Author: KEYT

Mike Klan

VENTURA, Calif. – The dream job has come to a surprising and sudden end.

Joe Goyeneche resigned immediately as head football coach of the St. Bonaventure Seraphs.

He posted this message on X.

The 39-year old compiled a 41-15 record in his five years as head coach of the Seraphs including a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 title in 2023 and a CIF-State Bowl Game Division 1 appearance.

He guided the Seraphs to last year’s CIF-SS Division 4 championship game but lost to Pacifica.

As a kid Goyeneche was a ball boy for the Seraphs and he later played for St. Bonaventure before joining the coaching staff in 2008.

St. Bonaventure announced that defensive coordinator Nathan Page and legendary Seraphs coach Jon Mack will lead the program until a new head coach is hired by the Seraphs.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The City of Santa Maria announced a two-and-a-half-year labor agreement between them and the Fire Fighters’ Union Local 2020 Tuesday.

Santa Maria City Manager David Rowlands announced the new agreement after the group’s prior contract expired at the end of 2023.

Rowlands shared his perspective on the new agreement:

“The City Council and I value our sworn Fire employees, whose contributions are critical to public safety. We are pleased to have successfully negotiated this wage and benefit agreement. We look forward to continuing to make Santa Maria a great place to live and work.”

David Rowlands, Santa Maria City Manager

Matt Chricop, Santa Maria Fire Department Captain and Local 2020 president also had word on the new deal between the two groups:

“The membership’s unwavering commitment to the community, has and will always be our priority. We are encouraged by the wage and benefit package and the positive impact it will have on retention, recruitment, and our ability to provide life-saving fire and emergency medical services to the community.”

Matt Chricop, Santa Maria Fire Department Captain and Local 2020 president

Local 2020 members were paid from terms of the prior contract and negotiations focused on the economic climate, retention efforts, and strategies to attract and retain quality employees, according to the City of Santa Maria.

The new agreement starts at the end of this May and ends on June 25, 2027 and includes a 14% base salary raise, equity adjustments, a $2,000 increase for members working for the City on the date of Council approval, increased health insurance, a holiday for Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, standby pay for the Fire Investigation On Call Program and increased availability of hours by Local 2020 for Association Business, according to the City of Santa Maria.

Both parties agreed to begin negotiations 150 days prior to the expiration date and the fiscal impact of the agreement is anticipated to be $2.5 million, according to the City of Santa Maria.

Those with questions are encouraged to contact the City Manager’s Office.

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John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. – What’s been called by a UC Santa Barbara student leader as the largest slum in Santa Barbara County, is now going to be getting a routine inspection.

The Isla Vista community next to UC Santa Barbara has 23,000 tenants. Supervisor Laura Capps says many live in dangerous conditions.

Capps says in addition to the housing balconies with erosion underneath, and sometimes inadequate fencing on the cliffs, the inside of the structures are also very dangerous.

She showed recent pictures and went on a walking tour to point out bad wiring, overcrowded living conditions with fire dangers, broken staircases and said there’s also a concern over mold.

Some of the bluff top homes with multiple rooms can have 40-45 residents according to the student tenants.

Capps said it is “unlike anywhere else in the county.”

This all comes with a big price tag.

“We have exorbitant rents. $3,000 for a room and if one person were to occupy that, they would have to make about $120,000 a year to afford it (and) very expensive security deposits that do not translate to an upkeep,” said Capps.

A fellow supervisor who had not seen it up close and took a tour, was convinced the proposed inspection program is necessary.

Bob Nelson said, “it does shock the conscience. There is a problem out there.”  He said there are spots, “you wouldn’t want your kids to live in, you wouldn’t want to be living in. I have actually got two kids in college who live in college housing at another university, a public university, and it is nothing like this. It wouldn’t be acceptable for them to be living in this.”

The new pilot program will be in place for a year.

It will be funded with money the county received in a settlement with UC Santa Barbara over a disputed long range plan that had housing impact issues.

The inspections will be both proactively done, and a response to complaints.

One student government representative said they were badly needed. Paolo Brinderson is a UC Santa Barbara Off-Campus Senator.

He said because the student turnover rate is high, that doesn’t justify the living conditions. “It means that larger issues are not address and landlords can go tenant after tenant after tenant without these serious issues being addressed and these issues rental  pile up.”

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Andrew Gillies

LOS ANGELES – Chantelle Lavergne Woods pleaded guilty Monday to misusing the identities of medical professionals to create hundreds of fraudulent immigration documents required to obtain lawful status for applicants as well as using a deceased doctor’s credentials to obtain multiple controlled substances.

