Author: KEYT

Andrew Gillies

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly’s Digital Democracy, an artificial intelligence reporting tool working with nonprofit newsroom CalMatters, was awarded an Emmy Award for political reporting.

The award was presented by the Northern California chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and recognized the AI-powered investigative reporting in, “Power is never having to say ‘no.’ How California Democrats kill bills without voting against them” coauthored by CBS correspondent Julie Watts and CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow.

The piece examined how state legislators operating under the umbrella of a supermajority avoid directly voting down legislation and instead merely decline to cast a vote, allowing bills to die during a legislative session without a decision being made.

Digital Democracy was created at Cal Poly’s Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy and was relaunched with new AI tools last year.

“I’m humbled and excited to see this recognition and thrilled by the attention it brings to our students and to the future of Digital Democracy,” beamed Foaad Khosmood, a Cal Poly computer science professor and research director at the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy. “I never expected to put ‘Emmy’ on my resume.”

Cal Poly Professor Foaad Khosmood. Image courtesy of Joe Johnston/University Photographer/Cal Poly

The Cal Poly creation isn’t stopping at investigative journalism in the golden state.

“In May I presented in Baltimore, and we’ve heard from states that want to build the same kind of system,” said Thomas Gerrity, a graduate of Cal Poly’s computer science master’s program and engineering manager for Digital Democracy. “It brings transparency by making it possible to pick out a quote from a hearing without interns combing through hours of video.”

According to Cal Poly, Digital Democracy will expand to Hawaii in a partnership with nonprofit newsroom Honolulu Civil Beat and the team behind the tool intend to launch a newsletter summarizing weekly legislative activity by district.

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Below is a press release from the Central Coast Zoo regarding the arrival of their newest resident, Koba, the baby mongoose lemur!

ATASCADERO, Calif. – The City of Atascadero and the Central Coast Zoo are thrilled to announce the arrival of a special new resident, Koba, a baby mongoose lemur born on July 4th!

Koba, named after a traditional peanut dessert in Madagascar, is now starting to explore the habitat and can be seen by Zoo visitors. The baby’s sex is not yet known, but Zookeepers will be able to tell in the coming weeks as mongoose lemurs develop distinct beard colors – males have reddish-orange beards, while females remain white.  At around five weeks, young lemurs begin tasting solid foods, mimicking their parents’ fruit-rich diet, which also includes flowers, leaves, and the occasional insect. Koba is expected to be fully weaned by 5 to 6 months of age, and the zoo team will continue to monitor development closely, stepping in only when necessary to ensure natural growth and behavior.

Koba joins older brother Ravi who was born at the zoo last year—one of just three mongoose lemurs born in the country at the time. Their parents, Ernesto, and Camilla are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Mongoose Lemur Species Survival Plan (SSP). Native to the island of Madagascar, mongoose lemurs are listed as “Critically Endangered,” with fewer than 2,000 individuals estimated to remain in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting.

Mongoose lemurs are native to one of the world’s most unique ecosystems. Madagascar is considered a biodiversity hotspot, home to thousands of species found nowhere else on Earth. Unfortunately, more than 90% of Madagascar’s original forests have been lost, putting many species at risk. The Central Coast Zoo specializes in animals from biodiversity hotspots—regions that cover only 2.5% of Earth’s land surface but support nearly half of all known species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Through education and conservation, the Zoo works to raise awareness of the vital importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems.

The Central Coast Zoo is announcing new hours following Labor Day weekend!  Beginning Tuesday, September 2, the Central Coast Zoo will adjust its hours of operation. The Zoo will be open Thursday through Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during non-holiday weeks. The Zoo will remain open on most school holidays throughout the fall and winter. While this change may affect some weekday visits, it allows the Zoo to enhance the visitor experience through improved maintenance, enrichment projects, and habitat upgrades without disrupting guests during open hours. To plan your visit, check our updated calendar here: www.centralcoastzoo.org/zoo-hours.

Close to 100 animal species representing 300 animals call the Central Coast Zoo home, including red pandas, monkeys, fossa, meerkats, parrots, a variety of reptiles and more. The Central Coast Zoo is located at Atascadero Lake Park on Hwy 41/Morro Road, one mile west of Hwy 101. For information, go to www.centralcoastzoo.org or call (805) 461-5080.

