Author: KEYT

Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – Thousands of people who live in Nipomo will soon receive higher water bills in the coming days.

Rate increases that were approved by the Nipomo Community Water District (NCSD) late last year went into effect on Feb. 1, 2026 and will now be reflected for the first time on billing this month.

“:You’ll be able to see the difference in your first bill that’s that’s coming out here in March,” said NCSD General Manager Ray Dienzo. “We haven’t sent them out yet, but they will be coming on in the next in the next few days.”

Under the new rate structure, customers will see their monthly bill increase between 8.1% to 13.6% depending on usage.

According to the NCSD, customers who are described as “average” users will notice a bump of nearly $14 per month.

“There’s going to be a change in the rates,” said Dienzo. “As we stated in the the water rates study, the first round of rates will probably be about a 10% difference. A 10% increase from what you got last month, so be on the lookout for that.”

Data provided by the NCSD showed an “average customer” prior to the new rate increase paid $142.96 per month, but with the new rate, the monthly bill through the rest of the year will be $156.31 per month.

Beginning in January 2027, an “average customer” will experience a larger jump in their water bill, with the rate climbing to $186.54 per month.

One year later, in January 2028, the water rate will increase for a third time in less than three years.

The same “average customer” that was paying $142.96 per month prior to the rate hike in January 2026, will see their bill rise to $212.45.

For the “average customer,” they will see their water bill rise about $70 more per month within a window of 23 months from February 2026 to January 2028.

“It just represents more of our income that they’re going to get,” said NCSD customer Criss Blake, who was a vocal critic of the rate increases while it was being considered last year by NCSD board members. “I mean there’s just additional expenses everywhere you look and everything is more expensive. If you have families, if you have kids, you want to get them in soccer or whatever their their needs are, or even school supplies, everything has gone up, so you hate to see that.”

Blake added she is particularly worried about the district’s customers who are already struggling financially even before the rate hikes went into effect.

“My main concern is the low income people and people who are living on a fixed income, who are already strapped with all the other expenses that are everything else going up,” said Blake. “You hate to see that happen for people that are already kind of close on their bills, but down the road, there are two more additional increases, so it’ll look a lot different. Our bills are going to look a lot different.”

Dienzo has stressed the district understands and financial impact the new rates may have on some of its customers, but added the additional revenue that will be collected is needed.

“The reason for these bills is to maintain good operation and maintenance of the aging water infrastructure that we have here in Nipomo,” said Dienzo. “The projects that we are upgrading, these projects are meant for what’s necessary for a continued safe operation and to keep the district from being at risk, and for health and safety reasons, and also for water supply reliability.”

Last December, after much months of spirited community discussion, which included a grassroots protest movement, the NCSD Board of Directors voted 3-2 in favor of rate increases.

“I feel really good that we actually got two no votes from our board,” said Blake. “That made me feel good because it it made it gave me the sense that those board members really heard their customers. It was a very moving meeting. There was extraordinary attendance and there was extraordinary passion, and I really do mean passion on this topic, and it was very emotional in many ways. I was heartened to see that at least two board members were willing to back those customers.”

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A very mild Tuesday is on tap with temperatures slightly rising, but wind speeds have calmed for the day. Temperatures will be slightly above average for this time of year.

A bit of a misty morning to start the day for beach communities and portions of San Luis Obispo county. As the sun rises, it will start to warm and clear skies will prevail and bring a beautiful day today!

A weak ridge of high pressure sitting near the Central Coast will warm temperatures slightly today, rising into the 70s for the region. By Wednesday a trough of low pressure will build over northern California and will drop down near the region. Temperatures will cool slightly for Wednesday and Thursday. As the trough of low moves East, it will leave behind gusty winds, which will pick up Wednesday evening into Thursday. No advisories are in place currently, however the National Weather Service says wind alerts may be issued as we move through the week.

Overall it will be a rather dry week and very pleasant! Head outside and enjoy the sunshine.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – On Tuesday, Santa Barbara will consider 2026 ballot measures to increase funds as it faces upcoming financial challenges.

For the current Fiscal Year 2026, a $8.7 million deficit was projected for the city’s budget. For Fiscal Year 2027, to start on July 1st, the city is facing a projected $14.6 million deficit.

At today’s meeting, city council will consider increasing the transient occupancy tax from 12% to 14%, as well as increases to certain property and cannabis retail taxes.

A survey was just conducted to provide early voter insights.

This will be presented to the full City Council after a report recently to the Finance Committee. To pass it will take a two-thirds vote later this year.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – There could be an alternative to Deltopia this year in Isla Vista.

