Category: keyt-local-news

Alissa Orozco

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Ashlee Buzzard, the Vandenberg Village mother who is accused of murdering her daughter Melodee last year, failed to appear in court this morning – claiming illness for a second time.

Buzzard missed her initial procedural hearing back in February, her court date was rescheduled and Judge Stephen Dunkle approved a motion to admonish spectators inside the court room.

Buzzard’s defense attorney says their team is continuing to comb through case warrants and forensic evidence records, but Buzzard must be present to assure a speedy trial.

The hearing was rescheduled to March 18th. If Buzzard fails to appear on that date, Judge Dunkle will issue an extraction order.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

Channel League Baseball:

Santa Barbara 2, Pacifica 1

Dos Pueblos 6, Ventura 5

Buena 13, San Marcos 3

Rio Mesa 6, Oxnard 1

Channel League Softball:

Dos Pueblos 10, Ventura 0

San Marcos 16, Buena 6 (5-inning mercy rule)

Rio Mesa 5, Oxnard 1

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

CIF-State Girls Basketball Round 1:

Division 1: Oak Park 72, La Jolla Country Day 57: UCSB-commit Karisma Flores scored game-high 27 points which included 7 three-pointers. Eagles play at Francis Parker of San Diego in Round 2 on Thursday.

Division 2: St. Joseph 71, Venice 62: The second-seeded Knights host St. Margaret’s on Thursday in Round 2.

Cathedral Catholic 48, Camarillo 47: The visiting Dons were fouled in the final seconds shooting a three-pointer and made all 3 free throws to win by a point. Scorpions finish the season 19-13.

Division 3: Carlsbad 51, Bishop Diego 43: Eden Wynne scored 16 points for the Cardinals who finish the season 27-5 which included a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 championship.

Canyon 60, Oxnard 57: Kai Buhain scored 16 points for the Yellowjackets who end their season at 21-13.

CIF-State Boys Basketball Round 1:

Division 3: Atascadero 69, Warren 62: The 13th seed pull off the upset on the road and now the Greyhounds will play at #5 Colony on Thursday in Round 2.

CIF-State Boys Soccer Round 1:

Division 5: Nipomo 3, Roosevelt 3: Titans advance on PK’s 7-6. Senior Chase Myers scored in extra time of regulation for the Titans who then outlasted the Rough Riders in PK’s. Nipomo (19-5-3) will play at Crystal Springs Uplands near San Mateo on Thursday in a regional semifinals.

CIF-State Girls Soccer Round 1:

Division 1: Oaks Christian 1, Mt. Carmel 0: Lions advance to play at #2 Mater Dei on Thursday in regional semifinals.

Division 2: Westlake 1, La Costa Canyon 0: Warriors advance to regional semifinals and will host Garces Memorial on Thursday.

Division 4: Del Sol 0, Immaculate 0: Jaguars advance on PK’s. Del Sol will play at #3 San Jacinto on Thursday in regional semifinal.

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Baseball games at UCSB are getting wildly entertaining.

The Gauchos have won eight straight games now after run-ruling Loyola Marymount 11-1 in eight innings.

But most people who watched UCSB’s latest win will be talking about the fourth inning when a pelican delayed the game for several minutes.

A pelican flew too low and got stuck in the safety net behind home plate.

UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts shook the netting but that didn’t work.

A couple of UCSB workers and perhaps a fan were able to get the pelican’s webbed-foot free and the bird flew down to the grass behind home plate.

The pelican was in no hurry to leave the field, in fact it walked closer to the foul line between home and third.

After a few coaches and others were not able to get the pelican to fly off, UCSB assistant coach Dylan Jones wrapped up the bird in a couple of towels, scooped it up and carried it out of the stadium.

The pelican appeared unharmed and after a few minutes it flew away.

Soon after the pelican took flight, UCSB bats soared as well.

Max Stagg snapped a 1-1 tie with an infield RBI single and the ‘pelican rally’ had begun.

UCSB scored two runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings and then put up a 5 spot in the eighth to run-rule the Lions and end the game .

LMU did not score and managed just one hit after the pelican entered the stadium in the top of the 4th inning.

