Category: keyt-local-news

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Students are focusing on creativity at Santa Barbara High School.

Getting to learn about painting drawing sketching, all at the school’s newly built Visual Arts and Design Academy known as VADA, made this year extra special for them. 

“Definitely the space and the tools are all super … a lot more accessible in this building and I mean I couldn’t have ever imagined being able to work in a space like this before,” said art student Sabrina Toye of Santa Barbara High School.

Since its opening in August 2024, students like how the new facility gives them flexible classrooms, a photography studio and open space.

“it’s humongous and it’s really nice to be able to have the fresh air with the doors open … and I feel like I’m in my space able to use all the materials that I want,” said art student Jasmine Odair of Santa Barbara High School.

The new VADA building is now proving to be useful for a variety of events throughout the school year.

“Flexibility was a key design value and so we’re doing things in the building that we had no idea we would do, but the building allows us to do because we’ve made it so flexible,” said VADA program director Daniel Barnett of Santa Barbara High School.

“I know I’m gonna look back and be like wow this was a really amazing space that I got to spend time with and maybe in the future if I do Art. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to have a studio space again like this it’s not gonna be comparable cause it’s just like amazing,” said Toye.

Now that the new facility is fully operational, VADA’s enrollment is projected to grow. 

And just like the new space, VADA’s future is limitless.

This project was made possible by the California Department of Education, Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Friends of VADA. 

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Members of various Northern Santa Barbara County law enforcement agencies held the Special Olympics Torch Run through Santa Maria on Tuesday.

Known as the “Flame of Hope,” the torch was lit during a rally at Santa Maria City Hall and was then carried for approximately three miles along several busy streets to Santa Maria Toyota.

“We’ve got eight local law enforcement agencies together and ran through the City of Santa Maria to raise awareness and funds for our local Special Olympics here in Santa Barbara County,” said Lt. Nate Totorica, Santa Maria Police Department.year. “We bring our Special Olympics community together and all the local law enforcement agencies get together, and collectively, we’re able to get out into the community, raise awareness, and really highlight the Special Olympic athletes, and provide them an opportunity to participate as well. They were alongside us running through the city. It’s just a lot of fun in every way.”

The run is just a short leg of the much-larger Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Southern California that includes hundreds of officers carrying the torch in preparation for the upcoming 2025 Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games taking place this weekend in Long Beach.

The Santa Maria event also serves as a fundraiser for Special Olympians in the area, with money raised going directly towards helping local athletes compete in Long Beach.

“Specifically all the money that we raise in Northern Santa Barbara County stays with our Northern Santa Barbara County athletes, which is what’s really cool about this,” said Totorica. “Uniforms, training, travel expenses, everything raised goes directly to our Northern Santa Barbara County athletes.”

Tuesday’s torch run will began at City Hall on the corner of Broadway and Cook Street. Runners moved south along Broadway, then turned east on Battles Road. The torch briefly headed south on College Drive before turning east on Meehan Street, where it ended at the Toyota dealership.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – As we head into high fire season, some of the early fire ignite along the roadside.

It’s a common pattern where vehicles are not only creating a drying effect, but they are also linked to some of the causes.

That could include sparks from dragging chains from a vehicle involved in towing. It could also be from hot particles from a bad catalytic converter in the exhaust system.

As a fire specialist told your News Channel recently, some of the early grasses are turning brown and the grass that came up after the March-April showers are next to go through that cycle. Together it is creating a dangerous fire condition.

Mark vonTillow is a Wildland Specialist with the City of Santa Barbara.

He says, “you can look around now it’s pretty green. But if you go to the other side of the mountains it is turning. When the fuel moisture peaks and starts to come down that’s when things dry out and turn brown. That creates conditions where fires can start quickly and spread in winds.”

At times in the past, in addition to vehicle sources, there may be some issues with passing trains that have also been linked to fires but those have become more rare.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Since Hamas took hostages on Oct. 7 2023, people of all faiths have been doing what they can to keep the situation in the minds of people around the world.

A Santa Barbara group that goes by the name “Run For Their Lives,” is like the Boulder group targeted at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder Colorado on Sunday.

Both are chapters of the grassroots organization known as R4TL.

