Category: keyt-local-news

Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A Thanksgiving break day camp for Lompoc kids has room for a few more sign ups.

The Lompoc Parks & Recreation division is holding a day camp for children ages 6-12 while they’re off school all week for Thanksgiving.

It meets from 12:30 to 5:15pm Monday through Wednesday at the Anderson Recreation Center on Walnut Avenue. 

Games and crafts, a swim day at the aquatics center, and holiday movie viewings are among the activities.

For a registration fee, it’s open to any Lompoc parents who need help with their kids this holiday week.

“We wanted to be able to provide an affordable and safe place for kids to be,” says Johanna Kinard, Lompoc’s Parks And Recreation supervisor. “Also, to get them to tune off the TV and, you know, get some interaction going. We will be accepting registrations every day. We are not at capacity yet, so we invite anybody who wants to get the kids out of the house or if they need supervision, they’re more than welcome to sign up.”

Organizers say parents can register at the Anderson Recreation Center or on the City Of Lompoc’s website.

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Brazilian Cultural Arts Center’s Brazilian Day left the whole of downtown Santa Barbara and the community bursting with feelings of culture and spirit.

Music, dance, vendors, and just about everything green and gold filled Casa de la Guerra and De La Guerra Plaza this past weekend for an afternoon of cultural celebration.

Starting at 10:00am, the local Brazilian community invited everyone to dance their hearts out to the sounds of samba and choro, and enjoy performances from the center’s dancers and other local Brazilian groups. The main stage in De La Guerra Plaza also hosted various performers from different cultures and dance lessons – with help from DJ Darla Bea.

Passistas and performers from Samba Loca led the festival on a small parade down State Street – making the spirit of Brazil known with vibrations of the drums.

A special VIP section held just across the street at Casa de la Guerra made the perfect dance floor to continue dancing until the sunset! There the festival included a beer garden, kids fun zone, and Churrascaria (Brazilian barbecue). The entire venue radiated with energy, as attendees finished off the evening with great food, great music, and great people.

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Cal Poly is entering the winter season on a few bright notes.

The Campus Health and Wellbeing department has launched new medical vending machines containing basic over-the-counter pharmaceutical supplies.

A senior project expo on Friday featured the prototype of a portable carbon monoxide sensor, created in honor of late graduate Johnny Heathco.

And the university’s Study Abroad program is ranked first in the nation for the fourth year, according to the Institute Of International Education.

Students are taking their learn-by-doing motto global.

“This is the third consecutive year and fourth overall that we’ve ranked number one in the nation among master’s level institutions,” says Cari Vanderkar, Cal Poly’s Assistant Vice Provost for International Programs. “For the number of students we’ve sent on study abroad. We’re really pleased to offer a variety of programs from short term length, from even just, you know, 7 to 10 days, or up to a semester or academic year.”

Officials say studying abroad has a profound effect on students.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria Elks Recreation has announced its popular annual “Christmas in the Country” drive-through light show will not take place this year.

Elks Recreation, the local non-profit organization that operates the Santa Maria Elks Event Center, Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade, as well as Christmas in the Country, indicated the sheer volume of community-related events held at the Event Center in 2025 was a key factor in the decision to postpone this year’s event.

“This year, to fulfill those commitments, we had events all the way through November 3rd, but because some events got pushed, we just didn’t have enough time to prep the way that we needed to,” said Johnna McGuire, Elks Recreation Media Director.

McGuire added recent wet weather also played an important role in this year’s cancellation.

“We had back-to-back rain that we needed and loved, but obviously it really hampered our efforts to prep the grounds and get them ready for Christmas in the Country,” said McGuire. “It was a hard decision, but it was really just one that we just felt that if we couldn’t do it to the best that it’s been, we didn’t want to. We would never want to disappoint people.”

Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, Christmas in the Country quickly turned into a favorite holiday tradition for families in the Santa Maria Valley and surrounding communities.

“It’s just so wonderful that the community has been able to create something like this,” said Kim Parsons, United Rentals Branch Manager, who has participated in all of the previous years. “You have families that come out with their kids. They’re dressed up in their pajamas. They have their hot cocoa. They’re just looking forward to going through this. Usually, it takes about 45 minutes to drive through the event and you get to see so many just awesome setups.”

