And that’s the compassionate part of this,” said Dow. The philosophy marks a stark contrast from the harm reduction philosophy found in many drug treatment programs across Santa Barbara County. “County behavioral health departments weren’t necessarily advocating for the passage of Prop 36, but since it has passed, we’ve been working really closely locally to ensure that the implementation of the new legislation is successful,” said Alcohol and Drug Programs Branch Chief Melissa Wilkins.

Right now, Prop 36 drug treatment programs don’t have funding. Dow is one of dozens of district attorneys up and down the coast who are urging legislators to pass funding for treatment, saying it will allow those living with drug addiction to succeed. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office projected the new changes to Prop 36 to increase local criminal justice costs by several tens of millions of dollars annually. That’s largely due to an increase in the county jail population due to harsher sentences, as well as more community supervision program participants. “We don’t want to incarcerate these people. We don’t want to send them to jail. We want them to get help and get treatment,” said California District Attorney Association CEO Greg Totten.

The proposition also expanded court-mandated mental health and drug treatment workloads. 

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Los Lonely Boys are coming the Santa Barbara County Fair!

The multi-platinum selling band is scheduled to perform on Thursday, July 10th, 2025 at 7:30pm in the Minetti Grandstand Arena as part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series. The show is will kick off with special guest, Billy Williams starting at 6:30pm!

Los Lonely Boys, Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza, have been playing and touring together since they were teenagers. Selling over two millions copies of their #1 hit “Heaven,” spending 76 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and winning a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, May 23, 2025, starting at 10:00 am on the Fair’s official website.

The 2025 Santa Barbara County Fair runs July 9th through July 13th and this year’s theme is “Dancing To Your Own Beat!”

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Alissa Orozco

PASO ROBLES, Calif. – Country rock band, The Red Clay Strays, will take the stage at this year’s California Mid-State Fair as part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series.

The Red Clay Strays, who blend Southern rock, soul, and classic country, is scheduled to perform on Monday, July 21st, 2025 at 7:30pm in the Chumash Grandstand Arena.

The band rose to fame with their viral hit “Wondering Why,” earning them the 2024 Americana ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ title. You might have caught their performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and CBS Saturday Morning, plus wins and nominations from the CMAs and Billboard Music Awards!

You can find tickets for The Red Clay Strays starting Friday, May 23rd, 2025 on the Mid-State Fair website. Ticket prices range from $65, $75, $95, $120, and $150 (pit).

The 2025 California Mid-State Fair runs July 16th through July 27th, with this year’s theme “Off To The Races!”

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Caleb Nguyen

BIG BEAR, Calif. – San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department investigators found Tanner Prentiss, a 22-year-old UCSB student, dead in Big Bear Lake just before 10:30 a.m. Monday.

Prentiss was reported missing on May 17 on a trip with friends and didn’t return to the group’s rented cabin after a night out, according to the SBSD.

He was last seen at 12:30 a.m. on Village Drive in Big Bear Lake May 17 wearing a black hoodie and jeans, according to the SBSD.

SBSD investigators followed up with people who saw him after the Sheriff’s Dive Team found Prentiss’ body in the lake near the Pine Knot Marina.

No foul play was indicated and the San Bernardino Coroner’s Office has assumed the investigation, according to the SBSD.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in support for the Prentiss Family.

Prentiss’ family asks for privacy at this time after his death.

UCSB Media Relations Manager Kiki Reyes offered a statement on behalf of the university on Prentiss’ passing:

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of our student who passed away. Losing a member of our UC Santa Barbara community is heartbreaking. We understand the impact and stress surrounding this tragedy and are committed to supporting our campus community, who may be impacted. Our campus offers resources to students, staff, and faculty who are in need of support.

Students are encouraged to reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which can provide therapeutic support during this difficult time.  To request an appointment, please complete the CAPS Services Request Form. CAPS phone consultation is available 24/7/365 by calling 805-893-4411. You will be connected to a live counselor 24/7. Students can leave a voicemail requesting a phone or Zoom meeting with a therapist. All CAPS services are free. Faculty and staff are encouraged to contact the ASAP program, which offers a variety of services. A comprehensive list of wellness resources can be accessed at wellbeing.ucsb.edu.

Kiki Reyes, Media Relations Manager, UCSB

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Temperatures are climbing, and so are fire hazards, especially in the wilderness areas of the Central Coast.

Fire authorities dealt with multiple brush fires last week, and at least three of them started in the Santa Maria Riverbed.

While some of last week’s Santa Maria Riverbed fires were possibly started by people in encampments, officials at multiple agencies say the brush in the countryside is at it’s maximum height after the annual rains and now it’s drying up, providing extra fuel for wild-land fires.

“Most of your municipal departments and obviously some of the county departments that we’re in kind of our hazardous fuel reduction program window right now. We’re doing the weed abatement, hazardous fuel reduction inspections, make sure that the property owners are in compliance with creating the defensible space,” says Scott Hallett with Five Cities Fire Authority.

Both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties contain large portions of wild lands with residences and other properties interspersed throughout.

“We kind of pull the northern resources from San Luis Obispo County, southern resources from Santa Barbara County to get these contained and anytime we start having resources directed to one specific area, it has a potential to cause a threat to other areas if new fires were to start,” says Hallett.

Officials encourage residents of these areas to follow the guidelines for defensible spaces, making sure to clear any debris, and also make sure you’re signed up for your county’s emergency alert systems.