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Below is a press release from Santa Barbara Public Library regarding their annual Raíces y Sueños (Roots and Dreams) event from September through mid-October

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) is proud to present the second annual Raíces y Sueños (Roots and Dreams): Raising Awareness and Unity Around Hispanic Immigrant Culture. Taking place from September through mid-October, this vibrant series of free, family-friendly events celebrates the strength, resilience, and contributions of the Hispanic immigrant community.

Following the overwhelming response to last year’s events, this year’s series returns with an even stronger focus on cultural awareness, inclusion, and community connection through music, storytelling, visual art, and workshops.

The series offers a variety of engaging activities designed for community members of all ages. Here are some program highlights to pique your interest:

First Thursday at Central Library: an inspiring art reception with Los Angeles-based Chicana artist Jacqueline Valenzuela.

Library on the Go…at the Airport!: a special Raíces y Sueños stop where we’ll bring a selection of books, community passes, and all the information you need about our upcoming events and library resources.

Día de los Abuelos: a joyful celebration with crafts and storytelling.

Somos Xicanas y Lowriders: a unique event featuring lowrider culture and live readings from SOMOS XICANAS.

Free admission at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art: attendees can participate in hands-on STEAM activities inspired by Latin American culture.

Sabores Saludables Workshop: learn healthy eating habits with dietitian Mary Galindo in an interactive workshop.

Alebrije Workshops: led by Oaxacan artisan Jesús Sosa Calvo, participants can paint hand-carved wooden figures while learning about this rich tradition.

Bilingual Storytimes: enjoy family-focused events at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

To close out the celebration, the Raíces y Sueños Market will bring the community together for a lively day of crafts, performances, and a Young Makers Market showcasing creativity and cultural pride.

We invite the entire community to take part in this meaningful celebration of culture, connection, and unity. All events are free and open to the public, with some requiring registration. Programs will be conducted in English or Spanish as noted.

For more information about program dates and times, visit Raíces y Sueños.

About Raíces y Sueños

Raíces y Sueños (Roots and Dreams) is an annual SBPL series dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness of Hispanic immigrant culture through art, storytelling, workshops, and educational opportunities. The program fosters community pride and encourages meaningful connections among residents through shared cultural experiences.

Traducción al Español:

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – La Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara (SBPL, por sus siglas en inglés) se enorgullece en presentar la segunda edición anual de Raíces y Sueños: Concientizando y fomentando la unidad en torno a la cultura hispana. Esta vibrante serie de eventos familiares y totalmente gratuitos se llevarán a cabo desde septiembre a mediados de octubre y celebra la fortaleza, la resiliencia y las contribuciones de la comunidad inmigrante hispana.

Tras la gran respuesta a los eventos del año pasado, esta edición regresa con un enfoque aún más fuerte en la conciencia cultural, la inclusión y la conexión comunitaria, a través de la música, la narración, el arte visual y talleres.

La serie ofrece una variedad de actividades atractivas diseñadas para miembros de la comunidad de todas las edades. Algunos de los programas destacados incluyen:

Primer Jueves en la Biblioteca Central: una inspiradora recepción de arte con la artista chicana radicada en Los Ángeles, Jacqueline Valenzuela.

La Biblioteca Móvil… en el aeropuerto: una parada especial de Raíces y Sueños con una selección de libros, pases comunitarios e información sobre nuestros próximos eventos y recursos de la biblioteca.

Día de los Abuelos: una celebración alegre con manualidades y narración de cuentos.

Somos Xicanas y Lowriders: un evento único que destaca la cultura lowrider con lecturas en vivo de SOMOS XICANAS.

Admisión gratuita al Museo de Arte de Santa Bárbara: los asistentes podrán participar en actividades prácticas de STEM (ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas) inspiradas en la cultura latinoamericana.

Taller Sabores Saludables: aprende hábitos de alimentación saludable con la dietista Mary Galindo en un taller interactivo.

Talleres de Alebrijes: dirigidos por el artesano oaxaqueño Jesús Sosa Calvo, donde los participantes podrán pintar figuras de madera talladas a mano y aprender sobre esta tradición.

Hora de cuentos bilingües: eventos familiares en el Museo de Arte de Santa Bárbara

Para cerrar la celebración, tendremos el Mercado Raíces y Sueños, el cual reunirá a la comunidad en un día lleno de artesanías, presentaciones y el Young Makers Market, mostrando creatividad y orgullo cultural.

