Category: keyt-local-news

Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Emergency crews helped after a three-car crash on Miramonte Drive in Santa Barbara just after 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Your News Channel arrived to find a black Porsche convertible near a curb, a white car that had hit a tree blocking the sidewalk, and another white Honda in the middle of the road.

Both the Santa Barbara City Fire and Police Departments had personnel on scene alongside an AMR unit.

There is no current update on any injuries and more information will be provided as it becomes available to Your News Channel.

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Dave Alley

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (KEYT) – A significant stretch of hot weather has arrived this week to the Central Coast, with temperatures expected to be close to or rise above record numbers for this time of year.

Still, even as thermometers soar this week, local fire agencies are indicating the risk of wildfire will remain relatively safe.

“In San Luis Obispo County, we have had a pretty robust grass growth crop this season,” said Luke Bourgault, San Luis Obispo County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Battalion Chief. “Due to that seasonal rainfall that we have had, the live fuel moisture of the vegetation, the grasses and brush remain relatively high, creating a low risk for wildfire.”

Bourgault added another helping factor is the lack of severe fire conditions that can dramatically increase the odds for a wildfire to start.

“The Central Coast this week is looking to be up into the high double digits, but so far there’s no potential for any type of Red Flag Warnings as of yet, but we will have some windier and warmer conditions through the week,” said Bourgault. “Although the wildfire risk is low, the heat wave this week is going to bring some associated dangers such as heat injury, so be careful when you’re outside engaging in outdoor activities and chores. We heads up for heat injury.”

With the lack of increase in fire risk, Bourgault noted staffing levels will remain at normal levels and fire crews will use the time to prepare for the future.

“This period of the year, CAL FIRE is typically engaging in fire preparedness exercises and activities, beginning to look at hiring and up staffing as the season progresses and preparing our crews and equipment for fire season,” said Bourgault. “The mid-term outlook between now and June, for fire seasons, you’re going to see a drying trend in the vegetation and that’s going to continue into May, late May and into June before we’ll see some wildfire activity at that time.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Ivan Rasmussen has seen quite a bit in his 91 years, including the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But he has never seen the generosity he received recently in Santa Barbara.

These days, after obtaining multiple degrees, followed by a career providing services abroad to nations in need and taking care of his health, he was still driving and enjoying his daily routine.

In late February however, his parked vehicle, about 23 years old and wearing down but still useful, was destroyed by a reckless driver. Ivan came out of his senior housing that night with police lights blinking on De la Guerra St. and car parts on the ground. Another vehicle was also mashed up.

With limited funds, there was no immediate plan for a replacement.

His story made it to social media and thousands of people saw it. Hundreds commented to offer help where they could.

The plan became a reality when the non-profit Adam’s Angels knew of a recently donated 2002 Infinity that needed a little sprucing up and a safety check. With that completed, it was ready to roll.

The call was made to Ivan who had no idea this kind of generosity and community outpouring was going on. The car was delivered in a heartwarming presentation.

Now he is back into his routine working out at the YMCA, going to the Farmers Market and UC Santa Barbara basketball games when they are playing. He missed one game after the wreck, but had the “new” car in time for the final game of the year in the Thunderdome on campus, where he sat at half court.

Adam’s Angels was formed during the COVID crisis to help seniors, veterans and those who are housing insecure as a priority. The group provides food, necessities and other forms of care as needed. Annually a holiday season dinner is served to over 400 with the help of volunteers and donations.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – For thousands of years, Chinese has endured as the world’s oldest living language.

Now, some of the youngest local voices are carrying it forward into tomorrow.

Inside the library at University of California, Santa Barbara Library, shelves hold texts filled with symbols that have outlasted empires.

Principal Jenny Mazanec of the Santa Barbara Chinese School often points out how those characters connect cultures across Asia.

“These books are not limited to Chinese,” Mazanec noted. “There are also Korean and Japanese texts here.”

Just miles away, those same characters echo in lively classrooms where children practice Mandarin phrases.

Students bring a classic fable to life — the rabbit racing the turtle — told in Chinese.

“In Santa Barbara, we don’t have many people who speak Chinese,” lead instructor Lin Yang explained. “But learning a language is like opening a window to different cultures. It broadens your world and enriches your life.”

Two years ago, the school’s Chinese program had just 17 students.

Today, nearly 70 children are enrolled — a surge that has educators thrilled.

“I’m proud,” instructor Jie Zhang reflected. “I think the most important reason is their curiosity. Being curious is the driving force that motivates them to keep going.”

Yang believes the excitement she sees in her classroom is what matters most.

“I love seeing how excited kids get when they learn something new,” she said. “If students leave my classroom feeling happy and curious about learning a new language, that means everything to me.”

Here, a language rooted in deep history is finding its next generation of voices.

“I see more joy and more people coming together,” Mazanec observed. “People want camaraderie — sharing meals, celebrating, and building community within Santa Barbara County. It’s very touching and eye-opening.”

Every new phrase build a bridge.

Every story opens a door.

“If one day they could write an essay in Chinese,” Yang added with a smile, “that would be my dream.”

An ancient language — finding new life, one voice at a time.In Santa Barbara, children laugh, practice new words, and repeat phrases together while learning one of the world’s oldest living languages.

For thousands of years, the Mandarin language has endured through dynasties and changing eras.

Today, some of the youngest local voices are helping carry that legacy forward.

Symbols preserved for centuries line the pages of historic texts.

Santa Barbara Chinese School Principal and Executive Director Jenny Mazanec often reflects on the meaning behind them — characters that have outlasted empires and generations.

Those symbols now echo in lively classrooms where children from many backgrounds practice Mandarin together.

