Author: KEYT

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-The Santa Barbara City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting legislation for a California Climate Superfund.

They also received a Waterfront Adaption Plan update on coastal erosion and flooding hazard options.

Both will cost money, but the Superfund will make polluters pay.

State lawmakers tabled the issue until next year.

People of all ages voiced their support.

They included members of the Fearless Grandmothers and local high school and UCSB students.

CALPIRG students Jake Twomey, Hunter Maher and Sierra Ferrante applaud the efforts to pass the resolution.

They believe support from local communities will show the importance of the issue during a month that is likely to set heat records statewide.

Santa Barbara High School 10th grader Ethan Maday spoke, too.

“Young people are scared we are worried we are concerned about our future and we are always incredibly grateful when leaders like the council members here the county leader step up and go and do something we are very grateful for them for that,” said Maday.

The teen led a walkout the day the Santa Barbara County Supervisors approved similar resolutions.

“We had a walkout down the street at the Board of Supervisors building, a hundred walked out and protested and spoke and we got two resolutions done so I think that is pretty cool and it gives me, as a young person, some hope because we are scared, we are terrified we don’t know what the future looks like no generation has faced something where we might not have fresh water or housing, affordable housing.”

He also mentioned the war and other issues on the minds of his generation.

Catherine Gautier of Fearless Grandmothers said she is a Jesusita survivor who got sick from the environmental impacts.

She hopes waterfront plans will be funded by polluters paying into a superfund as climate issues rise.

Councilmember Eric Friedman who serves as the Finance Committee Chair said it could help communities cover costs.

“The Superfund resolution is really important this is going to have some significant costs associated with it, in terms of raising the breakwater or other hard costs that we won’t be able to pay for alone in Santa Barbara,” said Friedman.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A new food truck in Santa Barbara is serving more than sandwiches.

The Good Samaritan Shelter has launched the “Good Samwich” food truck.

It’s parked at Old Mission Santa Barbara and will run as a culinary job training program.

Participants gain hands-on experience while working toward stable employment.

Organizers hope the project will create opportunity while serving the community.

Good Samaritan Shelter is excited to see the Good Samwich Food Truck has finally rolled out thanks to the gift of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – 40 Italian Stone Pines have been planted to replace similar trees that have come down on Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara.

Members of Santa Barbara Beautiful assisted in the work with the City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department and Forestry Division. The non-profit contributed $2,700 to fund the project.

Some of the aging historic trees have fallen in harsh weather or due to old age and several areas were barren, after a canopy of trees once covered the route. In its prime, the route between Garden St. and Anapamu St. was a picturesque walk or drive and often written up by historians.

The new trees were grown in special pots to encourage root strength down in the ground, not out or under the sidewalk where future problems could occur. The trees are about three-years-old now.

The city has discussed the tree replacement for several years, including the possibility of changing the type of tree in this area. Some residents felt the Italian Stone Pines had a storied past that needed to be preserved and cultivated for the future.

They brought the issue to the city’s street tree advisory committee and eventually up to the Santa Barbara City Council where support was found to fill the gaps with the same type of tree. It preserves the history in the location that is of a value to the city and can be found in photos from about 100 years ago.

“The trees were here before the sidewalk, before the paving, they created this arcade that the infrastructure grew around,” said Rick Clossan who has spoken several times in favor of the new Italian Stone Pine trees.

Santa Barbara City Urban Forest Superintendent Nathan Slack says, “the trees won at the end of the day in the City of Barbara. That happens a lot and it is what makes the community super unique.”

For now they don’t look like the type of tree the public sees nearby, but they will. “They do look like Christmas trees so the new growth is widely different even to the point where the needles are in bundles like two, three and five and currently they are single,” said Slack.

Looking to the future, Closson said, “I have great hope for this and I hope to be around for another twenty years to see what it grows up to.”

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Board Of Supervisors honored the Santa Barbara County Fire Department this morning.

The department just hit the century mark.

Supervisors started their agenda with a resolution recognizing 100 years of the Fire Department’s service to Central Coast communities.

“Now therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this board of supervisors of the county of Santa Barbara does hereby recognize, honor, and celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, commending the department for a century of exceptional service, leadership, and innovation,” Chief Deputy Clerk of the Board Jacquelyne Alexander read the resolution. “Passed and adopted today.”

