Category: keyt-local-news

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A growing sidewalk memorial on State Street, near Pedregosa Street, marks the site where 29-year-old Joel Gonzalez was fatally struck by a suspected drunk driver Sunday night.

Santa Barbara police say Gonzalez was riding his e-bike just after 9:30 p.m. when he was hit by a black SUV while heading home from work at the restaurant Santo Mezcal on lower State Street. He lived near the Old Mission and often spent time in the Mission Rose Garden. He was just blocks from home when the crash occurred.

According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, the initial investigation suggests that Gonzalez may have veered or turned in front of the vehicle while traveling southbound on State Street. Officers observed that the driver, 36-year-old Santa Barbara resident Christina Almada, was displaying signs of alcohol intoxication. A DUI investigation followed, and Almada was arrested at the scene.

She was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on several charges: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing injury, and driving without a license. Her bail was set at $100,000. Almada has since posted bail.

The memorial in Gonzalez’s honor includes flowers, candles, Dodgers memorabilia, and some of his favorite drinks. Family and friends have been gathering throughout the week to remember the Santa Barbara native, who graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in 2013. He would have turned 30 next month.

Gonzalez leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter, Sophia, who spoke at the memorial.

“He was kind, he was really, like, just a hard worker, and he really just got his real estate license and he was excited to do it,” said Sophia.

Family members wore Dodgers shirts to the memorial, reflecting their shared love for the team.

Christina Mendoza, a family friend, said Gonzalez previously worked security at 7 Bar on Montecito and Bath Streets before becoming a bar manager at Santo Mezcal by Los Agaves.

“I want everyone to know about Joel,” said Mendoza. “He was an amazing human, a great heart, beautiful smile — el guapo. Loved him to death.”

Mendoza has organized a GoFundMe campaign to assist the family and posted a QR code at the memorial for easy access. 7 Bar will host a fundraiser on Wednesday, May 21, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to Gonzalez’s family. Friends and staff plan to wear memorial T-shirts in his honor.

Many of Gonzalez’s former classmates have also visited the memorial to offer support to his family.

To assist the family, visit the GoFundMe link below.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/assist-joels-family-during-this-time?lang=en_US

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara made a big announcement to help almost a dozen nonprofits in the community.

The organization awarded a record $1.25 million in grants to 11 local nonprofits.

The funding was made possible through the contributions of 1,426 local women members who pooled their charitable donations.

Over 500 Women’s Fund members, guests, sponsors, and community supporters gathered at the iconic Lobero Theatre to celebrate and learn about the funded projects.

From the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara:

Board Chair Carolyn Jabs emphasized the mission: “Together, when we pool our resources, we can achieve far more than we ever could alone.”

Since its inception, the Women’s Fund has awarded over $12.8 million to 163 programs at 73 nonprofits, positively impacting more than 100,000 women, children, and families.

Critical Community Needs Addressed:

·      Support for homeless individuals·      Mental health care initiatives·      Nutritional assistance for seniors·      Educational opportunities for low-income children·      Vision care services·      Reliable transportation for youth·      Hygiene facilities for those in need

The 2024-2025 grant recipients listed below will tackle some of the most critical needs facing ourcommunity, including the following:

Support for homeless individuals

Mental health care initiatives

Nutritional assistance for seniors

Educational opportunities for low-income children

Vision care services

Reliable transportation for youth

Hygiene facilities for those in need

Carpinteria Children’s Project – $100,000 to provide scholarships for 20-40 low-income studentsin CCP’s Dual Language Immersion Program, enhancing kindergarten readiness and supportingfamilies with access to additional resources and services.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County – $75,000 for upgrading CASA’sdata management system and hiring a full-time data management specialist to improveadvocacy for children in foster care.

Channel Islands YMCA – $100,000 to establish the county’s first fully licensed transitional housingprogram for youth exiting foster care, providing intensive case management and support for nineyoung adults.

Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County – $200,000 over two years to expandtheir child-care licensing program, guiding 60 women through the licensing process to create upto 480 new licensed child-care spaces in underserved communities.