Held on the 107-acre Elks Event Center property, the home site of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo, Christmas in the Country features dozens of lighted displays created individually by local businesses, clubs, schools, organizations, families, and other groups.

“Everybody has their own different scene,” said Parsons. “We have a manger with live animals that are here. You are able to see so many different lights, and so many different scenes out here. You have Elsa (From Frozen), you have the Polar Express out here. You have a scene that has the Abominable Snowman. You get to see so many awesome setups that the community does.”

Similar to the Elks Rodeo held in late-May/early June, all of the proceeds generated through the sale of tickets benefits the community, helping provide funding to different programs, activities and projects, especially for the youth in the Santa Maria Valley.

With this year’s event now postponed, McGuire assured the public Elks Recreation is planning to hold Christmas in the Country back next year.

 “We do look forward to having Christmas in the Country back bigger and better than ever in 2026,” said McGuire. “We just always have more businesses and organizations wanting to participate and be a part of it, so we are very excited that 2026 will be great, and we just invite everybody to to hold on, and we’re going to see you all next year!”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (KEYT) – Montecito Bank & Trust started off the Thanksgiving week with a contribution to 188 non-profits that will each share a portion of $1-million.

The philanthropic program is called Community Dividends that got its start back in 2003 by the late Michael Towbes the founder and CEO of the bank.

The 2025 funds were distributed at a special lunch at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Each person enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal while hearing about the program’s history and plans for the future.

Montecito Bank & Trust President and CEO Janet Garufis told the room of 300, “you listen to your community,  engaging with them to better understand  their needs.  You collaborate with partners to be more effective and how those needs are met, you advocate for changes to enhance the quality of life for all segments of our community.”

Since the distribution began more than $23-million has gone to groups specializing in programs for arts, youth and education, social services, and medical and health services sectors.

Many of the representatives gathered prior to the lunch to share updates about their non-profits and some of the financial challenges they face either with a change in local donations or a drop in federal funds. In some cases the stories were dire and included program staff layoffs.

There was also be a special Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend. That was founded in 2019 to continue the late CEO’s legacy beyond the original dividends goals by Towbes. It is an annual award of $100,000 to one or more non-profit organizations that deliver critical and sustainable services to a large number of the most vulnerable people in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.  This year there were two winners.

They were given to the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF).

In receiving the award VCCF President Vanessa Bechtel recalled a quote by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu which read, “do your little bit of good where you are.” They also have a Neighborhood Support Coalition that will be using the funds.

Santa Barbara Foundation President and CEO Jackie Carrera said there is a dire need to keep groups funded that are providing health care, aid for those who are facing food insecurity and in need of mental health resources. She re-emphasized the national concern about the shift in public funding which in many cases, is going down.

“We have a big job ahead of us with the number of applicants we are seeing that are experiencing those cuts and changes to those programs because of policy changes but we have a good team to make those decisions,” said Carrera.

One of the growing programs was featured when a choir of children performed for the luncheon.They were with the Music Academy of the West “Sing! ” after school program that serves 300 young singers.

Additionally, this year there were five recipients of a golden ticket worth $500. that they found inside the Montecito Bank & Trust annual report handed to each attendee. Those who received the surprise could keep it for their organization or pass it on to another non-profit in the room.

This years list of recipients are:

2nd Story AssociatesAccess Central CoastAdelante Charter SchoolAHA! (Attitude. Harmony. Achievement.)Alano Club of Santa Barbara, Inc.Alpha Resource Center of Santa BarbaraAlzheimer’s Association, California Central Coast ChapterAmerican Indian Health & ServicesAngels Foster Care of Santa BarbaraAssociation of Fundraising Professionals, Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties ChapterAtterdag at Home, Inc.Atterdag Village of SolvangBethania Tuesday Food DistributionBig Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, IncBlind Fitness IncBoys & Girls Club of CamarilloBoys & Girls Club of Greater VenturaBoys & Girls Club of Moorpark & Simi Valley Inc.Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Inc.Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV)C.A.R.E.4PawsCabrillo Economic Development CorporationCalifornia Avocado Festival, Inc.California Missions FoundationCalifornia Nature Art MuseumCalifornia State University Channel Islands FoundationCALM 

Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara 

Carpinteria Children’s Project 

Carpinteria Education Foundation, Inc. 