Behind their ‘pelican power’ UCSB improved to 9-2 on the season after completing the 2-game season sweep over the Lions.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria Police are investigating two shootings that happened Tuesday, one near Santa Maria High School and the other at the Town Center Mall around 1 p.m.

The SMPD reported several gunshots near Lincoln Street and Park Ave. where they locked down the school as a precaution during an investigation.

SMPD officrs found evidence of the shooting at the 700 block of South Lincoln Street without any victims and determined the incident was unrelated to the school and held no student threat.

SMPD officers then lifted the lockdown and released students without incident, though a second shooting at the south parking structure of the Town Center mall happened during the first.

SMPD officers found evidence of the second shooting involving two vehicles and reported no injuries from either.

The SMPD is investigating both shootings, but it is unclear whether or not they are related incidents. Those with information on either are encouraged to contact the SMPD.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo Police are investigating a reported hate crime between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Saturday at the 300 block of Hathway.

The 21-year-old victim said a white truck stopped near a fraternity house with a back entrance on Hathway Street when people in the car shouted anti-Semitic slurs at him, according to the SLOPD.

An argument started when several men in the car got out, one of them entering the yard of the home and striking the victim on the head, before the truck drove off, according to the SLOPD.

This investigation is ongoing and the SLOPD asks for assistance to identify the suspects. All are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers with said information.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The city of Santa Barbara’s temporary rent freeze has led to a lawsuit.

On February 26th, the city’s temporary rent freeze went into place, officially capping rent for a good chunk of units through 2026.

Members of the Santa Barbara Rental Property Association and former city attorney Barry Cappello of Cappello & Noël LLP made an announcement on the steps of city hall on Tuesday.

But now, opponents are fighting back with lawsuits, claiming the freeze is “unconstitutional” and will only result in a deteriorating housing market.

Cappello said it won’t be filed this week, but will be filed soon.

“My clients want this council to back off and listen to them and give them an opportunity to prove to the city that rent stabilization, control ,whatever you call it is a very, very sensitive thing, you don’t jump into this, it is something that has been tested and it has failed,” said Cappello.

Attorneys David Edholm and Richard Lloyd are working for Cappello on this issue.

They call the rent freeze ordinance illegal and released the following:

“The Santa Barbara City Council voted at its January 13, 2026 meeting to enact a Temporary Rent Increase Moratorium Ordinance. The rent freeze began 30 days following the second City Council reading, and went into effect on February 26. The city also directed its staff to draft a permanent “rent stabilization” program that would go into effect by the end of the year.

The SBRPA contends that the rent freeze and proposed rent stabilization program represent an unconstitutional taking and violate the due process and equal protection clauses, as well as unlawfully interfering with private contracts prohibited by the Contracts Clause.”

SBRPA retained Cappello & Noël to pursue legal recourse to invalidate the temporary freeze, aswell as halt work on the permanent ordinance.

According to a statement by the SBRPA:

“In an astonishing display of constitutional disregard, the Santa Barbara City Council proposed in October rent control with a rent cap tied to just 60% of CPI—a policy that represents nothing less than the unconditional surrender of property rights. In addition, the City Council then passed, on a 4-3 vote, a rent freeze that deprives landlords of a Fair Market Return on investments. Wrapped in the language of ‘rent stabilization,’ the proposals directly violate established law, ignore economic reality, and mislead tenant advocacy groups into believing the city has authority it simply does not possess.”

“Rising taxes, insurance and maintenance costs are hitting property owners hard,” says Barry Cappello, Cappello & Noël managing partner. “Rent stabilization is bad economics. Owners need a return on their investment even as costs rise and must keep their property in a first-rate and safe condition. Rent control has proven over the years that when housing stock is not maintained, housing conditions for the tenants worsen.”

Cappello says, “We intend to follow this process through to the end and make sure either theCity Council rights this wrong or a court with proper jurisdiction orders it stricken.”

SBRPA President Betty Jeppesen said she rents out two units.

She believes the freeze or a future rent stabilization ordinance could lead to properties being put up for sale and fewer rental units in the city.

“We are trying to get justice for landlords, this is an unconstitutional imposition of government regulation that is not allowed and it is unjustly putting the burden on one industry instead of the public or the government,” said Jeppesen, who is also an attorney.

Tenants including Corina Svacina said a potential lawsuit would dash hopes of everyone coming to the table to work together. 