Domestic Violence Solutions – $100,000 to upgrade security measures at their emergencyshelter and long-term housing facility, enhancing safety for 162 clients annually through newfencing, security systems, and training for staff.

Good Samaritan Shelter – $150,000 to purchase a fully equipped food truck, the Good Samwich,providing culinary training program graduates with paid employment while serving 14,000 mealsannually to the community.

Mothers’ Helpers – $80,000 over two years to hire a part-time bilingual support centercoordinator, enhancing operations to serve over 600 low-income families annually whileimproving volunteer management and reducing response times for parent requests.

New Beginnings Counseling Center – $150,000 over two years to increase mental health carestaffing by hiring a full-time front desk staff member and expanding intake coordinator hours,improving client intake, and reducing wait times for approximately 860 clients annually.

PATH Santa Barbara – People Assisting the Homeless – $110,000 to purchase and install privacypartitions in the women’s dormitory, improving the living conditions for an average of 114 womenannually and enhancing their well-being within the shelter.

SEE International – $110,000 to expand the SEE Vision Care Program by hiring additional staffand increasing service days at their Goleta clinic, enabling the organization to serve an additional1,126 patients and reduce appointment wait times.

Showers of Blessing – $75,000 to purchase a new gas-powered truck base, ensuring reliabletransportation for their mobile shower services and enabling continued access to hygienefacilities for 800 clients, providing a total of 7,000 showers each year.

More information about each of these grantees can be found here:https://womensfundsb.org/gifts.html

Membership in the Women’s Fund is open to all women passionate about making a collectiveimpact.

To join or learn more, visit www.womensfundsb.org

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-  The annual Safe Boating Week brings with it a high awareness for water safety in Central Coast harbors and near shore waters that often become a risky blend of many water crafts operators.

On a busy summer weekend, you could easily see the Santa Barbara Harbor entrance full of various sized boats and operators who at all levels of experience.

On board a Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol boat, officer Jan Martinez said, “I think the harbor has gained a lot of popularity over the years and with different companies renting water craft. We have definitely seen an increase in the population as far as people on the water.”

Martinez and the other officers are constantly looking at ways to keep the area safe.  They to spot operator errors or dangerous behavior before a negative incident occurs.

“It’s really just a presence for us out there and guiding people to where  they need to go,”  he said.

They also make sure the vessels have property certifications and licensing each year.  Even those that are docked need to be operational and have annual registrations.

Martinez said, “it is just like a vehicle have to have your stickers on the boat that are current with the year or the years that they give you and if that is not up to date that could be a citable offense.”

The requirement for life vests is strictly enforced.  Either on board and stored in an accessible area or, for example, on a paddle boarder to have one around their waist.  The same for kayakers.

A new addition to the harbor is a life vest station with vests available on an “honor system” loan program.  It is by the boat launch ramp.

Nationally water deaths in the ocean or around harbors there is ” a high percentage of those boating fatalities, people weren’t wearing life jackets,” said Martinez.

For the fist time the harbor has a free loaner site. It is near the boat launch ramp.

Instructions are in English and Spanish, and it has weather and water information with a QR code.

The life jackets are for kids and adults.

Martinez said, “you’re more than welcomed to borrow one. It is part of our  lending program,  just return it at the end of the day.”

National Safe Boating Week in Santa Barbara is observed from May 17-23, 2025.

It emphasizes responsible boating practices and water safety.

In recent years, the Santa Barbara harbor has become extremely popular with local residents and tourists on the water.

The harbor entrance has a “no wake” zone or a limit of five knots.   That keeps all the vessels slowed down and able to respond if there is another vessel crossing their path.

Coming and going, the green buoys are for the vessels going out, and the red are to guide those coming in. “The bigger boats have the right of way and they need to stay out of the main channel. We are constantly  always trying to move them (smaller vessels) off to the side and keep them safe from any type of collisions,” said Martinez.

 This week aims to promote boating safety and ensure a positive experience on the waterways, including the implementation of the California Boater Card for motorized vessel operators. 

