Author: KEYT

Caleb Nguyen

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. — All tsunami advisories have been canceled for coastal zones of California’s Central Coast, covering Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Officials had lifted alerts for most of the West Coast, including the Bay Area and Southern California, after wave activity triggered by a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula was downgraded as conditions eased

While initial surges arrived overnight, forecasters warn that dangerous rip currents and unpredictable wave patterns will likely remain a threat throughout the next couple of days.

“The whole Pacific Ocean’s been stirred up,” said Andrew Rourke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “There’s a lot of sneaky energy out there that could really, really impact you.”

All Tsunami Advisories for #SoCal have been cancelled.

However, strong rip currents will likely continue across the #SoCal beaches for the next couple of days. So, if you go to the beach, check with the lifeguards about the water conditions. #CAwx

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) July 30, 2025

Beach Closures and Evacuation Alerts

In Santa Barbara County, most beaches will reopen today, while others will remain closed. The County Office of Emergency Management continues to urge the public to stay away from the water, beaches, and waterways.

State and County beaches and Goleta Pier are now open.

Cities of Santa Barbara and Carpinteria beaches are now open.

Vandenberg Space Force Base beaches will remain closed for the rest of the day (Wednesday 7/30).

In San Luis Obispo County, wave heights between 4 and 5 feet have been reported — significantly above normal. Port San Luis, near Avila Beach, is experiencing some of the highest activity.

An evacuation warning has been lifted for neighborhoods in Los Osos near the Morro Bay Natural Preserve, including:

Biscarth Street

Pine Avenue

Broaderton Street

Ramona Avenue

3rd and 4th Streets

Residents in these areas are urged to seek higher ground and monitor real-time updates at EmergencySLO.org.

“Dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents are possible,” said First Alert Chief Meteorologist Mackenzie Lake. “Some northern communities may reach tsunami warning thresholds. It’s critical to follow local evacuation guidance and remain alert to updates.”

Monitoring and Preparedness

Emergency crews, including the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol, have cleared waterfront parking lots and are monitoring conditions. Officials are also watching ocean buoys and current patterns to assess any further wave activity.

Santa Barbara’s historic Stearns Wharf was closed overnight due to the advisory but reopened to the public early Wednesday morning.

“We encourage residents and visitors of our beautiful coastlines to take time this week to identify tsunami hazard zones and how they would evacuate the beach on foot,” said Kelly Hubbard, Director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. “A few minutes of preparation now can lead to life-saving actions later.”

“We have plans for the waterfront, the harbor, and throughout the city,” added Santa Barbara City Administrator Kelly McAdoo. “We’re in close contact with the county and state emergency offices.”

So far, no significant damage has been reported in either Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo counties, but the advisory is expected to remain in place through the day.

“I would just say wait a day and then enjoy the surf,” said Rourke.

What the Alert Levels Mean

“A tsunami watch means be prepared,” Rourke explained. “An advisory or warning means we’re now confident that a tsunami will strike the area.”

Here’s how tsunami alert levels break down:

Tsunami Watch: A tsunami is possible. Stay alert and monitor official updates.

Tsunami Advisory: Strong currents or waves are expected. Avoid the shoreline.

Tsunami Warning: Inundation is imminent or occurring. Take immediate action.

Hawaii Also Felt the Impact

In Hawaii, alerts were issued and some residents evacuated low-lying areas. Percy Sallis, a wedding planner from Buellton visiting Waikiki, shared his experience.

“I was actually out shopping when our phones started going off,” Sallis said. “It was a little surreal, but people stayed calm. Stores closed quickly, and people near the beach evacuated to higher ground.”

Hotel guests were instructed to stay on the fifth floor or higher.

“Luckily, I was on the 15th. We just stayed in place and waited for more information,” Sallis said.

By Wednesday morning, conditions in Hawaii had stabilized, though the advisory remained in effect.

“It’s quiet now. People are just settling in and trying to get some rest,” he added.

Historical Context and Local Preparedness

The last significant tsunami advisory for California’s Central Coast occurred in 2011, following the Japan earthquake, which caused localized surges and minor harbor damage.

Stephen Williams, with the Montecito Sanitary District, said his team is taking precautions.

“We’ve been through debris flows, fires—caution is key. Be alert, be prepared. Better safe than sorry.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara is actively working on its response to community requests for assistance and future planning regarding the impacts of immigration enforcement actions.

The recent incidents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions have raised concerns and in some cases, caused fear in the community.

Some families have lost a member to an arrest and relocation, creating financial hardships and housing instability.

