Author: KEYT

Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Fire Department helped put out a kitchen fire at 5100 Dawn Lane in Santa Barbara County just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

A single-story family home caught fire and a woman was home before SBCFD crews held the fire to the kitchen just after 6:00 p.m.

Paramedics checked the woman for injuries before she refused treatment from what SBCFD crews determined as a cooking fire.

More information on this fire will be available as it becomes available to Your News Channel.

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Caleb Nguyen

CARPINTERIA, Calif. – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Angela Elizabeth Phillips for fraud and embezzlement worth over $750,000.

SBCSO detectives learned the 53-year-old woman worked for an organic food supplement business at the 500-block of Maple Avenue and built up $48,000 in credit card fraud while embezzling $705,000 more over a four-year period.

SBCSO detectives helped arrest the Phillips alongside Ventura County Sheriff’s Office detectives Tuesday at the 11000 block of N. Ventura Ave. in Ojai.

SBCSO deputies found out that Phillips had previous similar cases and booked her at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail for the following felonies:

embezzlement

aggravated white collar fraud

false impersonation

Phillips is currently being held on $800,000 bail, according to the SBCSO.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Old Spanish Days and Earl Warren Showgrounds will host separate rodeos in August, two months after announcing they would not jointly present the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo this year.

On Tuesday, Earl Warren Showgrounds announced it will host Santa Barbara Rodeo Days from Friday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 3. The venue says the event is “continuing the legacy of the Vaquero spirit for the Santa Barbara community” with Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo performances, a free Fiesta-themed carnival, a vibrant mercado, food, and entertainment.

Ben Sprague, CEO of Earl Warren Showgrounds, said community support played a major role in the decision to revive a rodeo event during Fiesta week.

“There was such an outpouring of community support for having a rodeo that we, the board and the staff, felt it was really important to do our best to try and take on a rodeo,” said Sprague. “We worked diligently to have a professional rodeo come to Earl Warren during those dates.”

Shortly after the Showgrounds’ announcement, Old Spanish Days (OSD) held a press conference to reveal the 2025 Fiesta schedule, which includes their own rodeo.

OSD will host the Old Spanish Days Rodeo at the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center on the same weekend — Friday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 3. The event will be free to attend, with a special ticketed barbecue on Aug. 2.

“We are happy to welcome the equestrian traditions of Old Spanish Days and Fiesta to Santa Ynez Valley,” said Nancy Hunsicker, board member of the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Association.

El Presidente Fritz Olenberger said he doesn’t view Santa Barbara Rodeo Days as a competing event.

“We don’t see it as competing. They’ll have the PRCA. I don’t think there’s… it’s going to be a family event [ours]. It won’t have… locals. Ours is more family-oriented and it will have local participation. It’s going to have mutton bustin’. I don’t think they’re going to have mutton bustin’.”

Sprague later clarified that Santa Barbara Rodeo Days will in fact include mutton bustin’ alongside traditional rodeo events, plus a carnival.

Earl Warren Showgrounds hosted the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo for 67 years. The event originally began in 1924 at Pershing Park and moved to the newly constructed Showgrounds in 1958, where it incorporated a professional rodeo format.

Sprague said he initially tried to collaborate with Old Spanish Days on reviving the rodeo at the Showgrounds.

“We actually approached them to do this with us and then they decided not to do that. We then decided to continue on our own,” he said, adding that he doesn’t view OSD’s rodeo as competition.

“No, I mean the more rodeos the better,” said Sprague. “I think if we’ve learned anything from this, it’s that the community wants rodeos — and we’re happy about that.”

In an April joint statement, organizers of the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo said the event’s cancellation was “due to increasing operational and production challenges” that made them “unable to sustain this historical Santa Barbara event for the future.” At the time, OSD said it was working to ensure the rodeo returns and remains a part of Fiesta.

Olenberger also mentioned that The Downtown Club, formerly associated with the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, is working on plans for a carnival on its Canon Perdido Street property.

“They’re in the final stage of that, so that’s looking very favorable,” said Olenberger, who clarified the carnival would not be an official Old Spanish Days event.

Other Old Spanish Days events in this year’s lineup include Fiesta Ranchera at the Goleta Stow House on Thursday, June 19, and La Recepción del Presidente on Sunday, July 27.

Old Spanish Days officially kicks off on Wednesday, July 30, with Fiesta Pequeña at the Old Mission Santa Barbara. The event will be broadcast by KEYT, along with the Historical Parade on Friday, which begins at noon.

