Category: keyt-local-news

Alissa Orozco

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) – The community is asked to be on the look out for a missing teen last seen in the city of Oxnard on November 21st.

13-year-old Emiliana “Emi” Casarez was last seen wearing a black jacket, black tank top, blue jeans, and black Vans brand shoes in the River Park area of Oxnard around 7:21am on Nov. 21st.

The California Department of Justice describes Emiliana as a hispanic female, weighing roughly 100-110 lbs, 5’1, with brown eyes and pink hair.

The teen has one stud nose piercing, and may have been carrying a Jansport brand backpack, unknown color blanket, and stuffed animal when she was last seen.

Anyone with information Emiliana’s whereabouts can contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600.

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Jarrod Zinn

OCEANO, Calif. (KEYT) – A U.S. district court judge in Los Angeles issued a ruling that adds another chapter to the battle over off-road vehicles at the Oceano Dunes.

Off-roading at Oceano Dunes goes back decades.

And some local businesses benefit from those riders, people like Anthony Malmo from Fresno.

“We can go four wheeling closer to our house,” he says. “There’s a place 45 minutes away that we drive trails in the mountains. But on the beach, it’s a lot more fun.”

In 1993, a shorebird called the Snowy plover was added to the endangered species list. Since then, environmentalists and nonprofits have been on a mission to reduce off-roading at Oceano Dunes, a natural habitat for the snowy plover and other shorebirds.

“Oceano Dunes started becoming an important breeding area and almost immediately, you know, conflicts,” says Jeff Miller, spokesperson for the Center For Biological Diversity. “Turns out off road vehicles and cryptically colored nesting shorebirds in the dunes don’t really mix that well.”

This month, a federal judge found California parks violated the Endangered Species Act by allowing off-roaders to stay on the dunes, and cited instances where some of the birds were killed.

But this spring a state appeals court ruled in favor of off-roaders, saying the coastal commission did not have the authority to ban off-road vehicles.

“There is places that are set up for the endangered species that, nobody bothers with and nobody messes with,” says Malmo. “And we’re still able to do our thing.”

The federal judge ruled that state parks and environmental groups must work together to find a solution.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara Farmers Market annually anticipates one of its busiest days of the year on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and this year it is slightly more challenging after historic rains recently.

Many growers have spent extra time washing and prepping their produce including lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots  and cauliflower.

The demand is high for the ingredients that make up holiday side dishes and stuffing recipes.

On Saturday, the crowds were loading up in downtown Santa Barbara, and adding bunches of fresh flowers that were selling briskly.

The Tuesday market covers several blocks and many farmers added extra boxes of produce from their farms.

Tom Sheppard with Sheppard Farms says he hit the mark by bringing 300 pounds of green beans for sale on Saturday and Tuesday. He saked them and strung them up this month to keep them from falling in the mud during the rain.

Onr shopper, Emma Cantu who is also a personal chef said, “everything at the Farmer’s Market is fresh. Everything. Yeah, everything. You buy it at the store. You don’t know how long it’s been there. “

One farmers made it through the rainy weather and harvested several hundred pounds of green beans. The owner of Sheppard Farms, Tom Sheppard said, “they talk casseroles. They talk steaming. Yeah.  It’s got to be on the table , you have to have green beans.”

 As for the powerful weather that came through recently he said, “the rain was beautiful, actually. And I was really smart this year. I staked and strung the beans. And there’s so many beams on the plants that the rain or the rain would have knocked the beams over into the mud. But because there’s stacked and strong, they’re beautiful. “

One shopper knew exactly the ingredients she needed for the holiday stuffing. Emma Cantu said, “the stuffing is onions, celery, butter. Chicken broth or, you know, turkey broth. You can get any nuts, you know, you can use pecans, walnuts, chestnuts are beautiful right now. And we have chestnuts here in Santa Barbara. It’s rare.”

Mike Iniguez at Mike’s Organic Produce said, he had a freshly washed and pick lineup. “Kale for salad, persimmons, squash, cabbage and  beets. “

Surrounded by avocados, lemons, cheramoyas and popular plant cuttings, Mikayla Marquez said, “you should be bringing your Carpinteria locally grown avocados. You can never go wrong with a little side of guac or a little slice of avocado with your turkey, with your mashed potatoes. You can’t go wrong. Guacamole is year round around here.”