A recent town hall meeting drew a standing room only crowd for hours on the Santa Barbara Eastside. 

When it ended, the decision was made to have a focused session that could include results to gain more information about ICE raids, immigration rights, assistance for those impacted and information about the economic repercussions.

That meeting is set for Santa Barbara City Hall at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Public comments will be taken.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Efforts are underway to keep the festive confetti during Old Spanish Days from getting into the ocean.

On the storm drains throughout downtown Santa Barbara, black tarps have been secured with tape.

This will prevent the mounds of confetti during the Fiesta celebration from making it through the system and into the nearshore waters.

The city is also working to keep the plastic mylar forms of confetti from being sold or used in any way.

It is the most harmful to marine life.

The covers have been used for several years and have been proven to be effective.

The cascarones eggs, which are full of confetti, are sold and smashed on people’s heads by the thousands during the city’s historic celebration.

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Jarrod Zinn

GROVER BEACH, Calif. – A fire in Grover Beach destroyed at least two apartments and injured a few people as they evacuated this morning.

There was a close call, as one woman had to jump from a second-story window to escape the flames.

Neighbors helped each other get away from this fire safely, and we have video of the moments leading up to one victim’s harrowing escape.

In it, you can see a woman who lives at the apartment building on 14th Street was clinging to a second-story window as flames spread through the building.

The call came in around 9:30 Tuesday morning.

Firefighters arrived and immediately focused on making sure everyone was out.

“The fire originated somewhere to the rear of the back building, and their first priority was rescue,” says Five Cities Fire Authority Chief Scott Hallett.

Firefighters weren’t the only ones involved in the rescue effort. 

Corey Clendenen told us how he helped catch a woman who had to jump from the second story.

“I was thinking in my head, I don’t have an extension ladder anymore, so I obviously wasn’t going to get up there fast,” says Clendenen. “I was just doing what I guess I felt I need to do, I don’t know, out of reaction.”

We’re told a couple of other people jumped from the second story as well. 

Eight to ten people have been displaced.

“I know there was one animal, one small dog that was impacted,” says Chief Hallett. “I believe the dog survived.”

Everyone got out and only two people were transported away with minor injuries, but two whole apartments, including the home of a mother and her children who were about to start school, are gone.

“Next, real big priority is seeing what residents will need assistance from Red Cross,” says Chief Hallett. “And so we anticipate we’ll probably be here most of the day, making sure the fire is fully extinguished, conducting our investigation and assisting the occupants.”

Responders contained the fire by noon. 

An exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Crews have reopened the road and the scene has been secured while they continue their investigation.

A GoFundMe has been established to assist those who lost their homes and property in this fire, and donations of any size are welcome.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif – For the first time, Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara can be viewed through a collection of newspaper images and preserved pages.

Project Fiesta! is the latest exhibit at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.  

It dates back to the Morning Press and Daily Independent papers in the 1920’s and continues through the detailed history of the Santa Barbara News-Press in the 1930’s up until the paper stopped publishing in July 2023.

The archives were recently obtained by the museum and specific Fiesta images were curated for this event.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum Executive Director Dacia Harwood said, “the quality is amazing. This is very much this a photo journalist exhibition what you see here is about a thousand photos of the 20,000 that we brought into our collection.”

This exhibit is a selection from the includes thousands of images captured by photojournalists who’ve documented Old Spanish Days Fiesta for generations. They had unique access to the upclose shot locations.

“The photo journalists at the time really captured the joy and the splendor if you will, of Fiesta,” said Harwood.

The photos are in displays sorted by events including El Desfile Historico, Fiesta Pequena and the Fiesta Children’s Parade. Some of the lost memories come back live through this exhibit.

Harwood said, “guests coming in and recognizing  their parents on the walls of the exhibit  or their friends and reminiscing on these events that have really stayed the same for 100 years.”

The Museum Director of Education Emily Alessio showed some behind the scenes images that may be part of the exhibit another time. “You can look and see people hanging out of the windows,  we have some photographs of people sitting on the roofs which  would never happen today.” That was when the spectator numbers were estimated to be 115,000.

Through the years, a special collectors edition program was inserted in the paper.

Alessio said, “you could pick up a  program that Old Spanish Days Fiesta  put out or you could pick up one of these programs that the News Press would put out.” They were larger than pocket-sized programs and considered a full-size guide with pictures. In the early days there were “garden tours” as part of Fiesta and those were featured as well.

The exhibition is dedicated in memory of the late historian Erin Graffy de Garcia. She was called, “a tireless advocate for illuminating and preserving Santa Barbara’s incredible Fiesta history.”

