Category: keyt-local-news

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – It starts with a chair — and an act of love.

“It’s the greatest place in Santa Barbara I think for homeless people,” said Richard Grijalba, a client at the Father Virgil Cordano Center. “They help us with our hygiene, our haircuts, we’re fed. It’s a place to be during the day — because there’s no place for us to be during the day.”

“They are the children of God,” said Sister Oanh Tran of St. Vincent’s Santa Barbara. “They don’t have anything, but a haircut gives them confidence for themselves.”

She’s Sister Oanh Tran — born in Vietnam, trained in healthcare and cosmetology — now using both to bring dignity to Santa Barbara’s homeless.

Here, her ministry is presence.

Oanh arranges her tools, ready for anyone in need of a fresh start.

“I just think everybody wants to look nice,” Tran said. “With shampoo and a haircut it makes them feel better — more confidence and happy.”

Each week, she gives nearly 30 haircuts to those living on the streets — helping them look sharp and feel seen at the Father Virgil Cordano Center.

“She blesses my life, that’s for sure,” Grijalba said.

“My hope is to make them feel love and care — that someone loves them and cares for them,” Tran said.

The clippers buzz, smiles spread, and a quiet sense of hope returns.

“I feel refreshed and positive again I think,” Grijalba said.

“They help me to be closer to God day by day,” Tran said. “And I hope they see God in me too.”

“I feel like a million bucks,” Grijalba said.

One haircut.

One human restored.

Proof that grace still cuts through.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – With the countdown to start of the 83rd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade now under 100 days, much coveted tickets are set to on sale tomorrow on Friday, March 6.

“We are so excited for the 83rd annual Santa Maria Oaks Rodeo and Parade,” said Johnna McGuire, Elks Recreation Media Director. “Tomorrow at 10 a.m. sharp. Tickets will go on sale, for elksrec.com.”

With tickets annually in high demand, Elks Recreation, which operates the popular showcase event, is issuing a warning to people who are interested in purchasing much coveted seats.

“The funny thing is, if you Google it, there are ticket sites that say they are on sale and there’s only limited seats,” said McGuire. “I think one site said 28 tickets left for Wednesday night’s Extreme Bulls and selling for like $150. That is a scam. You have to avoid all those third-party sites. We can’t promise that those tickets are legit and you’re going to pay so much more. Go to elksrec.com at 10 a.m. sharp. All the tickets will go on sale and everybody gets a fair shot at them.”

Elks Recreation is also advising the public if they are interested in purchasing box seats, they should try and do so through the official website as soon as possible due to extremely high demand in the past. 

Another suggestion for fans is that while there are many more grandstand tickets available than box seats, they should also make those purchases in a timely manner as well.

“We have limited box seats and our tickets for general admission,” said McGuire. “Go on, get them while they last. They’ll be plenty tomorrow for grandstand tickets, but in the last few years, we’ve had generally sold out performances, so you don’t want to wait the last minute.”

The 83rd Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade is scheduled to take place May 27 through May 31.

“The Santa Maria Elks Rodeo has grown so much,” said McGuire. “It’s not just a Santa Maria event and it’s not even just a Central Coast event. It’s a Western United States, and an international event on Cowboy Channel, and the level of cowboys and cowgirls that we get here, it’s really the same that you’re going to see at NFR (National Finals Rodeo). There’s a lot of rodeos, but we’re really blessed because we get the best of the best.”

For a second consecutive year, the rodeo will run five days, instead of four days, which it had for the previous 81 years.

In 2025, the rodeo brought in PRCA Xtreme Bulls, a special one-night only performance that features a full night of bull riding.

 “It was a huge success and we are so excited to be bringing it back,” said McGuire. “It’s 40 bulls and all bulls. No bull.”

For more information, click here to visit the official website at elksrec.com

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Job seekers who can speak two languages, preferable Spanish, came together for some possible employment opportunities Thursday at the Eastside Santa Barbara library.

The job fair was specifically tailored for employers actively seeking bilingual and Spanish-speaking jobseekers.

Meet representatives will be on site. They have positions to fill, some immediately.

Maegan Boyce with Community West Bank said, “we pride ourselves on relationships within the community, relationships within the bank and really investing in our community and our team members.”

She said, the library was a convenient and welcoming place for community members to gather. “A lot of times it will at UCSB or a job fair (at other larger sites), but to be at a community library is really special.”

They were ready to meet a potential employee face to face. “Right now we have a position in our Goleta banking center so it would be phenomenal to have someone who is bilingual.”

Employers Include:

1Heart Caregiver Services
La Bella Rosa Bakery

AppelOne Staffing
MarBorg Industries

CA Dept. of Social Services Community Care Licensing
Momentum Work, Inc.

