Category: keyt-local-news

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department held the first in a series of back-to-school health fairs taking place this week in Santa Maria on Tuesday.

The event started at 11 a.m. at the Santa Maria Health Care Center and offered community members an opportunity to connect with 30 different local organizations that provide immigration resources, nutrition education, and mental health information.

This marks the fourth straight year Santa Barbara County has held the back-to-school health fair.

“We started this three years ago and it’s a big hit,” said Mouhanad Hammami, Santa Barbara County Health Director. “It’s a big event that helps our families, our children that are going back to school for two reasons. One, catching up on their sports physicals and their immunizations and any health care needs that they might need. The other is we bring our partners and those community partners that can provide services that are needed for families, and we give giveaways, so it’s a hit in every matter and every way that would support families as they prepare for their school year.”

Two more back-to-school health fairs are scheduled this week in Lompoc on Wednesday and Santa Barbara on Thursday.

Children who attended were provided with free backpacks, school supplies and hygiene kits.

“It is so gratifying,” said Hammami. “You hand a kid a backpack and see that smile if they he or she got the right color. We have a lot of support from other organizations giving them essential household items, and the mother or the grandmother or the family member that is accommodating that child is as happy as well!”

Last year, the County said the three fairs attracted 2,400 people, with an estimated 800 at each location.

On Wednesday, the second health fair will take place at Aug. 5 at Lompoc Health Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The third and final health fair is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6 at the Franklin Health Center in Santa Barbara from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All three back-to-school health fairs are free to attend.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara Humane joins your Morning News to introduce the sweetest and cuddly, Indie!

Indie is a 6 year-old Australian Shepherd mix, who is ready to show you all her tricks she can do, like sit and paw.

Her personality quickly blossoms as she is quick to greet whoever comes her way.

Santa Barbara Humane is having an adoption special on Thursdays, now through the rest of August. All cats and kittens have adoption fees waived at both locations from 12-4:30 p.m.

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Tracy Lehr

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) – When students return to the former Cesar Chavez Elementary School this month they won’t see a Cesar Chavez mural at the entrance or the giant bust in the garden.

The Oxnard School District had the mural painted over to match the new coat of paint on the entire school.

The district also removed a giant elegant bust that had been gifted to the school decades ago.

The changes follow a district vote in the wake of sex abuse accusations that surfaced against the famous labor leader in the spring.

But First 5 Ventura County still has a Chavez resource center sign outside the school.

Artists Judy Suzuki and Horacio Martinez also painted over Chavez face on a mural at Colonia Park next door.

Chavez spent some of his childhood in a La Colonia home just a few blocks away.

The district intends to change the school’s name.

The district received hundreds of suggestions and is considering more than a dozen.

A decision will be made later in the school year.

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Tracy Lehr

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – An Nextdoor.com thread about Goodland Guns moving from Old Town Goleta to a new location next to the Here We Grow Early Learning Center on Hollister Ave. led to a community meeting in a park.

Dr. Daniel Mizrahi said parents feel blindsided.

“I am encouraged by the amount of people that came out, the conversation that we had that was very civil, the conversation needs to continue but I think our councilmembers specifically James Kyriaco said it pretty plainly that these are two incompatible uses next to one another, a day care next to a gun store so we need to find a solution that is viable but this isn’t about gun rights, it is about both businesses being able to exist successfully but maybe not next to each other,” said Mizrahi, “and the city needs to step up and revise their rules and take accountability for their lack of action and also get involved with helping relocate the Goodland Guns store to an acceptable space.”

Councilmember, the school board president, and both business owners showed up, too.

Goodland Guns CEO Daniel Ashton said he found the new place after his Old Town landlord doubled the rent.

“You know when we secured 7443 Hollister Ave. this property sat vacant for years, plagued by trespassing, drug use vandalism, defecation right beside the preschool property line. Since taking over and installing our security fence alongside other security infrastructure the behavior has completely ceased,” said Ashton.

He told the crowd he signed a 25-year lease with a new landlord who lives in San Diego.

Goleta Union School District Board President Ethan Bertrand understands the emotions running high in a community that has experienced gun violence nearby.

“We are community that has experienced gun violence we have a lot of families that are on edge and I am really counting on the city and all of us as a community to come together to try to make sure that this doesn’t go through,” said Bertrand.

Bertrand who also works for State Assemblymember Gregg Hart, said Hart ran a daycare for decades and may be able to help from Sacramento.

Councilmember Stuart Kasdin took a lot of heat as he explained that he was blindsided, too.

“I think staff interpreted this as just another sporting goods store and so there wasn’t a recognition that there might not a lot more public concerned about it particularly next to a preschool,” said Kasdin.

He said he only found out about the issue a few days ago.

Kasdin said the zoning allows for a sporting goods store and that Goodland Guns falls into that category.