First established as the county’s Department Of Forestry in 1926, its name changed to the County Fire Department in 1956.

“Marking its evolution into a modern, all-hazards emergency response agency serving the diverse needs of Santa Barbara County,” Alexander continued reading.

Sponsored by county supervisor and board chair Bob Nelson, the resolution acknowledged the fire department’s environmental stewardship, emergency response, hazard mitigation, educational outreach efforts, and much more.

“There was quite a few ‘whereases’ but, this department really does have a strong culture, a strong history,” said Santa Barbara County Fire Department Chief Garrett Huff.

Supervisor Nelson interjected to acknowledge that sometimes leadership involves being versed in a team’s past accomplishments.

“I think all of us on the board got a chance to see Chief Huff’s appreciation for the history of this department, where it’s been,” said supervisor Bob Nelson. “And then obviously, that vision that he now has to hopefully take it into the future.”

Chief Garrett Huff received the honor at the Joseph Centenno Government Building in Santa Maria.

“So on behalf of the entire department, thank you for your continued support, and for recognizing this important milestone,” said Chief Huff. “Thank you for this beautiful resolution. Thank you.”

Chief Huff took office last December following Mark Hartwig’s retirement.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – American Airlines will end daily service from Santa Maria Airport (SMX) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) on May, 7. 2026.

The announcement comes less than five months after the airline started daily service between the two airports on Oct. 15, 2025.

American Airlines said in a statement, “Service to Santa Maria, California (SMX) operated under the American Eagle banner in partnership with SkyWest Airlines. Unfortunately, flights to SMX did not meet performance expectations and SkyWest informed American it will discontinue service as of May 7.”

The company added it will “proactively reach out to impacted customers with alternate travel arrangements or a refund in line with American’s customer-friendly policies.”

For SMX and the City of Santa Maria, the decision is sure to be a significant disappointment.

When the new flight to PHX began last October, it marked the return of daily service at SMX for the first time since 2017.

However, when American leaves in early May, SMX will return to providing only twice-weekly commercial service through Allegiant Air and it’s long-running flight to Las Vegas.

Santa Maria Valley Chamber Vice President of Economic Development & Government Affairs Suzanne Singh, who has long helped in the efforts to bring air service to Santa Maria, said in a statement, “It’s unfortunate that the Airlines didn’t give Santa Marian’s a chance.”

In another statement provided to News Channel 3-12, Santa Maria Valley Chamber President/CEO Michael Boyer said, “While this is disappointing news for our community, it does not change the long-term value and potential of the Santa Maria Airport as a critical regional asset. Air service plays an important role in supporting economic development, tourism, and quality of life for residents and businesses throughout the Central Coast. We believe this is a moment for the airport, local leaders, business community, and regional partners to come together, stay proactive, and make a strong case for future commercial service. Santa Maria has real opportunity, and with a unified regional effort, we can work toward restoring service and strengthening connectivity for the future.”

News Channel 3-12 reached out to SMX management for reaction on the decision, but has yet to receive a response.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – It was a feast fit for a champion.

The Bishop Diego High School girls basketball team was the guest of honor at the weekly Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table luncheon at Harry’s.

The Cardinals won the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 championship over Burroughs 42-41 in a title game thriller. Eden Wynne hit the game-winner with 6 seconds to play. They finished the season at 27-5.

Five awards were handed out at the luncheon highlighted by Laguna Blanca High School junior Carolina Duron Angeles saluted as the school’s Phil Womble Ethics in Sports recipient.

The junior plays basketball for the Owls and is a 3-time All-Tri-Valley League performer and carries a 3.88 GPA.

Four Athlete of the Week Awards were given since there was no luncheon last week.

Three of the four winners are from Dos Pueblos High School.

Brandon Velasquez was the only wrestler in the Santa Barbara-area to advance to CIF-State where he went 1-2 which included an upset win over the #4 ranked competitor in the 157-pound division.

DP freshman baseball player Matti Di Maggio who hit 3 home runs with 5 rbi to lead the Chargers to a 3-0 record last week.

Chargers softball player Emily Morici pitched DP to two wins with 14 strikeouts and she also went 4-for-8 at the plate.

The lone winner not from DP was Carpinteria track and field athlete Vivian Huskins.

She led the Warriors to a win over Santa Paula as she captured the 100-meter and 200-meter individual races and then led her team to a victory in the 4×100-meter relay race.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Some four-legged friends have now been given a chance to experience a boat trip as part of their future work with Guide Dogs for the Blind.

