Category: keyt-local-news

Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Thousands of people across the Central Coast joined a nationwide wave of demonstrations Saturday as part of the “No Kings” protest movement—gathering in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo to speak out against what organizers call authoritarianism and erosion of democratic values under President Donald Trump.

“I knew there was going to be a great turnout, but this is amazing,” said Julio Roman, executive director of Pacific Pride Foundation, at the Santa Barbara rally. “To see this sea of people from miles up to miles left, it’s just incredible to see.”

The protests coincided with Flag Day, the Army’s 250th birthday, and President Trump’s 79th birthday. Demonstrators held signs, listened to speeches, and marched through city streets, calling for change and the protection of civil liberties.

“I’m here teaching my kids that democracy is not something that’s going to exist if we don’t stand up, if we don’t protest,” said Esther Kim Varet, who attended the Santa Barbara protest with her children. “Protesting is one of our fundamental rights as American citizens.”

The “No Kings” movement is a coordinated national day of action, with organizers pointing to what they see as the increasingly authoritarian nature of the Trump administration.

Thousands also gathered in Ventura, where participants filled sidewalks and streets.

“Extremely. I was trying to ignore Trump, but when he invaded L.A., that was the last straw,” said Rose Buckley, a protester from Ventura.

“Very sad to see this country taking this aim they’re doing now… it’s going into just fascism,” added fellow protester Kay Mendel.

Congressman Salud Carbajal made appearances in both Santa Barbara and Ventura, voicing his support for the demonstrators.

“Not loud enough—we’ve got to make sure Washington can hear it. Good morning, Ventura!” Carbajal told the crowd.

“No kings, no fascists, no dictators, and certainly no… clowns,” he added.

“I mean, I’m going to start to cry… it’s the most absurd situation I’ve ever seen in democracy in my lifetime,” said Evelyn Emi of Venice Beach.

“My hope is people will see the light and we can flip the Senate and the House in 2026,” said Sally Reeder from Oxnard.

Ventura police reported that the protest was peaceful with no disturbances.

In San Luis Obispo, more than 4,000 people rallied at the courthouse. The city blocked off several streets to ensure crowd safety, as many visitors were already in town for Cal Poly’s graduation. Others traveled from as far as Tennessee to participate.

The gathering featured musical performances, speeches, and a march through downtown.

“We’re here protesting the erosion of democracy here in the United States. I think we’re just a small part of a movement trying to take back our democracy,” said Cameron Jones, a Cal Poly faculty member and protester.

A sizeable crowd also gathered for a “No Kings” protest in the Santa Ynez Valley, lining both sides of Highway 246 in front of the Veterans Memorial Hall and Old Mission Santa Inés. The demonstration took place alongside the Santa Ynez Pride Festival and parade.

Back in Santa Barbara, emotions ran high throughout the hours-long event.

“Very heartened and positive and glad to see everyone out here. You know, it’s just a beautiful thing seeing everyone come together,” said Lloyd Patterson.

“Less families being separated, less needless bloodshed, less tyrannical reign over people that just want to live their lives in peace,” he added.

“I literally started tearing up because just seeing the numbers out here really made me realize that we are stronger together, that we are not few, that we are many, and we are a force to be reckoned with—and we will not stay silent,” said Kim Varet.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Foresters’ home opener at a packed Eddie Mathews Field ended with a 5-1 win against a new CCL team, the Philippines Baseball Group. The ’Sters took advantage of anything the Filipinos gave them, while also getting a very good game from four pitchers. The group combined combined for eleven strikeouts, while allowing only six hits, all of which were singles. Santa Barbara moved to 4-1 both on the young season.

After a scoreless first inning, the Foresters got things started in the second. Brenton Clark led off with a single before Cole Chamberlain barely missed a home run, the ball clanging off the top of the wall and sending Clark to third. Clark came home via a balk, followed by Chamberlain being sent home by a Sawyer Farr single. Easton Rulli later scored and Addison Klepsch rounded out the four-run inning by alertly scoring all the way from second on a passed ball.

Starter Aidan Keenan was dominant on the bump for the ’Sters in his three innings of work. After he gave up a leadoff baserunner in each of the first two innings, he got the next three in both, five of them by strikeout. He wound up allowing only giving up one hit and walking two.

It took until the fifth for the Filipinos to get on the board. Josh Hyneman pitched a scoreless fourth in relief of Keenan before being tagged for the run. Hyneman limited the damage, however, striking out the next two to escape the inning.

An immediate response let the ’Sters recapture a four-run lead, with Terrence Kiel II essentially single-handedly generating a run. After he singled, he proceeded to steal both second and third before Clark singled him home. 

