Category: keyt-local-news

Andie Lopez Bornet

Low pressure and onshore flow continues to keep the Central Coast brisk and gloomy Friday. Sunshine did peak through the day, which was a pleasant surprise and was quick.

Light winds will pick up Friday afternoon and will calm by the late evening, currently no wind alerts have been issued.

A trough is headed to the region and with that measurable rain will arrive early Saturday morning for areas north of Point Conception. San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria can expect to wake up to rain between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Santa Barbara and Ventura county can expect rainfall in the morning between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. At times, pockets of rain will be heavy and there is a possibility of hail and thunderstorms for the interior areas of the region.

A winter weather advisory will go into place Saturday morning at 7 a.m. for the Santa Barbara and Ventura county interior mountains. Up to five inches of snow is expected with snow levels at 5000 feet and above. The advisory is set to expire at 11 p.m. Saturday night. It will be a fast moving system and the bulk of the storm will be during early Saturday. Throughout the day on Saturday, scattered showers move through the region, and depending on your micro climate, clouds will be dense enough to produce drizzle through Saturday evening. Temperatures on Saturday will remain in the 50s and 60s, so if you are headed out the door for the Strawberry Festival in Santa Maria, the Santa Barbara Fair and Expo at Earl Warren Showgrounds or the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, be sure to grab a coat and umbrella.

Headed into Sunday, scattered drizzle will start the day and better clearing arrives Sunday afternoon and night. As we say goodbye to the month of April next week, we prepare for high pressure to build in and bring sunny skies and warm temperatures. Paso Robles will see temperatures in the 80s on Tuesday! It won’t last long so take advantage of the sunny skies to start the work week. By the second half of the work week, temperatures begin to cool down once again.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A draft of President Trump’s budget proposal for the upcoming year has local organizations in Santa Barbara County concerned about programs that will likely be cut as a result.

Leaders of CommUnify in Santa Barbara say the proposed budget bill threatens to slash more vital programs in the county. They say the proposal does not allocate any money towards Head Start, Community Development Block grants (CDBG), or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP).

The CommUnify team is urging the community to take action by reaching out to state officials in order to save these programs. 

“We need to hear your voice… congress needs to hear your voice… we’re asking everyone to reach out to congressman Carbajal… Senator Schiff,” said CEO Patricia Keelean of CommUnify.

“This means that our families will have to make tougher decisions between paying their gas or electric bill, putting food on their table or actually buying medicine,” said director of community services Kimba Lawrence of CommUnify.

The Communify team says these programs help the most vulnerable members of the community, and will be eliminated should this budget pass in the next few weeks.

From CommUnify:

Proposed “Skinny Budget” Bill Threatens to Eliminate Vital Programs in Santa Barbara County including Head Start, CDBGs, and LIHEAP.

Leaked document reveals the administration’s FY 2026 funding blueprint which includes budget cuts recommended by the Heritage Foundation and put forth in the “Project 2025” plan.

Two key programs which have received bipartisan support for decades and help the most vulnerable members of the community are on the chopping block.

A White House draft budget proposal was recently leaked and does not allocate any money towards Head Start, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and lists them among the many programs to be eliminated should this budget pass in the next few weeks.

Head Start operates in all 50 states and employs more than 250,000 people at 18,000 centers nationwide.

The loss of Head Start would impact more than 1 million parents who rely on the program and wouldn’t be able to go to work or would be forced to choose between their livelihoods and a safe, reliable place for their children.

These closures cut off childcare for hundreds of thousands of low-income families, for whom a day without work is often a day without pay.

“This proposal does not reflect fiscal responsibility. It reflects a divestment in our future,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of National Head Start Association. “Eliminating funding for Head Start would be catastrophic. It would be a direct attack on our nation’s most at-risk children, their well-being, and their families. Head Start is more than just a preschool program. It provides whole-child essential support – from early learning to parenting services to nutritious meals and health screenings – for nearly 800,000 children and helps level the playing field for children who might otherwise fall behind before even starting kindergarten. Many Head Start children are in foster care or are homeless so these cuts affect those who need these services the most.”

In Santa Barbara County, CommUnify’s Head Start program serves nearly 600 children and their families including infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, at 20 centers across the county.

Since 1967, Head Start has served 55,000 residents countywide and more than 200 staff are employed by the program. These Head Start centers also provide over 160,000 healthy meals to the children each year.

“Without Head Start, families who are already struggling financially could experience even greater economic burdens as they would have to spend funds they don’t have on childcare, or forgo working in order to stay home with their children,” said Patricia Keelean CEO for CommUnify. “This would in turn impact local workforces across our nation and in our county, and could create other negative outcomes such as increased homelessness, food insecurity, mental health challenges, and unsafe/unlicensed childcare settings.”

