Author: KEYT

Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Business students at Cal Poly are activating their free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, weekend clinics.

Individuals and families who made $67,000 or less in 2025 automatically qualify for the vita program.

“About 50 years ago, there was this professor at California State University, Northridge,” says Grace O’connor, a student at Orfalea College Of Business. “He noticed this growing problem with tax preparers scamming taxpayers. So he started this program, and people lined up out the door. And from there, the IRS turned it into a national, sponsored program where Cal Poly is proudly one of 9500 sites.”

At Cal Poly, the clinics run from 9:30 to 2 every Saturday at the Orfalea College of Business.

There will also be clinics in Santa Maria and Oceano.

“Our Oceano clinic at Lucia Mar School will open next weekend, as well as our Santa Maria office at Allan Hancock College,” says Symon Marcotte, another student at Orfalea College Of Business.

Current business students at the clinics provide free help with completing both federal and state tax returns. They’re trained to help people make sure they’re claiming every eligible deduction and credit the IRS provides. 

“I think a lot of people don’t realize that, they may be eligible for more credits and refunds than they may think,” says O’Connor.

They also assist with filing returns electronically.

“The income limit has expanded in comparison to last year, specifically,” says O’Connor. “And with that being said, more people can qualify and more people can be a part of our student run program.”

Student volunteers say many people struggle with how complex tax filing can be at times.

“And I think a lot of, people take bad advice,” says Marcotte. “So instead of consulting with a professional, they just, go with what their friend told them, and maybe their friend didn’t see it from a very great source.”

The clinics will be held every Saturday except Valentine’s Day, between now and March 14th.

For more information on Cal Poly’s VITA weekend clinics or to see if you qualify for their assistance, you can get started clicking this link to visit their website.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Hazel Burgess and Alina Seidel scored first half goals and Kacey Hurley added a second half goal as Dos Pueblos won at San Marcos 3-1.

The Chargers improve to 8-3-2 in the Channel League and 13-4-4 overall.

The Royals scored their lone goal late in the first half as Rio Chesluk scored to cut the deficit to 2-1.

San Marcos had several excellent scoring chances but DP goalie Darlene Aguilar made some outstanding saves.

The Royals are 5-6-2 in league and 6-9-2 overall.

Dos Pueblos went 4-0 in their rivalry games against Santa Barbara and San Marcos, outscoring them 12-3.

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Mike Klan

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Senior Carly Letendre scored nine of her 14 points in the fourth quarter as Dos Pueblos took over sole possession of second place in the Channel League with a hard-fought 42-38 win over cross-town rival San Marcos.

All 14 of Letendre’s points came after halftime and her three-pointer with 3:45 left gave the Chargers a 38-32 lead.

(Letendre filled up the box score with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Entenza Design).

Kindah Ahmad-Reda also scored 14 points for DP as they moved to 9-3 in league, one game ahead of third place San Marcos with two league games left. Ventura is undefeated in the Channel League.

Jada Ahmad connected on 5 three-pointers for the Royals and finished with a game-high 19 points.

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBRA, Calif. (KEYT) – In the final moments of their Thursday evening game, the UC Santa Barbara Women’s Basketball team fell 52-49 to the visiting UC San Diego Tritons. A strong defensive performance by the Gauchos was paired with a hesitant offensive effort that ultimately allowed the Tritons to overpower their hosts.

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ”I thought we were too conservative the entire game. They have to decide that in a game like this, especially when our defense is doing such great work for us, and we were just passing up shots. You’re not going to get a better one than the one that’s in front of you,” Jimenez said.

HOW IT HAPPENEDThe Gauchos left the first behind by just one after a back-and-forth with their opponents. Olivia Bradley put the Gauchos on the board first with a layup, but San Diego went on to hold a slight lead for the majority of the quarter. The Blue and Gold bounced back with a free throw and three-pointer to finish the first 13-12, San Diego.

Santa Barbara surged in the second, this time finishing the quarter ahead by one themselves at 28-27. They spent the quarter sinking threes, making four in a row before polishing off their progress with two layups. The Gauchos reached a seven-point lead, but the Tritons came back by six before the half. San Diego then possessed the third quarter, outscoring the Gauchos 12-6, and left the third ahead at 39-34.

Jessica Grant got the Gauchos within reaching distance of the Tritons with a three-pointer at the start of the fourth. Then, facing a 41-37 deficit, freshman Chauncey Andersen turned on her jets and scored ten points in a row – single-handedly bringing the Gauchos to their own four-point lead.