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John Palminteri

BUELLTON, Calif. – Some valuable insights on traveling in the Santa Ynez Valley has been presented to tourism and hospitality leaders.

Visit Santa Ynez Valley CEO, Shelby Sim, is using new data to learn the habits of those who are coming and going in the area. It is also showing how long they are staying and an estimate of how much money they are spending.

This information is vital to plans for marketing and also event planning going forward.

A presentation was made by Datafy (Datafy.com). It took place at the Visit Santa Ynez Valley annual General Meeting held at the Buellton Marriott hotel.

The information was gathered for communities in the valley such as Los Olivos, Los Alamos, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Ballard and Buellton.

Data was gathered in part through geolocation services from cell phones and available spending information from businesses in the area.

Datafy Vice President Niki Jalali said the area is very unique. “It’s a ‘build your own adventure’ type of place. You can drink wine if you are not a wine drinker. You can go  horseback riding. If you have a family there’s family friendly things to do.” 

In 2024, the hotel occupancy was at an average of 68 percent, with the busiest months being June, July and August. December, when the valley has a burst of holiday activities and decorations, was a strong month as well.

80 percent were one-day visitors, 20 percent were overnight visitors.

Most of the visitors (85.5 percent) were coming from California. Los Angeles leads the way, followed by Santa  Barbara, San Francisco and San Diego. Los Angeles visitors spend an average of $233 throughout their trip.   

The goal is to convert the one-day visitor to an overnight visitor. Jalali said, “when someone stays overnight  they spend more money. That brings a greater  benefit to everybody.”

The average visitor is 45-65 years old, with average income of $100,000 or more.

One specific area is the biggest draw.

“Solvang is still the powerhouse. It is the main driver in the Santa Ynez Valley and then food and we know that again from digital as well,” said Sim.

The data shows visitors go to downtown areas, to arts and entertainment, their hotels and restaurants.

This can be used to plan other outreach efforts. Jalali said, “Taking a look at the data and seeing what happened last year, how to make shifts and what are those right markets to go after.  Who are the right people  that will spend more money?”

The California traveler is still a strong target for marketing along with residents living in some key out of state sites such as Portland, Seattle and Dallas.

Jalali said, “San Francisco and San Diego we have an opportunity for growth and overnight visitation .      Phoenix it has a high spend when they come to a  destination and we want to see that person who is going to spend money. It is virtually untapped.”

With international traveling slowing down the effort “is to refocus back to Los Angeles, Central California and San Francisco.” Sim said in addition to the money Visit Santa Ynez Valley is spending, the area businesses should consider their own targeted outreach “and to go back to their own marketing dollars closer to home because those are the folks that are  coming out.” 

Not to be overlooked, Jalali said is the Gen Z independent traveler and the solo traveler. They are looking for different experiences that are a good fit for their lifestyle and individuality.

Later in the year there will be the annual Taste or the Santa Ynez Valley restaurant event. Last year about 1200 tickets were sold.

The 2025 event will involve a special dinner at the historic Union Hotel in Los Alamos and a long table, outside setting on Copenhagen Drive in Solvang with several chefs preparing the meal.

One of the longest running links between the wine loving public and the valley is the movie “Sideways.” It was a wine country comedy adventure that celebrated its 20th year in 2024 with special events. It still brings in new visitors, including some who are tracing the same steps and stops as the stars did in the movie. That economic boost is called, the “Sideways” effect.

For more information go to: Visit Santa Ynez Valley and Datafy.com

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Ivania Montes

CARPINTERIA, Calif. – In Carpinteria, one small shop is creating a big buzz — protecting pollinators and teaching the community to do the same.

Santa Barbara Hives Cafe & Bakery, founded by Barnaby Draper and Patrick Carroll, is on a mission to support the region’s bees — critical players in California’s thriving agriculture, from strawberries to avocados.

“The bees are kind of the keystone in nature,” Draper said. “Once I had a hive, I realized how powerful that was… we fell in love with that. That’s why we started Santa Barbara Hives.”

On California’s Central Coast, where flowers bloom almost year-round, bees get more foraging time than in most parts of the country. That helps local crops — and local beekeepers.

Patrick Carroll, a beekeeper with Santa Barbara Hives, helps care for hives and empowers others to start their own.

“We’ll help source bees, set up hives, and maintain them right in your backyard.”

But even in ideal conditions, beekeeping isn’t always sweet.

