Author: KEYT

Caleb Nguyen

MORRO BAY, Calif. (KEYT) – The City of Morro Bay advised residents to only use boiled tap water or bottled water due to a water main break by a contractor Monday.

AlertSLO sent out the notice just before 4:00 p.m. Monday and offered this map on the affected areas within the city.

Several agencies advised using boiled or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes for safety and the City will inform residents when the notice is lifted.

Morro Bay officials offered bottled water at the Water Resources Center, City Hall and its Fire Station after hours.

For more information and the latest updates, visit the city’s website.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Fall has officially arrived — and with it, doctors in Santa Barbara County are already seeing more patients with coughs, colds, and early signs of flu.

“We’re starting to see more of the you know, kids back in schools or upper respiratory infections,” said nurse practitioner Ashley Henderson of Cottage Health Urgent Care.

“runny nose and coughing fever they are very easily spread through the air,” said public health officer Dr. Henning Ansorg of Santa Barbara County.

Ansorg says wastewater data shows virus levels remain low right now — but that could change fast as families spend more time indoors.

“When somebody sick and there you know, sneeze and cough and to speak, that’s enough to actually spread the virus,” said Ansorg.

The newest COVID booster targets the XFG variant now spreading nationwide.

“Therefore, four times more protected than the old vaccine people who have had Covid vaccines in the past, I would strongly recommend to get the booster with the new one,” said Ansorg.

If you’re feeling chills, body aches, or fatigue doctors recommend staying home.

Henderson says they’re already seeing more patients with coughs and colds as kids return to school.

“I think we are slipping back to where people are a little more tempted to let me just still go to this social event still go to work still go to my sporting event, but it really does affect those around us,” said Henderson.

Health experts say the time to act is now — wash your hands, stay home when sick, and get vaccinated early to stay healthy through the holidays.

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from the SLO County Fire Department reminding the community to be cautious of lithium-ion batteries during Fire Prevention Week

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – Fire Prevention Week (October 5–11, 2025) is here, and the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department is urging the community to take steps to protect their homes and families from the growing risk of lithium-ion battery fires.

Lithium-ion batteries are found in most of the electronics we use every day, including phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, scooters, and more. These small but powerful batteries store a large amount of energy in a compact space. If damaged, overcharged, or improperly used, they can overheat, catch fire, or even explode.

“Simple steps like charging devices on a hard surface, unplugging them once fully charged, and buying only certified products can make a big difference,” said CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo PIO Ryan Grebe. “Being proactive now is key to preventing dangerous battery fires later.”

Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Tips:

Buy only products with recognized safety marks such as UL, ETL, or CSA.

Use the original charging cable provided by the manufacturer.

Always follow manufacturer instructions.

Charge on a hard, flat surface—never on beds, couches, or under pillows.

Unplug devices or remove the battery once fully charged.

Stop using the battery if you notice odor, heat, swelling, discoloration, or odd noises.

Dispose of batteries properly—never in household trash or recycling bins. Visitwww.call2recycle.org to find a safe disposal site near you.

The San Luis Obispo County Fire Department invites you to join us, along with many other participants, at the SLO Downtown Farmers Market from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to learn more.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, visit: www.nfpa.org/events/fire-prevention-week

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Tracy Lehr

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) — A suicide awareness walk took place at Goleta Beach Park, honoring lives lost and reminding participants that no one walks alone.

The 2025 Out of the Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk on Saturday brought hundreds together to reflect, connect, and find comfort in community.

“You will be okay,” was the message echoing across the beach during the annual event, led by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and supported by local sponsors.

“It takes a lot of strength for everyone that’s here to be here today. There are a lot of emotions that come, it can be the heartache of missing a loved one, it can be joyful pain, but it’s hard to stand and be here,” said Suzanne Grimmesey with the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness.

The event began as a small local gathering but has since grown significantly. “The first one I went to had maybe 35 people at it,” said Angela Parker, a participant. “Right now, I think we’re well over 350 people walking and an incredible amount of funds have been raised for suicide awareness research,” added Grimmesey.

During the ceremony, walkers held up colored beads to represent their personal connections to loss. “As we call out your bead colors, hold your beads high so we can see who you are walking for today,” said one event speaker. “Purple represents the loss of a friend or relative. We thank you for being here, and we honor your loved one.”

For Linda Silva, the walk was deeply personal. “It makes me feel good that we’re raising awareness so that no other parent or family or sibling has to go through what I’ve gone through,” Silva said. “We have a team of about 60 of us, and they’re all here to support us, in memory of my son.”

Others said they found unexpected healing through the event.

“My brother committed suicide. My mother wanted to come to the first one that we heard about, and I took her out of obligation,” Parker said. “I thought this was going to be the most depressing day of my life. But I came back so uplifted. The emotion is actually comfort, you see other people going through the same thing. It’s everybody. It’s not a type of person or a color of a person. Every family can experience it, and it makes you feel less alone.”

