Category: keyt-local-news

Jarrod Zinn

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

Residents had direct influence on these recent additions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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John Palminteri

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –  With a major soccer event set for Tuesday at UC Santa Barbara, many nearby businesses are expecting a large economic boost including restaurants, hotels, soccer stores and apparel vendors.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will take on Chile at Harder Stadium at 7 p.m.

Already more than 14,000 tickets have been sold and there’s room for more. Additional bleachers have been added. There is also a General Admission area. Harder Stadium is also known as “Soccer Heaven.”

Advanced sales included early access to tickets for students. There was a sweeping response and thousands of tickets were sold. A check online shows there are still several good seats available especially for single ticket buyers who would like to sit at mid-field.

For those providing extra services and food, the 72-hour period prior to the match will be as if a large rock concert or community festival will be taking place.

Elubia Orozco at Elubia’s Kitchen in Isla Vista will be providing food at the event as a regular caterer with UC Santa Barbara in addition to the restaurant she owns. “For us it is super super exciting, it is an honor to be there because it is international.” She will be working on menu items before dawn. “Everything needs to be fresh.  The food, the beans and the rice.”

At the restaurant it is a multiple item menu and meals. At the sporting events and festivals it is simple and fast for the quick turn around needed to meet the demand on the spot. “We are planning to have burritos, the street tacos, the pupusas and potato taquitos  and they are the most popular.”

Logistics, ordering, preparations and set ups are now all underway for many vendors.

Woodstock’s Pizza in Isla Vista has been one of the longest running UC Santa Barbara athletic supporters with a presence on and off campus. The crew will also be making pizza’s all morning to deliver to the stadium in warmers. They will be feeding hungry fans slice by slice as soon as they enter.

For student athletes,   many will be staffing paid positions for this event.   It is  some side money but also a payoff  with the exposure to the world class competition.

Parker Simmons is a UCSB Track and Field Athlete who says, “something as big as this, I have never seen before on campus   it’s really exciting to bring USA stuff here.” He says, “we’re going to have a packed (stadium.) We will definitely have a stadium pulse so it’s going to be so much fun to work in.”

There are other aspects of the event that will include traffic control and security. Attendees will be arriving well before the event begins.

Harder Stadium has been upgraded with special red, white and blue event wraps and it will be an international showcase for UCSB and its nationally known soccer reputation.

For nearby Goleta businesses, they too should be expecting an increase in customers before and after the match on the streets heading in to UCSB.

There are many food places near the campus  like those in the Camino Real Marketplace, in Old Town Goleta and neighboring areas, that are already the go-to spots for big crowds coming and going to the campus.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) recently launched an annual survey that will help guide decision-making in how millions of dollars in supplemental funding is utilized.

The Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) survey is open online through Friday, Jan. 30 for parents, staff, students, district business partners and community members.

SMBDS describes the survey as as a direct channel for the community to influence the district’s investment roadmap for supplemental funding. This includes investments such as translation and interpretation services, professional learning, extended day programs and classes, visual andperforming arts and more.

Those who take part in the LCAP survey will be asked to express their thoughts and priorities regarding the district’s four Strategic Plan Goals:

● Family Engagement: Strengthening the partnership between schools and home.● Staff Recruitment & Retention: Ensuring high-quality educators and support staff for everyclassroom.● Inclusive Learning Experiences: Creating equitable academic environments for all learners.● Nurturing the Whole Child: Supporting the social, emotional, and physical well-being of students

“Your voice matters,” said Sam Humphrey, SMSBD Director of Plan Alignment and Implementation. “To contribute your voice towards prioritizing investments that will serve all SMBSD students, we urgeeveryone to participate in this important annual process.”

In addition to the online survey, SMBSD will also hold a LCAP Community Workshop on Thursday, Feb. 12.

“It’s open to the public,” said Humphrey. “We just ask that you RSVP. We have childcare available. There will be snacks, tons of coffee and caffeine to keep you fueled for your input and we try to make it as fun as possible.”

The SMBSD LCAP survey is available in multiple languages and can be accessed by clicking here.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is launching its next Climate Stewards course this week, training local residents to tackle environmental challenges and take meaningful action in their communities.

The multi-week program offers hands-on instruction in environmental education, leadership skills, and practical solutions tailored to the Santa Barbara area. Participants learn from local experts and complete a capstone project designed to create real-world impact in neighborhoods, classrooms, and businesses.

