Author: KEYT

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics received a major boost from the Wyatt family of Montecito.

The family contributed $5 million toward a new medical facility on the city’s Westside.

The three-story, 19,000-square-foot clinic is currently under construction and will significantly expand services for local residents who depend on the nonprofit network for care.

Once complete, the building will provide additional space for primary care, dental, and behavioral health services, helping meet growing demand from thousands of patients across the community.

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Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo County celebrated on Monday the grand opening a new building that has been in the works for more than two decades, the new home for the Probation Department.

“This day represents so much,” said San Luis Obispo County Chief Probation Officer Tom Milder. “It represents a new beginning for the probation department in certain respects.”

Under unseasonably warm conditions, about 100 people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, which was held at the site of the new building that’s located on Bishop Street, just off of Johnson Avenue.

The two-story structure is 34,000 in size and includes dozens of rooms and offices, along with modern amenities the Probation Department has not enjoyed at its previous headquarters.

“We’ve never had anything like it, said Milder. “It’s an amazing new space. It has space for all kinds of essential probation responsibilities, whether it’s training of staff, interview rooms, office space to meet with persons we’re responsible for, programing space where we can run cognitive behavioral groups and other interventions for those we work with, locker rooms for staff. Key pieces to our public safety responsibility. There’s an armory, there’s an evidence room. There’s a safety equipment room. All modern, safe, secure.”

The new building is located essentially next door to the old Probation Department building that dates back to the 1940’s.

According to the County, the old site was woefully antiquated and severely lacking in the size, space and scope needed for the department to meet its needs.

“It’s a very old building and in fact is due to be torn down afterwards,” said Milder. “The County could no longer even put money into that building. It wasn’t worth it. We needed this new space and in lieu of repurposing something else that wasn’t going to maximize the efficiencies and the public safety contributions we have as a department, the County chose to invest in this, and we are extremely grateful for that.”

With the new building now finished, the County said the $40 million facility will enhance public safety, as well as support its rehabilitative mission.

“It’s really is more than a building,” said Matt Pontes, San Luis Obispo County Chief Executive Officer. “This is an investment in efficiency. It’s an investment in our staff. It’s an investment safety for the community that we do business with. It’s an opportunity for staff to be more efficient. We’re consolidating three separate operations into one facility. We hope that it facilitates more communication and better serves the public. We’ve got it kind of set up here to be a safe facility and we’re really excited about it.”

Another key component to the new building is that it keeps the Probation Department within the same location, close to many other nearby related services along the Johnson Avenue area.

“This facility really is kind of our jewel of the campus now,” said Pontes. “This campus is put together and it was designed from the time which the county started investing it with the old hospital, in really trying to have our services close to each other and close to the public that we serve. I think one of the important things is really locating this new modern facility within the campus of other health like operations that we have. We have the Public Health Department here on campus. We have Welcome Home Village coming online soon. We have the sobering center. We have. some of the Public Health, Environmental Health and really trying to create a campus where our community can go get the services they need in an efficient manner.”

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria Police arrested two people on Friday and another on Saturday for various crimes.

SMPD officers arrested the first person after a report of someone armed with a knife who threatened a victim at the Azure Apartment complex just after 5:00 p.m. Friday.

The suspect left the building, and SMPD detectives found them two hours later, before they tried violently resisting and fighting officers.

SMPD officers used a taser to take them into custody with a restraint. One SMPD officer suffered injuries during the struggle and was released from Marian Hospital after evaluation.

The suspect’s recent violent criminal activity led to a bail increase request and approval.

The second arrest happened just before 9:30 p.m. Friday at the 400 block West Taylor Street due to a residential burglary.

A landlord called for a tenant who’d left for work, and had money stolen from him inside the home by a family member, according to the SMPD.

The SMPD then found the suspect in Santa Maria and arrested the 28-year-old for the residential burglary charge.

The third SMPD arrest came just before 7:00 p.m. Saturday where officers arrested someone armed that stole a dog.

The suspect tried to flee on foot and shouted that he had a handgun before SMPD officers eventually took him into custody without incident.

SMPD officers found no weapon in the search and noone was injured from the incident.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – An inmate died at the San Luis Obispo County Jail just before 9:00 p.m. during medication dispersal Saturday night, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office.

Custody and nursing staff tried to revive Trenidad Castilleja, 48 from San Luis Obispo, using CPR until paramedics arrived, according to the SLOCSO.

Castilleja remained unresponsive and paramedics pronounced him dead around 9:00 p.m. after identification, according to the SLOCSO.

Castilleja has received more than 24 bookings into the SLO County Jail since 1998, the most recent on Dec. 18, 2024, according to SLOCSO.

Castilleja awaited sentencing on a third case after his previous two resolved cases involved bookings into custody.

A cause of death is unknown at this time until an autopsy can be performed, though no foul play is suspected, according to the SLOCSO.

Next of kin has been notified and no further information is available at this time, according to the SLOCSO.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A 20-year-old driver crashed their car into a parked car at the 400 block of South Broadway, then into a building due to wide tires just after 7:00 p.m. Friday, according to Santa Maria Police.

The crash caused no injuries due to the empty building at the time of the incident, and alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, according to Santa Maria Police.

SMPD officers note that changes to the car and driver inexperience led to the crash.

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Tracy Lehr

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) Volunteers distributed Narcan to students this week.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps joined more than 50 volunteers who fanned out in Isla Vista on Wednesday.