In addition to purging Head Start, the Trump administration’s proposed FY 2026 budget would also eliminate Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) which provide funding to Community Action Agencies across the nation to address the root causes and conditions of poverty by supporting a wide range of services including emergency assistance, education, job training and other resources.

A third program to be eliminated by the proposed funding cuts includes the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which provides utility bill assistance to struggling families and seniors.

LIHEAP plays a crucial role in helping 6 million income-constrained families afford energy costs, preventing 2.75 million utility disconnections annually, and improving energy efficiency in 60,000 households, enhancing the overall well-being and safety of vulnerable households.

And the percentage of income spent on utilities is wildly disproportionate. Low-income families spend 22.8% of their income on home energy as compared to the 2.9% spent by the highest income families.

In the last 12 months, 27% of Americans reduced or went without basic needs such as food and medicine so they could pay their energy bill.

“Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy should be ashamed of this budget because they are proposing to take money out of the pockets of six million very poor families so the well-off can get even bigger tax breaks,” said Mark Wolfe, CEO of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. (NEADA), which works closely with the LIHEAP program. “These residents may have to go without heat or air conditioning if this budget gets passed, and people will die or have big health consequences because of it. At a time when families are fighting to make ends meet – and tariffs are poised to drive prices even higher – it’s unconscionable to rip away this help offered to people in need,” Wolfe said. “A $500 energy grant might not matter to (upper income residents), but it could literally mean life or death for families facing extreme winter cold and summer heat.”

In 2024, CommUnify provided utility payment assistance through LIHEAP to 3,984 individuals across 1,641 households throughout Santa Barbara County. These residents included vulnerable seniors as well as families grappling with astronomical rents and rising utility bills.

“The elimination of the LIHEAP program could mean that our seniors and struggling families have to choose between keeping their lights on or buying lifesaving medications and food,” said Kemba Lawrence, Director of Community Services for CommUnify. “Incomes are not keeping pace with the cost of living – particularly here in Santa Barbara County – and these essential programs give families and seniors the support they need on their path to self sufficiency.”

For a complete description of all 16 of CommUnify’s programs and services please visit the websitewww.CommUnifySB.org.

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John Palminteri

SUMMERLAND, Calif. – Seven miles of new lanes along with new bridges and soundwalls have been completed on Highway 101 in the Carpinteria and Summerland area.

The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is providing an update later today on the completion of this project and what is ahead for the next segments. That will include work in the Montecito area and the final segment – still unfunded – in Santa Barbara.

One of the highlights is the addition of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for use in the peak hours for drivers who have one or more passengers.

Work is already underway in other sections of the highway including around the Hermosillo Lane exit and the northbound freeway section in Montecito that is split to make room for on going work projects there. When that is done, a similar work design will take place going south.

(More details, photos and video will be added here later today)

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Earth Month may be ending soon, but slo county airport’s sustainability efforts won’t be.

Multiple projects are slated for ongoing carbon footprint reduction and waste mitigation at the San Luis Obispo County Airport, scheduled to begin within the coming weeks and months, and some have already started.

“Sometimes people ask, why are we doing these different kinds of initiatives. And we know that our entire region is really deeply embedded in environmental stewardship. And so as a thoroughfare to this beautiful area that we live in, we really believe that it’s on us to be the first example,” says Annie Secrest, SLO Airport sustainability manager. 

Upcoming projects include solar parking canopies and E.V. charging infrastructure for passenger use, adding to their current use of E.V. technology on the tarmac. 

“We have one other project that’s also kind of behind the scenes And that’s an unused toilet paper recapture program. During the turnover events where our custodial staff are going through our restrooms and getting them set up for the next flights, we’re actually recapturing those clean, unused toilet paper rolls and then donating them,” says Secret.

Additionally, a local company founded by a cal poly graduate is installing freshwater fill stations that serve as ordered in 100% compostable containers.

“This enables a new system where we don’t need to transport water, so we transport about 90% less weight and we don’t need a long shelf life so we can make it out of, you know, composable materials,” says Scott Edward, founder of Dropwater.

Airport staff are excited for these new additions to be implemented, which will reinforce their company’s approach to proper stewardship in addition to the comforts their passengers expect.

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Ivania Montes

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – What was meant to be a spiritual honeymoon turned into a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Alec Gasca and his wife.

Gasca, the principal of Notre Dame School in Santa Barbara, had planned the trip months in advance to celebrate Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday in Rome. But the couple never expected their visit to coincide with the final days of Pope Francis.

“We found ourselves in the presence of the pope — not realizing at the time that we were witnessing his final hours,” Gasca said.

After arriving in Rome on Thursday, the couple didn’t see Pope Francis until Holy Saturday. They arrived early at St. Peter’s Basilica to secure a good spot — and it paid off.

