Category: keyt-local-news

Andrew Gillies

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – Over 1500 people are without power in Arroyo Grande after a vehicle crash Thursday.

The crash happened in the area of Walnut Street and Farroll Avenue and impacted nearby power lines shared the Grover Beach Police Department.

Drivers and residents were asked to avoid the area.

According to PG&E’s Outage Map, 1,598 customers are currently without power and restoration is estimated to at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

This is an evolving emergency response and more information will be added to this article when they are received.

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Alissa Orozco

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – An investigation at UC Santa Barbara led to an evacuation of Henley Hall Thursday.

The university sent out two timely warnings Thursday afternoon regarding “criminal threats” on campus – an initial warning at 3:52pm, and secondary warning at 4:31pm.

The situation has been cleared by UC Police according to a third alert sent out at 5:30pm. The university says that while there may be officers seen in the area, students, staff, and the public can resume normal activity.

Your News Channel reached out to the university, and is awaiting more information.

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Ivania Montes

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Communities across the Central Coast are grappling with difficult questions following recent allegations surrounding labor leader César Chávez.

Recent reports allege that César Chávez sexually abused women, including some who were minors, during his lifetime. Among the women reportedly affected was Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, who worked closely with Chávez for decades.

On February 28, 2026, Dolores Huerta made an appearance and spoke with students at Oxnard College. Huerta came forward with experiences following an investigation released by the New York Times on Wednesday.

“I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here,” Huerta.

From schools and streets to murals and public spaces in the Central Coast, Chávez’ name is deeply embedded throughout the region. He was long seen as a symbol of farmworker rights and Latino empowerment.

From down south in Oxnard, Chávez grew up in the La Colonia neighborhood where he worked local fields. In 1958, he returned back to Oxnard to organize farmer workers and established a Community Service Organization chapter, and advocated for citizenship and voting rights.

Oxnard has highlighted Chávez through street names, murals, and Schools such as César Chávez Elementary School, César Chávez Street, and a mural in Colonia Park.

In Santa Barbara as well has Calle César Chávez, and in northern county, you can find street names named after him as well.

UCSB distinguished Professor of Chicana and Chicano studies, Aida Hurtado, spoke more on the instant reaction the community took once hearing about the allegations.

“We have to give Latinos, Latinx people credit for reacting so quickly. And, and just going to it, I mean, it’s like within an hour people were taking things down,” said Hurtado. “The hope is the reaction. There’s no doubt. People just said it. She says it happened. We believe you. And that in itself is empowerment. We’re not splitting up. We still have a lot of work to do, especially with the farmworker community. We don’t want this as a distraction, even though we’re acknowledging it. Our purpose is very clear. And I think that, it almost reaffirms our purpose.”

Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo has introduced legislation to rename the March 31 state holiday currently honoring Chávez to ‘Farmworker Day.’

“Farmworkers are essential to our everyday lives — from the food we eat to the economy we enjoy,” Macedo said. “The fight for dignity in the fields was never about one person… it is about the millions of workers who sweat, toil and aspire for a better life.”

Congressman Salud Carbajal expressed concern over the allegations, saying he stands with victims and emphasized the importance of recognizing farmworkers as a whole rather than focusing on one individual.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – If you’ve been in downtown Santa Barbara lately, you’ve probably noticed the tall crane above Anapamu Street. It’s been a constant presence since March 2024, as crews worked to bring Sanctuary Centers’ new Integrated Care Campus to life. Now, that crane is coming down — a clear sign the project is almost finished.

The new building is designed to bring several essential services together under one roof. It will include 34 units of supportive housing for people living with serious mental illness, along with a 5,000-square-foot medical clinic and a full floor dedicated to behavioral health care.

The campus will expand on the organization’s existing housing community, which already provides 36 units for low-to no-income residents.

This project has been years in the making, with planning efforts stretching back more than a decade. Leaders see it as a major step toward improving access to care and stable housing in Santa Barbara.

Even as construction nears the finish line, there are still challenges ahead. Sanctuary Centers has raised more than $27 million so far but still needs about $3 million to fully complete the project.

CEO Dr. Stephanie Drake described this as one of the toughest phases. She explained that once construction wraps up, it can become harder to secure the final funding needed.

The organization is now turning to the community for support, asking local donors and partners to help close the gap so the campus can open as planned and begin serving those who need it most.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A preliminary hearing began today for a Lompoc City Councilman accused of forgery and fraud.