She also had freshly made wreaths hanging around the booths.

Erik Van Wingerden with Myriad Flowers was surrounded by fresh cut stems. “Flowers are great. Put them on the table, people love to have fresh flowers in the house.   I always love the multi colored spray roses as a nice gift for people.” He suggested flowers if you are having a get together and you don’t make a dish. Some of the buckets had lillies, marigolds and sunflowers.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A tentative agreement has been reached between Santa Cruz Markets and its employees, preventing an unfair labor strike just ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 announced the agreement Tuesday morning and says this will deliver better work conditions and benefits by providing higher wages, improvements in sick and bereavement leave, protection of health and welfare benefits, and more.

Market employees at both the Santa Barbara and Goleta locations threatened to strike last week, claiming unfair labor practices including “coercion, surveillance, unilateral changes, and bad faith that have prevented essential grocery workers from getting the fair contract they deserve.”

Both parties met at the bargaining table that resulted in success for employees.

“This new contract delivers $3 an hour top rate increases over three years, improved sick and bereavement leave, increased scheduling notice, protection of hourly guarantee in the event of force majeure, and protection of health and welfare benefits. And by sticking together in solidarity, we defeated the company’s attempt to roll back the time-and-a-half Sunday premium.”

Local 770 emphasizes the agreement does not finalize anything, a vote still needs to be held to accept it.

“This victory was only possible because of our hard work and solidarity with our co-workers. Every action we took, from signing petitions, to engaging with our customers, wearing our t-shirts, to speaking out publicly about our issues, helped get us to this point. Our victory sends a powerful message to workers everywhere – when we band together in solidarity, we win.” 

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara Public Library has relaunched its “Food for Fines” program.

The program allows patrons to erase up to $35 in lost or damaged item fees with one bag of at least three non-perishable food items.

Donations are accepted at the Central Library, Eastside Library, or Library on the Go — no card required — through January 16, 2026.

The drive helps clear blocked accounts while restocking local food banks for those in need.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Nearly 700 bike riders are on the road with more safety than they had a few weeks ago.

Earlier this month the group known as “MOVE Santa Barbara County” which supports bike riding safety and safe routes handed out free rechargeable LED bike lights.It was just after we changed the clocks and it was getting darker earlier..They set up in Santa Barbara on the Eastside and downtown, also in Carpinteria, Isla Vista and Goleta as part of a week-long distribution.A total of 670 lights were installed on bikes.

The event was sponsored by The Shoemaker Family Fund and LEAP Central Coast and carried the name, Iluminando La Noche or Light Up the Night.They also shared information about a do-it-yourself bike repair shop on Olive street known as Bici Centro.

In addition to bike riders, MOVE Santa Barbara County educates and advocatesfor people who walk and take public transit.

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Mike Klan

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona. (KEYT) – Guard Peter Bandelj led three Cal Poly men’s basketball players in double-digit scoring figures with 20 points Monday evening, but the Mustangs opened a two-game stretch at Northern Arizona’s MTE with a 93-87 setback to the host Lumberjacks inside the Rolle Activity Center.

Fellow sophomore Hamad Mousa added 17 points for Cal Poly (3-4), which led by double digits early before trailing by six at the break. Junior guard Jake Davis, who matched his Division I scoring high with 14 points, sank a third and final three-pointer with 11-and-a-half minutes remaining to hand Cal Poly a 67-66 lead.

With Northern Arizona (3-2) shooting 60.0 (15-for-25) percent during the second half, however, the one-point advantage was Cal Poly’s last of the night.

Freshman Ali Assran and Mousa co-led Cal Poly with eight rebounds apiece as the Mustangs sank 13 three-pointers.

Down 5-4 after two minutes, Cal Poly received a Davis three-pointer to kickstart a 9-0 run. A Mousa three-pointer – one of three he drained in the first half – then handed Cal Poly an 18-7 lead six minutes into action.

The Mustangs still led 27-18 with 11-and-a-half minutes to play before Northern Arizona – backboned by two three-pointers and a layup from guard Ryan Abelman – produced a 14-5 run to tie the matchup.

The Mustangs, who shot 50.0 (17-for-34) percent from the floor during the first half and knocked down nine three-pointers, saw Bandelj complete a three-point play four minutes before the break to regain a 44-40 lead. Cal Poly, however, produced just one bucket the remainder of the half and trailed heading into the locker room, 52-46.