City of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Clerk-Recorder

Community West Bank
Santa Barbara Police

County of Santa Barbara Human Resources Department
Santa Barbara Public Library

Crossroads Staffing, Inc.
Storyteller

Goodwill Mission Services
UCSB

HC Assetco LLC dba Hotel Californian
United States Postal Service

Hilton Santa Barbra Beachfront Resort
US ARMY

The library site is one of the many expanded used for the library properties and its services.

Besides books the library locations are resources for community events, meetings, seminars, and a library card can also get someone access to museums, state parks and ebike rides.

Recently a promotion with Rori’s Creamery rewarded anyone with a library card or a library book a free scoop of ice cream.

New library card requests in the month of February with that promotion, in Santa Barbara, spiked to 900. That was just at the main library downtown, the eastside and Montecito branch.

There were also special boxes around the town for people to write notes to the library staff or share their experiences. Over 1000 came in. Lauren Trujillo is the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation. She said, “we had 60 boxes all over the community. We had over a thousand cards come in from children to grandparents to family member to teens, it’s been incredible!”

The staff said it was emotional to read. “I think we pulled a heartstring and people wanted to express not just their love, not just what the library does for the community but for the special people behind the desk and behind shelves to make the library run.”

They will be closely looking at the responses and possibly getting ideas for future projects, based on the feedback.

The new Library plaza is open and has some tables and chairs for people to spend time in a partnership with the group “Friends of State Street.”

In April an Italian festival will take place in the plaza and literary events are coming up this month.

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Mike Klan

ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) – The showdown at St. Joseph High School lived up to the hype.

Gunner Morinini drilled two huge three-pointers with under 3 minutes to play to lift the home Knights past Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 66-60 in a CIF-State Open Division first round game.

St. Joseph (31-2) advances to a regional semifinal game at #2 seed Harvard-Westlake on Saturday night.

Both #3 seed St. Joseph and #6 Notre Dame entered this game ranked in the top six in the state by MaxPreps and Rivals had each ranked nationally in the top 25.

The visiting Knights got off to a fast start leading 16-5 before St. Joseph reeled off 13 straight points and took the lead on an Abdoul Bare dunk.

The first quarter ended with St. Joseph up 20-18.

Stanford-bound senior Julius Price and his younger brother Malcom Price, a junior, kept St. Joseph in front by a slim margin for most of the game.

St. Joe led 33-32 at the half and 46-43 after three quarters.

Julius Price finished with 17 points while Malcom Price added 15.

Notre Dame junior point guard NaVorro Bowman Jr. scored three inside baskets in the fourth quarter and Notre Dame was down just 52-51 with 4:18 left in the game. Bowman tallied a game-high 20 points.

Morinini who had been quietly offensively until the final quarter, had the finishing touch scoring his team’s final 14 points.

A driving layup gave St. Joseph a 54-51 lead with 4:03 remaining.

He drilled a three-pointer on the baseline to make it 57-51 with 2:45 left.

About a minute later Morinini came calling again from the same spot, another triple to give St. Joseph a 60-52 lead.

Morinini, who ended up with 17 points, capped off his fantastic finish with a layup and four free throws and St. Joseph continues their sensational season.

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from Amtrak regarding the full-service shutdown of all Pacific Surfliner trains between San Diego and San Luis Obispo this upcoming weekend.

CALIFORNIA – As we plan for uninterrupted train service during summer travel season, we’re supporting our rail partners in getting necessary track work done now. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience it may cause but do know that we’re maintaining key infrastructure to keep trains moving the rest of the year. 

Due to track closures by Union Pacific, Metrolink, and NCTD both north and south of Los Angeles, Pacific Surfliner trains will not operate between San Diego and San Luis Obispo on the weekend of March 7–8, 2026.

Please note that bus bridge service will not be available during this closure.

We understand this may impact your travel plans, and we truly appreciate your patience. If you’re planning to travel that weekend, we encourage you to make alternate arrangements as early as possible.

What to Expect:

No train service along the entire corridor. 

No bus bridges will be provided. However, Amtrak Connection Bus routes will continue to operate.

Customers may modify their reservation for another date, or a refund will be issued by Amtrak. 

Regular train service is scheduled to resume on Monday, March 9, 2026.

For more information, visit the Pacific Surfliner Travel Advisories page. 

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Maria City Council is reeling tonight, trying to understand why a Councilmember abruptly quit without notice.

It happened at last night’s council meeting.

Councilman Carlos Escobedo, who was first elected in 2020, announced his resignation near the beginning of the meeting and walked out.

“Due to my upcoming move outside District One, I will not longer meet the residency requirement necessary to continue serving in this role,” Escobedo said from the dais. “While this decision comes with mixed emotions, I believe that stepping down is the appropriate and responsible course of action.”

Escobedo has two years left in his term.

“So that’s effective now?” asked Councilmember Gloria Soto. “Do we talk about what happens next? That’s—No. Okay.”