Woods pleaded guilty to one count of presentation of false immigration document or application and one count of possession with intent to distribute phendimetrazine stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in a press release.

The 54-year-old Nipomo woman was initially charged in a federal complaint filed in February of this year and is currently free on a $10,000 bond added the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to Monday’s plea agreement, Woods formerly operated a clinic in Arroyo Grande that was known at certain times as “Medical Weight Loss and Immigration Services and knowingly misused the identities of three different physicians to create hundreds of fraudulent documents related to medical examinations required for people seeking to register as lawful permanent residents -also known green card holders- or to adjust their immigration status beginning in February of 2021.

Federal law requires that a licensed physician perform the required medical examinations and a sign a form attesting that they had conducted the evaluation.

Woods completed at least 328 such forms and falsely included the signatures of medical doctors shared the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Additionally, between February of 2021 and June of 2022, Woods used the Drug Enforcement Administration registration number of a deceased physician to order more than 150,000 tablets of various controlled substances including testosterone, codeine, alprazolam (commonly sold under the name Xanax), as well as diethylpropion and phentermine which are both appetite depressants usually prescribed for weight loss detailed the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Woods knowingly possessed and intended to distribute the weight-loss drug phendimetrazine and had a loaded firearm at the clinic in July of 2022.

Woods is currently scheduled for a sentencing hearing on July 31 where she faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison for each count shared the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy K. Beecher of the Transnational Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case that was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Ventura Resident Office Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection and National Security Office.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The City of Santa Maria will consider approving an agreement with Caltrans to help fund the Highway 101/Betteravia Road Interchange Project Study Report.

According to Santa Maria City Council agenda for the Tuesday, May 6th meeting, councilmembers will vote to authorize the Director of Finance to appropriate $175,000 from the Growth Mitigation Traffic Account to fund the necessary oversight of the project.

In the agenda, the city reports the purpose of the project is to improve operations at the busy interchange by making improvements to the northbound ramps in the southeast quadrant of the interchange.

The study report will be the first phase of development for the interchange project.

Santa Maria staff has recommended to the City Council that it approve the Cooperative Agreement.

It also reported should the City Council choose to defer the approval and suspend the work on the interchange, but the delay could potentially result in the loss of $2 million of Measure A fundsthat have been earmarked for the project and may create potential issues with further development on the eastside of Highway 101.

Santa Maria City Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 6 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Santa Maria City Hall.

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Mina Wahab

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Music is booming but business is just trickling in on what has historically been a festive celebration. Andrew Mendoza, Lives on Chumash Reservation“it’s eerily like, it’s dead. Like it was weird to see this emptiness on a day like this, but I’m here.” The yearly celebration commemorates the military victory of the Mexican army, who against all odds, defeated invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. “You’re celebrating the fact that people won, that this is a holiday of like, triumph. They fought for something, and then they got it,” said Jovan Turner, who lives in Oxnard.

Though the historical context is lost on many who celebrate over drinks and Mexican food, locals say it traditionally has brought the community together.   But some locals say the holiday has been co-opted by people who don’t appreciate the contributions of the local Mexican community. “They want to embrace the cultural, the cultural background, but they don’t want to embrace the people,” said local musician David Velazquez. “While people turn their heads towards the current political climate, others are pointing to declining tourism and bad timing, saying the slowdown in business is because the holiday has fallen on a Monday this year. “You know, it’s been relatively slow so far, but we’re hoping that people are out, especially for dinner. You know, we have good, authentic food here, so it doesn’t really get much better than this, if you ask me,” said Casa Comal Worker Elijah Pisula.

A handful of businesses are hoping to entice “Cinco de Drinko” fans with special offerings.  “We marinated some watermelon in mezcal and tequila, and we’re making a prickly pear or watermelon mezcal margarita,” said “The Cruisery” Owner Aron Ashland.

“There’s our chammy and tajin with mango sorbet We also add, of course, more to mind to here and for everyone involved,” said Cusos Creamery Owner Dylan Mancuso. “I’m going to get mezcal and take a shot of tequila in honor for the people who. Yeah, just liberated themselves and became their own,” said Jovan Turner. 

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — Cachuma Lake is busy, even on a Monday.

Visitors aren’t just camping, fishing, and boating, they’re also checking out the water level.