The Saturday morning ride was on board the Lil’ Toot and Celebration Cruises at the Santa Barbara harbor.

Six dogs, a mix of retrievers and labradors, were in training to get them comfortable with the movement of the ocean – not just in the harbor, but a short distance out where there’s a light swell.

It’s part of the work with guide dogs for the blind to give them locations they may go to when they are paired up with their new owner.

Vicki Lyons Wait with Guide Dogs for the Blind was on board with her pup and with other inquisitive dogs and their owners.

“We want to socialize them in all ways possible. So we want to take them on a boat, we want to take them golfing, we want to take them to the bowling alley, to the movies, and all those things so that when the person has the dog, the dog is ready to go.”

She says the dogs want to be helpful. “These dogs are bred to be working dogs and they just want to be with us and they want to please.”

The dogs were on a one-hour cruise and part of it included a stop by the near shore buoy off of Stearns Wharf where they got a close up look at some sea lions. Some of the dogs got up on the seats and seemed very interested.

The dogs enjoyed the trip and passed their test with wagging tails on and off the Lil’ Toot.

After about 13 to 15 months of training they are ready to be paired up with a visually impaired owner.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A recently-completed project has helped modernize and refresh nearly all of the libraries across the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD).

According to the district, the project has provided school libraries with several new improvements, including:

Complete Shelving Replacement: Battles, Fesler, Miller, Arellanes Elementary, Liberty, and Ontiveros received full shelving overhauls.

Mobile Flexibility: Almost all district sites were equipped with updated mobile shelving to allow for versatile use of library space.

Enhanced Comfort: Select libraries received new tables, chairs, and soft seating to create a welcoming atmosphere for independent reading.

Dynamic Displays: New book displays, browsing bins, and rugs were added to highlight collections and encourage student discovery.

“Any time you can upgrade a space and make it more functional, you’re going to get more out of that experience,” Megan Lizalde, Santa Maria-Bonita School District Library Media Clerk. “When you’re coming in and you are visually pulled in and attracted to things, they’re going to be engaged, they’re going to pull those books out, they’re going to flip through the pages. They’re going to get excited. We try to really make our library multi-purpose and inviting throughout the day, so it just gets the kids excited to be in the space, which of course wants them excited about reading and learning. It’s just positive all the way around.”

In addition, each school site has received approximately 300 new books, which the district said will ensure students to reading materials that are fresh, relevant and diverse.

“We were really able to upgrade our library collections,” Stephanie Lowe, SMBSD Program Specialist for Library and Curriculum. “We weeded out outdated books and are providing new, more engaging books for our students, so that that’s probably one of the most exciting parts is being able to to give students new books. We want our students to be able to have updated information and to provide students with accurate, information and the formats of newer books, it’s really easy to see how more how much more engaging the books are.”

The upgrades totaled $1.3 million and were supported through the use of Title I funding, which is described by the U.S. Department of Education as supplemental financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families.

“This project is a testament to what happens when we align our resources with our vision for student success,” said Lowe. “Our libraries have evolved beyond their traditional role, becoming dynamic spaces where students’ curiosity thrives, students explore and connect, and a love of learning comes to life.”

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Jarrod Zinn

PISMO BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) – The Pismo Beach Butterfly Grove may have more humans than butterflies visiting this year, further increasing concerns for scientists.

But they’re still not on the endangered species list.

The latest counts of monarch butterflies are the third lowest in recorded history.

But their addition to the endangered species list has been delayed.

“They said, ‘okay, things are postponed,’” says Isis Howard, a conservation biologist with the Xerxes Society. “Like, listings are postponed. Not just for the monarch butterfly, but for other species, too.”

Scientists with the Xerxes Society say the evidence showing the butterflies are a threatened species still holds.

“Fish and Wildlife Service agreed that monarchs should be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act,” says Howard. “However, the listing has been postponed and we don’t know when that will start up again.”

Studies reveal that in addition to environmental factors beyond control, such as weather patterns and wildfires, the use of herbicides and pesticides is one of the leading causes of the species’ decline in population.

“I think what’s most striking and concerning from my perspective is that the three lowest counts have all occurred in the last five years,” says Howard. “And so this is kind of typical of what we see with species in decline.”

