Author: KEYT

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The sound of laughter, music, and painting fills the room offering comfort for those living with dementia.

“I’m happy … yeah .. I like get away and I like the idea of making new friends … yeah … it’s better than just being stuck at home,” said client Dorothy Kuhn of the Friendship Center.

Families caring for loved ones with dementia know how valuable every hour of support can be.

“It’s a chance for members to come and be with the community that we all feel together like a family … a time of friendship and fun and it gives the families also a time of respite,” said activity program coordinator Maria Porter of the Friendship Center.

The Friendship Center is adding that extra hour starting October 13 to give caregivers more flexibility.

Leaders say every extra hour of care will help families juggling work and caregiving.

“I love it people here are great and I’m meeting people close to my own age,” said Kuhn.

The expansion is possible thanks to a national grant from the Center for Dementia Respite Innovation.

For nearly 50 years, the non-profit has offered affordable adult day programs in Montecito and Carpinteria, supporting both participants and their families in maintaining health, social connection, and independence.

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Mike Klan

ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT). – Cabrillo High School running back Andre Brisco was named Male Athlete of the Week at the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table luncheon at Giovanni’s in Orcutt.

Brisco rushed for 235 yards with 4 touchdowns as Cabrillo routed Taft 62-7.

Cabrillo is at Pioneer Valley on Friday.

The Female Athlete of the Week goes to Orcutt Academy golfer Emalie Galaites who was not in attendance due to a match.

She fired a 44 to claim medalist in a win over Santa Maria.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A Righetti High School student was arrested for having a loaded handgun and marijuana possession on school grounds at 1:30 p.m. Monday, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

A school staff member notified a School Resource Deputy of a male student possibly smoking marijuana in a school bathroom, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The student refused to stop when asked and resisted the SRD, leading to a struggle between the two, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The SRD had minor injuries from the struggle and the student’s belongings were searched, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies found marijuana vapes and a loaded handgun in the student’s backpack before taking him to a local hospital for medical attention, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Once the student received medical clearance, he was booked into the Santa Maria Juvenile Hall for firearm possession on school grounds, resisting arrest, and marijuana possession for a person under 18 on school grounds, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Santa Maria Joint Union School District Public Information Officer Kenny Klein thanked the following people in a statement on the incident:

The RHS Administration would like to reassure our school community that the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. The Administration is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and is working closely with law enforcement to ensure appropriate action is taken.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – When the Trump Administration cited Mount Sinai and Harvard researchers who found associations between acetaminophen exposure in early pregnancy, over long periods, and neurodevelopment disorders, President Trump said, “Taking Tylenol is not good.”

But one of scientists in that very study said the administration may be “jumping the gun.”

The director of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Koegel Autism Center Dr. Ty Vernon said the announcement Monday was not based on scientific consensus.

“Current Scientific evidence does not support direct link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. While some studies show some association between the two, higher quality studies show no evidence of causal link,” said Vernon.

He calls the comments by the administration dangerous.

“There is serious concern about selectively focusing on results that fit the predetermined narrative that Tylenol causes autism and ignoring other studies that don’t support that narrative. It’s dangerous and harmful to both current and future mother to make claims that aren’t supported by current evidence.” said Vernon.

People may be alarmed.

“There’s a lot of folks out there who may be disheartened by the news recently and I would say there’s a lot of folks on your side, that autism again is a form of neurodiversity, is a human difference and we are all about embracing those differences because that rich diversity is what makes our country so amazing and what makes our world so great,” said Vernon.

Vernon got his doctorate studying children with autism at UC Santa Barbara.

Students at the center work with people of all ages on the spectrum.

“Our main message is that autism research should be focused on support, the individual support, the family support and that is where Federal research dollars should be going,” said Vernon.

Vernon also commented on vaccines.

“The science out there definitively shows that autism is not caused by vaccines, there is a strong genetic component to it, but it is also very complex, we have done a lot of the research that shows there is not, kind of, this one cause of autism and nor should funding be going just to search for causes when really the pressing need out there is to provide support for individuals on the spectrum, their families and the broader community in general.”

Dr. Vernon calls the center’s approach a neurodiversity affirming approach.

“We want to think about what are you excited about, what are you passionate about and how do we help you reach those goals,” said Vernon.

Other researchers were quick to say the rates of Tylenol use in pregnancy have gone down in recent years, even as autism rates have risen.

Vernon quotes a study saying one in 32 children, eight-years-of-age, are on the spectrum.

While current research does not show a definitive cause for autism Vernon is concerned about loss of government funding.

The center is raising awareness and has a number of autism community groups and an art show coming up December.

For more information visit https://education.ucsb.edu

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). – Santa Barbara High School sophomore quarterback Griffin Arnold had his hands full at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table luncheon.

He received both the Male Athlete of the Week Award and the Gary Blades MVP of the 65th Annual Big Game between the Dons and rival San Marcos.

Arnold threw five touchdown passes to lead the Dons to a 60-0 rout of the Royals.

