Category: keyt-local-news

Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – And just like that, 2026 is nearly here and wine expert Jamie Knee is back with your News Channel to talk all things bubbly.

With her, she brings a variety of sparkling wines and champagne – each one perfect for your New Years celebrations.

From non-alcoholic to high-end, from award-winners to local vineyards – whatever your preference – Jamie Knee has got you covered.

For more about Jamie Knee visit her site, Petite Wine Traveler.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – There’s a new look to one of the blocks in downtown Santa Barbara, and it has nothing to do with a retail or food space.

The old bushy landscaping is gone and in its place, a new, more simple look.

There are now about 200 native plants that have gone into the ground in a collaboration between the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, the non-profit group Friends of State Street, and the city.

The organizations are working with the new downtown Santa Barbara Business Improvement District.

The plantings took place earlier this month between Anapamu Street  and Victoria street.

It is a pilot project to show the public ways landscaping can be integrated into the master plan to improve the overall appearance of the street and specific settings around restaurants and gathering places.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Impact and Advocacy Program says the plantings include: Orange Monkeyflower, Seaside Daisy, Douglas Iris, and Santa Ana Coral Bells.

With them, signs went up explaining the project and a QR code. With that you can use your phone to get a survey about the project (or click here).

Information from this trial may be used in the city’s master plan in the core of downtown.

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from the Five Cities Fire Authority regarding free chipping services for residents of Arroyo Grande.

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. – In collaboration with the San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council, City of Arroyo Grande, and the Five Cities Fire Authority, a free chipping event will be held on January 13th, 2026, for residents that live within the designated Fire Severity Zones. This work is part of an ongoing effort to reduce hazardous fuels and wildfire risk.

Important Dates:

Be Ready by Monday, January 12, 2026

Chipping crews begin Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Crews will work throughout the week. There are no specific appointment times, and you do not need to be home.

Sign Up Here: https://firesafeslo.org/Chipping/

Please Read Carefully:

Your pile must meet the guidelines below and be placed along a roadside that crews and equipment caneasily access.

Piles that do not meet requirements will NOT be chipped and will be left behind.

Crews do not limb trees

Crews do not carry piles to the road

Chipping Guidelines:

Pile Size & Shape

Maximum size: 20 ft long x 4 ft wide x 4 ft high

One linear pile per reservation

No tangled or “beehive” piles — these will be skipped

What’s Allowed

Vegetation only

Branches under 8 inches in diameter

Where to Place your Pile

Within 5 feet of an accessible roadway

Do not block roads, driveways, or hydrants

Pile must be clearly visible and easy to access

Avoid muddy or soft dirt roads

Prep Tips

Stack neatly with cut ends facing the street

Do not bag or tie vegetation

Have your pile ready by 8:00 AM on January 13

No lumber, root balls, palm, yucca, or poison oak

We appreciate your cooperation and participation.

The projects are grant-funded by the San Luis Obispo County Community Fire Safe Council. For further information contact greg@firesafeslo.org

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Close community caring has been driving some specific charitable donations in 2025.

Across the country there have been needs, from the fire relief in Los Angeles County to GoFundMe requests throughout communities in the U.S. for an immediate issue.

Santa Barbara’s charity donations, as with other communities, have been a concern with cuts in personal income or rising inflation costs for many families.  There have also been many non-profits finding their budgets short with federal financial reductions being announced throughout the year.

For the Unity Shoppe, the recent Unity telethon was a windfall of donations reaching $700,000.  

CEO Angela Miller-Bevan has been emotionally appreciative for the contributions.  

“The generosity of our community is the reason thousands of families will not face hunger. Because people showed up, gave boldly, and believed in this mission, Unity Shoppe has the resources to keep our community fed as we move into 2026. This support is more than financial, it is life changing,” she said.

 Miller-Bevan says,  “we’re serving thousands of people more than we did last year and this community came out full force. “

And there are changes on many levels of needs.  She said  “we’re looking for funding but we are also helping more people because of all these federal cuts and so our Lompoc store’s numbers doubled.”

Dillan Scott is a recipient of scholarship funds, and says,  “the money helps but the big thing is the people putting the money in believe in me”     

He  is 19 with a limited income but says “whenever you order from Walmart I try to roundup and give to the Salvation Army .       I am actually a social worker now so I get to see where the dollar goes.”

Chris Bernt favors programs for children or the arts for school kids, including one with the Santa Barbara Symphony..  “They are involved in a lot of education and outreach programs and I like music.  “

Kristine Pacheco-Bernt said she gives to the food Bank of Santa Barbara County and Pug Nation where she picked up her dogs.   In general  she was, “more focused on community especially like neighborhood specific community.”  With that she has seen many fundraisers on the Eastside of Santa Barbara just for that area. “I work with children i am an educator. I see the results almost immediately.”

At the end of the year, many people are putting money into a charity for tax benefits. There is  a new charitable deduction of up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples.

A survey by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows about half of those who donate are done for the year. About 20% have donated and still plan to do a little more before the end of the year.

In their Year in Help report, the cities of Santa Barbara and Ventura made GoFundMe’s “Most Generous Places” List for 2025.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 honors went to several local players in boys water polo.

(Lucas Neushul and DP went 23-7 on the season. Entenza Design).

Dos Pueblos High School juniors Grant Nelson and Lucas Neushul are All-CIF as they helped lead the Chargers to a Channel League regular season title and a D1 semifinal appearance.

San Marcos High School senior Will Stuart is All-CIF D1 and the Royals star signed with Pepperdine.

(Will Stuart was an all-around standout player for the Royals. Entenza Design).