Hyneman’s night ended in the top of the seventh, finishing off three-plus innings of strong work. He finished with a final line of three hits, a walk, one earned run, and two strikeouts.

A bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh gave the Foresters a scare, but Zeke Adderley’s two strikeouts helped them escape unscathed.

JD Goodcase came in to grab the last six outs, with the final out coming on a great throw from Chamberlain to nab a straying runner at second base.

The Foresters are back at Eddie Mathews tomorrow against the San Diego Bombers. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 pm, with live radio coverage on the Foresters YouTube channel.

(Article courtesy of Sasha Duda of Santa Barbara Foresters).

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Beth Farnsworth

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Your News Channel team reached out to Mark Juergensmeyer, Professor Emeritus of Global Studies at UC Santa Barbara, for his opinion on the escalation between Iran and Israel.

He said he does not think the two countries are headed for an all-out war, however, he said Iran had to “save face” and retaliate following Israel’s attack on its nuclear program.

“They (Iran) have no friends. They have no allies and no Sunni nation in the region is going to jump to their defense, they’re happy to see Iran weakened. They have, of course, trading partners: China, Russia. But, they’re not militarily going to jump to Iran’s defense.”

Professor Juergensmeyer called Israel’s attack a “devastating blow” to Iran’s nuclear program; whether is was a “crippling blow” remains to be seen. 

The UCSB professor added that Iran could possibly carry out retaliatory attacks on U.S. embassies in the region as the Trump Administration had advance knowledge of Israel’s plan. However, it is unclear if and how this will lead to further hostilities between the two nations.

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Ryder Christ

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a tense House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, accusing the Pentagon chief of jeopardizing national security, politicizing military service, and being “an embarrassment to this country.”

Carbajal’s remarks came amid mounting bipartisan scrutiny of Hegseth following revelations that he shared the launch time of a U.S. airstrike on Houthi militant targets in March via unsecure Signal group chats. One group reportedly included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, while another included Hegseth’s wife, brother, and personal attorney. Hegseth allegedly accessed the chats through his personal phone rather than a secure government-issued device.

“You broke the law in sharing classified information and in doing so, endangered the lives of our service members that you are responsible for,” Carbajal said. “Your inability to hold yourself accountable makes you incapable to lead. This alone makes you unfit to be the Secretary of Defense.”

Hegseth has maintained that no classified information was shared.

“Nobody’s texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he said earlier this week. “There’s no units, no locations, no routes, no flight paths, no sources, no methods, no classified information.”

The Pentagon’s Inspector General has since launched a formal investigation into whether national security protocols were violated and whether any messages were deleted to evade federal record-keeping laws.

The controversy has triggered internal fallout within the Pentagon, including reports of low morale, senior staff resignations, and growing concerns over Hegseth’s leadership. Carbajal also cited Hegseth’s deployment of Marines to Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests and his handling of the war in Ukraine as part of what he called a broader pattern of misconduct.

During the hearing, Carbajal pressed Hegseth on whether loyalty to former President Donald Trump had become a prerequisite for military or civilian service in the Department of Defense.

“Do you think political allegiance to Trump is a requirement for serving our nation, either in uniform or a civilian in the department?” Carbajal asked.

“I’m incredibly proud as there are millions of Americans—” Hegseth began.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Carbajal interrupted. “Not today, Hegseth. Yes or no.”

“Congressman, you know what a silly question that is,” Hegseth replied.

“But silly enough to warrant a very straightforward answer. Yes or no?” Carbajal pressed.

“We all support and defend the Constitution of the United States—” Hegseth began again.

“You know what? I’m not going to waste my time anymore,” Carbajal said. “You’re not worthy of my attention or my questions. You’re an embarrassment to this country. You’re unfit to lead. And there’s been bipartisan members of Congress that have called for your resignation. You should just get the hell out and let somebody competently lead this department.”

The exchange prompted someone off camera to say, “Mr. Chairman, do we not have any decorum in here?”

Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) quickly called for order, saying, “Let’s maintain decorum in this hearing, please.”

Shortly after the hearing, Carbajal posted video of the exchange on social media, adding a punching fist emoji, an American flag emoji, and a fire emoji.

Backlash against Hegseth has intensified in recent days. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern over his handling of sensitive information and perceptions of political favoritism within the military. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta are among those calling for accountability, with Panetta calling the Signal incident “one of the most serious breaches of trust I’ve seen in the modern Pentagon.”

During the hearing, Hegseth also confirmed that the Pentagon maintains contingency plans for potential military operations in regions such as Greenland and Panama—a revelation that drew additional skepticism from Democratic lawmakers.