Invitamos a toda la comunidad a ser parte de esta significativa celebración de cultura, conexión y unidad.

Todos los eventos son gratuitos y abiertos al público en general, aunque algunos requieren inscripción previa. Los programas se llevarán a cabo en español o inglés, según se indique.

Para obtener más información sobre las fechas y horarios de los programas, visita Raíces y Sueños.

Acerca de Raíces y Sueños

Raíces y Sueños es una serie anual de la Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara dedicada a celebrar y generar conciencia sobre la cultura inmigrante hispana a través del arte, la narración, talleres y oportunidades educativas. El programa fomenta el orgullo comunitario y fortalece las conexiones cruciales entre los residentes a través de experiencias culturales compartidas.

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John Palminteri

MONTECITO,  Calif. – After a boat came apart on the Montecito coast, a two-day clean up effort appears to be successful.

An emergency response crew from TowBoatUS – Ventura was activated to finish off the project at Butterfly Beach.

Captain Carson Shevitz said he found, “hundreds of pieces with some debris submerged, off in the surf.”

The 27-foot boat came ashore Sunday, and looked to be in good condition to be saved on Monday. It broke apart Tuesday before than removal plan could take place.

Then everything in and out of the water had to be found.

“We have our vessel recovery team out on the beach, picking up the pieces, cutting the pieces down into a recoverable size,” said Shevitz.

That includes many items that are harmful to the environment. “We’ll try to find the fuel tank batteries. A boat like this, we’ll find out if it has an inboard engine or an outward engine,” Shevitz said. The team had many ropes and cables that were in big knotted balls.

Tuesday evening the environmental group, Heal the Ocean, worked until sundown removing debris from the beach and cutting up parts of the boat that could be a dangerous and deadly entanglement issue for marine life. That group funded the first part of the clean up, and has been responsive to boat wrecks in the past regardless of the cause or available finances from the owner.

With waves hitting them, this was a choppy endeavor but it was necessary prior to the word that TowBoatUS was activated to come in with just-approved insurance funding.

The clean up crews said they concentrate their efforts not only in this crash zone, but worked the entire beach to make sure that everything that was on the sand was picked up.

Shevitz said, we found the mast, so we try to find the large items and make sure we have everything.”

The owner Luke Wallace was told the only chance to save the vessel would have been early on.

Shevitz said, “We can get up here in 45 minutes, or hour and a half, whatever it is, depending on the time to get people where they need to go. But at that point, the boat was on the beach.”

What’s still to be found is the keel. Wallace said, “that’s heavy lead it’s made out of lead it is somewhere under the sand most likely. I don’t think anyone took the keel.” It weights 800 to 1,200 pounds.

In this case, the boat owner who had been in the offshore anchorage in Santa Barbara waters was helped by that insurance policy. 

Many of the boat owners in the East Beach anchorage do not have coverage.

“Playing by the rules. Everyone should have insurance. It definitely helped. I mean, as you can see, the beach is clean. Probably cleaner than it was,” said Wallace.

The crew did a clean sweep of the beach and got a full load, but they have plans to come back and double check.

“We are locals, just like you. This is our backyard, and we want to do everything we can to make sure that we’re doing as well of the job as as we can,” said Shevitz.

(More video, photos and details will be added here later today)

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Some local residents are pushing for stricter rent control for senior mobile home parks in Santa Barbara county.

Last month, the Santa Barbara county board of supervisors adopted the senior mobile home park overlay, to protect senior parks from being converted to all-age parks.

“The senior mobile home Park ordinance really gives seniors peace of mind and locking in protections for the 11 senior parks that that overlay is for across the county,” says Santa Barbara county board of supervisors’ representative Kelsey Buttitta.

While most properties in the county have begun following this new ordinance, locals are now ready to talk about rent control.

I’m a long term leaseholder in Sunny Hills Mobile home Park, and my rent started in November 2016, 735,” said Orcutt resident Judy Birch at Tuesday’s board of supervisors’ meeting in Santa Maria. “And now it’s 1057 and it’s going up another 4% in October. So I hope something can be done.”

At Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting, local residents questioned the lease exemption clause within the new ordinance, saying it only protects affordability for properties who run on month-to-month rent payments.