The Isla Vista Community Services District is going to the County Board of Supervisors with the Spring Fest plan Tuesday.

It has been in the development stages for weeks, and steps have been taken to create a more organized event using park spaces, and not Del Playa Drive where the unpermitted Deltopia street party has taken place in the past.

That gathering has led to huge crowds, injuries, medical calls and safety violations.

Recently the county voted to ban amplified music during the likely Deltopia weekend around April 4th.

The Community Services District say its proposed event will celebrate local culture, art, and entertainment.

Spring Fest will be in several areas, mainly park settings. Organizers are in the process of securing all the permits.

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Tracy Lehr

MONTECITO, Calif. (KEYT) – Westmont College is doing a viewing of the rare lunar eclipse at its observatory overnight.

Physics Professor Emeritus Dr. Ken Kihlstrom and Astrophysics Professor Jennifer Gee and students are going to be waking up early or staying up late to see it.

Members of the public are welcome to join them on campus.

They will be at the observatory that has a bright yellow Keck Telescope from Longmont, Colorado inside.

The telescope will be aimed at the rare Worm “Blood” Moon.

The worm part gets its name from the earthworms signaling spring and the blood portion from the shades of color.

“It’s is a blood moon even though it is in earth’s shadow the atmosphere of the earth bends the light like sunrise and sunsets and bends the light and that illuminates the moon and you get a reddish appearance.,” said Kihlstrom, “The moon’s orbit is tilted by 5 degrees ,so half the time the earth’s shadow goes above the moon and half the time below but it is only when the moon crosses over the earth’s orbit you have either a lunar or solar eclipse.”

It happens about every six months, but it is not always total.

They will be watching the eclipse between 3-5 a.m.

The eclipse event will begin 12:44 a.m. with totality will happen at 3:04 a.m.

It should last for 58 minutes, with the eclipse ending at 6:23 a.m.

Professor Kihlstrom thinks it is a good way to get kids interested in science.

Gee describes it on Westmont’s website as “marveling at the way God created our solar system.”

Another reason this eclipse is getting a lot of attention is because the next total eclipse of the moon won’t be until New Year’s Eve in 2028.

But Kihlstrom said the next one visible in the United States won’t be until June of 2029.

For more information visit https://westmont.edu

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Caleb Nguyen

CAMARILLO, Calif. (KEYT) – Ventura County Fire crews put out a structure fire at the 5300 block of Meadowbluff Court in Camarillo just after 4:00 p.m. Monday.

Around 40 firefighters helped prevent injuries after an aggressive attack knocked down flames at the two-story, single-family home, according to the VCFD.

VCFD crews also checked for possible extension to a nearby home and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria Police arrested Clayton Peavey, a 31-year-old man from Santa Maria, for attempted murder at a Chick-fil-A on Betteravia, just before noon Monday.

SMPD officers investigated the case and found out about a female employee outside the restaurant, whom Peavey struck in the back of the head with a large brick.

The assault knocked the victim to the ground before Peavey fled. Paramedics later took the victim to the hospital for treatment and evaluation, according to the SMPD.

Restaurant management says some police were present at the restaurant already, so response was immediate.

A witness called for additional law enforcement, and employees who saw where peavy went helped police find him quickly.

SMPD officers later found Peavey in nearby agricultural fields and took him into custody without incident for attempted murder.

“She went to the hospital, banged up, bruised a little bit,” says Joey Hickox, the restaurant operator. “Got to the hospital, spent several hours there, got stitched up and is back home recovering. She was back home by the by the evening. Yeah, it was, it was quite a shock. I mean, we have a busy drive through normally around that time, and there were a lot of people there, and, a lot of people witnessed what happened.”

Witnesses of the incident are urged to contact the SMPD.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – The California Highway Patrol identified a dead pedestrian in San Luis Obispo involved in an animal control truck crash last Wednesday at 4:15 p.m..

Brooklyn Gutierrez, 18, from San Luis Obispo, died at the scene after being hit by the truck on Orcutt Road near La Lomita Way, according to the CHP.

The CHP received aid from the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department, the County Sheriff’s Office and San Luis Ambulance in the incident.

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Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – The historic Fremont Theater in downtown San Luis Obispo will remain closed until further notice due to public safety concerns.

The City of San Luis Obispo said it has suspended the building’s Certificate of Occupancy, effective immediately so that an engineer can determine if the theater’s marquee sign is not a hazard and a risk to public safety.

A powerful storm last month damaged the theater’s iconic sign, causing a portion of the structure to fall onto the ground.