The Tritons, however, would take over the remaining minutes and score nine more points to bag the win. The game was tied at 49-49 for the final stages of the quarter, but a last-second layup and free throw combination by Makayla Rose placed the Tritons ultimately ahead at 52-49.

Andersen had her best collegiate outing yet, getting her first double-double and leading the team in both rebounds and points at 13 and 17. She also shot 55%, going five for nine. Bradley also reached double digits, sinking 15 to bolster the Gaucho offense.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos visit Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 31 to wrap the month of January. They will tip off at 2:00 p.m. in TItan Gym.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)

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Mike Klan

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KEYT) – The UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball team won their fifth straight game Thursday night, defeating UC San Diego for the first time since the 2022-23 season. The Gauchos did not allow any second-chance points and limited the Tritons to their lowest scoring output of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENEDBoth teams started cold, combining to go 3-for-10, and the Tritons narrowly led 4-2. Out of the first media timeout, the Gauchos scored on four straight possessions to take a 13-9 lead. The Gauchos got two three-pointers from CJ Shaw, one three from Colin Smith and an easy lay-in by Marvin McGhee IV.

The Gauchos kept extending their lead through the middle part of the half after back-to-back threes by Miro Little and Shaw put the Gauchos up 20-11. Momentarily, UC Santa Barbara led by double digits, but a basket by the Tritons cut it back to single digits.

The remainder of the period was back-and-forth, with the Gauchos taking a slight advantage late as they went into halftime with a 13-point lead, 35-22. The Gauchos forced the Tritons into tough shots throughout the first half as they made just nine field goals, shot 33.3 percent from the field, and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. Santa Barbara also forced eight turnovers.

The second half started much like the first, with the teams shooting just a combined 21 percent from the field. The Tritons made two baskets and three free throw enroute to an 8-2 run that cut the UC Santa Barbara lead to seven.

Coming out of the first media timeout, the Gauchos went on a 7-0 run of their own to take a 14-point lead with just over 12 minutes remaining. After extending their lead to 14, the game would turn back-and-forth through the middle part of the half as the Gauchos hung on to their double-digit lead.

Down the stretch, the Gauchos took over. Zion Sensley hit a second-chance three-pointer before Little put the Gauchos up 17 at the three-minute mark after a pair of free throws. The Gauchos held on to the double-digit lead down the stretch

NOTABLESThe Gauchos held the Tritons to their lowest scoring output of the year, 48 points. Additionally, the Gauchos held UC San Diego to 36 percent from the field, the lowest shooting percentage they have allowed to an opponent this season.The Gauchos’ 17 forced turnovers are the second most they have forced this season and the most against a Division I team this season.Four Gauchos scored in double figures, with Miro Little leading the way with 15.The Gauchos’ 23 points off turnovers marked the second most this season and the most against a Division I team.Despite UC San Diego grabbing nine offensive rebounds, UC Santa Barbara did not allow any second-chance points.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos return to The Thunderdome on Saturday, Jan. 31, to host Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)

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Mike Klan

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KEYT) – Freshman guard Troy Plumtree led five Mustangs in double-digit scoring figures with a career high 31 points – more than tripling his previous collegiate best – and the Cal Poly men’s basketball program set a new single game program record for free throw percentage in a 104-79 Thursday victory at Cal State Bakersfield.

Sophomore Hamad Mousa finished with 15 points while fellow guard Cayden Ward added 12 for Cal Poly (8-14, 4-6), which snapped a three-game slide with its highest offensive output of the season and by shooting 55.4 (36-for-55) percent from the floor. The Mustangs also drained 12 three-pointers – including eight in the first half to lead by 21 at the break.

Finishing 20-for-20 from the free throw line, Cal Poly established a new program record for most conversions without a miss, besting a 17-for-17 performance at UC Irvine on March 3, 2022.

Junior Jackson Mosley contributed 11 points for the Mustangs while senior Aaron Price, Jr. enjoyed a season high 10 points. Sophomore Peter Bandelj contributed a game high seven assists.

Plumtree, whose previous collegiate best was a nine-point effort versus UC Riverside (Dec. 6), finished 13-for-17 from the floor to record the highest field goal total by a Mustang this season. He entered Thursday with just 57 points scored on the season.

Cal Poly trailed 14-8 after Thursday’s initial five-and-a-half minutes before taking its first lead of the night with a 7-0 run. Cal State Bakersfield scored on its next possession before Mosley drained a deep three-pointer to extinguish the host’s last advantage of the evening.