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday.  More information can be found at: Project Fiesta!

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Mike Klan

IRVINE, Calif. – Santa Barbara 805 Water Polo Club brought back plenty of hardware from session two of the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics.

Here are the results:

10s Coed: Ist Place in Championship Tournament, Gold Division.

10s Girls: 4th place in Championship Tournament, Platinum Division.

12 Girls: 3rd Place in Championship Tournament, Platinum Division.

(12 Girls went 6-1 with only a semifinal shootout loss. Photo USA Water Polo).

14A Girls: 11th Place in Championship Tournament, Platinum Division.

(14A Girls beat LB Shore Aquatics 12-6 to finish 11th. Photo Meg Watson).

14B Girls: 3rd Place in Classic Tournament, Silver Division.

(14B Girls beat CHAWP 12-10 in third place game).

16A Girls: 2nd Place in Championship Tournament, Platinum Division

(16A Girls went 6-1 in tournament, only losing in championship game to Newport Beach 13-8. Photo Conan Horton).

16B Girls: 21st in Championship Tournament, Platinum Division.

16C Girls: 5th Place in Classic Tournament, Silver Division.

18A Girls: 5th Place in Championship Tournament, Platinum Division.

(18A Girls went 5-2 in tournament. Photo Conan Horton).

18B Girls: Ist Place in Championship Tournament, Gold Division.

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John Palminteri

MONTECITO, Calif. – The usually clean Montecito beaches were tainted by mysterious tar blobs over the weekend and into Monday morning.

At least one environmental source believes it is from a natural seep that is getting directed through currents and the higher tides to the Montecito coast.

“Sometimes it is a combination of the tides, so when you get these peak tides, big high tide, big low tide it is like a pushing action, it causes pressure on the geology and you have natural seeps and they seal up like asphalt from the oil., “said Heal the Ocean Field Consultant Harry Rabin, “It gets hard and you get these pressure events and it blows that seal and the oil can come flying out, it is like, have you ever had a glue bottle where it is soft and hard on top and you puncture it and out comes the glue, it is very similar what is gong on here.”

Many of the seeps exist off of Isla Vista and Summerland.

People have been noticing tar on Butterfly Beach in Montecito, Carpinteria Beach and Arroyo Burro in Santa Barbara County.

It has been sticking to shoes and bare feet.

Johny Faulkner likes to walk his dog Emma at Arroyo Burro, nicknamed Hendry’s Beach.

“It comes and goes there will be days where you don’t see one bit of oil and there will be days where I don’t even get her out of the car, there is so much oil, I bought her boots which she hates,” said Faulkner.

Some wonder if oil platforms off shore have anything to do with it.

 Lifeguards get tar on their feet, too.

“Sometimes I use olive oil and a paper towel and I will pour the olive oil directly on the tar or I’ll pour it on the paper towel and rub my feet.,” said Santa Barbara County Lifeguard Ryan Curtis,” They also do make oils in stores that are specifically made to rub tar off, but any sort of oil can be used to rub the tar off.”

Faulkner uses coconut oil on Emma’s paws said the tar reminds him of the Chumash.

“It is just seeps from the ocean, the Chumash used to use it to seal their canoes,” said Faulkner.

Hendry’s is known for its self service dog wash.

Dogs named Aspen and Obley got a good cleaning at the wash on Monday.

 Heal the Ocean is taking the lead in the clean up effort and looking into the recent cause. 

More details are expected to come from the nonprofits investigation.

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Caleb Nguyen

VENTURA, Calif. – Ventura City Fire Department crews put out a house fire after seeing a smoky garage at the 3900 block of Dean Drive just before 5:00 a.m. Monday.

The homeowner initially fought the fire with a garden hose before firefighters put out the flames and prevented further spread to the rest of the house within 10 minutes, according to the VCFD.

No civilians or firefighters sustained injuries from the fire, and 13 total firefighters helped in this effort, detailed the VCFD.

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Andrew Gillies

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – On Friday, a federal court allowed five local environmental groups to intervene in a lawsuit between Sable Offshore and the County of Santa Barbara regarding the transfer of leases necessary to restart oil production at the Santa Ynez Unit as the U.S. Department of Interior celebrated restarting oil production in Santa Barbara County the same day.

Stylized depiction of the Santa Ynez Unit courtesy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The [U.S. District] Court’s decision gives the nonprofit groups a voice in the case, ensuring the Court is able to hear environmental and community perspectives—not just those of the fossil fuel industry and the County,” said the Environmental Defense Center [a party to the intervention application] Executive Director Alex Katz about Friday’s decision.