The California Boater Card keeps boaters current with rules and regulations. It is now required for all motorized vessel operators, emphasizing the need for boating safety courses and certifications.  

Last weekend was a special Safe Boating Awareness Day.   It included a U.S. Coast Guard demonstration offshore in conjunction with the harbor patrol.  A host was used with a rescue diver to bring up a simulated victim from the water.   A basket was also used with the hoist.   At one point the helicopter was flying in the same pattern as the boat to lower the cable down accurately.

The Coast Guard has an air station at Pt. Mugu in Ventura County. The chopper was a MH-60T Jayhawk all-weather medium-range recovery helicopter. It was delivered to the base in 2024.

For more information go to: Santa Barbara Waterfront Department

The Jayhawk Helicopter data:

The MH-60T Jayhawk has an overall length of approximately 64 feet (19.5 meters) and a wingspan of approximately 53 feet (16 meters).

It is powered by twin gas turbines with about 1,890 horsepower each for a top speed of 180 knots (333 kilometers/207 miles per hour), a service ceiling of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters),  and a range of 700 nautical miles (1,296 kilometers/805.5 miles).

The Jayhawk can be armed with medium machine guns or semi-automatic rifles.

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Dave Alley

AVILA BEACH, Calif. – A popular San Luis Obispo County beach area has made a “top 10 list” released by a national environmental group for having one of highest levels of bacteria in the country.

On Tuesday, Surfrider Foundation released its Clean Water Annual Report, which indicates what locations have tested for bacteria levels that exceed government standards.

The testing is conducted through Surfrider’s “Blue Water Task Force,” which is says is the largest volunteer-run beach water testing program in the United States.

Surfrider describes the Blue Water Task Force as a national network of chapter-led labs that measure bacteria levels at more than 600 locations across the country.

“There are 60 Blue Water Task force programs in the United States, including Puerto Rico,” said Niel Dilworth, San Luis Obispo Chapter Surfrider Foundation Chair and Blue Task Force Coordinator. “This report is based on the data that’s posted by all 60 of those programs.”

Among the dozens of locations Surfrider tested and was determined to having a nationally high level of bacteria is the mouth of San Luis Obispo Creek as it enters the Pacific Ocean in Avila Beach.

According to testing performed by Surfrider volunteers, water in the creek was found to have bacteria exceeding California safety standards 38% of the time.

“Our program tests local beaches and creeks for water quality,” said Dilworth. “We do it weekly. We test for a bacteria that the EPA has identified as a lead indicator for the possible presence of human bacteria. The creek mouth here at Avila Beach tests positive for that bacteria and exceeds the state standards for that bacteria about a third to half of the tests we take weekly, so that means either one in three or one out of every two times you go in the water there, there’s a good chance the water exceeds the state standards for a hazardous bacteria.”

That amount has placed the San Luis Obispo Creek mouth on Surfrider’s “2024 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots.”

“Avila Beach is one of the locations that has the ten most frequent exceedances, so it’s not at the top of the list, but that’s something to be concerned about,” said Dilworth. “Two years in a row now, we’ve been on the list as one of the top ten or bottom ten, I guess, depending on how you want to think about it, for having one of the dirtiest beaches as far as bacteria is concerned.”

As for what is the causing the high levels of bacteria, both Surfrider, as well as local agencies are still trying to determine the source.

“We appreciate the Surfrider Foundation’s dedication to protecting coastal water quality,” Tom Cuddy, San Luis Obispo County Health Agency Public Information Officer, said in a statement. “In San Luis Obispo County, Public Health’s role focuses on conducting weekly, state-guided water quality monitoring and ensuring timely public notification. We are currently reviewing the 2025 Clean Water Report and will be engaging directly with Surfrider to provide our perspective and support a constructive, informed dialogue.”

The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, which provides oversight of pollution sources and regulatory enforcement provided News Channel 3-12 with the following statement in response to the Surfrider Foundation Clean Water Report.

