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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from the Santa Maria-Bonita School District regarding Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) registration.

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) is pleased to announce that registration for Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for the upcoming school year will officially begin on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

Families may pick up a registration packet at any elementary school within the Santa Maria-Bonita School District. For those requiring personalized assistance with the enrollment process, the district encourages parents and guardians to visit their nearest neighborhood school, Family Resource Centers, or the Souza Student Support Center.

Eligibility and Enrollment Details

The district’s TK program is specifically designed for children who will turn four years old on or before September 1, 2026. Families with children currently enrolled in a district TK program can enjoy a streamlined process; these students will be automatically enrolled in Kindergarten for the next term, and parents do not need to complete a new registration packet.

Required Documentation

To ensure a smooth enrollment experience, families should be prepared to provide the following documents:

Proof of Residence: A current utility bill (gas, water, electricity, or internet) or a formal letter from a landlord.

Immunization Records: Up-to-date vaccination history.

Official Identification: A birth certificate or passport for the child.

Kinder registration 2026 (3)Download

Support for Families

SMBSD is committed to ensuring every child has access to education, regardless of their current circumstances. Families who are missing required paperwork or are currently experiencing homelessness are encouraged to contact the district’s Family Resource Centers  for additional support and assistance. Family Resource Center staff can be reached at the following numbers: (805) 623-1029, (805) 361-6738 or (805) 361-6931.

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – The SLO County Board Of Supervisors reserved the entire afternoon session of today’s meeting for an update from the sheriff on immigration enforcement in the county.

Hundreds of people turned out for this forum, with anti-ICE protesters making themselves heard outside of the building before the forum began.

2013’s TRUST Act legislated that local agencies cannot hold inmates solely for ICE.

“I really appreciate you mentioning that the sheriff’s office, that you have a duty and a responsibility to all of the residents here in SLO County to keep all of us safe,” said SLO county supervisor Jimmy Paulding.

The TRUTH Act of 2016 mandated the reading of individuals’ rights, written consent for ICE interviews, and these public forums regarding local agencies’ cooperation with federal authorities.

“The big thing is, ICE being in our county, in Santa Barbara County, rustling up people, having people disappeared off the street with no due process,” says Mike Kokones, a resident of San Luis Obispo County. “And that’s just wrong. So we need to abolish ICE in its current form. It’s bad for everybody. It’s state sponsored terrorism.”

According to Sheriff Ian Parkinson’s report, the first year of the Trump administration in SLO County saw a sharp increase in ICE activities from the final year of the Biden administration, with nearly three times the detainer requests.

“We’ve met with groups that represent the community,” said Sheriff Parkinson. “We’ve discussed their concerns. We’ve discussed ways to combat that with the, Q and A the questions that we put into a flier in Spanish and English, which is being distributed throughout the community.”

Out of 287 notifications, 83 were complied with and 204 were not.

19 federal warrants were issued, up from only one in 2024, 69 releases were turned over to ice compared to one in 2024, and 11 requests for interviews were issued.

“I’m here today just to try and hear what my Board of supervisors,” says Marc Gonzales, who lives in San Luis Obispo. “I say mine because I’m a taxpayer in this county and I want to hear what they have to say about things. I like what I heard today, and that’s my first time being in this room with them and discussing this issue. So it’s good and refreshing to hear that everybody’s trying to work together to make the community safer.”

2018’s California Values Act further limited local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

The TRUTH Act forums take place every year, but this year saw increased attention from the public amid a surge in immigration activity across the country.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – With some of the top movie industry names coming to Santa Barbara next week, tickets are selling fast for the upcoming 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF).

The festival will run for 11 days starting February 4th for its the 41st year.

Some of the events are already sold out include the Maltin Modern Master Award with Adam Sandler, theVirtuosos Award, the Hammond Cinema Vanguard Awrd with Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro and the Outstanding Performer Award with Michael B. Jordan. The other sellouts are for the Tribute packages, the Film Geek packages and the Intro Packages.

Tickets are still available for the Arlington Artist Award with Kate Hudson and the Montecito Award with Stellan Skarsgard.

There are still many events including both movies and panel discussions with hundreds of seats available.  That information can be found here.

They include the Directors panel, Producers panel, Writers panels, and Women’s panel.

The event has 200 films including U.S. and World Premieres. 

Fans have a unique opportunity to see the arrival of the stars at the Arlington Theatre and many people behind the scenes who create films at all levels.

They will also be the first to see the newest movies, followed, at times, by a questions and answer session with some of the film makers.

Many will be cover social issues, environmental topics and a large percentage of the films were made by women, according to Roger Durling the Executive Director of the Festival.

There will be daily free events and many opportunities for students to participate as movie makers or to meet those in the industry that can be mentors.

For shows that are now sold out there will be RUSH tickets that open up when seats are unused the night of the event. “When we sell tickets we have to account for all the pass holders but not all the pass holders show up    You may have instances when you have a sold out events and there may be 50 tickets that are empty seats,” said Durling.