According to the county’s representative, rent control is a separate issue from the overlay ordinance.

“While the overlay does not establish rent control or set lease rates, it does protect seniors by preventing the conversion of these parks to all ages occupancy, maintaining these communities as a unique and affordable housing option for older adults,” says Buttitta. “Now, any changes to rent or lease protections would require separate action by the board.”

Residents and advocates say anyone with a lease on their mobile home instead of a monthly rental agreement is in danger of being priced out of their homes.

“Last year, the consumer Price index rose three 4.4%,” said another Orcutt resident, Cheryl Fredrickson. “Under rent control, my rent would have increased 2.55%, which would have been covered by the Social Security cost of living adjustment of 2.5%. Unfortunately, my rent in Sunny Hill’s mobile home community went up 4%. My renting neighbors in Knollwood Village went up 7%.”

Locals hope the county’s rent control ordinances can be updated.

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Andrew Gillies

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The City of Santa Barbara shared Wednesday that sales tax revenue for the fourth quarter of the city’s fiscal year came in at 8.4 percent below budget and sales tax revenues across all of Fiscal Year 2025 are 6.1 percent below projected revenues.

In total, the city collected $29,301,467 in sales tax revenue for Fiscal Year 2025 and none of Fiscal Year 2025’s quarterly sales tax reports have met budget projections noted the City of Santa Barbara.

The City of Santa Barbara also shared Transient Occupancy Tax Results through July, the first month of the City’s fiscal year, in a press release Wednesday.

The Transient Occupancy Tax is a tax on guests staying in any hotel, inn, motel, or other commercial lodging business for less than 30 days.

Year to date, the city has collected $3.9 million of which $3.5 million came from local hotels and $400,000 came from short-term rentals detailed the City of Santa Barbara.

That brings current Transient Occupancy Tax revenues for July at 2.6 percent below budget added the City of Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara’s Transient Occupancy Tax rate is 12 percent, of which ten percent goes to the City’s General Fund and the remaining two percent goes to the Creeks/Clean Water Fund.

The city collected $32.2 million total from the lodging-specific tax in Fiscal Year 2024.

For more information about current and historical financial data for the City of Santa Barbara, click here.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The 12th Annual Day of Hope fundraiser was held Wednesday across the Santa Maria Valley and Five Cities areas.

Starting at 7 a.m., dozens of volunteer teams wearing bright orange vests could be seen at numerous intersections, parking lots, and other gathering places to sell special edition $1 Santa Maria Times newspapers.

“Everybody’s coming together and giving back,” said Rachel Buchan, with Team Fidelity at the busy intersection of Broadway and Betteravia Road.” Every corner is covered. The people coming by are on their way to work and are glad to give. It’s just fun and exciting!” 

All of the proceeds brought in during the fundraiser will directly benefit patient services and programs at Mission Hope, which operates two centers – its flagship facility in Santa Maria, and in Arroyo Grande inside the Matthew Will Memorial Medical Center.

“Day of Hope is a very, very big day for me,” said cancer survivor Espie Valenzuela, who appeared on the front page of the thousands of Santa Maria Times that were sold. “Mission Hope is a part of my heart will always be a part of my heart. Not enough words to say how how beautiful it is, the staff, the doctors, anything that is inside Mission Hope is wonderful. I was scared when I was first diagnosed with cancer. Coming inside Mission Hope, they did everything possible to give me the treatment and help me trust the process and they basically saved my life. It gave me all the love and compassion that I needed.”

Since it was first held in 2014, the Day of Hope has raised just under $2.7 million, including $409,000 last year.

“People in Santa Maria have a big heart for charity and they know that this money goes to a great cause, and the people who really need it,” said Rotary Club of Santa Maria volunteer James Stoddard, while selling papers at Broadway and Betteravia Road. “I’m out here every year, helping raise money for Mission Hope, but this year, it’s a little more personal for me because I was recently diagnosed with cancer, and so this year, I know that the funding is going to the people just like me who need help.”

Teams included volunteers who represented loved ones or friends fighting cancer, businesses, schools, organizations, government, and other various groups.

“It’s amazing because we have so many teams throughout the community, and yet everybody’s raising for the same exact funding,” said Cynthia Maldonado, Mission Hope Cancer Center Outreach Supervisor. “It’s for the cancer patients, so although you see all of these different teams and we’re being competitive and lighthearted and having a wonderful time, every single dollar that we’re all raising goes right back to the cancer center for the patients.”