“There are 230 groups worldwide that meet every week to walk 18 minutes in solidarity with the hostages and their families, it has been 605 days the hostages have been held in tunnels,” said Elissa Jacobson, who co-founded the Santa Barbara chapter.

The time of the walks or runs is significant.

In Hebrew the number 18 or “chai” (‘n) means “life.”

They peacefully meet on Sundays and name the names of the hostages and carry a banner reminding people of what happened.

The Santa Barbara chapter was called and asked to cancel Sunday’s walk after chapters started hearing about the violence in Colorado.

“Since day 100 we have met every Sunday week without fail, not all of us turn up every week, but the walk happens every week, which has been really wonderful this is the first time, we had to ground the walk,” said Jacobson.

What happened in Colorado weighs heavily on their minds.

“Right now we are regrouping and deciding the changes we may or may not make and learning more about what happened and what we will do going forward,” said Jacobson.

Like the Boulder group, they wear red shirts and have the same rituals.

It was started by a runner and is a reminder of the people who tried to run and escape Hamas on the day of the deadly attack.

In addition to walking every Sunday, they read One Tiny Seed and name the hostages and sing Hatikvah and Sholom Alechem.

Members of the local chapter come from all over the county, including Santa Ynez.

Their actions are shared on social media.

Journalist and group member Amy Katz makes sure photos and videos are taken and sent to the families in Israel to show they care.

“This group is not a protest group,” said Katz, “they are a prayer group, an interfaith prayer group, and so, it is just insane that somebody would target people who are praying for the hostages and families who have been suffering.”

“It is not a demonstration, it is not a protest, we are not shouting, we are quietly walking in solidarity,” said Jacobson.

All of the chapters are considering how to move forward.

“We welcome discussion, people stop up all the time and ask what we are doing and why and we often engage in conversation about the conflict.”

They learned on Monday that the man accused of carrying out the incendiary attack against Jewish community members in Boulder faces 16 counts of attempted murder and Federal hate crime charges.

The man, who not a citizen of U.S., has been identified as 45 year old Mohammad Soliman.

He also faces Federal hate crime charges.

Soliman told police he made the flame throwers because he couldn’t buy a gun.

One of the 12 victims is a holocaust survivor, two remain hospitalized.

One is in critical condition.

Jacobson and Katz said they don’t want to miss another Sunday gathering, but they may change the time and location due to concerns over safety.

“We are deeply concerned about how we can continue to do these prayers for the hostage, but do it safely,” said Katz.

For more information visit https://run4live.org

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Ivania Montes

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – When most people think about slowing down in their 90s, Gordon Azevedo is shifting gears—literally.

The 96-year-old and his longtime friend, Mike Lopez, spent over a decade building a fully drivable, handcrafted Sherman tank replica. And yes—it actually moves.

Their creation is a 40-percent scale model of the iconic World War II Sherman M4A3E8, also known as the “Easy Eight.” Nearly 85 percent of the tank was made by hand. Mike welded the hull, while Gordon machined and assembled the rest from his own garage workshop.

Complete with a motorized turret—minus any working weaponry for safety—the tank is drivable from inside and built true to the original design.

This isn’t Gordon’s first engineering feat. Over the years, his garage has produced a custom teardrop trailer that made it all the way to Alaska, an off-road race truck, and even a few radio-controlled aircrafts. One still hangs from the ceiling.

Behind the building of the tank, was the growth of a friendship. Mike Lopez, Long-time Friend

It’s just been able to it’s been a dream. It’s absolutely wonderful. “It’s just been able to it’s been a dream. It’s absolutely wonderful,” said Lopez. “He’s my hero…and and the stuff that he’s forgotten more than I’ll ever know. It’s astounding. So that, that’s been the privilege and the fun part of the whole deal.”

So, what’s next for the duo? They’re tossing around ideas for a submarine, a helicopter—or maybe even a hydroplane boat.

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KESQ

BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) – We have first flight! The moment so many people have been waiting for finally happened Monday morning.

Sunny, one of the two eaglets at the Big Bear nest, flew for the first time. The moment happened at around 10:46 a.m.