Over the next few days, they saw the pope several times, including one powerful moment when he prayed at the altar.

“You feel the Holy Spirit kind of in the air,” Gasca said. “Pope Francis was such an advocate for those most in need… It was something my wife and I will talk about for a long time.”

The moment was surreal — standing in the same sacred space as the leader of the Catholic Church, surrounded by the faithful from around the world.

Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88. The Vatican said he suffered a stroke followed by irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. He died peacefully at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta

The couple was on a train in Naples when they first heard the news of the pope’s passing — not from locals, but through a Facebook post from a relative back home in the United States.

As word spread, the mood across churches in Italy began to shift.

“The beauty of the space was still there,” Gasca said. “But it became more of a quiet sorrow. Everyone felt the weight of the loss.”

The couple has since changed their plans and will remain in Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time (1 a.m. PT) in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City. The pope’s coffin will then be transported to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome for burial, honoring his request for a modest tomb outside the Vatican.

This will mark the first time in more than a century that a pope is buried outside the Vatican. Francis chose the basilica due to his personal devotion to the Virgin Mary, particularly the Salus Populi Romani, the iconic Byzantine icon of Mary and the child Jesus holding a Gospel book on a gold background.

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Mina Wahab

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — For years, a giant red stiletto standing tall along Highway 101 near La Conchita has sparked curiosity and brought joy to drivers.

“It was just that little bit of humor that somebody—I don’t know if somebody put it there for our eyes to just enjoy,” said Frances Tiger, who lives in Santa Barbara.

Its origins date back a decade, when Sharon Bradford gifted the stiletto to her friend Phyllis Smith for her 70th birthday after spotting it in a Los Angeles prop shop. The party was canceled after Smith’s husband was injured, and the shoe sat in storage until farmer Dennis Pozzebon found it and placed it on his property, where it became a local roadside mystery.

Years later, Bradford asked to borrow the shoe back for Smith’s 80th birthday celebration. After the party, it was returned to its familiar spot along Highway 101 for travelers to enjoy.

“It’s like a little monument,” said UCSB student Kiersten Falat, who was shocked to find out the stiletto had gone missing the last week of February.

But who would take a giant red shoe?

“Either somebody really hates high heels or somebody that loves high heels,” said David Mendoza.

“I do believe there are several people that know what happened to it,” said Sarah Pozzebon.

Pozzebon’s husband found the giant shoe a few years ago by a dumpster and relocated it by the 101 Freeway, breathing new life into the Styrofoam creation.

If you open a Reddit thread, you’ll find several comments—and most of them trace back to Isla Vista.

“The person that took it isn’t going to just take it to their basement and keep it a secret forever,” said Pozzebon.

So we went exploring in Isla Vista.

One Instagram user sent us a screenshot of a YikYak post that showed the red stiletto outside the 6600 block of Sabado Tarde.

The image appears to show the shoe with a fresh coat of paint—a striking detail the owner noticed back in early February.

She said she had also noticed the heel was broken and that the stiletto had mysteriously moved to another part of the field before it ultimately disappeared.

“We should have put an AirTag in it when that happened,” Pozzebon said.

Henry Sarria, who has lived in Isla Vista for years, said he saw a different YikYak post showing the stiletto in the 6500 block of Del Playa Drive.

“This generation’s amazing. Anything illicit or against the law—the first thing they do is share it on social media,” said Sarria.

We asked residents in the surrounding buildings where it could be.

“I think we just got unlucky that it happened to be right next to our house because our house isn’t affiliated with the fraternity at all,” said fraternity member Tyler Miller.

Several locals told us to check the fraternities.

So we went door to door, hopeful to find more clues.

“I genuinely wish we could take credit for it, but I don’t even know where we would hide it,” said Brandon Bell from Alpha Tau Alpha.

“We don’t have it. Let’s just get that one thing clear. I feel like if we had it, you would see it. Nothing in the house is big enough to store it,” said fraternity member Levi Salzman.

Multiple people suggested a frat known for pulling pranks.

That fraternity is just half a mile from the last sighting of the shoe.

So we knocked on their door.

One of the residents answered after 10 minutes but said they needed to take care of something before letting us in.

After waiting a while longer, we got no response.

But pranks like these in Isla Vista have a rich history dating back to 1965.

“The inflatable spuds went missing, the Oscars statue, the sign… it’s just what happens in this town. We don’t know why. It’s like Area 51,” said Pete Smith, owner of Sweet Pete’s Treats.

Though the mystery remains unsolved, the community is determined to trace the steps of the red stiletto.

Pozzebon said she didn’t file a police report. She and her husband just want the shoe back in the spot where everyone can enjoy it—no questions asked. She said whoever brings it back will be a local hero.