Local conservative and former Santa Barbara City Councilman Dale Francisco criticized what he described as a double standard, noting that Carbajal was more forgiving of Democratic-appointed military leaders after the deaths of 13 U.S. service members during the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

On August 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport killed 13 American service members during the final stages of the U.S. evacuation.

At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin—appointed by President Biden—led the Pentagon. Carbajal condemned the attack in a public statement but did not call for Austin’s resignation.

“As a veteran, I know how families feel when their loved ones are called to duty,” Carbajal said in 2021. “My thoughts remain with the service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice, the injured, and their families. I thank all those in the military, diplomatic, humanitarian, and intelligence communities for their patriotism.”

As investigations continue, Carbajal’s remarks have emerged as one of the most forceful congressional condemnations of Hegseth’s tenure to date.

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Caleb Nguyen

PASO ROBLES, Calif. – Multiple fire crews helped with a house fire in Paso Robles just past 3:00 p.m. Friday, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

CAL FIRE SLO, Templeton Fire, Atascadero Fire and Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services crews helped with the response.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and more information on the incident will be provided as it becomes available.

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Alissa Orozco

WASHINGTON D.C. – On Saturday, a military parade will make its way through the streets of Washington, D.C. This will be the first time the capital has hosted a military parade since 1991, held to commemorate the end of the Gulf War.

Saturday’s parade will celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, and will take place at 3:30pm PST/6:30pm EDT on June 14th – which also happens to be President Trump’s 79th birthday.

The parade will kick off at 23rd Street NW, near the Lincoln Memorial, then proceeds along the National Mall, past the White House and the Washington Monument, until it reaches its endpoint at 15th Street NW.

Screenshot

More events are planned along with the parade including the 250th Birthday Festival, a concert, and a firework show.

The parade may further escalate current civil unrest happening nationally. In the past week, mass presentations have taken place in Los Angeles and major cities all over the country, protesting recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportations.

Over 2,000 “No Kings” protests will also take place Saturday across all 50 states to speak against “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”

Several communities on the Central Coast will be taking part in the “No Kings” protests, including Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Lompoc, and Santa Maria.

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A fashion boutique in San Luis Obispo has gotten hateful reactions following immigration raids in L.A.

The problem is, their small store has nothing to do with the raid.

The owners are hoping to clear up some confusion.

At Ambiance Boutique, a locally owned store in downtown San Luis Obispo, its been a stressful week for everyone. 

And it’s all due to a misunderstanding about the store’s name.

Back on June 6th, ICE raided a store called Ambiance Apparel in L.A., arresting dozens of workers and igniting days of unrest.

“It was pretty surreal, actually,” says store co-owner Colby Courter. “We started getting phone calls from our store manager here on Saturday, and she was saying that there were a number of very angry people calling.”

Since that day, the owners of Ambiance Boutique in SLO have been receiving hateful comments on social media, as well as vulgar and even threatening emails and phone calls.

“Saying horrible things about us and personally and about the store,” says Courter.

In just one week, the onslaught has gotten so bad the boutique has had to update its internet and phone listings to specify that there is no connection or affiliation between the two businesses.

“We’re bombarded so often with kind of this dopamine spike we allow it to really impact our behavior in a way that’s probably not beneficial to us or to society as a whole,” says the other co-owner Kannyn Courter.

To make it clear, their products have different sources, their business ownership is completely separate, and the SLO boutique has a target clientele that differs from the retail outlets the L.A. factory supplies.

They just have similar names.

“We as a society need to find a better way to come together and help each other in these moments,” says Kenny, “Because the hate for hate’s sake isn’t getting us anywhere.”

The boutique’s owners hope this mix-up can serve as an example of why people should think before jumping to conclusions.

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John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. – The end of the school year at UC Santa Barbara means one of the largest move outs of a student population on and off-campus in California.

An estimated 15-20,000 residents are leaving for the summer months. With that, items they can not take usually end up going to a donation site or left on the roadside.

The extra items, trash and household belongings, are not what the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) wants to see left strewn around. The company, Hauling-4-U, has been brought on to pick up discarded items during the move out period and help to clean the streets. It is a locally owned and family owned business.

“We are here, to pick up all the trash, gather all the trash and put in bags, so Marborg can come and pick them up,” said owner Ivan Padilla. “This is the beginning of the move out. So we are getting all the big spots, and after that, we just kind of pick up some small stuff.”

The work is on every street, and comes in all sizes and shapes. It ranges from clothing to furniture to every household item that just can’t fit into cars and trucks going away with students to their next stop.

There will be a drop off spot at Embarcadero Hall for a parking lot sale, happening next Saturday, June 21st. It is known as the ‘GIVE’ sale, with proceeds going to the Isla Vista non-profits.