“After some of the larger storms in mid-February, it came to our attention that a portion of the exterior of the Fremont’s large, iconic tower sign had fallen into the street,” said Timothea Tway, San Luis Obispo Community Development Director. “So the city took the immediate action to close Monterey Street and close the sidewalk to ensure public safety. Since then, we’ve been working with the property owner as they get engineers out to the site to further assess the structure.”

San Luis Obispo officials said its staff “met with the property owner, who conveyed new information based on additional limited observation indicating that the structural integrity of the sign structure cannot be confirmed at this time.”

“The city continues to work with the property owner as they assess the damage to the tower sign above the marquee, and we will continue to work with them to make sure that we’re ensuring public safety, which is our number one priority as well as the rehabilitation of this iconic historic structure,” said Tway. “We continue to learn more about the structural integrity of the sign, so that’s why, out of an abundance of caution, the city has suspended the certificate of occupancy for that building. Until there’s further evidence from a licensed engineer and agreement from the building official that the building safe to open it will remain closed to the public.”

When contacted by News Channel 3-12 on Monday, Fremont Theater owner Rob Rossi indicated a structural investigation is set to begin Tuesday to determine the extent of the damge.

Rossi added the 35-foot fin sign goes back to the very construction of the historic theater that dates back to 1942.

He is hoping to reopen the theater as quickly as possible, targeting a goal of two weeks.

The closure has forced the popular venue to already postpone two scheduled events, Carlos Mencia on Friday night, and Emo World Tour on Saturday night.

Rossi added theater management is working with other local venues to serve as a new site for scheduled events that have been impacted, as well as attempt to book new dates when the theater eventually does reopen.

With the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival set to be held on April 23 through April 28, Rossi is optimistic the longtime venue for the popular event will be ready to go.

“I’m ust really looking forward to seeing how they were able to reconstruct this and hopefully bring it back to what it used to be,” said Linda Mayer on Monday while walking past the theater. “Maybe even better, but certainly retaining the historic structure of what it was. I live in Cambria now, but I’ve been coming here since I was in my teens, so it has a lot of significance in history. Just to know all the movies and things that have gone on there, and the the plays and things that are the concerts that are still going on. It’s really sad to see it in its current state, but really hopeful that it’ll be back to normal soon.”

While the Fremont Theater remained closed, nearby businesses, including Buona Tavola, Shin’s Sushi and The Bridge Café are open to the public.

“We encourage the public to patronize them,” said Tway. “There’s signage out on the street reminding everyone that they can access the businesses near the Fremont Theater.”

In addition, the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse, which is located across the street, and San Luis Obispo County Government Center next door will also remain open during normal business hours. 

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – The owners of a small winery in lompoc are pushing back against what they say is an unconstitutional mandate coming from the county.

a year ago, the santa barbara county board of supervisors approved an ordinance creating the “Wine Business Improvement District”, or “Wine BID.”

“This issue has been going on for almost six years,” says Norm Yost, Founder Of Flying Goat Cellars. “It went through different councils, but then finally in 2025, it was approved.”

Under this ordinance, wineries are required to pay a 1% fee of their revenue on sales to consumers, including transactions in tasting rooms, wine clubs, and at events.

“This is not a tax,” says Adam Shelton, senior staff attorney at the Goldwater Institute. “It is a 1% fee. And both the county and the Vintners Association has made it very clear that this fee, if passed on to customers, is actually taxable.”

The Vintners Association is tasked with managing these funds for regional wine industry marketing.

“We’re just noticing across the board, a downturn in the business,” says Yost. “So right now to incur a 1% assessment above our tax on our wines being sold in the tasting room has been just very, very difficult for us to absorb and to, disseminate the information.”

Founder of Flying Goat Cellars in Lompoc Norm Yost says he’s not opposed to partnerships, associations or regional marketing, but he is opposed to the county mandating which organizations to partner with. 

“Associations like this are supposed to be voluntary,” says Shelton. “The Vintners Association existed prior to the establishment of the BID, and at that time it was a voluntary association.”

In a letter written to the Santa Barbara County Board Of Supervisors, Adam Shelton, Flying Goat’s attorney at the Goldwater Institute, says compelling an independent company to join a private association violates the constitution.

“If this law does stay in place and is allowed to continue collecting these assessments, this could be used as a format for other industries,” says Yost.

The County of Santa Barbara sent us the following statement:

“The County of Santa Barbara has received correspondence regarding the Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District, which was formed in February 2025 pursuant to California law.  At this time, we are not aware that a lawsuit has been filed, but are reviewing the received correspondence.”

The Santa Barbara Vintners Association sent us their statement as well:

“The Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District was formed by the County through a public process and approved by the Board of Supervisors, consistent with federal and California law and long-standing benefit assessment frameworks used statewide.”

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