There have been calls for him to resign, but he had support in the courtroom.

Stephen Bridge represents the north west side of Lompoc.

He faces 15 counts, 10 of them felonies, related to forgery, fraud and stealing 10 thousand dollars in city funds.

He publicly addressed the charges at December’s city council meeting.

“The lawyers tell me the best path for this is to make no comment, either social media or in the news,” Bridge said in December.

A Lompoc rebate program offers reimbursement for construction work, but the contractors are required to be licensed to qualify.

Bridge and his sons are known in town for construction work, but prosecutors say none of them are licensed contractors.

Bridge also co-owns the music store Certain Sparks in Lompoc, and the other owner testified Thursday that Bridge runs the books.

He says he trusts Bridge and was not aware of any financial mis-dealings.

In the evidence presented in Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors said Bridge was manufacturing and later altering invoices to “Turner Construction,” an entity that doesn’t exist beyond his son’s business cards.

Bridge’s son also spoke in support of his father in court Thursday.

“I wanted to say I’m especially grateful for the huge outpouring of support I have received from people who know me,” said Bridge from the dais in December. “My friends and family. It has also been humbling to hear from people I hardly know, offering to help me.”

Bridge has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which include ten felonies and five misdemeanors, according to the most recent criminal complaint.

“I believe in the American justice system and I’m confident that through the court process, I will be found not guilty,” says Bridge.

Among other discrepancies, invoices were charging Steve Bridge’s business for labor “Turner Construction” did.

Bridge remains on the city council even though another councilman has called on him to resign his seat.

The preliminary hearing was placed in recess at the end of the day, and will resume Friday afternoon.

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Mina Wahab

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) — For John Herrera, music was a gateway to addiction.

“The way that I got into substances was through playing music. People would come through, and then they would give different substances to me,” said the Senior Peer Recovery Coach.

Now, it’s his safe haven and a tool to empower young adults who are struggling.

“So here at Nate’s Place, the goal was to create a safe space for individuals to come in and to play music and to have open expression without having the pressure of substances,” said Herrera.

Nate’s Place is a hub that provides one-on-one peer coaching, group counseling, education and support groups, and over 20 recreational activities.

Larry Rhoades and Heidi Allison created Nate’s Place just three years ago to honor their late son — a man who overcame drug addiction as a young teen but tragically passed in a car accident.

“The reality is he’s gone. But we have him in spirit, and we have this place, which is fantastic,” said Larry Rhoades.

Nate’s Place uses a holistic approach to healing, and a huge part of that includes physical exercise.

“When we exercise it produces endorphins and it helps reduce mental health symptoms. It’s also healthy for people who are struggling with substance use. And the same with music and art. They’re all three are backed by science that they help with kids’ mental health,” said Heidi Allison, who is the Nate’s Place Co-Founder and Program Director.

And now Nate’s Place has been awarded a $5.71 million grant, which will allow it to expand its youth wellness and recovery campus.

A big portion of the grant will also help with housing.

“We have quite a few kids who’ve either slept in cars. You know, they’ve had to sleep in a park. Maybe they got a fight with their parents… so we’ve ended up paying quite a few motel vouchers. And so what we decided to do, is to start a Peer Respite and it’s going to be a separate building. It’ll be very separate from our wellness center,” said Allison.

“We’re not going to just ship you off to your brother’s house. What we’re going to do is we’re going to find, solution for you so that we can empower you to get your own life,” said Herrera.

Nate’s Place must fundraise a 10% community match of $571,000 to secure the grant.

It will eventually relocate to a new 1.4 acre property at 375 South K Street in Oxnard.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – As gas prices continue to spike to historically high numbers, Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) is reporting the number of people using public transportation is already starting to increase as well.

“Indications already indicate that ridership is starting to grow,” said Gamaliel Anguiano, SMRT Transit Services Manager. “It’s probabluy in reaction to the increase in gas prices. I know we’re only in the middle of March, but, March is already tracking to be anywhere from 8% to 10% higher ridership than the same March of last year. All in all, we think our system will end this fiscal year with ridership anywhere from 10 to 12% above the prior year.”

As of Thursday morning, some gas stations were charging more than $6 a gallon of gas.

On Main Street, the Shell station at the intersection of Nicholson Avenue, just off of Highway 101, a gallon of regular unleaded was at $6.19, while a block away on the other side of the freeway, the Mobil station had regular unleaded listed at $5.99.

