Author: KEYT

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –  The transformation of downtown Santa Barbara’s main gathering spot into the hub of activities for Old Spanish Days has begun.

Parking restrictions for the next week are in place in De la Guerra Plaza in front of City Hall.

Volunteers and professional construction workers have arrived.

They are building booths and a stage for events taking place during Fiesta 2025 which begins Wednesday. A ribbon cutting is set for 11 a.m.

There will be at least 15 booths in the plaza and many more on the street between State Street and Anacapa Street.

Thousands of people come out for the events day and night. That includes many dancers from local programs along with the Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta.

There will also be a full lineup of music each day until 10 p.m. at night.

Across the street in Casa de la Guerra there will also be a stage and additional performances.

Old Spanish Days Division Chief Sean Malis said, “we interact with so many different contractors, vendors, the non profits in the plaza and the for profit vendors in the street.”

The set up goes smoothly when those taking part have some experience in the process. “It’s wonderful when we have a returning vendor that knows the drill, comes in here and sets up in a few hours and nails it.”

Elubia Orozco from Elubia’s Kitchen has been cooking on site for several years. She has a spot at the top of the plaza. “In advance, we started working yesterday Sunday. We set up and now we are moving all of the stuff we need for Wednesday.” She is also running a restaurant in Isla Vista and a food truck this week.

The food choices will include tortas, tacquitos, tacos, tamales, churros, papusas, hot dogs, corn on the cob and beverages.

There will be some standup tables in the center of the plaza and some others located in front of the steps of City Hall.

It has a community spirit on the site and with the additional entertainment in the Casa de la Guerra across the street.

There will also be vendors in the Storke Placita area between the plaza and State Street.

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Christer Schmidt

SHANDON, Calif. – A car crash on Highway 46 left three people injured just after 1:30 p.m. at McMillan Canyon Road near Shandon on Sunday.

A 17-year-old drove a Lexus northbound on Highway 46 going east when they drove in front of a 2015 Toyota Highlander for an unknown reason, according to the Templeton CHP.

The cars then crashed, and the Toyota came to rest in the middle of the west and eastbound lanes of the highway. The Lexus then came to rest in on the right shoulder of Highway 46 going east, detailed the CHP.

All patients required transport for moderate to major injuries to local hospitals, including one patient needing a helicopter airlift, according to the CHP.

Alcohol or drugs are not suspected in this crash and CHP Templeton are still investigating the incident.

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Christer Schmidt

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A small vegetation fire called the Flower Fire was stopped off Wildflower Road near the Suey Creek area east of Nipomo.

CAL FIRE SLO did not find any smoke in the area using an air attack unit.

Ground crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading, and the fire has been contained.

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Christer Schmidt

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) conducted a DUI checkpoint Saturday night from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am and arrested six drivers on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The checkpoint was held on northbound Broadway, just north of Main Street.

The SMPD says they arrested six drivers who they believed were under the influence of alcohol. They stated that they cited thirteen drivers for driving without a license and two drivers for driving on suspended licenses.

They report that 765 vehicles passed through the checkpoint and 130 drivers were screened.

A first-time DUI conviction can result in an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties and a suspended license.

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Christer Schmidt

VENTURA, Calif. – A man was arrested Friday afternoon for assault with a deadly weapon.

At around 1:30 pm, the City of Ventura Police Department received a report of a 29-year-old man with a gun outside a residence on McFarlane Drive, east of Ventura Avenue. The caller said that the suspect had confronted another person with the firearm.

Patrol officers said they responded and identified the suspect, who is a resident of the area.

They say their investigation revealed that a neighbor had a relative visiting who parked near the suspect’s home. The suspect reportedly exited his residence to confront the visitor about loud music from the vehicle.

During the encounter, they say the suspect pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the visitor. Police say he aggressively poked the victim in the chest with the weapon.

The suspect was found with a loaded firearm. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and booked into Ventura County Jail.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

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Tracy Lehr

GOLETA, Calif.-A fiesta-themed show raised money to help the Old Spanish Days Spirit and Junior Spirit pay for their dresses.

Drew Wakefield hosted a fundraiser again this year on his DrewWakefield 805 radio show.

It took place at the Glen Annie Golf Club, where the dancers performed.

Thanks to generous donations the program raised enough to give them $500 each as well as some gift cards.

Wakefield calls it a tremendous blessing and said the show sows a positive seed.