You can watch a livestream here

Sunny has been building up to her first flight for a few weeks, hovering for a few seconds but never taking that big leap.

It’s already been a big couple of days for Sunny and Gizmo, after officials found out that both are sisters.

For more on the eaglets and their nest, visit friendsofbigbearvalley.org

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A workers strike in Santa Maria will soon enter its third week.

This dispute boils down to cost of living concerns.

The strike began on May 20th, and employees of Santa Maria’s Okonite company plant are holding firm in their demands.

With the support of Teamsters Local 986, about 160 employees at the Okonite plant in Santa Maria are on strike.

“You know, going into this, I wasn’t exactly sure how much support we’ve had. It’s exceeded all my expectations. Every expectation has been exceeded by the support of Local 986,” says Nicholas Chaycomas, Okonite company union shop steward.

Okonite manufactures heavy duty cabling that delivers power payload to residences and businesses across the country.

“The cable that we manufacture in here is made from the ground up. We build the strand, you know, the insulator, the shielding. We jacket it, we make a lot of cables that are bigger than what you would expect. Some of them get pretty big. About three and a half inches,” says Chaycomas.

One of Okonite’s biggest customers is PG&E, and Okonite cabling has been used to keep the Statue of Liberty’s torch lit up at night.

“We have not had any substantive dialog. And, you know, that’s probably to be expected this early on in the dispute. So right now, we’re still in the midst of this labor dispute. And our intent is to stay out here as long as we need to to get some sort of additional increase or some movement from the company on their wage proposal,” says Cliff Reynolds, with Teamsters Local 986.

Workers here say Okonite’s employees at the flagship plant in Richmond, Kentucky recently received a wage increase.

The increase made a difference there, but the cost of living in California is much higher.

Employees say they do similar work as the Kentucky employees and deserve an adequate boost in pay.

“We continue to get support from local groups and we’ve had a lot of folks come by beeping their horns, waving, stopping and dropping off, you know, supplies, beverages and food,” says Reynolds.

Union representatives also say they were disappointed by Okonite’s decision to cut the striking employees’ health benefits the day before they walked out.

“I have really good feelings about how things are proceeding. I don’t know what Okonite’s thinking, but I don’t think they can wait us out. We’re pretty, we’re pretty set,” says Chaycomas.

We’ve reached out to Okonite multiple times since the strike began and have not received a response.

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KRDO

WASHINGTON (KRDO) — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed federal charges against Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old man accused of setting people on fire in Boulder on Sunday.

The FBI called it a targeted terror attack, as he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at people gathered for a demonstration in support of the Israeli hostages. Soliman’s criminal complaint alleges he yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack.

The DOJ is seeking federal hate crime charges, according to court records.

pic.twitter.com/GmmP5VddGr

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2025

“(Soliman) stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” the criminal complaint read. “Soliman stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again.”

According to the complaint, Soliman had allegedly been planning the attack for a year and waited until his daughter graduated to carry it out.

“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world,” read a statement from Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.” 

He reportedly traveled from his Colorado Springs home, where he lived with his wife and five kids, to Boulder.

Editor’s note: Previous information from the FBI spelled the suspect’s name as “Mohamed.” The criminal complaint spells his name “Mohammed.” Because a criminal complaint is a legal document, KRDO13 is currently reporting that spelling unless other information comes to light.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

VENTURA, Calif. – Its a sight that has left people shocked.

“This should not happen, I mean, this development right here went through the same thing no issues whatsoever,” said Ventura local, Michael Hurst. “So it’s just interesting to hear about it and actually see it, is pretty catastrophic.”

And people stopped by through the day Friday to see the sight, left in shock.

The City of Ventura says the ground gave way Thursday morning due to a temporary shoring failure. 

Videos of the collapse went viral on social media immediately after, thankfully, no one was hurt during the incident.

But, Friday cars are still in the same spot from Thursdays incident and a residential and commercial property next to the construction site are still red-tagged.

The construction site is for an 88-unit luxury apartment complex right near Downtown Ventura and across the street from The Wharf.

“Somebody definitely failed in their duties as a contractor,” said Hurst.