Lessons often come alive through storytelling. A classic tale of the rabbit racing the turtle becomes a playful way for students to practice pronunciation and rhythm while connecting with centuries-old tradition.

Instructor Lin Yang describes the experience as far more than vocabulary lessons. Families from many cultures enroll their children to open the door to a new language, history, and perspective on the world.

Interest in the program has grown rapidly.

Just two years ago, about 17 students were enrolled in the Chinese classes.

Today, nearly 70 children participate — a surge that educators describe as both exciting and meaningful.

Each new phrase helps students build connections across cultures while discovering a language rooted in thousands of years of history.

An ancient tradition continues — carried forward by the voices of the next generation.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Vandenberg hosted its ‘State Of The Base’ conference today.

It’s a busy time for Vandenberg.

The base celebrated a record number of launches last year, and announced plans to push the envelope even further.

Base commander Colonel Horne and other high ranking officials outlined future plans and innovative goals for leading departments.

“The steps that we’re taking to integrate not only our other mission partners across the services, but also the allies that we have, and integrating them into our missions is really, really starting to take hold,” says Deputy Combined Joint Force Space Component Commander for U.S. Space Forces – Space (S4S) Brig. Gen. Kyle Paul. “And I think over the course of the next year and beyond, we’re really going to see that expand.”

The base hopes to reach one hundred launches from private and commercial vendors this year, with a vision to triple that in the coming years.

“We launched 71 times last year,” says Vandenberg’s Commander Col. James T. Horne III. “We conducted 76 major test range operations. That’s including the 71 launches. And then the other five would be the X-37 landing we did. And then several hypersonic vehicle tests from a company called Stratolaunch.”

They’re also working on ways to increase community engagement, to facilitate the public’s understanding of the crucial role space plays in people’s everyday lives.

“We can’t function in our current society without the effects of space,” says Gen. Paul. “Whether it be our banking, you know, using your GPS in your car, your satellite phones, it really permeates every single facet of life.”

Col. Horne says what he calls the “second space race” looks promising, despite some challenges such as aging infrastructure.

“The investment we’re putting into the infrastructure on the base, the 861 million, a part of that is a project to increase the size of our air tower,” says Col. Horne.

Also, a new presentation series that debuted in Lompoc last month called “Mission Update” will be held soon in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Ojai.

Base leaders say Vandenberg is striving to balance national security with community stewardship.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Oxnard resident and the Port of Hueneme Commissioner, Jess Ramirez joins your Morning News to share about his children’s book.

The book based on a true story, Little Drops of Water shares the journey of a migrant family from Mexico to the United States. In both Spanish and English, the book shares about the day he was born, love within the family and is dedicated to his sister Toña.

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Mike Klan

HENDERSON, Nevada. (KEYT) – UCSB is considered to be one of the top men’s basketball programs in the Big West.

But over the past three seasons this has not been the case, far from it.

The Gauchos are just average.

Head coach Joe Pasternack and his Gauchos overpacked for their trip to the Big West Championships in Nevada, losing 79-73 to UC Davis in the first round of the conference tournament.

Carl Doughtery Jr. scored a game-high 24 points for the Aggies who built up a ten point lead with 8:15 left in the game and they were in control the rest of the way.

Freshman CJ Shaw scored a team-high 20 points for UCSB.

The Aggies completed a 3-game sweep over UCSB this year and have won 7 straight overall in the series that is ending as UC Davis leaves for the Mountain West Conference.

The Gauchos were just 5-of-26 from three-point distance against Davis, a fitting end to a season that certainly missed the mark. A preseason pick to finish in the top two in the league, the Gauchos were the #7 seed out of 8 teams in this tournament.

Coaches always want to be playing their best ball in March but Joe Pasternack saw his Gauchos lose six of their last seven games to finish this pedestrian season 18-14.

Injuries to Jason Fontenet II and Miro Little certainly affected this season but this not a one year slide back to the middle of the pack in the Big West.

Over the last three seasons in league, UCSB is 31-29 and 2-3 in the conference tournament.

The Gauchos fancy themselves as a top two program in the Big West but the recent league standings suggest otherwise.

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Mike Klan

HENDERSON, Nevada. (KEYT) – UCSB opened up an early nine point lead in the third quarter but they could not hold off UC Riverside and lost 58-53 in the first round of the Big West Championships.

It’s the third straight year that UCSB has failed to win a game in this tournament.

The Gauchos had three turnovers in the final two and a half minutes of this game.

UCSB was led in scoring by Olivia Bradley who had 23 points.

Riverside got a game-high 26 points from Hannah Wickstrom.

The Gauchos end the season 20-10.

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Mike Klan

HENDERSON, Nevada (KEYT) – Cal Poly was just 6-of-32 from three-point distance for only 19 percent in a 72-69 first round loss to UC San Diego at the Big West Championships.

The top scorer in the Big West Hamad Mousa scored a team-high 21 points Cal Poly but he was 0-for-6 from beyond the arc while teammate Peter Bandelj made just 1-for-9 on his three-point attempts.

Cal Poly led the defending Big West Champions 35-26 at the half but the Tritons rallied behind a game-high 23 points from Hudson Mayes and 20 points from Tom Beattie.

The Mustangs finish the season 14-19.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara Auto Night is back.

On Tuesday nights, people are invited to bring out their best rides, builds, classics, motorcycles and more.

The drivers park and chill in the Chase Palm Park lot from 6:00pm until dark.

Santa Barbara Auto Night organizers use drones to take video of all kinds of cars and motorcycles on display.

If you missed the free auto night this week, they hope to fill the lot again on March 17th, 24th and 31st.

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