Kathi King, CEC’s Director of Outreach and Education, said the course has a track record of producing community leaders who implement sustainability initiatives across the region.

The upcoming session begins January 27th and will be held at CEC’s Environmental Hub on State Street. The course welcomes teachers, students, business owners, and local leaders ready to become environmental advocates.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Themed bachelorette parties are big business.

One of them packed the Wildcat Lounge in Santa Barbara.

Friends hosted a Like a Bride-themed bachelorette party and brunch for the leader of the La Boheme dance group.

 Teresa Kuskey and fellow dancers dressed as Madonna-style brides.

The bride ties the knot on Valentines Day.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) A candlelight vigil in memory of the Minnesota man who died Saturday during ICE activity took place hours later at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

Participants discussed what happened below the clock tower.

Activists also projected images critical President Trump and his staff on the wall of the courthouse.

A similar candlelight vigil is planned on Monday evening by the Dolphin Fountain at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The Grace Fisher Foundation hosted a book launch party.

The authors of “We are Resilient” signed books at the Grace Fisher Foundation Inclusive Arts Clubhouse on Hope Ave.

The book is a collection of voices highlighting perseverance in the face of adversity.

You can learn more about the foundation and the book at https://gracefisherfoundation.org

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – On Sunday morning, the Community Hot Rod Project hosted their Cars & Coffee event for the first time on Stearns Wharf. Folks enjoyed coffee, donuts, and the beautiful Santa Barbara coastline at the event that featured a variety of classic, race, and luxury cars.

The community and youth outreach program hosts numerous events and car shows in Goleta and Santa Barbara, but this is the first time they’ve drawn a crowd on the wharf. With the help of Logan Goldberg and Omar Khashen, Sunday’s event hosted around 60 cars from both locals and out-of-towners.

“Its an amazing day to be out here on Stearns Wharf and getting the community together to connect through cars,” said Hot Rod organizer, Kevin Haeberle. “It’s just great to have everybody out here checking out what we’re doing and how we can give back to the community.”

Haeberle says the free, family-friendly event helps spread awareness for the need for vocational arts. The program’s mission is to introduce the community and youth to the auto industry, teaching people how build, restore, and fabricate classic cars and race vehicles.

“We also do large car shows and bring everyone together and awareness for our vocational training center that we’re trying to put together and that’s what the main focus of this is. Raising awareness for the needs and the vocational arts,” said Haeberle.

The event was a success thanks to the help of folks at the waterfront and Wharf Business Association. Goldberg says he hopes this is the start of many events on wharf.

The Community Hot Rod Project will be hosting plenty of more shows in the future, including Cars & Community on the last Saturday of each month and Coffee & Classics on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month.

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Alissa Orozco

GROVER BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) – A Grover Beach man was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on a domestic violence charge after willingly surrendering to a SWAT Team Saturday.

On January 24th, Grover Beach police officers reported to a domestic violence report after contacting a female victim at a local hospital. There, they learned a domestic violence situation had occurred in the 600 block of North 12th Street.

Officers arrived at the residence on 12th Street and attempted to arrest a suspect, but he refused to come to the door. Further investigation found a small child was inside the residence with the suspect.

Grover Beach Police activated the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT Team to assist in apprehending the suspect. This regional team is a multi-agency partnership that includes the Grover Beach, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Arroyo Grande Police Departments, along with California State Parks.

Negotiators with the SWAT team were able to speak with the suspect to get him to peacefully surrender. Once out of the residence, officers arrested 34-year-old Grover Beach resident Lorenzo Zamora Torres and take him into custody.

The young child was turned over to a family member and was uninjured.

Torres was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail for domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, and violation of a restraining order.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A vehicle fire was extinguished early Sunday morning off Highway 101 northbound near the Gaviota coast.

Crews from Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a box truck fire around 6:15am this morning off Highway 101, just one mile north of SR 1. The department says the vehicle lost power and the driver was able to pull over to the shoulder before the truck became totally engulfed.

Box Truck Fire: 101 NB just a mile north of SR 1 off-ramp. SBC Fire responded to a box truck fire. The vehicle lost power and the driver pulled over became fully involved.

All three occupants evacuated safely, no injuries reported. Heavy smoke caused a closure to lanes on the… pic.twitter.com/WGfFuOKiaT

— PIO (@PIOSBCFireInfo) January 25, 2026

The three people inside the truck were all able to evacuate safely, with no injuries reported.

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