For those going to the SBIFF McHurley Film Center mini-paks are punchcards with four transferable admissions on a first-come, first served basis. The five theatres will have more than 900 seats. “This might be the first year that we sell out on the mini packs. The little access (cards) to four movies.  We may sell out on those. People are curious about the film center which opens next week,” said Durling.

The SBIFF is in a unique spotlight on the calendar. It falls just after the Oscar nominations and before the industry’s biggest night, the Academy Awards.

In addition to the film center, the SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre will also show films.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – California’s new cat declawing ban is sparking worry among some pet owners, but Santa Barbara Humane wants to set it straight: regular nail trims are still in the clear.

Under AB 867, declawing cats is now illegal in California except when a veterinarian deems it medically necessary.

“ Cats need their claws if they go indoor outdoor it’s really important for them to have them for self-defense but even an indoor only cat it’s part of their body,” said chief veterinary officer Dr. Katie Marrie of Santa Barbara Humane.

The law now limits the procedure to cases involving injury, infection, or disease.

“But it’s also just a normal thing for them. If anybody has a cat at home, they know they see the meeting and scratching on different things that they provide them to do that normal behavior,” said Marrie.

This change puts animal welfare first while preserving necessary treatment.

Some pet owners still have questions about what’s allowed — including whether routine nail trimming is affected.

“They can still trim their cat toenails … they can do it themselves. They can go through a veterinarian or a groomer that provides that service,” said director of shelter services Sandy Simmons of Santa Barbara Humane.

If you’re wondering how to safely trim your cats claws, the Santa Barbara Humane team is here to help seven days a week.

“If a cat is scratching your couch, you wanna put a scratching post of a different fabric there. If it’s both sides then they get one of each spot they’re scratching and giving them proper enrichment,” said Simmons.

Santa Barbara Humane helps owners feel confident caring for their pets through education and support.

“My hope is people really do take the cats in the consideration and that they are still an animal and need their natural kind of abilities,” said Simmons.

The new law aims to protect cats — and strengthen the bond between pets and the people who love them.

From nail trims to education on scratching behavior, Santa Barbara Humane aims to keep pets comfortable — and keep misconceptions about the new law from spreading.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Five awards were handed out at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table luncheon at Harry’s while two awards were given out at the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table gathering at Hancock College.

There was a double dose of Athlete of the Week Awards since there was no luncheon last week as school was out for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The two boys winners are Carpinteria High School soccer player Carlos Garcia and San Marcos basketball senior Koji Hefner.

Garcia scored three goals in two wins for the Warriors while Hefner stuffed the box score to lead the Royals to win over rival Santa Barbara. Hefner racked up 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals.

The two girls winners are from water polo. Reagan Mack had 45 blocks to lead Dos Pueblos to the Ocean View Tournament championship.

Harvard-bound senior Bethany King totaled 32 blocks to help San Marcos to a third place finish at the Newport Elite 8 Tournament. The Royals beat defending CIF-SS Open Division champion Oaks Christian.

Providence High School awarded junior Gavin Rutland the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award.

Rutland plays both indoor and beach volleyball for the Patriots and carries a 4.26 GPA.

At Hancock College the girls Athlete of the Week honor goes to Valley Christian Academy basketball player Katelynn Mikkelson who scored a career-high 28 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Cabrillo.

The boys winner is Santa Maria basketball player Julius Medina who recorded a triple-double in a win over Morro Bay. He scored 16 points with 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

Santa Barbara 74, Dos Pueblos 59:

(Levi Oakes scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half in the Dons road win in Goleta. Entenza Design).

(Owen Horn added 19 points for Santa Barbara who lead the Channel League at 10-1. Entenza Design).

Dos Pueblos has lost several starters for the season due to injuries but they led this game at halftime 36-34. Senior Coulter Jay scored 15 of his team-high 22 points in the second quarter. Logan Pearce added 15 points for DP.

San Marcos 67, Venura 57: The Royals win their sixth straight game to stay one back of Santa Barbara in the league race. Koji Hefner scored 19 points and Brody Green added 18 as San Marcos improved to 9-2 in league.

Oxnard 61, Pacifica 49: The Yellowjackets won the Battle for Gonzales Road. Oxnard got 27 points and 12 rebounds from Enrique Caudra. Mikey Duran-Morales filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

Rio Mesa 58, Buena 36

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A vigil got underway at Stearns Wharf at dusk Monday.

Organizers said the goal was to honor the Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse who was fatally shot during ICE activity in Minneapolis, Minnesota over the weekend.

They gathered by the Dolphin Fountain off Cabrillo Blvd. and filled the sidewalks up and down Cabrillo Blvd.

Shelley and Mark Sherman from Goleta said they have family in Minnesota.

“We are from Minnesota and we were there last week and so Minneapolis means a lot to us, the fact that man was killed in cold blood on the street by border patrol agents is really horrible it breaks my heart that the people in Minnesota are going through this attack and so we came to mourn and say that they need to get out of Minnesota right away,” said Shelley Sherman.

“We were just in Minnesota our family is there are niece I spent a lot of time on the corner where he was killed, we know it really well, Minnesotans have decided to stand up to other people, it is hard to talk about it is close to my heart,” Mark Sherman.