“Every hive is different,” Carroll said. “There are so many little variables that affect how a hive thrives.”

What inspires him most? The bees’ selflessness.

“They do everything for the colony, not just themselves. That’s powerful — and something we could all learn from.”

Even if you don’t keep bees, you can still support them. Planting pollinator-friendly flowers helps create a thriving environment.

“Whether you’re buying local honey, organic produce, or a lip balm,” Barnaby said, “you’re helping us support the bees — and in turn, our whole food system.”

From one hive to a whole community, Santa Barbara Hives is showing how small wings can make a big impact.

For more information on Santa Barbara Hives Cafe & Bakery, you can visit their official website.

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Jarrod Zinn

ORCUTT, Calif. – Some Orcutt residents woke up this morning to a “bear-y” unusual visitor in town.

Between midnight to 4 a.m. Tuesday, several people called CHP to report a large black bear roaming through Orcutt.

“Couldn’t find the bear. He’s being sneaky. And then around 6 a.m.,  we got another call. Our officers started tracking it,” says Maria Barriga, with CHP Santa Maria.

Witnesses said the bear appeared to stroll in from the area of foster road along union valley parkway.

Several residents recorded the bear on their phones as it casually cruised through town.

“No reports of it being agitated or any aggression against anyone. Was just kind of wandering around trying to figure out, I think, where to go, kind of hopping over fences, climbing trees, falling out of trees, you know,” says Barriga.

CHP officers located and isolated the animal, then called Fish and Wildlife to the scene.

“I think our officers did a great job in finding him because obviously he eluded us last night and then again about 4:00 in the morning. But what really helps is when the public reports on it,” says Barriga.

Authorities commended local residents for calmly reporting the bear’s presence and giving it space.

“If you see a bear or any other type of wildlife,” Officer Barriga says, “please report it right away. Give us a location that you see it and the location that it’s traveling, which will help us. And just remember to give it distance.”

Smarter than the average bear, it came to a small park near Ruby Crest Court and climbed this tree, where Fish and Wildlife humanely tranquilized it and transported it away.

“Well, he eluded us, I guess, at midnight and 4 a.m.,” Barriga said laughing, “so he was a little bit on the smarter side.”

Authorities say the bear is now being kept in safe conditions, it’s “bear necessities” met by professionals, while being transported to a more suitable habitat.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Students are focusing on creativity at Santa Barbara High School.

Getting to learn about painting drawing sketching, all at the school’s newly built Visual Arts and Design Academy known as VADA, made this year extra special for them. 

“Definitely the space and the tools are all super … a lot more accessible in this building and I mean I couldn’t have ever imagined being able to work in a space like this before,” said art student Sabrina Toye of Santa Barbara High School.

Since its opening in August 2024, students like how the new facility gives them flexible classrooms, a photography studio and open space.

“it’s humongous and it’s really nice to be able to have the fresh air with the doors open … and I feel like I’m in my space able to use all the materials that I want,” said art student Jasmine Odair of Santa Barbara High School.

The new VADA building is now proving to be useful for a variety of events throughout the school year.

“Flexibility was a key design value and so we’re doing things in the building that we had no idea we would do, but the building allows us to do because we’ve made it so flexible,” said VADA program director Daniel Barnett of Santa Barbara High School.

“I know I’m gonna look back and be like wow this was a really amazing space that I got to spend time with and maybe in the future if I do Art. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to have a studio space again like this it’s not gonna be comparable cause it’s just like amazing,” said Toye.

Now that the new facility is fully operational, VADA’s enrollment is projected to grow. 

And just like the new space, VADA’s future is limitless.

This project was made possible by the California Department of Education, Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Friends of VADA. 

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Members of various Northern Santa Barbara County law enforcement agencies held the Special Olympics Torch Run through Santa Maria on Tuesday.

Known as the “Flame of Hope,” the torch was lit during a rally at Santa Maria City Hall and was then carried for approximately three miles along several busy streets to Santa Maria Toyota.

“We’ve got eight local law enforcement agencies together and ran through the City of Santa Maria to raise awareness and funds for our local Special Olympics here in Santa Barbara County,” said Lt. Nate Totorica, Santa Maria Police Department.year. “We bring our Special Olympics community together and all the local law enforcement agencies get together, and collectively, we’re able to get out into the community, raise awareness, and really highlight the Special Olympic athletes, and provide them an opportunity to participate as well. They were alongside us running through the city. It’s just a lot of fun in every way.”