Buena High School senior Jack Pointer is also All-CIF D1 and he will play for the United States Naval Academy.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

High School Boys Basketball: Day 2 of Santa Barbara Holiday Classic

Santa Barbara 75, Dougherty Valley 64: Brent Sharpton 23 pts for Dons

San Marcos 54, Davis Sr. 50: Koji Hefner 25 pts for Royals

Holy Martyrs 56, Dos Pueblos 50: Coulter Jay 12 pts for Chargers

Franklin 74, Santa Paula 65: Alvarez 39 pts for Cardinals

Westmont 56, Agoura 54: Temme 26 pts for Chargers

Rio Mesa 49, St. Joseph Notre Dame 42: Moreno 14 pts for Spartans

Thousand Oaks 68, Lowell 22: Ange 17 pts for Lancers

Ventura 56, San Luis Obispo 50

Pinole Valley 69, San Luis Obispo 62

Whitney 80, Righetti 39

Oak Park 77, Madera 45: Prophete 17 pts for Eagles

Pleasant Grove 73, Torres 21

Pleasant Grove 72, St. Genevieve 60

Schedule for Day 3 on Monday, December 29th

Santa Barbara High School:

10:30 A.M. Pleasant Grove vs Santa Paula

12:00 P.M. Righetti vs St.Joseph Notre Dame

1:30 P.M. Lowell vs Pacifica

3:00 P.M. Franklin vs Oak Park

4:30 P.M. Oaks Christian vs Davis Sr.

6:00 P.M. Dougherty Valley vs Thousand Oaks

7:30 P.M. Santa Barbara vs Bishop Diego

San Marcos High School

1:30 P.M. San Luis Obispo vs Whitney

3:00 P.M. Palmdale vs Torres

4:30 P.M. Kings Christian vs St. Genevieve

6:00 P.M. Stone Ridge Christian vs San Pedro

7:30 P.M. San Marcos vs Oakland Tech

Dos Pueblos High School

12:00 P.M. Rio Mesa vs Stone Ridge Christian

1:30 P.M. Ventura vs Granada Hills

3:00 P.M. Westmont vs Holy Martyrs

4:30 P.M. Madera vs College Park

6:00 P.M. Saratoga vs Agoura

7:30 P.M. Dos Pueblos vs Pinole Valley

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Caleb Nguyen

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Fire crews tackled a house fire at the 4600 block of Puente Plaza in Goleta just after 2:30pm Saturday.

A resident of the home found the fire before firefighters saw the garage fully aflame and extended into the inside of the house, according to the SBCFD.

Fire crews kept the flames from spreading further into the house or to other homes and knocked down the flames around 3:10 p.m, according to the SBCFD.

No residents or firefighters required medical treatment, and the SBCFD received assistance from the City Fire Department during the incident.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the SBCFD.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria Police officers are investigating a fatal hit-and-run that happened just after midnight Saturday at the 600 block of Black Road after seeing someone in the road.

SMPD officers found a man dead in the northbound lane of Black Road after he got struck by a car upon further evidence.

SMPD investigators located the white sedan involved in the crash that left the scene, and arrested the 32-year-old man responsible for the crash later Saturday morning.

The SMPD described the deceased as a man in his 50s but are still working to confirm his identity pending notification of kin.

Anyone who has more information on the crash are asked to call SMPD dispatch at ext. 2277 or ext. 1233.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

High School Boys Basketball: Santa Barbara Classic Day 1

Santa Barbara 85, Whitney(Rocklin) 61

Westmont (Campbell) 50, San Marcos 44 (Green 16 pts for Royals)

Lowell (San Francisco) 51, Dos Pueblos 49 (Gardiner 22 pts for Chargers)

Holy Martyrs Armenian 61, Ventura 45

Agoura 65, St. Joseph Notre Dame 57 (Franco 22 pts for Chargers)

Dougherty Valley (San Ramon) 86, Righetti 29

Thousand Oaks 68, Davis Sr. (Davis) 61 (McCord 36 pts for Lancers)

Franklin (Elk Grove) 78, Rio Mesa 33

Pinole Valley (Pinole) 77, Oak Park 51 (Prophete 13 pts for Eagles)

Santa Paula 79, Madera 59 (Alvarez 27 pts for Cardinals)

Day 2 Schedule, Saturday, December 27

Santa Barbara High School:

10:30 A.M. Santa Paula vs Franklin

12:00 P.M. San Luis Obispo vs Ventura

1:30 P.M. Agoura vs Westmont

3:00 P.M. Rio Mesa vs St. Joseph Notre Dame

4:30 P.M. Thousand Oaks vs Lowell

6:00 P.M. Davis Sr. v s San Marcos

7:30 P.M. Santa Barbara vs Dougherty Valley

Dos Pueblos High School:

12:00 P.M. Whitney vs Righetti

1:30 P.M. Oak Park vs Madera

3:00 P.M. Torres vs Pleasant Grove

4:30 P.M. Pinole Valley vs San Luis Obispo

6:00 P.M. Dos Pueblos vs Holy Martyrs

7:30 P.M. Pleasant Grove vs St. Genevieve

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Unity Shoppe is closed until January after one of its all time biggest fundraisers, and it’s also getting freshened up.

The building on Sola Street in Santa Barbara, which serves thousands of people, normally closes following Christmas for a break.

It was in need of fumigation and now was the time.

All of the food inside has been moved into a nearby storage and refrigeration area.

A lot of it was purchased in bulk, and it will be ready to go when the shoppe is restocked and open again on January 5th.

Recently at our annual unity telethon, the community’s generosity raised $700 thousand dollars for Unity and its programs to help those in need in Santa Barbara County.

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