Friday’s decision set deadlines for for respondents on Aug. 4, 2025 and for petitioners by Aug. 25, 2025.

In February of 2024, ExxonMobil sold existing infrastructure to produce oil in Santa Barbara County which included 114 wells, three offshore platforms, and an onshore oil and gas processing facility at Las Flores Canyon collectively called the Santa Ynez Unit to Sable Offshore for $625,000,000.

Informational slide detailing the Santa Ynez Unit from an investor presentation by Sable Offshore courtesy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to court documents, Sable secured a $622,000,000 loan from Exxon to fund the purchase.

Sable Offshore then submitted a Change of Owner, Operator, and Guarantor application with the County of Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission and on October 30, 2024, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission held a public hearing on the application and voted three to one to approve the lease transfers.

The permit transfers from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore are a key step for the Houston-based company to restart oil extraction from three offshore platforms, transportation through associated pipelines, and a refinement facility that have all been dormant since the 2015 Refugio oil spill.

At the time, community members and local environmental groups opposed the transfer decision and vowed to continue their opposition noting that County Code Chapter 25B allows for the review by the full Board of Supervisors of Final Development Permits transferred by the Planning Commission following a change in ownership.

“Chapter 25B does not merely provide for the transfer of FDPs [Final Development Permits], it creates an administrative process designed to bar the transfer of FDPs to a transferee that would place the environment at risk,” explained the District Court’s decision Friday. “[A]s a practical matter, Sable cannot restart oil and gas processing and transport in the facilities and pipeline without an FDP.”

During a hearing before the full Board of Supervisors in February about the Planning Commission’s transfer approval, the Board came to a final vote of two denials of the appeals from Supervisors Lavignino and Nelson versus two votes to approve the appeals from Supervisors Capps and Lee with one voting member, Supervisor Hartmann, recusing herself as her home in Buellton has an associated pipeline running adjacent to her property.

According to procedural rules for the Board of Supervisors, the Board can not take an action without three votes meaning the appeal of the approved transfer was neither approved nor denied.

County spokesperson Kelsey Buttitta explained that the deadlocked result as, “It [the appeals of the Planning Commission’s approval] hasn’t been approved or denied. It’s now up to Sable to decide what to do next.”

In February and April of this year, Sable Offshore sent two letters arguing that the County should transfer the permits and if the County did not, the company would seek a solution in court.

“The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved the change of owner, operator andguarantor last fall, and the efforts to overturn that ruling failed at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors earlier this year,” said Sable Offshore’s Vice President on Environmental and Governmental Affairs Steve Rusch. “The law is clear. The Planning Commission approved the permit transfer and its decision stands. Because the permits have yet to be transferred, Sable has asked a court to intervene and transfer the permits without delay.”

While the County acknowledged receipt of the letters, it decided after a closed session on April 16, 2025, to take no reportable action and on May 8, Sable Offshore filed a lawsuit alleging that the County of Santa Barbara’s Board of Supervisors failed to comply with County’s Petroleum Code and violated sections of the U.S. and California Constitutions.

Sable Offshore previously reached a conditional settlement agreement on Aug. 30, 2024, with Santa Barbara County waiving County-specific safety requirements and the energy company is currently engaged in a lawsuit against regulatory hurdles and penalties imposed by the California Coastal Commission regarding work done in the Coastal Zone necessary to restart oil production as well as a warning that public claims to have restarted oil production already may have violated leases issued by the California State Lands Commission.

“The press release appears to mischaracterize the nature of recent activities, causing significant public confusion and raising questions regarding Sable’s intentions,” read the State Lands Commission’s letter issued days after the May 19 announcement. “[State Lands] Commission staff has informed me [Lt. Governor of California and Chair of the California State Lands Commission Eleni Kounalakis] that the limited volume oil flows are the result of well-testing procedures required by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement prior to restart. These activities do not constitute a resumption of commercial production or a full restart of the SYU [Santa Ynez Unit]. Characterizing testing activities as a restart of operations is not only misleading but also highly inappropriate – particularly given that Sable has not obtained the necessary regulatory approvals to fully resume operations at SYU.”

Despite the warning about potential violations of State Lands Commission’s leases, the U.S. Department of Interior celebrated the restart of oil production in a press release Friday, July 25, 2025, stating, “With production now underway at Sable’s Platform Harmony, the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) continues to work with Sable to bring additional production online. Preproduction inspections for Platform Heritage are set to begin soon and will mark the second SYU platform to come online, targeting an October 2025 timeframe. This could introduce approximately an additional 10,000 barrels/day into production once the second platform is fully operational.”

