Category: keyt-local-news

John Palminteri

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta have been given about $2,000 in community donations to help with their growing costs.

When you see their many precision performances during Old Spanish Days, what you don’t see is how expensive it is to have what they need as world class performers for the annual event in Santa Barbara.

Through the Wakefield 805 radio show and community outreach, donations have been coming in to help with the costs it takes to be at this level.

Spirit of Fiesta Jenna Ramirez said, “there’s been lots of dresses and lots of shoes and lots of practices so I am so grateful. So many people want to and help us out.”

The Junior Spirit of Fiesta Penny Hernandez said, “all the dresses and shoes cost a lot of money and it really nice that they can donate for us dancers that really need it.”

For Ramirez her favorite shoes come from Spain. “I think the way they are made, they last really long and they are beautiful and they sound very very nice.”

This audience was asked to donate to help the spirits who perform at dozens of locations.

Drew Wakefield the host of the Wakefield 805 radio show said, “and they do that free of charge. Their dresses are expensive, their jewelry is expensive, their lessons are expensive, that’s why Wakefield 805 when we do this fundraiser we are going to give back to them because they give so much to us.”

The dancers says it is not just the dresses and the shoes we see but all the classes that they have been taking and will be taking for years to come because they love to dance so much.

Ramirez said, “they are supporting me and that is so sweet because dancing is something that I love to do so much.”

When it comes to the showcase dances, to start El Desfile Historico, the Fiesta parade and on the steps of the Old Mission for Fiesta Pequena, special dresses will be revealed.

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Beth Farnsworth

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Despite the hot weather, a group of teens threw in the beach towel for shovels, weed whackers and fire-fighting tools.

For the past month, the Bucket Brigade’s Youth Fire Prevention Team created a firebreak in Elings Park by clearing out highly flammable dry brush and invasive weeds.

Abe Powell, Bucket Brigade Cofounder and CEO, said their hard work was part of a training course, learning how to protect homes and properties from wildfires, floods and mudslides.

The academy cadets earned certifications in First Aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and, Wilderness First Responder.

Some of these teens lived through the back-to-back Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flow disasters in 2018.

Now, they’re sharpening their skills ahead of what could be a super El Nino, working to keep nearby homes in the Mesa community, safe.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – An old squadron is back in action with a new commander at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Rowland is now leading the re-activated “4Th Space Launch Squadron.”

“Today is about much more than just activating a new unit,” says Col. James T. Horne III, Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Commander. “It’s really a recognition of what’s about to happen and the need to have a singularly focused unit that can really push forward.”

The squadron was started in 1994 for launching Titan IV rockets along with other missions involving Delta IV and Atlas V rockets.

The 4th stopped that work in 2018. 

“I think it started with Congress and our administration a few years ago, dedicating the first infusion of investment into modernizing our infrastructure,” says Col. Horne.

It’s back now as Vandenberg moves further into the space age with launch partners like Space-X.

“We use the capabilities that are being launched from here every day, both from a department of war as well as from picking up your phone and knowing where you’re going when you’re on the way to work, right?” says newly appointed 4th SLS commander Lt. Col. Kyle Rowland. “So those things we need to increase and continue to move forward.”

At what they call the Boathouse—formerly the Coast Guard Rescue Station—Colonel Horne reactivated the Fourth Space Launch Squadron and passed the flag, formally appointing Colonel Rowland commander.

“I get to step into this position with an unbelievable team that is hungry to ensure that we are providing the things needed to support the mission,” says Col. Rowland.

That new mission for the squadron is overseeing the future of the base as a spaceport.

That means infrastructure improvements at the base and regional investments.

Colonel Rowland sees his newly re-formed squadron with an important mission for the base, the community, and the country.

“I don’t want to be Vandenberg on an island,” says Col. Rowland. “I want to be Vandenberg a part of the community that people get excited when they see a launch, or they see somebody in uniform in town.”

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — A group of Santa Barbara teens is learning how to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking and help protect others in their community.

This week, local detectives and members of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office trained teen interns through the SAFE program.

Participants learned how trafficking happens, warning signs to watch for, where victims can turn for help and how to recognize risks young people may encounter online before a situation becomes dangerous.

“This is so important to me is because here in Santa Barbara human exploitation is such a big issue that is not talked about enough,” said member Java Holloway of the TDC Tzadakah Foundation.

“I want to spread awareness about sex trafficking because many people don’t realize that it happens right here in Santa Barbara,” said member Bea Flagiello of the TDC Tzadakah Foundation.

“My hope is that teens like myself will not fall victim to sex trafficking … I’m grateful to have learned about this,” said member Daisy Garcia of the TDC Tzadakah Foundation.

Program leaders hope the students will carry what they learned beyond the classroom, helping friends and classmates better understand exploitation, recognize warning signs and know when to speak up.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The festive spirit of Old Spanish Days came alive on Coast Village Road in Santa Barbara Thursday.

It was called “Fiesta in Montecito.”

About 500 people came through to see the dancing and music on a specially built stage in the parking area by Middle Road.

It had many performers that are often seen at Fiesta Pequena, which is a highlighted opening night show on the steps of the Old Mission to kick off Old Spanish Days.

Former El Presidente David Bolton envisioned the Coast Village Road event and worked with the Fiesta board, the City of Santa Barbara and the Coast Village Association to collaborate on the first-ever celebration.