Mary Lee Knecht, regional chief with the Bureau of Reclamation, said the reservoir’s elevation is currently 744.62 feet. It’s at 87 percent capacity, holding 167,985 acre-feet of water.

People who have seen the lake at extreme lows say they’re loving the current view.

Matt Eaton, a Solvang resident, spent his May 5 birthday on the water with friends.

“We went out this morning on a boat and toured the whole lake,” Eaton said. “You can see some of the historic water levels that were a little bit higher at one point, but we were right below that high water mark, and it was beautiful.”

Blake Dolton stopped by the lake on his way back from wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley. He said he immediately called friends to tell them about the view.

The county has spent millions on improvements and plans to open an updated RV park once PG&E connects power to the site.

Officials are also forming an ad hoc committee, made up of Supervisors Steve Lavagnino and Joan Hartmann, to consider allowing swimming at the reservoir. The idea was discussed during the April 1 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Dustin Farnum, owner of Hook’d Bar and Grill, said he supports allowing swimming to make the lake more family friendly.

But some anglers, including Karl Stansell of North Carolina, expressed concerns that allowing swimming could lead to other water sports, like waterskiing. The former Coast Guard member also warned about the risk of contaminated mussels that may come from boats used on other lakes.

Supervisors Lavagnino and Hartmann are expected to revisit the issue in a year, along with the possibility of lowering RV hookup fees for local residents.

The current RV fees recently increased from $50 to $85 per night during the off-season, and from $55 to $95 during peak season.

Peak season also coincides with fire season.

Santa Barbara County Fire spokesperson Scott Safechuck said the department is pleased to see the lake level so high. He added that the recent rain and improved water levels will be helpful as high fire season begins next month.

Still, Safechuck reminded residents that the county remains in a drought and urged property owners to clear defensible space around their homes by June 1.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Four awards were handed out at the next to last Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table luncheon for the school year.

San Marcos High School senior swimmer Sierra Tallman is the Female Athlete of the Week while Royals tennis player Carter Cotich is the Male Athlete of the Week.

Tallman broke a 45-year old San Marcos record in winning the 100-yard breaststroke at the Channel League Finals. Her time of 1:04.49 broke the 1980 record set by Anne Tweedy who went on and swam on the U.S. National Team.

Tallman also set a new Channel League Championship meet record in the 200 IM with a winning time of 2:02.93 as the Royals won the league title.

Cotich captured the Channel League Singles Championship as he completed league season undefeated and did not lose a set.

He will now lead the Royals tennis team into the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs.

Nicole Buist received the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award for Santa Barbara High School.

The junior led the Dons to a CIF-SS tennis title in the fall and she also is on the track & field team.

She is a great teammate and displays tremendous sportsmanship.

The Westmont College Scholar-Athlete of the Year is women’s basketball player Sage Kramer.

The junior averaged over 17 points per game and she has never received less than an A in any of her classes at Westmont.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Former Spirit of Fiesta Marta Holsman Babson, along with her sister, Henrietta Holsman Fore, will serve as this year’s Fiesta Grand Marshals in the 2025 El Desfile Histórico.

Old Spanish Days announced today that Holsman Babson will return to the center stage of Fiesta, having served previously as the 1965 Spirit of Fiesta.

In her youth, Marta Babson studied ballet and Spanish dance. In an interview with the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Holsman Babson recalls the 1965 grand parade.

“That’s very distinct memory. I loved my dress, which my mother had made. It was white with red lace. And I had red Spanish dancing shoes on, and red roses in my hair. And it was just a day I will never forget.”

“Their love of Fiesta comes through in so many ways – not only through their generous sponsorship, but also in their attendence at parties and their participation in the Historical Parade,” said 2025 El Presidente Fritz Olenberger.

Both sisters grew up in Montecito, and have played a part in Fiesta for decades. The sisters helped create a float for last year’s parade featuring their grandfather’s antique car covered in roses.

Henrietta Fore has been a recognized leader in business, corporate boards, the United States Government, the United Nations and non-profit organizations. During her career, she served as the 37th Director of the U.S. Mint, as the Under Secretary of State for Management, and as the 7th Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“We were best friends growing up, and then as we went to school and our formative years, we didn’t necessarily live in the same area geographically, but we were always connected. In so many ways, but I think a big part of it was our childhood growing up here in Santa Barbara – made a very strong impact,” Holsman Babson said about her sister.

Both of this year’s parade Grand Marshals will be joining El Presidente Olenberger at the upcoming Old Spanish Days La Primavera celebration set for Saturday, May 17 at the Carriage Museum.

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