Cal Poly faced a nine-point deficit early in the second half before Davis hit a second three-pointer and Bandelj finalized another three-point play. Freshman Austin Goode added a layup before Bandelj followed with another to place the Mustangs back in front at 60-59 with 15 minutes to go.

Cal Poly led once more behind the Davis three-pointer at 67-66 and tied the scoreline five times down the stretch without overcoming the Lumberjacks.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)

Image courtesy of Zach Melendez / NAU Athletics

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Freshman CJ Shaw scored a game-high 23 points and Marvin McGhee IV added 14 points as UCSB cruised past Nobel University 84-49.

Shaw made 9-of-11 shots while the Bakersfield-transfer McGhee IV sank 5-of-7 from the field as he works his way back from a leg injury that delayed the start of his Gauchos tenure.

UCSB led 42-19 at the half as the Gauchos overwhelmed the Knights as expected who play in the National Christian College Athletic Association.

The Knights are coached by former Gauchos player Les Bean.

UCSB sophomore Zion Sensley recorded a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds and 11 points.

(Freshman Michael Simcoe scored 10 points. Entenza Design).

A highlight in the second half was freshman Luke Zuffelato scoring his first collegiate points.

(Luke Zuffelato scores his first points as a Gaucho in lopsided win. Entenza Design).

The Santa Barbara High School graduate Zuffelato knocked down a three-pointer and threw down a dunk as he scored all 7 of his points after the break.

The Gauchos play in the Resorts World Classic in Las Vegas starting Friday versus Lehigh.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Paseo Nuevo is preparing for holidays and visitors can already enjoy its big Christmas tree and soon shoppers will be able to visit Santa at a storefront across from Nordstrom.

But like many malls it no longer has its Macy’s and Nordstrom anchor stores.

Many Central Coast locals remember the Paseo Nuevo’s retail heyday.

Shannon Givens helped open the Nordstrom back in the day.

Givens remember the piano players, the elegant entrances, and the friends she made.

She is one of many people paying attention to talks about its future.

The city of Santa Barbara is looking to add market value and low income housing with incentives for developers.

“The Paseo Nuevo Mall, there has been a real changed retail environment in the last 5 or 6 years and retailers are looking at brick and mortar storefronts in a very different way,” said City Administrator Kelly McAdoo. “We’ve had the Paseo Nuevo Mall here in downtown Santa Barbara since 1989 and we really need to start thinking about how do we create the next catalyst for downtown, we have an opportunity right now through a partnership we have with a development team to build a number of housing units in downtown.”

The city is in talks with the owner of Shoppoff Realty Investments that owns the Nordstrom building and of the owners of the mall’s lease that includes Macy’s.

“There are a couple of partners that are part of the ownership structure at he Paseo Nuevo Mall, “said McAdoo, “The city owns the land underneath and then there is a group that is affiliated  with alliance  bernstein, they own the former Macy’s building and much of the inline retail shops and then there is a separate company Shopoff that owns the former Nordstrom building and in order for the development to happen all three of those parties , the city, ab and Shopoff have to agree to allow housing on the site.”

Some people including Greg County who works without the unhoused, would like to see a mix of market value and affordable housing.

“Right now we have a proposal for Nordstroms for 112 housing units, it would include inclusionary restricted affordable units in that site, and similarly we are looking at a project on the former Macy’s building of about 233 housing units that will also be going to council.

They will need to work through restrictive agreements on the property. 

On December 2nd, city council will discuss getting the ball rolling with Alliance Bernstein plan and then they will have conversations with Shopoff realty investments at a later date.

And while Macy’s has to be torn down to build housing, the Nordstrom building owned by Shopoff is still structurally sound and viable so they could build housing within its walls.

The City Administrator calls that adaptive reuse.

And fun fact – Shoppoff is the proper name of the investment company founder William A. Shoppoff.

We will have reaction to the Paseo Nuevo plans tonight on the news.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Allan Hancock College evacuated its Santa Maria campus after a bomb threat just before 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to the university.

Santa Maria Police are on scene after all remaining classes and services were cancelled due to the threat, according to the University.

Allan Hancock College announced an all clear at 5:20 p.m. without a single explosive device found in the incident, according to the SMPD.

The SMPD will continue to investigate the case, but all Allan Hancock College classes and services will resume Tuesday morning.

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