“This lawsuit is going to cost the city money if the landlords are really going to go after them,” said Svacina, “all we are asking is for one pause of the rent, so we can all regroup and talk about what really works for the city and how we can improve the quality of housing here in Santa Barbara “

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. Santa Barbara City Council members are considering a revenue measure to put on the November Ballot.

During Tuesday’s council meeting city staff projected options for taxing real estate transfers and increasing the transient occupancy tax (TOT) by two percent or from 12-14 percent.

A number of hotel general managers and tourism professionals spoke out against TOT saying it can drive tourists to other destinations.

And real estate professionals spoke out against transfers, that could amount to $10-11 million a year, at a time when sales compared the last few years appear flat.

The current tax is .55 per $1,000.

After the public comments council members directed staff to only look into at transfer tax increase options.

The council will take up the issue again in late June or early July.

If approved the item would appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

If voters approved the measure it would be implemented on January 1, 2027.

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Caleb Nguyen

PISMO BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) – Pismo Beach Police helped a woman walking her dog to the hospital after a car hit her just before 5:30 p.m. Monday.

The woman was walking her dog at the corner of Boeker Ave. and Shell Beach Blvd. when a car hit them, according to Pismo Beach Police.

A witness to the crash said paramedics took the woman to Adventist Health Sierra Vista Hospital and noticed her dog needed treatment as well.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected causes in the crash, according to the PBPD.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – With the problematic memories of Deltopia going into the history books, Soltopia is set for April 4 in Isla Vista.

It will be a six-hour event in park settings and it comes with a permit and an agreement with Santa Barbara County.

Deltopia was an unpermitted event that began as an oversized beach party known as Floatopia that overwhelmed government resources. When it was moved to Del Playa Drive it became Deltopia and the concerns increased with health and safety violations, arrests, and damage to public property.

Earlier this year, Santa Barbara County Supervisors approved a ban on amplified music for the expected Deltopia during the first weekend of April.

At the same time the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) began working on a new event that would not be a street party. Instead it would be a festival with music, food, art and interactive activities. It has been permitted by the county and organizers have a plan for needs that come with a normal festival. That includes security, ID checks for any alcohol, and bathrooms.

It will be using park settings in the center of town, known as the “Loop” filled with mostly college students. In the general area there are also also year-round residents, families and UC Santa Barbara faculty.

Soltopia will be 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the same day Deltopia would have taken place. It is unclear if any other activities will be held outside of this sanctioned event.

Myah Mashhadialireza is the Community Programs and Engagement Director. She told the Supervisors Tuesday, “I want to be clear. This is not a new Deltopia.”

She says there will be a complete structure to the event.  “Four first aid tents. four safety stations,  two ambulances,  70 bathrooms,  4000 gallons of water, two sheriff’s safety stations and over 70 security guards  and so much more to make this possible.”

Efforts are underway to finalize teams of volunteers, choose bands, and fill out all the logistics.

“Our goal is zero medical calls, zero arrests, zero citations,   no public disturbances and less people on the bluffs edge,”   said IVCSD General Manager Jonathan Abboud .

Some residents in Isla Vista did not want to see this event and told county leaders it was not all-inclusive as it was presented. They also said, the district should not be spending funds in its budget towards a college “Spring break party.”

The funding will be in excess of $200,000. It is a combination of the IVCSD budgeted money and a contribution from the Associated Students at UCSB. The county general fund is not directly providing money for this event, but first responders will have added costs.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department says it will have extra deputies on duty and focus on Del Playa Drive and Sabado Tarde as two streets where they have had numerous calls for service during big events. That may change in future years depending on the way 2026 goes.

They are also going to be working on reducing injuries from anyone falling off the dangerous Isla Vista bluffs by staffing deputies in risky areas. This includes making contact with tenants or property owners if there are overcrowded balconies.

“Our presence will primarily be on Del Playa and Sabado Tarde.  Close to the cliffs so to discourage the partying and noise ordinance violations,” said Lt. Joe Schmidt with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Dept. He heads up the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Office.

“Every community in the world has some kind of community celebration  and this is ours,” said Abboud.  

Working with the county to get the appropriate approvals Mashhadialireza said, “without this we wouldn’t be able to do anything and this is essentially gives us the ability to create positive change.”

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