San Marcos High School girls flag football sophomore quarterback Victoria Aldana claimed Female of the Week honors.

(Victoria Aladana led the Royals to a pair of lopsided victories last week).

Aldana threw four touchdown passes and had an interception on defense in a 32-0 home win against Ventura.

The lefty qb threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores in a 40-0 win against Pacifica.

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Michael Yu

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) – A structure fire broke out early Monday morning at Rose Avenue Elementary School in Oxnard.

The Ventura County Fire Department reported the fire started around 3:13 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find the older section of the campus — which had been rebuilt or remodeled — fully engulfed in flames.

Crews remained on scene through the morning, keeping portions of nearby Disco Avenue closed as they investigated the cause of the fire and monitored for hot spots. The flames drew neighbors from nearby homes, who came outside as smoke drifted across the area. At one point, the smoke was visible from main streets in Oxnard.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“The damage, fortunately, is happening in the old part of the school, which was in the process of being torn down. So we were in demolition stages. The new school at this time appears to be undamaged,” said Dr. Ana DeGenna, Oxnard School District Superintendent.

The full extent of the damage has not yet been determined.

Classes were canceled for the day, and parents were notified before the start of school. District officials said classes will resume Tuesday morning

No injuries have been reported.

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Ryder Christ

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has highlighted the nation’s deep political divide and renewed attention on efforts to reduce polarization.

The House recently passed a resolution honoring Kirk and condemning political violence. The measure passed 310-58, with all Republicans and 95 Democrats voting yes. Another 58 Democrats voted no and 38 voted present. Kirk, 31, co-founded Turning Point USA and was killed while engaging with students at Utah Valley University. Police charged 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson of Washington, Utah, with aggravated murder, saying the attack was planned in advance.

The incident comes as polls show most Americans believe the country is in a political crisis. A Pew Research study found fewer than half of Americans say there is common ground between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, down 12 points since 2023. A Quinnipiac University poll found 79 percent of voters believe the U.S. is in crisis, 58 percent say lowering the political temperature is not possible, and more than half expect political violence to get worse in the years ahead.

Amid the tension, students in groups like BridgeUSA are working to create space for dialogue across the political spectrum. The nonprofit has nearly 100 chapters on college campuses nationwide. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo once had a chapter, but it disbanded earlier this year amid student turnover.

Students at a BridgeUSA event on Cal Poly’s campus in May 2024 told the Wall Street Journal that they had noticed politics had become increasingly polarized and that they found it a “relief” to talk about politics without feeling like they would be “ostracized” by a group.

At UCLA, BridgeUSA president Nicholas Chew said the goal is not to change minds but to normalize disagreement. “The point of our discussions is not to change people’s perspectives, but to give them an opportunity to voice their own perspective,” Chew said. “Our goal is just to bring people together to practice these discussions and this healthy dialog.”

Chew contrasted BridgeUSA’s mission with advocacy groups like Turning Point USA. “The goal of BridgeUSA is to bring people of a variety across the political spectrum to talk about those topics that might be harder to discuss,” he said.

That contrast played out at Cal Poly when Kirk visited Cal Poly on March 7, 2024, for a “Prove Me Wrong” event hosted by the TPUSA chapter. The student newspaper, Mustang News, reported the event drew a large crowd of both supporters and protesters on Dexter Lawn, where Kirk spoke and took questions from students. Some students welcomed the chance to engage with Kirk’s conservative viewpoints, while others organized counter-protests, underscoring the polarized atmosphere.

Chew said social media has made division worse. “We grew up with internet, social media, and we find ourselves in these little speech bubbles. The things that gain the most engagement are those that are the most controversial. At Bridge, we try to show that disagreement is completely normal.”

That point was echoed by former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, who noted that young people have been shaped by an online culture that rewards outrage. “They value clicks. That’s how they make money. The way you make money on the internet is by having extreme positions,” Jackson said. Former Santa Barbara City Councilman Dale Francisco agreed, saying BridgeUSA is trying to restore some of the skills of fair debate that earlier generations learned in school.

Political leaders from both sides of the aisle said groups like BridgeUSA can play an important role. Jackson added, “We really need to sit down and try to find those things that unite us rather than the things that divide us. It has to be possible in a democracy for it to survive and flourish.” Francisco praised the group’s peer-to-peer approach, “It sounds to me as if BridgeUSA is trying to recreate some of that learning, which I think is great.”

Even as polls show many Americans see little chance of bridging the divide, Chew said the effort remains vital. “Even though you still might have the same disagreements, it really helps personalize that experience,” he said. “It really brings the humanity out of it.”

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Several new car washes are being built in Santa Maria, a surge that will add to the many other existing car wash businesses already in the city.

There are currently more than 20 car washes in Santa Maria including stand-alone models, as well as those connected with gas stations.

The number doesn’t include the many independent mobile car detailers that also operate throughout the city.

That number of car washes will soon rise even higher with five additional more that are either now under construction or scheduled to begin construction in the near future.

With so many car washes already in Santa Maria, some people may be wondering – what’s driving the need to build several more?