That message of resilience carried throughout the morning. “I’m not okay,” said Elliot Davis, an Out of the Darkness speaker. “I will be. You keep getting up. You keep fighting. And even though you’re not okay today, I promise you, if you do the work, you will be.”

For help, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

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Jarrod Zinn

BUELLTON, Calif. (KEYT) – There are new banners along the Avenue of Flags in the city of Buellton.Local artists of all ages are being featured.

The Arts & Culture Committee of the City of Buellton has just unveiled the newest series of banners for its community art project.

This year, the theme is taking creativity “Up In The Air.”

“I really like this theme,” says returning artist and Buellton sixth-grader Millie Firey. “It’s just so colorful and it’s awesome.”

Over the past two months, last year’s ocean-themed designs have come down, making way for this year’s fresh, aerial-inspired exhibit.

“I tried a unicorn and I thought it would be cool,” says Buellton resident Carina Sanchez. “So I just went for it.”Since the project launched in 2022, it’s soared in popularity showcasing nearly 100 local artists over the years.

“I like drawing and I think it’s a really fun way to get people into drawing,” says artist Valentina Torres.

Thanks to continued generosity from the Buellton City Council, additional sponsors like PG&E have enabled the addition of the Zazzle store where you can purchase pieces of the featured artwork.

“Check it out,” says PG&E representative Eric Daniels. “You can purchase some of this art on other types of products and support the kids and residents who are involved in it.”

This year’s collection features 70 artists ranging in age from just 5 years old to 80.

“It makes me feel proud that my it’s up there and made me feel proud that somebody really liked it so much,” says Firey.

“I wish this program would go for, like, 230 years or even more,” says another artist from Buellton, Hazel Hawthorne. “It’s just so fun!”

City officials hope visitors will see Buellton as an outdoor gallery featuring local talent and community spirit.

For details on how to purchase some of this art, or to support the city’s Arts and Culture Committee, you can find their website by clicking here.

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John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – It may be the beach location, or the demand for rooms, but housing prices in the Santa Barbara top a new list of expensive college towns in America.

It was put out by Redfin.com.

Specifically in Isla Vista, thousands of students cram themselves into a small community. Some homes on Del Playa Drive overlooking the Pacific Ocean with 40-foot bluffs, have in excess of 40 beds.

The housing price on average for the Santa Barbara South Coast is valued at about $2-million.   

UC Santa Barbara nearby has a rotating population of about 25,000 students looking for a place to live either in college dorms or off campus housing.   It has put a strain on the nearby community of Goleta. Also, campus leaders have been working on large dorm plans, some that have had hours of discussion and pushback from people critical of the design ideas.

Redfin says next in line is Boca Raton, FL, home to Florida Atlantic University. It has over 30,000 students, and has a median home-sale price of more than $820,000. 

These costs translate down to rent costs.

“Home prices–and, by extension, rent–in some college towns have climbed so high they’re increasingly out of reach for students, faculty and staff,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “In a place like Santa Barbara or Flagstaff, high housing costs may push faculty and staff to live far from campus, and it also deters some professors from teaching there altogether. For students, high costs may mean they have to take on more debt and/or live far from campus.”

On the flip side, the study shows the least expensive college town in the U.S. is Dayton, OH, home to two major schools: Wright State University and the University of Dayton.   Dayton’s median home-sale price is roughly $137,000, making it not only the cheapest college town to buy a home, but one of the cheapest places to buy a home in the U.S.

In Isla Vista UCSB student Ajah Butler has housing without a burden, but says, “I have a friend who got a housing contract last minute and if she didn’t get the housing contract I don’t know, she would have probably been homeless.”

A former student Seth Husselstein, “I have a hard time focusing in general, so when you have a roommate playing “league” at 3 in the morning you’re trying to cram an econ assignment, you’re trying to knock that out sitting there you can’t focus, you hear screaming and yelling.”

A mom who has three teens ages 17, 18, 19 says, “I have never seen like this for young adults. I actually think this something  that they often think about they often feel like they don’t experience the same things at home  that they would   on their own but   that’s really not an option for them in this town,” said Laura Costilla.

  One luxury we’re told, for a student in a house of seven, is paying about $1500 a month for her own room. “But is just a little cube but it is just my bed  and I have a little walking route around my bed but it’s worth it.”

Redfin research: 

Most Expensive College Towns, By Median Home-Sale Price (2025)

Town
Notable college
Median home-sale price
Median home-sale price, YoY growth

Santa Barbara, CA
University of California, Santa Barbara
$1,964,170
4%

Boca Raton, FL
Florida Atlantic University
$822,701
9.3%

Flagstaff, AZ
Northern Arizona University
$695,902
6.3%

Corvallis, OR
Oregon State University
$568,507
2.1%

Orem, UT
Utah Valley University
$517,224
6.8%

Eugene, OR
University of Oregon
$501,571
1.7%

Provo, UT
Brigham Young University
$474,745
7.9%

Ann Arbor, MI
University of Michigan
$464,495
-3.4%

Manchester, NH
University of New Hampshire, Manchester and Southern New Hampshire University
$456,096
6.9%

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara singer-songwriter, businessman, and philanthropist, Pete Muller, joined your Morning News to previews his upcoming album release and performances!