“The Surfrider data indicate elevated bacteria levels in San Luis Obispo (SLO) creek and Avila Beach. There a many potential sources of bacteria in this area, including birds and bats, livestock, urban stormwater, human sources, leaking septic systems, or wastewater effluent. The Central Coast Water Board regulates wastewater treatment facilities near Avila Beach and based on the most recent receiving water monitoring data, the results do not indicate that these regulated facilities are a source of bacteria in SLO Creek or Avila Beach. The specific source or sources of elevated bacteria in the creek and at the beach are unknown at this time. San Luis Obispo County’s Health Agency collects ocean water samples on a weekly basis. If bacterial levels exceed water quality advisory levels, advisory signs are posted. To avoid potential risks, beachgoers should be aware of posted warnings.”

Dilworth indicated Surfriders is now meeting quarterly with several San Luis Obispo County departments, including Public Health, Environmental Health, Public Works, as well as the Regional Water Quality Control Board in a new team effort to find a permanent solution.

“It’s the start of an attempt to come up with a coordinated approach to finally nailing down what the sources are of the bacteria here in the estuary of San Luis Obispo Creek and what might be done to be able to remediate them so that we can have a safer place to swim,” said Dilworth. “It’s the next step. Nobody knows how soon we might come to what kind of a conclusion, but the good news is that we’re making progress. It is being looked at and we’re trying to get closer to doing something about this.”

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Baseball’s Tyler Bremner was named The Big West Pitcher of the Week for a second week in a row on Monday after the Gauchos’ ace turned in another career performance to earn his squad a spot in The Big West Championship. Bremner matched his career high with 13 K’s over seven shutout innings against Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, powering Santa Barbara to the 10-1 win that confirmed their place in the conference tournament.

Friday’s game was the sixth time in the last seven weeks that Bremner recorded double-digit strikeouts, as the San Diegan has run away with The Big West’s strikeout crown, claiming the conference punchout title for a second year in a row. After striking out 104 batters in 2024, Bremner has punched out 111 this season — 27 more than the next-closest Big West pitcher (which happens to be his teammate, Jackson Flora). He ranks eighth nationally and leads all pitchers west of Oklahoma in the category.

Friday’s action was all strikeouts early, as Bremner struck out the side in the first and third innings, with two more in the second. Through the first nine batters, the only non-K out that Bremner recorded was picking a runner off of first base as he faced the minimum through three. In both the fourth and fifth innings, Bremner fired back-to-back punchouts to escape second-and-third, one-out jams and preserve his scoreless outing. It also made for five consecutive innings with at least two strikeouts to start his day.

Thanks to Bremner’s work, the Gauchos qualified for The Big West Championship — the first since 1998 — which they will open on Wednesday, May 21 in a win-or-go-home game against Hawai’i at 12 noon from Goodwin Field in Fullerton. Defeat the Rainbow Warriors, and Santa Barbara will enter the tournament’s double-elimination bracket against UC Irvine. Bremner, already UC Santa Barbara Baseball’s career strikeouts leader, has the chance to become the first Gaucho to ever strike out 300 batters in his career, just five away from that mark. If he can rack up 18 more strikeouts, he will break Rodney Boone’s single-season program record.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A 26-year-old Oceano man was arrested for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats after stealing from a San Luis Obispo business Friday night, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

The 26-year-old laid shirtless in the hallway of the business at the 500 block of Higuera Street when an employee told him he had to leave at 10:24 p.m. on Friday, according to the SLOPD.

The Oceano man left but later returned, charging his cellphone in a bathroom within the business before an argument between him and the employee broke out, according to the SLOPD.

The employee told the 26-year-old he would call the police and began filming the encounter before the Oceano man knocked the phone out of the employee’s hand, according to the SLOPD.

The Oceano man then pulled a knife on the employee and threatened to kill him before the employee put up a trash can to defend himself from the attack, according to the SLOPD.

The 26-year-old then continued to threaten the employee, ran out of the restroom with the employee’s phone in hand, and later destroyed the employee’s phone in a nearby parking lot.

SLOPD officers could not initially find the Oceano man but later identified him thanks to surveillance footage.