There isn’t a sign up at the new locations and construction is underway, but Ashton said the shop is plans to host a soft opening on Monday, Aug. 11, followed by a grand opening on Sept. 5.

Even so, parents say they are not giving up.

They have started a couple of petitions and hope that parents and neighbors will sign them.

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Dave Alley

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – A Arroyo Grande communications equipment business held an annual fundraiser on Monday to help benefit patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center.

Beginning at 10 a.m., Rugged Radios went live with its popular “Pink Radio Day,” a yearly promotion that has helped raised thousands of dollars to benefit the annual Day of Hope, a community-based fundraiser that supports Mission Hope Cancer Center.

“We’re giving back,” said Greg Cottrell, Rugged Radios Founder and CEO. “This is the day that we sell a special pink radio and this year we added a pink headset. We only do this once a year because all the proceeds to this go to Mission Hope Cancer Center. It’s our time to do a lot of good for a lot of people.”

Helping kick off the event was a big gathering of people associated with Mission Hope Cancer Center, including physicians, Dignity Health officials, as well as several patients and their family members.

“It’s great to see the support from the community,” said Mission Hope patient Gilbert Rea. “It is amazing how much these phones have been ringing. People who are calling are supporting people like me that are cancer survivors.”

Headquartered in Arroyo Grande, Rugged Radios is a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional communication equipment serving the off-road, racing, recreation, and commercial industries.

Cottrell has been a staunch advocate and supporter of Mission Hope Cancer Center and the Day of Hope for nearly a decade.

His business has become the top financial benefactor to the Day of Hope, which altogether has raised over $3 million since the first one was held 12 years ago.

“I do this every year because they’re helping our own,” said Cottrell. “It started off with one of our employees got breast cancer and she was thrown right into their program and I got to know everything about this program and I had to help. I decided every year we’re going to help Mission Hope because they are saving lives and helping our community and helping our Rugged family.”

The Day of Hope was created in 2014 and specifically raises funds for patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, starting at 7 a.m., hundreds of volunteers will be located throughout the Santa Maria Valley and in South San Luis Obispo County at dozens street corners, intersections, parking lots, schools, churches and other highly visible locations.

Participating teams members will once again be selling special edition $1 Santa Maria Times newspapers.

Proceeds specifically helps the cancer center provide patients with a myriad of complimentary programs and services.

“Please, please come and support us,” said Dr. April Kennedy, Mission Hope oncologist. “If you ever want to come by the center, we can show you we do because we have we have thousands of patients that we help every single day. We would really appreciate support, so anything that you can donate, whether it’s a dollar or over what you want to do, we would be happy to have it. Thank you!”

For more information about the car show or the upcoming Day of Hope, click here to visit the official webpage.

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Patricia Martellotti

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Summer is being spent exploring, creating, and imagining new possibilities at the Carpinteria Arts Center.

The center’s arts camp is giving local kids a chance to dive into hands-on experiences in art, music, theater, and STEM – all in an environment designed to encourage curiosity and creativity.

From painting and performance to building and experimenting, campers are getting the chance to try new activities and discover talents they may not have known they had.

The program is built around bold, engaging projects that keep children active and inspired while giving them space to express themselves.

This summer, the demand for the camp was so strong that organizers expanded the offerings by an extra week, bringing the total to nine weeks. Leaders say that response shows just how valuable the program has become for families in the community.

One of the biggest reasons the camp has been able to reach so many kids is the support of generous donors.

The Carpinteria Arts Center has also been able to provide financial aid to every family that requested it, helping make sure cost is not a barrier to participation.

For many children, the camp is more than just a summer activity, it’s a place to build confidence, make friends, and discover new creative interests.

And for the Carpinteria Arts Center, it’s another way to help shape the next generation of young artists through meaningful, hands-on experiences.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The traditional downtown mercado in De la Guerra Plaza will grow for this week’s Fiesta.

The change for the 2026 event will expand the mercado out to State Street.

Old Spanish Days says beyond De la Guerra Plaza and De la Guerra Street, the mercado footprint will go up and down State Street for two blocks, bordered by Ortega St. and Canon Perdido Street.

It runs from Wednesday, August 5 through Saturday August 8, 2026. There is no charge for the plaza entertainment.

The mercado area will have a main stage in the plaza on the back side surrounded by food, a beer garden, and vendors coming out towards De la Guerra Street and City Hall.

Some of the vendors began setting up on Sunday. They continue construction all day on Monday.

Sean Malis is on the Old Spanish Days staff in charge of the downtown mercado. He said, “we have dancing during the day,  we have bands performing until 10 o’clock at night. We do that  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. ” 

All permits for health and construction will be verified before the operators can serve guests.

“We have sold all the food booths that we can and even  have sold a couple of extras,” said Malis.