“Before resuming oil pipeline operations, Lessee shall conduct oil emulsion pipeline inspections and adhere to reporting requirements, as described below,” stated Amended State Lands Commission Lease number 7163. “Each of the inspection methods described below shall bе performed no earlier than twelve months prior to the restart of pipeline production operations. This applies regardless of whether Lessee is in compliance with inspection intervals provided for by regulation.”

“The willful disregard for the directives of regulatory agencies does not engender trust or confidence in Sable’s willingness to serve as a responsible partner, and could weigh significantly into considerations on the future assignment of the SYU leases from Exxon to Sable…no new offshore oil and gas pipeline leases will be considered, including leases 7163 and 4997, which will expire on January 31, 2029 and December 31, 2028, respectively,” warned a May 23 letter from Lt. Governor Kounalakis, Chair of the State Lands Commission.

A spokesperson on behalf of the State Lands Commission shared on Monday in response to Your News Channel’s inquires that nothing has changed regarding the sentiments expressed in the above letter from the Lt. Governor back in May.

“[The U.S. Department of the] Interior anticipates all three platforms in the SYU [Santa Ynez Unit] to be online by the end of 2025, bringing a very successful completion to what has been 10 years of no oil production in the Pacific to essentially full production in just a matter of months, which is an excellent testament to President Trump and Secretary Burgum’s drive towards Unleashing American Energy,” continued the Interior Department’s July 25 press release.

“This is a deeply concerning development for Central Coast residents, many of whom vividly remember the devastating impacts of the 1969 Santa Barbara and 2015 Refugio oil spills, from oil-slicked beaches to the piles of dead marine wildlife,” said Representative Salud Carbajal in a press release Monday. “Time and time again, our community has experienced the acute dangers that come with Big Oil’s reckless extraction practices, which jeopardize our coastal ecosystems, public health, and outdoor recreation economy. And let’s be clear: if energy independence were truly the goal, the current Administration would be investing in cleaner—and often more affordable—energy sources like solar and wind, not gutting their federal support. Restarting these rigs only enriches Big Oil, while sacrificing the Central Coast’s environmental and public health. I will continue working with state and local partners to fight back against efforts to expand offshore oil drilling on the Central Coast.”

Your News Channel has reached out to Sable Offshore, the California State Lands Commission, and the Office of Lt. Governor Kounalakis for more information and their respective responses will be added to this article when they are received.

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Jarrod Zinn

BUELLTON, Calif. – The city of Buellton is urging motel property owners along Avenue of the Flags to revert back to short-term stays.

They hope this will revitalize avenue of the flags as a tourist stop.

Fifty years ago, Highway 101 did not separate from Avenue of the Flags, and Buellton was one of the few commercial stopping points between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Over the last 20 years, many of the motel properties located on Avenue of the Flags in Buellton began unofficially housing people long-term.

“I suspect people didn’t know on both sides,” says Scott Wolfe, Buellton’s city manager. “I think the motels probably didn’t realize that that was a problem and the city didn’t realize it was happening because we don’t patrol the motels looking for that. So I think over time, it just sort of happened.”

Despite these properties being recently declared permanent housing by the state, long-term housing is not specified in the original plans for the Avenue of the Flags corridor.

“In order to get rid of those housing units, we had to build replacement units,” says Wolfe. “Replacement units have been built, more are being built. And so the goal right now is to enact an ordinance that would incentivize the property owners to convert back to a short term rental situation.”

City planners understand that many of these long-term residents have legitimate need of affordable housing.

“That was the main concern with the one project over on Second Street,” said Marcilo Sarquilla, Buellton Planning Commission’s vice chair, at the commission’s meeting July 17. “What about the people that already live there? You know, what can we do for them? So, you know, it’s good to hear that there is assistance.”

Under the latest ordinance, as long as they are on waiting lists for affordable housing projects that are in the works, they can remain where they are until July first, 2026.

“To the extent people are trying to qualify, if they’ve been qualified to move into one of these new projects by January one, they can bring us that documentation,” says Wolfe.

There are other big changes coming to the area, including the famous Pea Soup Andersen’s property slated to be demolished and redeveloped as an art deco, mixed-use building.

“What they’re really shooting for is that mid-century highway commercial type look that hearkens back to what was here back in the fifties and sixties,” says Wolfe.

Avenue of the Flags will eventually look quite different than it looked fifty years ago, but city planners seek to balance a revitalization of tourist presence with accommodating local residents.

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