“At only $1.50 per ride or $3 for a limited ride all day, riding public transit is a huge bargain for addressing your mobility needs, particularly if you start going to the longer distances,” said Anguiano. “I think we’re all going to be rooting and hoping for fuel stability, but now is probably a good time for families to start thinking about alternative plans for their mobility options. It’s going to be important that we have that room in our budget to address our basic needs.”

Anguiano pointed out for those who work or drive regularly to nearby cities that SMRT also provides service to, people should consider using the bus as an option.

“If you’re commuting all the way up to San Luis Obispo or down south to Lompoc, those miles really start eating into your budget,” said Anguiano. “It’s going to start making a lot of sense for a lot of folks to switch over to public transit. Our busses are equipped with the latest technology, WiFi, infotainment screens, medical grade purification systems. It’s a pretty comfortable ride. It’s going to let our riders catch up on an audio book, a newscast, or put in their pickup order.”

Anguiano pointed out

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A millennial or Gen-z dream for some to be cast as Troy Bolton or Gabriela Montez in any High School Musical play.

But, for Lilly Sebastian and Bradley Duran that dream came for them in junior high and high school.

They both join your Morning News to talk about their upcoming shows and opening weekend at Center Stage at Paseo Nuevo Mall. The play is put on by YouthClusive and you can purchase tickets on their website.

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Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif. (KEYT) A cannabis trade show called “Hall of Flowers” is underway.

The show is taking place at the Ventura County fairgrounds.

It has a festival vibe.

Industry insiders get a chance to listen to panel discussions.

They are also invited to sample things to eat, drink and smoke.

There are exhibitor booths indoors and outdoors throughout the fairgrounds.

Companies from the Central Coast are taking part, too.

Raw Garden Marketing Vice President Bill Boland grew up when marijuana was illegal.

Now he is helping the industry grow.

“The amazing thing is brand Raw Garden is so driven towards clean cannabis, ” said Boland, ” They are really pushing this clean cannabis movement and providing a clean product for people to enjoy so that is really exciting, I am glad to see that in the Industry.”

Hall of Flowers continues on Thursday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are intended for people who work in the cannabis Industry.

For more information visit https://hallofflowers.com

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Like the rest of the Central Coast and throughout much of California, Santa Maria is in midst of a record-breaking heat wave.

On Tuesday, the city recorded a temperature of 95 degrees, easily eclipsing the previous high for St. Patrick’s Day by 10 degrees.

“Yesterday, it was really warm, especially when that wind was not blowing,” said Santa Maria resident Garret Matsuura. “It was just sweltering out in the heat. It was sweaty, just everything felt hot. Putting on the sunglasses hurt it was so hot!”

One day later, the thermometer reached nearly as high, hitting 93 degrees, more than 20 degrees above average for this time of year.

With the heat showing no signs of letting up, many people in Santa Maria are looking for ways to escape the unseasonably warm, uncomfortable weather conditions.

“In the middle of March, nobody expects this,” said Santa Maria resident Deborah Sanchez. “It does catch everybody off guard. Here we are in this 90 degree weather sweltering. We’re not used to this. It’s just too hot!”

Sanchez, like many others on Wednesday, spent a part of her day at the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center swimming laps in the downtown pool.

“It’s just refreshing,” said Sanchez. “You step in that pool and it like just cools you off immediately and once you get going and it’s like you don’t want to get out.”

Across the street at the Santa Maria Public Library, many took refuge inside the air-conditioned confines of the two-story building.

“We definitely have had a bump up in visitors,” said Santa Maria librarian Joanne Britton-Holland. “I was shocked when I was on desk this morning at 9 a.m. to see people sweating already. This is sort of the unofficial, cooling zone for this week. Our second floor of the library is especially cool. The AC seems to be working overtime.”

On the other side of South McClelland Street, at the Santa Maria Lawn Bowling Club, players braved the elements to take in a friendly game Wednesday morning before the heat of the day kicked in.

“This weather is hot,” said Santa Maria resident Steve Haueter. “We are not used to here on the coast, but we deal with it.”

Haueter, who is originally from the San Fernando Valley and is no stranger to hot weather, said his main advice for people to handle this type of heat is to take precautions beforehand.

“I think it’s it’s preparation,” said Haueter. “The hat, long pants, long sleeves, sunblock is huge, but the main thing for me is to cover up, which means no short pants or short sleeves for me.”

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