Carpinteria Skate Foundation 

Casa Del Herrero 

Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families 

Casa Serena, Inc. 

Channel Islands YMCA 

Children’s Creative Project 

Children’s Resource & Referral 

City Impact, Inc. 

CommUnify 

Community Counseling and Education Center 

Community Environmental Council 

Congregation B’nai B’rith 

Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse 

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County 

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County 

Crane Country Day School 

Dignity Moves 

Direct Relief 

Easy Lift Transportation 

Economic Development Collaborative Ventura County 

Elings Park Foundation 

Ensemble Theatre Company 

Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County 

Fielding Graduate University 

Food From The Heart 

Food Share of Ventura County 

Foodbank of Santa Barbara County 

Friends of Fieldworkers, Inc. 

Friendship Adult Day Care Center, Inc. 

Friendship Manor Inc. 

Ganna Walska Lotusland 

Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara 

Girls Incorporated of Carpinteria 

Goleta Education Foundation 

Good Samaritan Shelter 

Grace Fisher Foundation 

Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County 

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County 

Hearts Aligned Inc. 

Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center 

HELP of Carpinteria 

Hillside 

Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc. 

House Farm Workers 

Housing Opportunities Made Easier 

Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County, Inc. 

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County 

Immigrant Hope of Santa Barbara, CA Inc 

James Storehouse 

Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara 

Laguna Blanca School 

LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner 

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County 

Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association 

Lobero Theatre Foundation 

Magoo’s Shoes 

Many Mansions 

Meals on Wheels Santa Barbara 

Mental Wellness Center 

Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project 

Momentum WORK, Inc. 

Moorpark College Foundation 

Mothers’ Helpers 

MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation 

Museum of Ventura County 

Music Academy of the West 

Mystic Ocean Adventures 

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation 

New Beginnings Counseling Center 

Old Mission Santa Barbara 

Old Mission Santa Ines 

Opera Santa Barbara 

Organic Soup Kitchen 

Outreach Alliance of Ventura County 

Pacific Pride Foundation 

Parks and Recreation Community Foundation 

Partners In Housing Solutions, Inc 

PathPoint 

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Corporation 

Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative Homes 

Planned Parenthood California Central Coast 

Safety Town of Santa Barbara County 

Sansum Clinic 

Santa Barbara Birth Center 

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Inc. 

Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation 

Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. 

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper 

Santa Barbara Community Housing Corporation 

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation 

Santa Barbara County Education Office 

Santa Barbara Culinary Experience 

Santa Barbara Education Foundation 

Santa Barbara Foundation 

Santa Barbara Hillel 

Santa Barbara Historical Museum 

Santa Barbara Humane

Santa Barbara International Film Festival Santa Barbara Middle SchoolSanta Barbara Mission Archive-LibrarySanta Barbara Museum of ArtSanta Barbara Museum of Natural HistorySanta Barbara Police Activities LeagueSanta Barbara Public Library FoundationSanta Barbara Rescue MissionSanta Barbara SymphonySanta Barbara Trust for Historic PreservationSanta Barbara Waldorf AssociationSanta Barbara Zoological FoundationSanta Cruz Island FoundationSanta Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital FoundationSanta Ynez Valley People Helping People, Inc.Scholarship Foundation of Santa BarbaraShowers of Blessing Santa BarbaraSolvang Friendship HouseSolvang Senior CenterSolvang Theaterfest, Inc.St. Vincent’sStanding Together to End Sexual AssaultState Street BalletStorytellerStuart C Gildred Family YMCAStudents for Eco-Education & Agriculture, Inc.Studio Channel Islands Art CenterSurgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) InternationalTeacher’s FundTeddy Bear Cancer FoundationThe Arc Foundation of Ventura CountyThe Cecilia FundThe Foundation for Girsh ParkThe Foundation For Santa Barbara City CollegeThe Marjorie Luke TheatreThe Salvation Army of Santa BarbaraTina Hansen McEnroe & Paul V. McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic at UCSBTransition HouseTurning Point FoundationTV Santa BarbaraUCSB Arts & LecturesUCSB Economic Forecast ProjectUnited Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara CountyUnited Way of Santa Barbara County, Inc.United Way of Ventura County, Inc.Unity Shoppe, Inc.Veggie RescueVentura College FoundationVentura County Community Development CorporationVentura County Community FoundationVentura County Medical Resource FoundationVentura HousingVentura Land TrustVNA Health Foundation