Throughout the day, Dignity Health said 11,000 newspapers were sold.

While the newspaper sales have ended, donations are still being accepted online through Friday, Sept 12.

Donations can be made online by clicking here to access the official Day of Hope website.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – It’s just about that time of year to look forward to fall events, and Pismo Beach has many notable ones on the calendar.

Emma Rhoads from TJA Advertising and Public Relations joined the Morning News to highlight upcoming activities, including the Annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival, the Pismo Beach Corgi Nation Vacation, and new attractions like the Sand Art Festival and Harps on the Coast.

Rhoads said fall is one of the best seasons in Pismo Beach. “You get that post-summer absolute bliss. You get perfect weather and not as many crowds, and honestly as a surfer you get the offshore winds. It’s all around really pleasant and quieter, but tons of events to keep us busy,” she explained.

The Corgi Beach Festival will be held September 12–14, bringing more than 100 corgis and their owners to local hotels, beaches, and events throughout the weekend. Festivities include races, photo shoots, dinners, and brunches, with a free public gathering on September 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rhoads recalled a memorable moment from last year’s brunch: “Somebody played the Ring doorbell sound on a speaker and all the dogs started barking at once. It was hilarious.” The event is organized by SoCal Corgis in partnership with the Pismo Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.

In October, the 79th Annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival will take place October 18–19 at the Pismo Beach Pier. Since 1946, this tradition has brought generations of families and tourists together. Rhoads noted the clams have returned to the shoreline after being absent for decades, making the festival an opportunity to both celebrate and educate. “There are a lot of cool educational opportunities, like teaching kids how to rebury clams. It’s been really fun to see how the festival has transformed over its history,” she said. The parade will be held October 19 at 10 a.m. on Price Street.

November brings new cultural events, including the Sand Art Festival, set for November 6–8. Eight artists from around the world will create large-scale murals across Pismo Beach, stretching from the pier to the Shell Beach cliffs. That same weekend, Harps on the Coast will combine wine tasting with sunset harp performances along the shoreline.

For more information on upcoming fall events in Pismo Beach, visit ExperiencePismoBeach.com.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – One of the most significant changes in recent years at Santa Barbara City College is their latest project – a new sports complex.

The old Physical Education building is going through demolition. It had been in place more than 60 years and was outdated in several ways.

The new building will be a $105-million dollar four-story sports complex, and will be in the same area on the main campus facing the ocean off Loma Alta Drive.

Funding came from Measure P that was approved by more than 60-percent of the voters.

It will generate $77 million dollars and the state will fund the rest.

The demolition is a careful process for the campus and the community with heavy equipment on-site and several concerns when dealing with an older building.

Santa Barbara City College President Erika Endrijonas said, “we are taking out all the asbestos, pcb’s and other things that are hazardous. Then continuing to take the building apart – there will be some opportunities where there will be a wrecking ball.  We are not blowing it into pieces, we are not collapsing the building, (that’s) not great for the environment.”

Students on campus for the new school year in classrooms near the construction project will be hearing some of the sounds as part of the on going work.

The new complex is about a two-year project.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team bounced back from its opening day disappointment with an always-enjoyable feat on Monday night, winning their home opener. The Gauchos took down Central Arkansas, 2-1, with goals from Buba Fofanah and Zac Siebenlist. In a performance that, while not perfect, was much-improved from Thursday, the offense was able to create good scoring chances early and often, Calle Mollerberg’s move into defensive midfield provided some needed extra stability in that area while Jacob Blach was just as solid in the back line in his stead and Luke Skinner had his first signature moment as Santa Barbara’s goalkeeper, making a superman save to preserve the result.

FROM HEAD COACH TIM VOM STEEG”I always say that the first win of the season is always the hardest, so I was actually kind of proud of the fact that we had to go clear the box a bunch of times and of course, we had a huge save from our goalkeeper,” UC Santa Barbara Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg said. “Look, we won the game, so, positive. Of course, I would say that half of their opportunities came off of our losing the ball in midfield and just giving them things. That’s something we just have to clean up. Again, we’ll take the win, happy for them, we did what we had to do to get it done. At this point in the season, that’s what you have to do.”