Supporters honked their horns as they drove by.

Santa Barbara City Council Member and Mayoral Candidate Eric Friedman took part in the vigil.

Former California State Assembly Member Hannah-Beth Jackson was also on hand.

Some participants said they saw and took photos with Portia de Rossi and Ellen Degeneres who spent part of her birthday attending the vigil.

Larry Behrendt of Indivisible Santa Barbara said the group helped organize this this vigil and the No Kings Protests last year.

They made sure to have crossing guards on hand to people safe.

Budget Chairman of the California Republican Party Greg Gandrud has been seeing rallies and vigils on social media and sees things differently.

“Over 55 percent of Americans actually support removing all illegal aliens from the United States and Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey have been encouraging people in Minnesota to interfere with the lawful operations of Federal agents in Minnesota,” said Gandrud. “Pretti brought a handgun and two high capacity magazines and interfered with the arrest of a criminal illegal alien in Minneapolis and the result was absolutely tragic.”

There have been similar vigils at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse following the shooting deaths of Pretti on Saturday and Renee Good a few weeks ago.

Those vigils included projections of members of the Trump Administration and even Jeffrey Epstein on the courthouse wall.

Many are also upset by the taking of 5-year-old Liam Ramos who was photographed in a blue knit bunny hats.

Similar hats were for sale outside a shop on State Street over the weekend.

Social media posts tracking ICE activity said agents have been active locally up and down the coast as early as 4:30 in the morning.

There are organization and nonprofits trying to help immigrant families including those who were in the process of getting their citizenship without criminal records.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (KEYT) – After several lengthy meetings, the Santa Barbara City Council Tuesday is expected to formally approved a temporary rent stabilization ordinance.

The tenant protection ordinance will take effect in 30 days and will remain in effect through December 31st.

During that time city leaders will work on a permanent rent stabilization ordinance. That will include community outreach and a consultant is expected to be hired to assist with the process.

The moratorium pauses rent increases for units built before 1995, except single-family dwellings, condominiums, and certain other rentals as required by state law.

Proponents say the rent increases have gone up dramatically in the last five years and have exceeded the ability of many tenants to make ends meet. That has led to  financial hardships, relying on government assistance, homelessness or relocation out of the area.

Opponents say the rent increases will reduce property values, limit investments in improvements or repairs and deter investors from developing in the city.

The council meeting begins at 2 p.m.

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John Palminteri

CARPINTERIA, CALIF.  (KEYT) – Similar to other cities, Carpinteria has been dealing with dangerous bike riders for months now, mainly those on the newer and most popular e-bikes.

Efforts to slow down the riders and have them follow traffic laws have failed.

The city says it has had numerous complaints about reckless ridings, speeding, close calls, traffic accidents and illegal e-motorcycle vehicles on the road that are unregistered.

The Carpinteria City Council Monday evening will take up an upgraded set of changes to its ordinance that covers bikes on the road.

It would have a list of penalties that could lead to fines, but many steps prior to that.

Those would include strengthening the ordinance as it applies citywide but specific wording for the downtown traffic core. There would be community announcements, outreach, educational efforts through the school and more. That will be followed by an education period on the road with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department serving as the police department, stopping violators and issuing warnings. When full enforcement takes place, penalties for an infraction can begin at $100.     

Youth offenders would be able to go to a diversion class, and if they complete it, they would not have to pay the fine. That would only be allowed once.

The council will take up the issue at 5:30 p.m. at Carpinteria City Hall.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Lompoc’s Transit Division is inviting locals to try out some recently expanded routes throughout the city, for free.

Residents had direct influence on these recent additions.

City Of Lompoc Transit, or COLT, is offering free fares through the end of February.

Lompoc city officials say public transit is designed to make residents’ lives easier, and it’s also good for the environment.

Locals can check out what’s new and enjoy the free fares through next month.

“It’s a great opportunity to get out and see all of the new routes that we’re offering,” says the City of Lompoc’s community relations manager Emily Prueitt.

The new additions are in direct response to public input gathered last month at the Unmet Transit Needs Workshop held at City Hall.

“We are excited for the opportunity to have so many routes that connect to so many different places across the city,” says Prueitt. “Restaurants, hospitals, parks, schools, all of them are connected by public transit.”

Lompoc’s public transit is specifically designed to fit into locals’ daily activities — from work commutes to running errands and even social occasions.

“We have additional stops that we’re adding,” says Prueitt. “We also have the new Bridge House route. The H Street shuttle has also become a completely dynamic route.”

The city continually accepts input such as hiccups in the system that need to be addressed, and ideas for new routes or methods.

“All of our busses are ADA accessible, which is huge,” Prueitt says. “And we also offer ADA and para-transit services. And the free fares are also applicable to those services. The only route that the free fare promotion does not apply to is for Clean Air Express.”

City officials say this is the best time to engage with all outlets of public transit to see the new routes and stops, at no cost.

You can find more information and route schedules on the city’s website by clicking this link.

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