Butterflies give scientists indicators of overall ecological health.

They also serve as pollinators along with bees, and they provide food for birds and wildlife.

“There’s an awesome website called CalScape, and you can just type in your address or zip code, type in milkweed and it’ll generate a list of all the milkweed that’s native to you,” says Howard. “Then I think one of the top things people can do is also reduce or limit their reliance on pesticides.”

People can help the monarchs by gardening plants that yield nectar, and milkweed which is a host plant for caterpillars.

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John Palminteri

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – The American Bankers Association (ABA) Foundation says the winners of the Lights, Camera, Save! teen video contest have come from the same high school and it is in Goleta.

This is a nationwide competition that encourages teens ages 13–18 to create a 30-second or less video educating their peers on the importance of smart money management.

The winners are from Dos Pueblos High. It is the first time first and second place have come from the same school.

The first-place winner is Adam Costa, representing Montecito Bank & Trust for his video “It All Adds Up!” That comes with a $10,000 grand prize. Costa’s video was selected from a record number of entries after two rounds of national judging, including public voting on ABA’s Instagram page.

His theme using graphics and cash showed how a small amount of money, for example $5.00 at a time, can build up and, with interest, become thousands of dollars.

The second place winner is Ethan Gardiner, representing American Riviera Bank for his video, “Climbing the College Mountain.” That earned a $5,000 prize. It was produced in collaboration with classmates Zenia Potter and Deveraux Wigo.

The videos are designed to promote financial literacy among teens.

Honors were given out on the campus and large checks were presented to those involved in the videos. Family members were invited to the event and lunch was served. Gardiner was unable to make the event.

Potter was on camera in the “Climbing the College Mountain” video with Wigo using her camera skills. They did several takes to get it right and said they went to the site more than once. It also involved creative technical editing and moving animation. There was a time limit for each video. They made “a shorter version and longer version. We saw what we could mesh together to fit under the 30 seconds,” she said when describing the challenges.

Costa also used various technical skills to consolidate his message and meet the contest requirements. He said, “the 30-seconds part was kinda hard. I had to make a script and then time each part and make sure it was all under and edit some things out so it was under.”

Montecito Bank & Trust and American Riviera Bank are strong supporters of financial literacy and both banks have outreach programs at many levels from young students, to teens and seniors. They cover many financial topics including scams, understanding credit and ways to pay for college. There’s also advice on how to get out of debt.

Montecito Bank & Trust Financial Officer Bruce Stephens said, working with young people, and even helping them to open an account, “that’s where it’s got to start. It has to start at a young age so people understand that you start now and maybe that will help in the future when you become adults and have to save also.”

At American Riviera Bank, Chief Risk Officer Laurel Sykes said, “it is really important for kids to hear from other kids, why it important to save and why money is something you need to think about from the get go so you don’t end up in debt, right out of of college and not get into debt. If you do, you have a plan to pay it back.”

Brianna Aguilar, Vice President, Manager of Community Programs at Montecito Bank & Trust, said, “We believe financial education is one of the most powerful tools we can provide the next generation. By engaging in conversations about budgeting, saving and credit, young people gain the knowledge and tools to help make informed decisions about their finances as they navigate the various stages of life.”

Principal Bill Woodard said, “we love when out students are participating in things beyond the classroom and taking the skills they learn in our media program and other technical programs and applying that to a nationwide contest is definitely something that makes me very proud.”

Dos Pueblos has the Virgil Elings Media Arts and Communications Center. Woodard said, “being able to use all the great tools we have in this wonderful new facility tied into this financial literacy really ties into some great issues which we have here at DP.”

He said at his school and throughout the district, “Our Career Technical Education Programs, including the Engineering and Media Programs are dedicated to helping students develop their passions while investing in the arts and real-world skills. Opportunities like this show what can happen when students have access to strong programs and community support.”

Media instructor John Dent said, students from the program recently won several honors at a national event in Tampa, and 38 went in person to the workshops and on site competitions during the week-long event.

Speaking about the current financial video honors he said to both, “American Riviera Bank and Montecito Bank & Trust, thank you so much for the opportunity for giving our students the opportunity to be successful and to show off what they can do.

For more information about American Riviera Bank, visit americanriviera.bank. For more information about Montecito Bank & Trust, visit montecito.bank. For more information about Dos Pueblos High School, visit www.dphs.sbunified.org.

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