Keeping Cal State Bakersfield to just two field goals during a seven-minute span, Cal Poly – which shot 56.3 (18-for-32) percent during the first half – went up 46-26 with three-minutes left on a Plumtree layup.

Cal Poly – which enjoyed first-half three-pointers from seven different players – took a 56-35 lead into the break.

Into the second half, Cal State Bakersfield cut its deficit to 71-53 with 10-and-a-half minutes remaining before Cal Poly scored on its next two possessions and maintained a minimum 23-point edge the remainder of the night.

Cal Poly Noteworthy (at Cal State Bakersfield)

Up Next: Cal Poly stays on the road, closing a two-game swing at UC Riverside on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip time is 5 p.m.Troy Plumtree’s 31-point night marked the fourth highest scoring game by a Cal Poly player this season.A double-digit scorer in all 21 appearances, Hamad Mousa stayed atop the Big West scoring chart at 20.4 points per game.Cal Poly’s 56-point first half matched its second highest single-half total of the year. The Mustangs scored 60 during the second half against Pacific Lutheran (Nov. 5) and 56 in the second at Montana (Nov. 14).Cal Poly’s previous scoring high this season came during a 101-79 season-opening win versus Pacific Lutheran.Thursday’s game marked Cal Poly’s fifth 100-point game under second-year head coach Mike DeGeorge.

(Article courtesy Cal Poly)

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Caleb Nguyen

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested three men at 1:00 p.m. Thursday after suspicious activity prompted a concerned customer call at the Home Depot in Goleta.

Two of the men, 26 and 37, wore ski masks and dropped off the third man, 46, who entered the store before SBCSO deputies contacted the men in the car.

Both men in the car did not cooperate and SBCSO deputies removed the 37-year-old Los Angeles man from the vehicle.

The 26-year-old Santa Barbara man moved to hide a gun in his lap before officers held him at gunpoint until the loaded firearm was safely secured, according to the SBCSO.

SBCSO deputies found the 37-year-old with fentanyl and drug paraphernalia in his possession and found the 26-year-old with fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and items consistent with drug sales.

SBCSO deputies also detained the 46-year-old Summerland man inside the Home Depot and found him in possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

The 26-year-old is being held on $50,000 bail at the Main Jail for misdemeanor drug charges and the following felonies:

carrying a loaded firearm

possession of a controlled substance

transportation of a controlled substance

possession of a controlled substance for sale

possession of a controlled substance while armed

possession of a firearm as a prohibited person

The other two men were booked for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia possession charges before their release, according to the SBCSO.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara Police are investigating shots fired near Bath and Carrillo Streets that happened just after 3:00 p.m. Thursday.

Santa Barbara Police closed off the area until 5:00 p.m. from Bath Street all the way to Figueroa near the residential neighborhood nearby.

SBPD officers mentioned multiple subjects were involved in an altercation and that a single gunshot was fired.

Two of the three suspects involved were detained on the Anapamu Street footbridge before being taken into custody without incident, according to the SBPD.

Initial signs indicate no injuries from the gunshot in an isolated incident, though the situation remains open to further investigation.

Your News Channel will provide more information as it becomes available.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Fire Captain Scott Safechuck is retiring after 26 years serving the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, according to the Department’s Instagram page.

Safechuck spent 26 of his 35 years in the fire and emergency services in Santa Barbara, serving as the SBCFD’s public information officer for the past few years.

Your News Channel worked in tandem with Safechuck during several emergencies over the years, including the recent Palisades and Eaton fires.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested a custody sergeant after a criminal investigation for significant timecard fraud on Thursday.

SBCSO detectives arrested the 34-year-old at his Ventura home on a felony warrant for criminal charges of embezzlement of public funds, forgery, and grant theft with a white-collar crime enhancement.

SBCSO staff noticed suspicious timecard activity starting in October 2025 and detectives later determined the 34-year-old fraudulently coded over $175,000 in earnings dating back to 2023.

The 34-year-old served in a supervisory role as a custody sergeant and his responsibilities included reviewing and approving overtime, according to the SBCSO.

SBCSO did not identify other suspects in the case nor other fraud activity by other employees. The investigation remains ongoing and a parallel administrative investigation is underway, according to the SBCSO.

The 34-year-old was booked at the Ventura County Jail and is being held on $150,000 bail, according to the SBCSO.

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