“I don’t think we need all of them,” said Virginia Brady while drying off her car at the Splash N’ Dash Carwash on East Donovan Road. “We’ve already got enough. You know, it’s ridiculous. It’s like too many laundromat. Do we need that many car washes?”

Splash N’ Dash is a locally owned business and operates several car washes on the Central Coast, including three in Santa Maria, one in Orcutt, plus a new one coming soon.

Johan Collett, Splash N’ Dash General Manager and Partner, pointed out that Santa Maria is an ideal location for car washes due to a number of significant factors.

“Santa Maria is a good car wash community mostly because of the weather,” said Collett. “Best weather in the world. We, it’s typically pretty warm, which causes a lot of dust in the air, especially with the agriculture around here surrounding the town. We love the weather, bugs also love the weather. The combination of the two, dust and bugs causes a lot of excuses to come get a car wash.”

Splash N’ Dash is planning to build its latest car wash next to the Honda dealership at the corner of South Bradley Road and Meehan Street.

A “coming soon” sign as been up at the location for years, but Collett indicated construction is finally set to begin sometime in between six to eight months.

“That one’s going to be awesome,” said Collett. “It’s going to be the biggest car wash in probably a 100-to-200 mile radius. It’s going to be in magazines. It’s going to be awesome. It’s got full cafe, coffee, four lanes, amazing vacuums, canopies. I mean, you name it. Anything you’d want a car wash, it’ll be there.”

In addition to the upcoming Splash and Dash, two national chains are also now planning to build new car wash businesses in Santa Maria.

Mister Car Wash and Quick Quack Car Wash are both in various stages of constructing their new businesses in the city.

Mister Car Wash is quickly going up on South Broadway, while Quick Quack part of a new development with a Starbucks that will be located at the site of the former Roadhouse Grill along South Bradley Road.

According to the Current Development Activity webpage on the City of Santa Maria website, a Quick Quack is planned for a site on North Broadway.

There is also a self-serve car wash currently under construction as part of the new Chevron gas station and convenience store at that is kicking off development of the long-planned Betteravia Plaza project.

A completely rebuilt car wash is also currently under construction at #1 Car Wash and Gas on South Broadway, which is almost next to the soon-to-be-built Mister Car Wash.

“I don’t mind at all,” said car wash customer Crystal Cardona. “A little variety is a good thing. I think it’ll be a competitive and maybe an offer a better variety.”

Collett agreed and pointed out that despite the added number of similar businesses in the city, he believes there is enough need for their services to go around.

“I think competition is good,” said Collett. “Everyone will be their best. In terms of competition and what we’re going to do, we’re locally owned and operated for 20 years and people know this and know what we’re about. We’re here to help the community and serve the community, take care of their vehicles and their investments. We also do things differently than a lot of other express style car washes. We have a lot of prep preparation before going through the tunnel. A lot of these other people that might be coming in here don’t do the same thing as us. They have their own methods, but we’re pretty confident in what we do.”

Collett added the car wash industry is thriving not just in Santa Maria, but many other places as well.

“The car industry as a whole, all around the nation is blowing up,” said Collett. “It’s from people just being educated. Cars are being more and more expensive. People want to take care of those cars. There are so many important components on vehicles that need to be kept clean. There’s a lot of sand that gets into your undercoat or in cracks and crevices causes squeaks and there are so many different reasons to come get your car clean.”

Many, if not most of these car washes, provide a membership option for customers, who can pay a fee for a certain amount of washes over a designated time period.

At some places, customers can select a monthly membership where they can have their car cleaned an unlimited amount of times over whatever period they purchase.

“It’s 70% of our business,” said Collett. “People like it. It’s people taking care of their vehicle and the the convenience. It takes a couple minutes. We can get the outside of your car clean, looking good and have you driving around, and it makes your car last longer, and you’ll be happy with it.”

Due to the obvious need for water inside these businesses, some might be concerned about usage and the effect it may have on the local water supply, especially with more car washes opening soon.

According to Santa Maria Utilities Director Shad Springer, there are strict guidelines and regulations in place that help minimize the potential impact.

“The Santa Maria municipal code requires people to follow the state regulations with respect to water conservation and automatic car washes,” said Springer. “That guideline requires at least 60% recycling of rinse and wash water from those facilities.”

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A Santa Barbara shelter is taking new measures to protect survivors of domestic violence. Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) is adding fencing, surveillance cameras, and specialized staff training to strengthen security at its emergency shelter and long-term housing facility.

The upgrades are designed to provide survivors with an added layer of safety as they begin rebuilding their lives.

“We’re focused on making sure our clients feel safe the moment they walk through our doors,” said Ken Oplinger, Executive Director of DVS.

For nearly fifty years, the non-profit has offered shelter, counseling, and advocacy for people escaping abuse. Staff say the new improvements will help them better protect families and give survivors the reassurance they need.

“These improvements give us more tools to keep families safe while they begin to rebuild their lives,” said one staff member.

The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara awarded DVS $100,000 to support the security upgrades.

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