The run is just a short leg of the much-larger Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Southern California that includes hundreds of officers carrying the torch in preparation for the upcoming 2025 Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games taking place this weekend in Long Beach.

The Santa Maria event also serves as a fundraiser for Special Olympians in the area, with money raised going directly towards helping local athletes compete in Long Beach.

“Specifically all the money that we raise in Northern Santa Barbara County stays with our Northern Santa Barbara County athletes, which is what’s really cool about this,” said Totorica. “Uniforms, training, travel expenses, everything raised goes directly to our Northern Santa Barbara County athletes.”

Tuesday’s torch run will began at City Hall on the corner of Broadway and Cook Street. Runners moved south along Broadway, then turned east on Battles Road. The torch briefly headed south on College Drive before turning east on Meehan Street, where it ended at the Toyota dealership.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – As we head into high fire season, some of the early fire ignite along the roadside.

It’s a common pattern where vehicles are not only creating a drying effect, but they are also linked to some of the causes.

That could include sparks from dragging chains from a vehicle involved in towing. It could also be from hot particles from a bad catalytic converter in the exhaust system.

As a fire specialist told your News Channel recently, some of the early grasses are turning brown and the grass that came up after the March-April showers are next to go through that cycle. Together it is creating a dangerous fire condition.

Mark vonTillow is a Wildland Specialist with the City of Santa Barbara.

He says, “you can look around now it’s pretty green. But if you go to the other side of the mountains it is turning. When the fuel moisture peaks and starts to come down that’s when things dry out and turn brown. That creates conditions where fires can start quickly and spread in winds.”

At times in the past, in addition to vehicle sources, there may be some issues with passing trains that have also been linked to fires but those have become more rare.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Since Hamas took hostages on Oct. 7 2023, people of all faiths have been doing what they can to keep the situation in the minds of people around the world.

A Santa Barbara group that goes by the name “Run For Their Lives,” is like the Boulder group targeted at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder Colorado on Sunday.

Both are chapters of the grassroots organization known as R4TL.

“There are 230 groups worldwide that meet every week to walk 18 minutes in solidarity with the hostages and their families, it has been 605 days the hostages have been held in tunnels,” said Elissa Jacobson, who co-founded the Santa Barbara chapter.

The time of the walks or runs is significant.

In Hebrew the number 18 or “chai” (‘n) means “life.”

They peacefully meet on Sundays and name the names of the hostages and carry a banner reminding people of what happened.

The Santa Barbara chapter was called and asked to cancel Sunday’s walk after chapters started hearing about the violence in Colorado.

“Since day 100 we have met every Sunday week without fail, not all of us turn up every week, but the walk happens every week, which has been really wonderful this is the first time, we had to ground the walk,” said Jacobson.

What happened in Colorado weighs heavily on their minds.

“Right now we are regrouping and deciding the changes we may or may not make and learning more about what happened and what we will do going forward,” said Jacobson.

Like the Boulder group, they wear red shirts and have the same rituals.

It was started by a runner and is a reminder of the people who tried to run and escape Hamas on the day of the deadly attack.

In addition to walking every Sunday, they read One Tiny Seed and name the hostages and sing Hatikvah and Sholom Alechem.

Members of the local chapter come from all over the county, including Santa Ynez.

Their actions are shared on social media.

Journalist and group member Amy Katz makes sure photos and videos are taken and sent to the families in Israel to show they care.

“This group is not a protest group,” said Katz, “they are a prayer group, an interfaith prayer group, and so, it is just insane that somebody would target people who are praying for the hostages and families who have been suffering.”

“It is not a demonstration, it is not a protest, we are not shouting, we are quietly walking in solidarity,” said Jacobson.

All of the chapters are considering how to move forward.

“We welcome discussion, people stop up all the time and ask what we are doing and why and we often engage in conversation about the conflict.”

They learned on Monday that the man accused of carrying out the incendiary attack against Jewish community members in Boulder faces 16 counts of attempted murder and Federal hate crime charges.

The man, who not a citizen of U.S., has been identified as 45 year old Mohammad Soliman.

He also faces Federal hate crime charges.

Soliman told police he made the flame throwers because he couldn’t buy a gun.

One of the 12 victims is a holocaust survivor, two remain hospitalized.

One is in critical condition.

Jacobson and Katz said they don’t want to miss another Sunday gathering, but they may change the time and location due to concerns over safety.

“We are deeply concerned about how we can continue to do these prayers for the hostage, but do it safely,” said Katz.

For more information visit https://run4live.org

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