His resignation appeared abrupt, seeming to catch other council members off-guard.

Brief discussion in the chamber reflects a lack of notice to city staff from the councilman.

“As surprised as I am, I will be providing the council with a memorandum as to next steps,” said Santa Maria City Attorney Tom Watson. “But as of right now, that seat is vacant.”

City attorney Tom Watson said he will have to examine the statutes before taking further steps, especially because this year is an election cycle.

“There will be an election in November,” said Watson. “But between now and then, I will provide legal opinion to council, whether or not an appointment and how such an appointment would take place.”

The council continued the meeting in Escobedo’s absence.

With Escobedo’s seat vacant, the motion to establish an Ad-Hoc Immigration Committee later in the evening tied 2 to 2, meeting with defeat.

Residents in attendance were audibly shocked and upset by that result.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara Humane returned to your Morning News with a face you just can’t resist.

In a group of 16 new dogs, 7-year-old Benji arrived in Santa Barbara from the organization’s transfer program, already arriving three legged and with a skin and ear infection. Unfortunately doctors discovered Benji’s eyes to be in poor condition as well so the decision was made to remove them.

“I think when he came to us those eyes were in such bad shape that he really couldn’t see anyway, so it’s not a huge thing to be a new thing to be blind. Just a sweet little guy. He just wants to hang out in your backyard in a patch of sun, you know, just be cute little Benji,” says chief operating officer, Dory Villalon.

Benji, along with the other pups, will be available for adoption starting Thursday.

In a few days SB Humane will be throwing their Wild West Fest! The fundraising event helps support the organization and all those sweet animals they take in, just like Benji.

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Alissa Orozco

BUELLTON, Calif. (KEYT) – The annual Buellton Wine & Chili Festival is coming up soon, and you better be ready with a wine glass in one hand and a spoon in the other for the most flavorful event on the Central Coast!

The event features local music, food, and drinks from up and down the coast, with over 30 chili and salsa cooks competing to prove they’re the best.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company executive chef, Alex Aviles, and Andre Nuño from En Fuego Events previewed the upcoming event on your Morning News – of course never empty handed.

“We’re stoked. I mean, it’s our 3rd year on the Central Coast right now, another anniversary for us, so we’re trying to get out and party every chance we get,” says Aviles. “This is just another one of those situations where we get out of the kitchen and go party with everybody in Buellton and anybody who wants to come visit.” 

Locals can choose from a tiered list of ticket options, offering the chance to sample the more than 30 wineries, craft breweries, seltzers, ciders and spirit companies, AND chili and salsa.

Locals get to taste all the chili they’d like, and then cast their vote for who they think is the best. According to Nuño, the flavors are limitless.

“It’s however you make your chili. We wanted this to feel like, you know, if you’re at home and you just make the best chili for your family,” says Nuño.

The Buellton Wine and Chili Festival will take place on March 15th at 12 p.m. at the Flying Flags RV Resort campground.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT)- A new five-story campus is getting its finishing touches on Anapamu Street.

The Sanctuary Centers project will bring supportive housing, a medical clinic, and expanded behavioral health services to the area.

The campus is designed to support some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Construction is in its final phase as crews prepare for the crane to come down.

The non-profit is still working to close a three-million-dollar funding gap.

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Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – Hundreds of local high school students had the chance to learn about future job opportunities at a career technical education (CTE) conference held Wednesday at Nipomo High School.

About 300 students from Nipomo, Central Coast New Tech and Lopez high schools partipated in the event that was held for the third straight year.

“The students have the opportunity to go in to pick three rooms that have different industry specific, including healthcare, construction, aviation and many others,” said Kristin Anderson, Lucia Mar Unified School District Curriculum Instruction Director. “They also have an opportunity to attend the vendor fair with over 40 different local vendors.” 

Several companies, businesses, government agencies, community colleges and other organizations took part in the CTE conference, including Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Edwards Construction, ACI Jet, Caltrans, RRM Design Group, Edwards Construction, San Luis Obispo County Airport, Arroyo Grande Police Department, San Luis Obispo County Fire Department/CAL FIRE, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and many others.

“I think it’s important for students to get to see what’s in our community,” said Anderson. “Sometimes our students don’t know what the opportunities they have if they don’t have a place to see them all at one spot, so it’s kind of like a one stop shop for everybody to get to see different ideas and maybe they’ll branch out and try something new.”

Students had several opportunities to meet face-to-face with career professionals, at a vendor fair held inside the school’s Olympic Hall.

“I think, for a lot of people, it’s very eye opening,” said student Cy Randall. “I feel like a lot of kids don’t know what they want to do after high school and this is a good opportunity for them to explore different careers and just kind of understand if they want to go into a certain field, what that will mean, what the salary will mean, what the work’s going to mean, stuff like that.” 

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