“I was I will say surprised that there wasn’t a type of shoring or wood that’s up against the sides to hold back the ground that’s already there,” said local resident Nathan Griffin.

Your Newschannel reached out to Mikey Taylor, who is co-president of Commune Capital, one of the companies behind the project. Taylor responded with a statement saying:

“On May 29, during site work at our Ventura project located at 935 East Front Street, a localized ground movement was identified along the southwest perimeter of the construction area. our team responded immediately, and we are working with the City of Ventura and third-party engineers to review the matter and ensure appropriate next steps.”

Your Newschannel reached out again to Aldersgate Investment, another company involved in the project, and they did not provide comment.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Allan Hancock College and California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) announced a partnership on Monday morning to create a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that will be held in Santa Maria beginning next year.

The new program is intended for students who are nearing completion of an associate degree in nursing, or those who are have already earned an associate degree and are now working in the nursing industry, and wish to pursue a higher level of education.

“We are super excited,” said Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College Superintendent/President. “We’re going to be able to offer space for Channel Islands to come offer a nursing degree here in Santa Maria, so a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a great way for our local health care professionals to advance their careers.”

According to the two schools, students enrolled in the new program will meet face-to-face with CSUCI faculty on the Hancock College Santa Maria campus during the start, midpoint and end of each course, and will have access to local academic and student support services throughout their enrollment in the program.

“The BSN falls on us at CSU Channel Islands,” said Richard Yao, CSUCI President. “The beauty of it, it is a hybrid model. Some folks call hybrids a low residency, but it’s primarily online education, and then that key points during the educational journey, they will be meeting here on the Hancock College campus as a cohort, and really, it’s not just about instruction, it’s more about community building sense of belonging because as you know, a nursing degree is very challenging and you need that cohort based support and academic support, so we’re very excited about that component as well.”

The new nursing program is expected to include an initial cohort of 15 to 20 students for the launch in fall 2026.

“It’s very important for us because one of our core missions is to serve regional needs,” said Yao. “While our immediate service region includes Ventura County and Southern Santa Barbara County, we know that there’s a huge need here in Northern Santa Barbara County, and so we’re very excited to be very intentional and data informed about how we partner, and who we partner with and how we do so, and to be able to meet the needs of this region, which we know are significant, and in a way that allows them to do it in very efficient and effective ways while scaling up accordingly, is very exciting.”  

The announcement of the new partnership with CSUCI comes on the heels of a similar announcement in March when Hancock joined with Cal Poly to create a historic partnership that will provide students with the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in Santa Maria.

Beginning in Fall 2026, Cal Poly will begin to offer classes on Hancock’s Santa Maria campus which will allow students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Hancock College and Cal Poly also announced in March two additional bachelor’s degree programs will be offered starting in 2028 and 2030.

In fall 2024, Cal Poly and Hancock started its first collaboration beginning a bachelor’s degree program for sociology students.

“In fall of 2026, we will have, a bachelors degree in sociology, a bachelors degree in business from Cal Poly, and then this (BSN) from CSU Channel Islands,” said Walthers. “Then two years after that, we will add another degree from Cal Poly and that’s really going to serve our community. We’re going to see probably about 400 students a year that are going to get served out of those programs.”  

For Walthers, who has been working on bringing opportunities for students to earn four-year degrees to the Hancock Santa Maria campus, the new CSUCI partnership is another major victory for higher education for the city and region.

“I think it’s important that policymakers throughout the state start to understand what the geography is in this region,” said Walthers. “You can’t just drive ten miles or 20 miles to a university. There’s just not that opportunity here, so we need to be able to bring the components that will serve our community here to Hancock. Our trustees have been great about making sure that we’re providing the kind of space and access we need to make that successful for everybody.” 

For many nursing students, having the opportunity to earn a BSN is a huge game changer and provides them with the ability to continue their education at home in the Santa Maria area.

“It’s life changing and it encourages us nursing students to pursue a higher level of education,” said Hancock College nursing student Rachael Belunza. “It’s meaningful that we don’t have to commute. We don’t have to take that long commute every day to achieve our education. It gives us more time for our families, more time for studying, and enables us to work while we continue to go to school.”

The new program is begin financially backed by a $1.15 million grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.

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