Among those to perform were the Spirit of Fiesta Jenna Ramirez and the Junior Spirit of Fiesta Penny Hernandez.

A ribbon cutting involving a stage of dignitaries including El Presidente Colin Hayward and Mayor Randy Rowse added to the excitement of the two and a half hour event.

It was also a boost to area restaurants and businesses with many people coming through to eat, shop and enjoy the show.

There was an historic carriage on site for photo opportunities.

The artist who created this year’s poster Pedro De La Cruz had a very busy location before the event at the Sunstone Lounge and then during the event near the stage signing posters that were purchased on site.

(Note: there are three news clips attached. Click the dots below the picture. )

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The poster for Old Spanish Days has had very strong sales since it was released in April.

The poster is an annual memory of the event.

It was created by artist Pedro De La Cruz with several images of how he reflects on Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara over the years.

It has  dancers, a romantic couple, the Old Mission, a backdrop of the mountains and a full moon.

The top of the poster has this year’s theme “Fiesta Forever.”

The poster is a collector’s item for many people each year, and there have been some special signing events as well.

One is set for the Sunstone Lounge at 1294 Coast Village Road at 3 p.m. Thursday July 30.

“It makes me very very happy.  I am happy that people are embracing it.  I am going to be signing more posters and I’m very enthusiastic and very excited about it.  Why not!?  I like to see people’s expressions and how happy that makes them it is very fulfilling,” said De La Cruz.

Two special edition metal plates with the Fiesta poster image will be auctioned off this weekend at the Presidente party in Santa Barbara.

The posters are for sale in Santa Barbara at the Home Improvement Center, Viva! Santa Barbara at the Paseo Nuevo Mall  and at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum Downtown.

There is also a link on the official Old Spanish Days page. https://www.sbfiesta.org/

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA CO, Calif. (KEYT) – The call-out initially included crews from nearly a dozen local fire departments when a structure fire broke out just before 3:30 Thursday afternoon in the Painted Cave area off Highway 154.

According to PulsePoint, a 911-connected app, the flames sparked at a property on the 4800 block of Glenn Rd., an area with a devastating fire history in the hills above Santa Barbara.

A majority of the fire crews were called off before arriving, however, nearly a handful of crews from Santa Barbara County quickly responded, given the tinder dry and extremely warm conditions in the area for days on end.

Santa Barbara County Fire PIO Karen Cruz Orduna posted on X that the structure fire involved a vacant single-family residence and an outbuilding. The flames also charred roughly 40′ by 40′ of nearby vegetation.

Crews quickly stopped the fire from spreading further.

No one was hurt; fire investigators are working to determine the cause.

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Mike Klan

WICHITA, Kansas. (KEYT) – Noah Waldeck pitched seven innings of 3-hit scoreless ball to lead the Santa Barbara Foresters into the semifinals at the 92nd National Baseball Congress World Series.

The Foresters eliminated the Austin Gold Sox 7-0 in the quarterfinals for their third shutout win in four games in this tournament.

The 10-time World Series champion Foresters have outscored their opponents 35-2 so far.

Brady Janusek (Baylor University) led a balanced offensive attack with two runs batted in as he tripled in Sawyer Farr in the fifth inning to make it 4-0 and knocked in another run on a groundout in the seventh inning to increase the lead to 6-0.

The Foresters took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a soft RBI single to right by Donovan LaSalle to score Caleb Hoover.

The Gold Sox walked in a run in the third inning and a wild pitch in the top of the fifth let the Foresters third run in.

Cole Chamberlain blasted an RBI double in the sixth inning to make it 5-0.

A passed ball in the top of the eighth produced the Foresters seventh and final run of the game.

The star of the game was Waldeck who struck out six batters in his dominant start.

The Foresters will play in Friday’s semifinal against Junction City Brigade of Kansas. The time of the game has not been set yet.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA PAULA, Calif. (KEYT) – A former resident of the Santa Paula area was arrested Wednesday morning following his return to Ventura County after he made criminal threats to carry out a shooting directed at the Santa Paula Police Station and kill officers.

In a press release, the Santa Paula Police Department says they were made aware of a person in the state of Idaho making threats to conduct a shooting at the police station and specifically kill police officers. The department detailed that the 70-year-old is from the Santa Paula and planned to return to the Ventura County area soon.

While in Idaho, the man mentioned that he planned to use protective ballistic equipment as part of his plan to conduct a shooting.

Through collaboration with multiple agencies, the man was tracked down and arrested in the city of Ventura on July 29th. Search warrants were issued in Ventura and Santa Paula areas, and a handgun, ammunition, a ballistic helmet, and diagrams to manufacture assault weapons were among items seized as evidence.

The department says the man also has a pending criminal case from 2025 a variety of illegal firearms charges. The Ventura Police Department located over 130 firearms in that case.

The man’s bail has been set at $1,020,000.

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Andrew Gillies

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The risk of getting scammed is higher than ever, with fraudsters constantly coming up with new tactics to trick, scare, or intimate you out of your money.

In this week’s segment of On Your Side, we highlight gift card scams – victims will receive text message from someone they believe they know, stating that person needs them to purchase a gift card. Legitimate ticket vendors and financial institutions will never ask customers to purchase gift cards to receive a refund or resolve an account issue.

Authorities remind the public to never provide gift card numbers, and pins over the phone, this is how the scammers obtain the gift card information.

Your News Channel will have more on how to protect yourself tonight at 6:00pm.

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