Thousands will be expected to visit the area during Old Spanish Days, with many local residents planning to go on the first day before the flow of tourists pour into the city.

The new beer garden area in the plaza will be run by the Sportsman Lounge. Owner Phillip Writght said, “just being in the business for 30 years, we can control the number of people we want. A  nice flow of crowd.  “

This location will bring the entertainment, food and beverages into one place with a high top table.

Wright said, “enjoy their food, bring it right here they don’t have to go back and forth what I do want to point out this year,  we are taking no cover charge at the beer garden.”

This will be the only mercado operated by Old Spanish Days.

“This is really not just the heart of the Fiesta, it is our heritage, it is our community heritage going back to the 1930’s,” said Malis.

There will not be a mercado at MacKenzie Park or at the waterfront as the city has seen in the past.  There will be no Old Spanish Days carnival.

There will be a carnival or mini fair on the field at The Club on Canon Perdido Street with rides, food and dancing.

The Club will also have a free pancake breakfast Saturday morning from 7 – 9 a.m.

Another location for Fiesta performances this year will be at the entrance to the Paseo Nuevo Mall.

Chairs and an elevated stage have been set up there near the Balboa Building.

This stage comes alive Tuesday one day before the official start of Fiesta.

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Patricia Martellotti

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Local barbers are stepping up in a big way to help Santa Barbara families start the school year off right.

Through a back-to-school haircut program for members of the United Boys & Girls Clubs, kids are getting a fresh look, and a confidence boost, before heading back into the classroom.

For many families, the start of the school year can be exciting, but it can also bring extra expenses.

Haircuts, school supplies, clothes and other essentials can add up quickly.

That’s why this community effort is making such a difference, offering a simple but meaningful way to ease some of that pressure while helping students feel prepared for day one.

The free haircut event is about more than just appearance.

Organizers believe the response has been a reminder of how strong Santa Barbara’s sense of community really is.

By donating their time and talents, local barbers are not only helping families save money, but also showing kids that their community is rooting for them.

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Jarrod Zinn

GUADALUPE, Calif. (KEYT) – City officials in Guadalupe ordered an abrupt halt to the restoration project at the Royal Theatre.

Some of the work needs to wrap up at the historic site before the operation is fully shut down.

People in Guadalupe had high hopes just last December when groundbreaking started at the site of the historic Royal Theatre.

In February, the sounds of tractors and construction machinery echoed through downtown Guadalupe.

It all went quiet last Tuesday when the city council brought this project to a full stop.

“Having to cancel a project of this scope that had the potential to bring more hope to this community is disheartening,” says Guadalupes’ city administrator David Trujillo.

As the work progressed, crews were encountering more and more issues that required additional expense to fix.

“Once construction started, then it’s like they were able to actually look at the meat of the building,” says Trujillo. “Way back when there was a fire over here in this area with the electrical panel, a lot of water damage on this front wall, specifically a lot of mold and stuff that they were starting to find within when they started ripping out drywall . The foundation itself wasn’t very structurally sound.”

As those stumbling blocks built up, so did projected financial red flags.

“It’s the city’s cash flow that was threatened with the construction cost,” says Trujillo.

City administrator David Trujillo says it makes more sense for the city to halt the project now and retain some funding, rather than find itself in debt in the near future trying to keep it going.

“Erring in caution, it kind of made more sense to stop everything,” says Trujillo.

City leaders say there will still be crews out here for a time, as the site must be made safe and preserved as is before a full shut-down can occur.

“Right now it’s all just locked up,” says Trujillo. “We’re having a meeting tomorrow. We’re going to start going over close out. Whether it’s reinstalling the glass doors that were here before, you know, just various things like that. We want to talk to them about finishing the roof so we can at least have that secured. The back wall isn’t there.”

Trujillo says closing down the project means there’s no estimate on how long it could be before work starts up again.

In the meantime, Guadalupe will be meeting other fiscal obligations.

Trujillo says the future of the site here is uncertain, but that the property was originally moved to city ownership with stipulations it be developed as a performing arts venue of some kind.

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Tracy Lehr

SOLVANG, Calif. (KEYT) – Legendary horse trainer Monty Roberts has died.

The creator of Join-Up International nonprofit wrote a bestseller entitled “The Man Who Listens to Horses.”

Roberts ran a world-renown equestrian academy with family in Solvang.

He was a longtime friend and mentor to actor James Dean.

His friendship with the Queen of England led to a documentary about their relationship entitled “The Cowboy and the Queen.”

Roberts didn’t consider himself a horse whisperer, although many stories are written about his way with horses and other animals. Those who knew him said deer would often appear to greet him in his front yard.

There are t-shirts with the Robert’s quote; “Leaving the world a better place for horses and people.”

Marvin Earl “Monty” Roberts was born in Salinas and died on July 31, 2026 at the age of 91.

For more information visit https://join-up.org

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