Spring Break starts next week and and Deltopia will follow

Students with Narcan could save a life if they see someone who may have overdosed or passed out.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

NCAA Baseball:

UC Davis 5, UCSB 4: Freshman Elijah McNeal belted a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Aggies over the Gauchos. UCSB had won a program-tying 13-game win streak. Rowan Kelly homered for UCSB who is now 4-1 in the Big West and 14-3 overall.

Cal Poly 6, CS Bakersfield 2: The Mustangs took over sole possession of first place in the Big West at 5-0. Casey Murray Jr. and Nate Castellon each had 3 hits for Cal Poly who extend their win streak to 7 games to improve to 11-7 on the season.

NCAA Softball:

UCSB 4, Cal Poly 1: Game 1: Sophia Clark pitched a complete game, allowing one run and 3 hits.

UCSB 8, Cal Poly 0: Game 2: Emily Carr smacked a grand slam in the first inning and delivered a 2-run single in the fourth inning to lead the Gauchos to a run-rule victory in a game shortened to 5 innings. She finished with 3 hits and 6 RBI as UCSB moved to 5-0 in the Big West and 14-15 overall.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The St. Joseph High School girls basketball team lost in the CIF-State Division 2 championship game 56-47 to Sierra Pacific at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Annalyssa Cota led the Knights with 15 points and Ali Mayes added 13 points as they finish the year with a 17-16 record.

St. Joseph had a slow start as they were down 20-9 after one quarter but they pulled within 2 by halftime trailing just 29-27.

Cota tied the game at 29 in the first minute of the third quarter but Sierra Pacific took the lead for good with the next basket with 5:10 left in the quarter.

The Knights trailed 39-33 heading into the fourth quarter but got within five points on a three-pointer by Cota with 6:55 remaining.

But Apojok Ayuen scored the next 7 points for Sierra Pacific as they extended the lead to 48-36.

Sierra Pacific finishes the year 25-11.

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Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif. (KEYT) People celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day on the Saturday before the holiday at the “County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade”

Downtown Ventura hosted the parade.

Highlights included Irish dancers who stopped often to perform for fans and judges.

A green pig named Shamhock! appeared at the end of parade.

Some Irish people consider the pig an insult, while others embrace it.

Organizers chose the theme “Catch the Leprechaun Spirit!

“The thing that is so wonderful about it is that everyone turns out to be Irish today, so we just have so much fun celebrating being Irish, the heritage the culture, the fun and those of us who actually have some Irish in us can relate even better,” said Leslie Cornejo who serves on the Santa Paula City Council and the Ventura County Fair Board.

Former Ventura Mayor Brian Brennan served as Grand Marshall.

Former Grand Marshall Mary Osborne took part with her newborn and her husband behind the wheel of the her Mary Osborne Surf Academy truck.

The parade also included, classic cars, farm equipment, horses, pageant winners, marching bands and bands performing on floats.

The Saint Patrick’s Day Parade started on Lincoln Dr. and ended on Fir Street due to the Main Street closure that is still in place.

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Tracy Lehr

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) A local marine is being remembered at his namesake swim-a-thon

The 2026 Patrick }Vega Memorial Swim-a-Thon raises money for scholarships and swim programs.

It took place at his alma mater’s pool at Oxnard High School.

Swim teams took turns filling the lanes.

Most swam 29 x 100 or 2900 yards in honor of what would have been Patrick Vega’s 29th birthday.

Vega died in Marine Corps boot camp in California 8 years ago.

His family has been working with Rep. Salud Carbajal to hold the government accountable for training deaths.

His little sister, who now works for another politician, said people just loved her big brother.

“He was the goofiest funniest kid you will ever know, he was very compassionate and had a kind heart; one of the reasons why we started the Patrick Vega Swim Scholarship is because we had so much of the the communty show such strong support and love for him when he died,” said Kate Vega, “It actually started by some of the swimmers he was with and we were actually surprised with the first swim-a-thon and since then we have raised money to not only give back to our high school, Oxnard High School but other high school who might not have funding, just because swimming isn’t seen as the top sport and we want to make sure our community is well taken care of and they have the resources and supplies to make a great swim team. Over the past couple of years we have given back $45,000 which is absolutely insane we never thought this was ever going to be as big as it is.”

About 300 people show up to the swim-a-thons.

Patrick Vega’s mother Amy Vega teaches water aerobics too and led a class for other participants.

“Today, well he would be 29 years old Feb 15th, “said Amy Vega, This month the month of March, March 25th he passed away, so every year we honor Patrick by giving a swim-a-thon and all that money goes towards are community, last year we gave away about $15,000.”

She said is also goes to a nonprofits that helps special needs swimmers and children learn to swim in hopes of saving lives.

His father Manny Vegas was a Marine, too.

“Right now it is kind of difficult, what is going on/ Patrick’s case is nothing but delays, delays, He passed away 8 years ago and the challenge we have a Gold Star family is to have legislation that we helped pass be implemented by the Dept. of Defense, known as the Department of War now, and the hard thing is that even though Congress passed laws to help families like ourselves, ” said Manny Vega, “Patrick passed away due to military malpractice, the Department of War war doesn’t want to implement the changes that were passed by Congress, so it is just a continuous battle with them just to get some acknowledgment, justice and it shouldn’t be that way, it has been 8 years and it has been so difficult, so painful.”

The historic legislation is called the SFC Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act of 2019.

Patrick Vega’s aunt’s uncles, and cousins also came out to swim, or cheer on the swim-a-thon and work the snack bar.

Since he was known to loved bright colors so they gave participants tie-dye swim caps and sold tie dyed towels and clothing.

The latest swim-a-thon raised another $11,000.

Kate Vega said some local high school need the money to teach students how to swim.

For more information visit https://patrickvegasscholarship.org

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