There is also a coordinated effort with Junk Luggers to assist in moving large items from the apartments and homes to the GIVE sorting location. This work will continue through the weekend.

This year, an additional collection site is set up at Rottapel Park on Del Playa Drive.UCSB and the IVCSD have collaborated in recent years to help those moving out do so in a smooth and environmentally friendly process, compared to massive piles of leftover in the past.

One of the residents says the leftover items and trash stacks up very fast.Brock Camp said,  “most people will finish their finals around like Tuesday, Wednesday and then everything will just be on the street, just crazy. Everything piled up.”In addition to the trash there will be an e-waste and large item pick up.  

Padilla says his crew of three is making a difference.  “Oh, yes. We are happy to help.”

A student who was around last year at this time Ethan Mofarah said,  “honestly it’s cleaner this year than last year. Also it’s I think still a bit early.  I’d say in a couple more days Saturday, Sunday when graduations are happening I think it’s going to get worse.”

 Some of the items are sold on line quickly through sites like Facebook marketplace.

Mofarah said, “I sold my couch. You know, I got like $50 and I sold some Timberlands and I got like $20, and I made some money off it.”

 Tenants trying to get any kind of a deposit back are clearing their room of all items. “Everything moved out. Like the floor has to be completely open. Like we’ve got to get the table out today. All the couches, everything, sweep, mopped,” said Camp.

Many of the efforts to clean the streets and repurpose some of the leftovers is coordinated by the Community Services District and the UC Santa Barbara office of Civic and Community Engagement.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – There’s quite a bit of construction taking place along Bradley Road in Santa Maria at the site of the old Costco building, as well as next door where two restaurants used to be many years ago.

In the near future, the two sites will be the new home for a furniture store, as well as well-known national coffee shop and car wash.

Located directly off of Highway 101 between Stowell Road and Betteravia Road, the shopping area has suffered over the past several years due to the long-vacant properties.

The old Costco building has been closed since 2017 when the businesses moved a few blocks south down Bradley Road.

Nearby, the former Original Roadhouse Grill and Hometown Buffet both closed in 2020.

In addition, the former Edwards Cinemas theater next to the site of the former restaurants, also shut down in 2022.

All together, the closed businesses have help create an almost “ghost town” feel to the shopping area, but that is about to change with new businesses on the way.

At the old Costco building, a new furniture store called “Furniture Land,” is now in the process of transforming the large 70,000 building into a new showroom.

Furniture Land is a large-scale furniture business that currently has locations in three other cities, Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield.

On the property where Roadhouse and Hometown Buffet once occupied, a new Starbucks and car wash are in the process of being built.

According to the Santa Maria Valley Chamber, the addition of the three businesses will breath new life into the area and potentially drive additional sales to other restaurants and stores in the immediate area.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A mask, a lion, a squid, oh my!

The clock is ticking for artists at the Solstice Workshop in Santa Barbara.

“Oh my gosh, we got a week to go and I’m nowhere near ready,” said artist EJ Huerta of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

The countdown to Santa Barbara County’s largest art event, the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival is on.

“Everybody gets in a panic over getting their stuff ready for the last day,” said artist Jim Sun Bear of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival. “That’s the tree of life … it’ll have Tarzan and Jane on it. Jane‘s already on the swing.”

The Solstice team says the parade is more than just a bunch floats.

Its an entire performance put on by artists.

“We have about 18 to 20 floats but we have maybe 24 to 25 what I call images meaning there could be the World Dance for humanity for example but it doesn’t have a float but they’re like a big image,” said artistic director Ricardo Morrison of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

The event is projected to draw thousands of excited spectators.

Some are more excited than others.

“I’m sitting at a freaking desk all morning doing all the things that I have to do … as an admin person you know … that’s how I get excited … I think about all the cool stuff that happens,” said executive director Penny Little of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

“So you shake them and they fall down and then we have a bit where it’s interactive theater if we can pull this off,” said artist Jonathan Smith of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

If they can pull this off, it will have to be soon.

The 51st Summer Solstice Celebration will take place June 20th – 22nd in Santa Barbara, California. ​

The celebration will start at Alameda Park on Friday, June 20th, at 4:00 p.m., with the Opening Ceremony from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

The festivities will include music from local bands, food, beverages, dancing, and vendors to celebrate the longest day of the year. 

The parade will happen on Saturday June 21st, at 12:00 p.m., at the intersection of Santa Barbara and Ortega Streets.

The parade will travel to Santa Barbara Street ending at the Summer Solstice Festival at Alameda Park on Sola Street.

The festival is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit: https://www.solsticeparade.com/.

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