Muller will be performing at SoHo Restaurant & Music Club tonight in Santa Barbara alongside Stephen Kellogg.

On November 14th, Muller’s 7th studio album “One Last Dance” will be released, featuring artwork from a local artist right here in Santa Barbara.

For tickets to Mullers show at SoHo restaurant, you can visit his website.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Santa Barbara Open tournament directors Jordy Dyer and Ari Garner of 805 Beach just wrapped up a successful 3-day competition.

“We’re doing the Santa Barbara Open here at East Beach. It’s the first time we’ve got a big beach volleyball tournament in Santa Barbara in over a decade,” said Dyer.

“805 Beach is so happy and humble to help bring back high level beach volleyball to the beaches of Santa Barbara,” said Garner.

The athletes are happy, too.

Geena Urango and Mariah Whalen are the Women’s Tournament champs.

“A lot of athletes don’t have the opportunities to live out here in California or be able to train with other athletes, and this is a lot of where good becomes great,” said Urango.

I had someone showed me a photo back from when the tour was big, and this whole beach was flooded with people,” said Whalen.

Thomas Hurst and Gage Bussey are the Men’s Tournament champs.

“A lot of athletes don’t have the opportunities to live out here in California or be able to train with other athletes, and this is a lot of where good becomes great,” said Hurst.

“So blessed to be here in front of in this beautiful beach with all these beautiful fans,” sad Bussey.

Jordy Dyer said the best pros from all over the country took part during perfect weather.

” The vibe is great and couldn’t ask for more,” said Dyer. 

Thomas Hurst says event like this are needed.

“These events are the backbone of our country being good at the sport. without these events, nobody has the opportunities to become that next level player. And that’s super important for USA volleyball as a whole,” said Hurst.

They intend to bring more high level beach volleyball to the beach for years to come.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). – Newbury Park High School star quarterback Brady Smigel had his senior season cut short after suffering an ACL injury last Friday night in a 31-21 win against Santa Barbara.

The Michigan-commit Smigel got hurt as he ran for a touchdown just before halftime.

It would be one of his final plays of his historic high school career for the Panthers.

He took the field early in the third quarter but went down to the ground and came out for good.

The all-time leading passer in Ventura County had to be helped off the field.

He had thrown for 1,500 yards this year heading into last week’s game.

Smigel threw for over 3,500 yards last year as a junior as he led the Panthers to a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 title. He tossed 49 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions.

As a sophomore he passed for more than 4,200 yards with 52 touchdowns.

He is expected to enroll at Michigan at the beginning of 2026.

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Tracy Lehr

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Judges tasted nearly 30 guacamole entries at the 39th California Avocado Festival in Carpinteria.

It was the most submissions in contest history.

Once again, Arthur von Wiesenberg and Rebecca Brand co-hosted the competition.

They asked judges, including acclaimed music producer and musician Alan Parsons, Vintner Fred Brander and longtime radio personality Catherine Remak of K-LITE, what they look for in good guacamole.

“I like it with just the right amount of spice,” said Parsons.

When the best presentation envelope was empty the co-hosts laughed it off and stretched until volunteers brought them the name of the number 8 entry that was inspired by sushi and the famous Japanese wave artist Katsushika Hokusai. 

The runner up for best guacamole went to Joe Tomasik, an attorney, who said his children went to UCSB.

He said he recently moved to Santa Barbara.

“My youngest daughter was a on a travel softball team back in the day i would bring the snacks and i would make guacamole every time, i really perfected the recipe and everyone loved it and all the players nicknamed me ‘Guacamole Joe,'” said Tomasik.

Rebecca announced the winner as entree number 24, Gabriela Chenoweth.

Chenoweth told the crowd she decided to add pomegranate seeds at the last minute.

She also added another special ingredient.

“I’m over the moon. I recently moved to Carpinteria from Minnesota and my little Midwestern flair helped snatch the competition with a little bit of sour cream,” said Chenoweth.

That means both newcomers to the area won over longtime locals who often grow avocados in their yards.

Brand, who is a YouTube creator with hundreds of thousands of followers, said she would post the winning recipes on her social media.

She had a video crew on hand to turn it into a show.

Tina Ballue also helped Future Farmers of America auction off avocado trees and large award winning avocados.

They raised hundreds of dollars for the nonprofit.

Spencer Barnitz, better known as Spencer the Gardener, also entertained the crowd by singing his “Avocado Song” acapella.

Barnitz said he injured his hand so he couldn’t play his guitar.

The California Avocado Festival wrapped up Sunday evening, but will be back for a 40th celebration next October.

For more information visit https://www.avofest.org

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