SLOPD officers recognized the 26-year-old near Santa Rosa Park before arresting him in the park’s parking lot May 17.

The Oceano man was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail and is currently being held without bail under the following charges:

PC 211 – Felony Robbery 

PC 245(a)(1) – Felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon 

PC 422(1) – Felony Criminal Threats 

PC 136.1(b)(1) – Felony Preventing Victim from Calling Law Enforcement 

PC 594(b)(2)(A) – Misdemeanor Vandalism under $400 but with Priors  

PC 3455(A) – Misdemeanor Probation Violation 

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Caleb Nguyen

ATASCADERO, Calif. – CAL Fire SLO crews put out a half-acre fire and treated two people for smoke inhalation in Atascadero just past 6:00 p.m. Monday at 12005 San Antonio Road.

CAL Fire SLO crews mopped up the flames until 8:00 p.m. and an aircraft was cancelled as part of the response after forward progress was stopped.

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Mina Wahab

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — Nearly 70% of Californians voted in favor of proposition 36 last year.  “Prior to Proposition 36, you could be arrested, charged and prosecuted and convicted of a drug offense five times, ten times, 20 times and never have it reach a felony status. The people of California said, ‘that’s insane,’” said SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow. Dow says elevating the status of drug offenses from misdemeanor to felony makes convicted drug offenders choose rehabilitation over jail time.  “If you have two prior misdemeanor convictions for possession of a drug like Fentanyl or methamphetamine or cocaine with two priors and you now are convicted of your third, we can mandate that you go into treatment. And that’s the compassionate part of this,” said Dow. The philosophy marks a stark contrast from the harm reduction philosophy found in many drug treatment programs across Santa Barbara County. “County behavioral health departments weren’t necessarily advocating for the passage of Prop 36, but since it has passed, we’ve been working really closely locally to ensure that the implementation of the new legislation is successful,” said Alcohol and Drug Programs Branch Chief Melissa Wilkins.

Right now, Prop 36 drug treatment programs don’t have funding. Dow is one of dozens of district attorneys up and down the coast who are urging legislators to pass funding for treatment, saying it will allow those living with drug addiction to succeed. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office projected the new changes to Prop 36 to increase local criminal justice costs by several tens of millions of dollars annually. That’s largely due to an increase in the county jail population due to harsher sentences, as well as more community supervision program participants. “We don’t want to incarcerate these people. We don’t want to send them to jail. We want them to get help and get treatment,” said California District Attorney Association CEO Greg Totten.

The proposition also expanded court-mandated mental health and drug treatment workloads. 

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Los Lonely Boys are coming the Santa Barbara County Fair!

The multi-platinum selling band is scheduled to perform on Thursday, July 10th, 2025 at 7:30pm in the Minetti Grandstand Arena as part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series. The show is will kick off with special guest, Billy Williams starting at 6:30pm!

Los Lonely Boys, Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza, have been playing and touring together since they were teenagers. Selling over two millions copies of their #1 hit “Heaven,” spending 76 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and winning a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, May 23, 2025, starting at 10:00 am on the Fair’s official website.

The 2025 Santa Barbara County Fair runs July 9th through July 13th and this year’s theme is “Dancing To Your Own Beat!”

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Alissa Orozco

PASO ROBLES, Calif. – Country rock band, The Red Clay Strays, will take the stage at this year’s California Mid-State Fair as part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series.

The Red Clay Strays, who blend Southern rock, soul, and classic country, is scheduled to perform on Monday, July 21st, 2025 at 7:30pm in the Chumash Grandstand Arena.

The band rose to fame with their viral hit “Wondering Why,” earning them the 2024 Americana ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ title. You might have caught their performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and CBS Saturday Morning, plus wins and nominations from the CMAs and Billboard Music Awards!

You can find tickets for The Red Clay Strays starting Friday, May 23rd, 2025 on the Mid-State Fair website. Ticket prices range from $65, $75, $95, $120, and $150 (pit).

The 2025 California Mid-State Fair runs July 16th through July 27th, with this year’s theme “Off To The Races!”

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