Westmont CollegeWhite Buffalo Land TrustWilderness Youth ProjectWomen’s Economic Ventures (WEV)Women’s Fund of Santa BarbaraYouth and Family Services YMCA: Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Center

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A group of parents has turned compassion into action with the creation of the “Hummingbird Hideaway” at Monte Vista Elementary School in Santa Barbara.

The cozy, colorful space offers students a place to unwind, read quietly, or simply take a break from the buzz of the school day.

Funded by the Hope School District Educational Foundation, the hideaway aims to support mental wellness and teach mindfulness to children facing daily stress.

Teachers believe the effort is paying off.

Students who step into the hideaway return to class more relaxed, focused, and ready to learn.

Parent Cody Westheimer designed and built the structure – a similar concept to his “Hawk’s Nest” at the Botanic Gardens.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Cal Poly announced a head coaching change for its football team Sunday afternoon.

The university parted ways with head coach Paul Wulff after three seasons on the Cal Poly sidelines.

Cal Poly Director of Athletics Carter Henderson shared the following sentiment on Wulff and his tenure:

“I want to thank Coach Wulff for his years of service to Cal Poly both as an assistant and a head football coach. He represented the Mustangs well and was extremely dedicated to this program. I wish him the absolute best moving forward.”

The university, in conjunction with its announcement of Wulff’s departure, said a national search for a new head football coach is underway.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). – Dos Pueblos High School cross country is celebrating the boys CIF-Southern Section Division 2 championship with a four point win over Hart (84-88).

With a school record 3 mile total combined time of 1:13:30 for 5 runners (Avg Time of 14:42 per man) and a spread of 27 seconds from first to fifth runner, Dos Pueblos came out on top of the podium at Mt. San Antonio College.

From head coach David Jackson:

“With cool temps in the low 50s, the Chargers took Race #1 with determination. Lead by a 1-2 punch from Owen Abbot and Phil Contakes we put ourselves in contention. We were positioned in 4th, 40 points behind Hart of Santa Clarita. With Linus Martin, Ashton Smedley, Oliver Saleh and Cullen Gully in a pack of their own, pushing the chase pack, our race for gold was on. We came through the two mile mark just 1 point behind. And in a final push for the Championship, we were 4 points ahead. With such a close margin of victory, we were feeling vindicated for all the hard work at he edge of the continent, up here at the top of the Southern Section. And, then we saw the merged results. We came out on top of the whole section. Such an accomplishment is exciting, and we still have the State Championship to go. So, we’ll savor the moment.”

The DP girls did not advance to the State final after finishing in 9th place out of 16 teams. The Chargers were led by Cate Bishop who helped DP finish three places higher than last year. She came in 24th overall individually with a time of 17:38.

The San Marcos girls cross country team qualified for next weekend’s CIF State Meet with a sixth place finish overall. Sofi Hernandez had a personal-best time of 17:46. Elsie Tuttle was close behind at 17:49 followed by Samara Shalhoub (18:12), Layla Llewellyn (18:17) and Autumn Richardson (18:25).

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Mike Klan

FULLERTON, Calif. (KEYT) – Following their Friday night victory over UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball finalized their 2025 regular season today with a 3-0 shut out of Cal State Fullerton. The Gauchos exit their final weekend with a sweep to finish with a 14-4 Big West record.

FROM HEAD COACH MATT JONES”Today was a great way to end the regular season,” Jones said. “Got contributions from the whole team and continued our momentum heading into the conference tournament. We’re excited to keep competing with this group for as long as possible.”

HOW IT HAPPENEDFullerton led as far as 4-3 in the first, but their luck ended there. Santa Barbara commandeered the match and scored nine points in a row to make it 12-4. The Titans collected a few more points before the set was through, but the Gauchos added 13 points of their own to end it 25-13.