HOW IT HAPPENEDAfter taking 82 minutes to generate their first shot on target in the season opener, the Gaucho offense made sure they tested Central Arkansas goalie Javier Ramirez early on Monday night, firing three shots inside the first three and a half minutes, two of which took saving from Ramirez. The Gauchos had two more chances brought back for a player being offside, the latter of which saw Siebenlist put the ball in the Central Arkansas net before the flag went up.

After Santa Barbara spent the first nine minutes attacking, the visitors were able to get off three rapid-fire shots in the 10th minute, one of which was blocked and another of which took saving from Skinner. But the Gauchos never stopped attacking either, as the game became a back-and-forth affair through the first 20 minutes. In the 14th, Steinar Bjornsson was denied by a brilliant save from Ramirez, the Bears’ goalkeeper tipping the Icelandic forward’s driven shot onto the post.

After 26 minutes, Santa Barbara finally turned their pressure into a goal. Thomas Noordegraaf played a perfect pass into the space between the Central Arkansas defense and their goalkeeper, allowing Fofanah to get to the ball just before Ramirez. Fofanah took one touch to round the Bears’ netminder, then another to pass the ball into the open goal for his first score in Blue and Gold. Fofanah played high school soccer at Cate in Carpinteria.

After the goal, the game actually calmed down, with the two teams combining to take just seven shots between Fofanah’s goal and the interval after taking 15 before Fofanah’s score. The problem for the Gauchos is that one of the Bears’ shots in that timeframe found the net, tying the match two minutes before the break.

In an improvement from Thursday’s game, Santa Barbara did not let the visitors turn their late goal into momentum for the second half. The Gauchos took six shots to Central Arkansas’ three in the first 15 minutes after halftime, forcing three saves while Skinner was required to make just one. In the 58th minute, Eddie Villeda nearly gave Santa Barbara the lead back with a wicked strike from the top left corner of the penalty area, but the slicing effort fizzed just over the crossbar.

As it turned out, the Gauchos’ go-ahead goal ended up being much less spectacular and more of a gift. After winning a free kick deep in their own half, Central Arkansas attempted to pass out of the back, with disastrous consequences. Siebenlist was lurking in just the right spot to intercept an under-hit pass toward Ramirez and pass it into the net with just one touch. Siebenlist is from San Luis Obispo.

Santa Barbara attempted to build their lead, with Mollerberg forcing a save in the 69th minute, but shortly afterwards the Gauchos elected to bunker down and use their defensive depth to hang on to the lead. Cole Harris came on in the 70th minute to turn Santa Barbara’s back four into a back five, and they went to work holding down the fort. The defensive group had a key shot block in the 75th minute, then Skinner made a good save to parry away a curving attempt in the 81st. Central Arkansas thought they had another equalizer a minute later when they put home the rebound from another Skinner save, but it was ruled out for offside, a judgement upheld after video review.

The final major moment of the match came in the 87th minute, when a Bear forward was able to chop the ball onto his strong foot at the top of the penalty area and bend a shot toward the top corner, only for Skinner to dive to his right and use every inch of his 6-foot-3 frame to parry the shot harmlessly behind.

BY THE NUMBERSThe win is UC Santa Barbara’s ninth consecutive win following a loss, a streak which dates back to 2023. The Gauchos are unbeaten in their last 14 matches following a loss, and they have not lost two matches in a row since September of 2021.After Monday night’s game, UC Santa Barbara has now opponents from 31 different states at Harder Stadium under Tim Vom Steeg. Only four of those states have not lost to the Gauchos in their home stadium.Buba Fofanah’s goal Monday night was the 19th of his collegiate career, his first as a Gaucho.Another of Santa Barbara’s 16 new players made his debut late in Monday night’s win, with Owen Wall playing the final seven minutes off the bench. He is the 12th Gaucho to make his UC Santa Barbara debut through the team’s first two matches.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos remain home for their next three matches, with a first-ever meeting with North Florida coming up on Thursday, Aug. 28. The Ospreys are the team that defeated Central Arkansas on penalty kicks in last year’s ASUN Championship and, like Central Arkansas, will be the first team from their home state to visit Vom Steeg’s Gauchos. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets. Fans can also catch all the action from anywhere live on ESPN+ or follow along with live stats.

(Article courtesy UCSB Athletics).

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