For more information visit https://wakefield805.com

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Tracy Lehr

OXNARD, Calif.-The McNish Classic Yacht Race set sail for the 48th time.

Relatives of the race’s namesake Dick McNish crewed on his yacht name Cheerio II.

The yacht was once owned by actor Errol Flynn.

More than half a dozen all-wooden yachts raced off the coast of the Channel Islands Harbor on final Saturday in July.

McNish, 98, used to sail and organize each race at the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club. (PCYC)

“Oh, grandpa has been at it for awhile, years ago he wanted to race old wooden boats and there weren’t that many races for wooden boats so he decided to start the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Race,” said his son-in-law, Sugar Flanagan.

The club changed the name decades ago in his honor.

McNish created a Cheerio II wine to celebrate, but the winners will be toasting champagne.

The overall winner’s skipper wins their weight in champagne.

For more information visit https://pcyc.org

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Tracy Lehr

OXNARD, Calif.-Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performed for fans on Fan Night.

Fan Night at The Collection in Oxnard started at 4 p.m.

Local staff, dj’s and the Dallas Cowboy’s mascot Rowdy threw t-shirts, quizzed folks on trivia, and line danced as fans waited patiently for the cheerleaders to arrive.

They filled the stage at 5 p.m.

It’s the third season for cheerleader Sophy Laufer from Simi Valley.

Some of the young cheerleaders in the crowd, including Harper Hunter of Camarillo, hope to become cheerleaders like Sophy, someday.

“I love how they are always so supportive, ” said Hunter.

Mark Petrasso of Port Hueneme came to the event with his wife and watched from lawn chairs.

“I’m here because my wife has been watching the show for years, ” said Petrasso, ” and I got sucked in and we come when they are here and we love it.”

The cheerleaders will be putting on a camp for up and coming cheerleaders at Channel Islands High School on Sunday starting at 2 p.m.

The cheerleaders don’t stay in town for the the training camp, but fans can watch their TV show about making the team on Netflix.

As for the players, they will be practicing at River Ridge playing fields off Vineyard Ave, for the next couple of weeks as the new season gets underway.

For more information visit https://visitoxnard.com

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Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif.-The first Summer Dead Fest brought four days of music to Ventura.

Grahame Lesh, the son of the late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, performed with Cubensis.

The musicians headlined the show on Friday night in the Crown Plaza’s top floor ballroom.

The ballroom that had a floor that used to spin, was filled with spinning people taking in every tune,

Some of the fans remember the historic Grateful Dead shows at the nearby Ventura County fairgrounds.

“The Grateful Dead used to play at the Ventura fairgrounds in the 1980s, ’82, ’84, and ’87 and it was amazing,” said Dandy Productions co-founder Dan Stein, “They would have weekends at the fairgrounds and every night after the show all the heads, spinning kids would come over here, they would walk back to their hotels and their campsites, they’d come up to the Holiday Inn at the time, they would walk up, go up the elevator, Top of the Harbor, look at the menu, scoff at the prices, get back in the elevators, go back down in the lobby with their dogs, their tents and they would hang out and wait for the next show to start, waves crashing on the shore, it was a blessed time to be alive and we are just still spinning in that energy, still doing the same thing, honoring the Grateful Dead’s music here in Ventura, now it is the Crown Plaza and we are still connected to all of that and we are going to keep the music alive as long as we can.”

Stein, who joined on the final set on guitar, noticed plenty of young people getting into the music, too.

“This is the first annual Summer Dead Fest and this is going to be the first of many. We plan to do this every year. We also do New Year’s Eve up in the ballroom, we did that this past New Year’s Eve and that’s actually when, right before we opened the doors for that the hotel asked us if we wanted to do a summer music festival, ” said Stein.

The festival also included oceanfront sets, a  Shakedown Street and music workshops.

Some people who attended the Summer Dead Fest will be heading to San Francisco next weekend to see Dead & Company.

They can’t get enough of the music they love.

For more information visit https://summerdeadfest.com

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Caleb Nguyen

ORCUTT, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Fire Department took two people to Marian Regional Medical Center after a rollover crash in Orcutt, just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Both patients were the only people in their cars and suffered moderate injuries after one car landed on its roof, according to the SBCFD.

The crash happened on Clark at Orcutt Road and the rollover required extrication for one patient detailed the SBCFD.

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