If you have any information about the red stiletto, reach out to your News Channel.

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Christa Kurkjian

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Students at UC Santa Barbara marked the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a peaceful on-campus protest Thursday, calling for greater public recognition and education about the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire.

Organized by the Armenian Student Association, the demonstration included chants, handmade posters, and a symbolic march across campus. Participants began their protest at the Student Resource Building, made a stop at Storke Tower, and concluded at the UCSB Library.

“April 24 is a day that we mourn and remember the 1.5 million lives lost during the Armenian Genocide, which continues to be denied by the Turkish government,” said Hovan Boyajian, a second-year UCSB student. “We’re trying to spread the message that we won’t be silenced, and that Armenians in Santa Barbara are strong and passionate about our culture and our community.”

The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople, marking the start of a campaign that led to mass killings and forced deportations. Despite formal recognition by several nations, including the United States in 2021, Turkey continues to reject the term “genocide,” a stance that has fueled generations of activism.

Lilian Mkrtoumian, vice president of UCSB’s Armenian Student Association, emphasized the importance of education and visibility in their efforts.

“People don’t even know about the Armenian Genocide and that’s not necessarily their fault,” she said. “It’s a result of educational systems that have failed to teach this history.”

Beyond Thursday’s protest, student organizers have taken their message to university leadership. The group recently proposed legislation to the UCSB Associated Students Senate that would formally recognize the Armenian Genocide and designate April as Armenian Heritage Month on campus.

“If it passes, it will make our community feel more included,” Mkrtoumian said. “It will ensure that UCSB is actually acknowledging our people, which is very important for us.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed April 24 as a Day of Remembrance, and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff released a statement Thursday commemorating the genocide.

“Despite the trials the Armenian people have faced and continue to face, it has not broken their faith, determination, or their will to survive,” Schiff wrote. “Time and time again, the Armenian people have overcome enormous hardship and loss, and yet, still remain strong and unbowed.”

As students continue their campaign for recognition and remembrance, many say they are committed to ensuring the legacy of their ancestors is never forgotten.

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Ryder Christ

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — More than 200 protesters lined both sides of the street outside the Social Security Administration office in downtown Santa Barbara on Wednesday, joining a nationwide outcry over proposed federal changes they say threaten the future of Social Security services.

The rally, organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara and the Hands Off Our Social Security movement, was one of 58 demonstrations held across 23 states. Protesters gathered outside the SSA field office at 122 W. Figueroa St., where local residents, federal retirees and advocacy leaders voiced alarm over efforts by the Trump administration to downsize the agency.

“This is a collective resistance to the insanity that is going on in our country right now,” said Kristi King, a nurse practitioner and local activist affiliated with both Indivisible and Hands Off. “We’re standing up for the most vulnerable and the most needy population in our country.”

King, along with U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, delivered a 35-page letter to the SSA office. The letter, addressed to Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek and signed by more than 100 congressional Democrats, urged the agency to reverse course on office closures and staffing cuts.

“Social Security is your money. It’s our money,” said Carbajal. “Over 150 individuals on the Central Coast rely on their Social Security monthly checks for Medicaid.”

The demonstration followed recent announcements from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, outlining plans to reduce the SSA workforce by 12%—approximately 7,000 employees—and shut down six of its 10 regional offices. While the administration said the moves are part of a broader effort to improve efficiency, critics warned of long-term consequences.

Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, president of Social Security Works PAC, delivered the letter alongside Carbajal and told demonstrators the administration’s actions were “the biggest assault on Social Security in the history of the program.”

“Donald Trump and his unelected co-president, Elon Musk, are doing the best they can to destroy the entire Social Security system. And we’re doing the best we can to stop them,” Bauman said.

Carbajal condemned the staffing cuts and praised constituents for speaking out.

“The Trump administration’s attacks on the Social Security Administration threaten the services millions of Americans depend on,” he said. “We must protect these lifelines—not dismantle them.”

Bauman pointed to protest efforts as already having an impact.

“They had 47 offices planned for closure. They have backed off that plan already because of demonstrations like this,” he said.

While the White House has denied any planned cuts to Social Security benefits, many protesters expressed skepticism. King cited concerns not only about payment reductions, but also about broader access to services and job security for federal workers.

“What sparked it today was part of the proposed cuts to people’s checks, the elderly, and the cutbacks in service,” she said. “We got together and just said no.”

Alongside the Santa Barbara protest, a similar demonstration was held outside the SSA office in Santa Maria, where local residents delivered the same letter of protest. Another rally is scheduled for Thursday, May 1, at the Sunken Garden at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

“It’s very grassroots,” King said. “But the message is clear: Hands off our Social Security.”

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