“Any time we are dealing with a vegetation fire here in the county or most of California, it’s dependent on a lot of things. What the weather’s like, the topography. California’s a lot of steep terrain, so fire can move uphill. Much faster and then a lot of it’s wind driven,” says Scott Safechuck with Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

“These more sustained longer periods of dry, hot weather just kind of exacerbate the fire season starting. And then once again, the ability for, you know, kind of fires to sustain themselves,” says Hallett.

The next 2 to 3 weeks serves as the transition into high fire season, and June 1st is the deadline in both counties to have defensible spaces clear.

And finally, officials say to remember that when your county’s public alert system gives an evacuation warning, it’s best to pack belongings and make plans for leaving.

An evacuation order is issued when your life is in jeopardy and it’s time to go.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A new small shuttle system is about to be rolling in downtown Santa Barbara. It will be called the State Street Loop.

It is a project that’s been months in the making after many suggestions to help those who can not comfortably walk from the waterfront to the top of the promenade district around Victoria Street.

SWEEP SB, located in the Funk Zone, is providing the vehicles under a limited contract.

The funding is coming from the City of Santa Barbara’s special tax called Measure C, designated for infrastructure improvements. Also from a driving force with planning, promotion and funding is the group Friends of State Street.

“We want people to get from Victoria Street down to the waterfront and back and experience State Street all along and all of the great things it has to offer,” said State Street Master Planner, Tess Harris. She was standing by a cart at the Farmers Market Saturday answering questions from the public.

“It is a more open-air feel,” she said. “It is just an exciting experience in and of  itself.” At the same time, “the MTD shuttle will still run on Anacapa and Chapala Streets and down to the waterfront,” said Harris. That seasonal program runs Memorial Day to Labor Day from Friday through Sunday each week.

Sharon Rich with Friends of State says three electric golf carts will start the service with some trials this week, but the official start will be next week.  It will run Thursday through Sunday.

“It has five seats for passengers and one for the driver,” she said, for a total of six. “This will be going very slow, it will go 7-8  miles an hour so we can share the location.”

The shuttle options were looked at across the country and this system was right in the city.

They are small enough and narrow enough to fit “in the bike lanes,” said Rich. It will go slow and “follow all the rules of public transit.”

It will be in a shared space on the streets.

“It allows people to move around this corridor, this historic corridor,” said Rich. She expects people to use it more than once, sometimes in a day, and you will really get to know downtown State Street,” she said.

Business owners on the top end of the promenade have, in many meetings, encouraged ways to get the public from the waterfront to the blocks around the Granada Theatre, Arlington Theatre, library plaza and the blocks around the courthouse.

Harris says a shuttle system is a top priority in many similar downtown areas. “A lot of downtowns have these golf carts or shuttle trolley systems and we are excited to bring it to Santa Barbara and it time to try something a little bit new and exciting and and we hope you hop on and enjoy the ride.”

The stops for the Loop riders will be marked on the ground, not on pole signs.

Some of the features include:

FREE Rides for all passengers.

Electric shuttles with accessible boarding

Continuous loop service along designated stops from Cabrillo Boulevard (Dolphin fountain) to Victoria Street

Service Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 12pm-7pm

Estimated Loop Time: 15-20 minutes roundtrip

For more information go to: Friends of State Street

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Patricia Martellotti

MONTECITO, Calif. – At the start of the year, nearly 50 families of Friendship Center’s current and incoming program participants, many of whom live with dementia or significant mobility needs, were given a one month notice that their subsidized transportation service would no longer provide rides to or from Friendship Center. 

This caused immense stress among families as, without transportation support, they would lose access to 7 hours a day of safety, connection, supervised engagement, personal care, and nutritious meals in a supportive community for their dependent loved one.

In less than a month, Friendship Center launched its own transportation program using loaned vehicles and existing staff. 

Directors of the organization say they did this, not because they were prepared or funded to do so, but because no other transportation service could meet this critical need.

They did not want to let transportation barriers prevent people from accessing care.

The organization is now operating two of their own vehicles, providing door-to-door rides with familiar, trusted staff members.

Starting July 1st, the non-profit is expanding transportation to new members who would otherwise be unable to attend our program. 

This is not part of their original scope of services, and it wasn’t in their budget.

Right now, the Friendship Center needs the community’s support to sustain and grow this critical new program. 

To learn more or support this initiative, visit fcsb.org, email amy@friendshipcentersb.org or call 805-869-2003.

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Tracy Lehr

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Local music promoter Ventura County Hardcore (@VCHCShows) has been throwing some big shows on the Central Coast.

Arena-level band, Turnstile, played the 300 person capacity Elk’s Lodge in Oxnard.

Ventura County hardcore fans gathered for mosh pits and copious amounts of stage diving took place as the band played.

VCHCShows helped coordinate the event, which was part of Turnstile’s nationwide tour of small venues.

Turnstile recently released a new EP as a preview for their next album “Never Enough.”

Local band Ceramik opened the show.

VCHCShows has more concerts planned over the next several months.

Rapid Skateboarding and Blackhole Skateshop also teamed up with Converse Cons to host a skate jam near Mussel Shoals in early May.

Ventura County skaters set up various ramps and rails for skaters, BMXers and dirt bikers, young and old.

The tricks and the bails got attention from the crowd as skaters tried their hands at the quarter pipe with a gap.

People could even use finger boards to do tricks on mini-ramps.

Local punk bands from VCHCShows including Konspiracy, Disillusion and Cosmic Joke played the festival.

Fans can follows the show on Instragram @vchcshows

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VCHCshows (@vchcshows) • Instagram photos and videos

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