It wasn’t long before Santa Barbara pulled the lead in the second, getting ahead at 7-6. Fullerton managed to stay tighter with the Gauchos this time around, keeping largely within two points for the first portion of the set. Fullerton tied it at 10-10 and had a chance through the teens, but Santa Barbara closed it out with a six-point run that brought them from 19-16 to the necessary 25 points.

The third set favored the Titans, who led all the way through 17-16. Santa Barbara coordinated their comeback after 17-17 and only allowed one more Titan point to be made. The Gauchos scored eight of the last nine points in the match to come away 3-0 from the Titans for the second time this season.

With today’s win, the Gauchos are on a 25 match winning streak against Cal State Fullerton.

STAT RECAP

Gabi Martinez was up to her usual business of leading the Gauchos in kills, this time bagging 17. She hit an astounding .682, landing the 17 out of 22 attempts

In addition to her copious kills, Martinez picked up a double double with 12 digs

Kate Martin recorded a career-high in both digs and assists with 10 and four

Eva Travis hit .435, landing six kills off of 11 attempts

Michelle Zhao put up 26 assists, breaking 20 for the fifth time this season

Grace Wuischpard had a career-high three solo blocks

NEXT UPUC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball will attend the first round of the 2025 Outrigger Big West Championship on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in Long Beach, Calif.

(Article courtesy UCSB Athletics).

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Mike Klan

IRVINE, Calif. (KEYT). -No. 3 seed UC Davis surged into The Big West Championship Final with a decisive 15–7 win over No. 2 seed UC Santa Barbara in the Big West Men’s Water Polo Semifinal round on Saturday afternoon at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.

UC Davis struck first and never trailed, punching in four goals in the opening period behind crisp passing and disciplined front-court execution. UCSB responded twice to stay within reach, but the Aggies’ early rhythm established a 4–2 lead after eight minutes.

The second frame featured another strong offensive push from UC Davis, which added four more goals to extend its advantage. Though UCSB generated three scores of its own, the Aggies maintained control on both ends of the pool, entering halftime ahead 8–5.

UC Davis tightened its defensive structure in the third, holding the Gauchos scoreless while continuing to dictate pace. The Aggies’ counterattack created consistent pressure, and goalkeeper Baxter Chelsom delivered key stops on the few quality looks UCSB produced.

The Aggies put the match out of reach in the fourth period with a six-goal explosion, showcasing a deep and balanced scoring attack. Oleg Shatskikh led UC Davis with four goals, while Andrew Hitchcock, Max Prokhin, and Thomas Marr each added two. Chelsom’s 11 saves anchored a defensive unit that allowed just two goals in the entire second half.

UCSB’s offense was paced by Danilo Dragovic and Charlie Johnson, who each found the net multiple times, but the Gauchos were unable to keep pace with UC Davis’ sustained pressure and scoring depth. Goalkeeper Levi Lentin finished with eight saves for UCSB.

With the victory, UC Davis advances to the Big West Championship final, positioning itself to compete for the conference crown on Sunday. The Aggies enter the title match riding a wave of strong defensive play and an attack that continues to fire on all cylinders.

FROM HEAD COACH WOLF WIGO”I really thought we were going to have a strong showing at this tournament and it’s unfortunate, but I think we impressed a lot of people, impressed ourselves, and we’re really looking forward to next year,” Wigo said. “We knew it was going to be a hard game. We beat those guys up at their pool and I think they kind of weren’t happy about it, so I was looking at this as a 50-50 game, where either team if can win if they play well. I thought we did a good job keeping in the game, I think it was 5-5, we had some really big plays, some good goals, and unfortunately after that our offense kind of dried and we made a few mistakes that you can’t make that led to some easier goals for them. I felt like in the fourth quarter, in the beginning, we were still in the game down three goals and really thought we were going to make a run and unfortunately didn’t execute on a couple of the opportunities that we had and we had to take some risks at the end so the score really isn’t indicative of how the game was, but we didn’t play our best game of the year and we needed to play a strong game to win that. Their goalie played way better than he did last time, so that was a big thing for Davis, and they played pretty solid and didn’t give us really any free goals, we had to earn everything.”

(Article courtesy of Big West and UCSB Athletics).

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