Category: keyt-local-news

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – For the first time in two decades, the Music Academy of the West is once again booking weddings.

The expansion and development of Hahn Hall and teaching studios put a stop to weddings in 2004.

But the prestigious location, known for music education and performance, changed its tune and sought a county permit to bring them back.

John Palminteri helped welcome guests to the wedding of Teresa Kuskey and Rick Oshay on Valentine’s Day.

The bride is the founder and director of La Boheme, the professional cabaret fusion performance group that takes part in parades and special events. The groom is the owner of Continental Western Corporation of Southern California and a local philanthropist who proposed on Valentine’s Day a year ago. After a recent visit he asked the Music Academy of the West if he could have his wedding on the grounds.

About 175 guests mingled in Anne’s Garden before the wedding in the Holden Garden.

The reception took place in Kuehn Court. They cut the cake in Lehmann Hall.

The wedding entertainment included the Santa Barbara String Quartet, opera singer Byron Mayes, State Street Ballet dancers, a belly dancer and DJ Darla Bea and La Boheme dancing to Lady Gaga and more of course.

Music Academy of the West President & CEO Shauna Quill joined La Boheme last year and may again this year.

She was delighted to make their wedding dreams come true.

“Weddings have long been part of the music academy’s history and after 20 years with our new Conditional Use Permit that was approved last year we are able to host them again, so, how amazing to have our first with our good friends Teresa and Rick,” said Quill.

Thanks to recent rain the gardens are green.

“This is the first one that we have had. There are about 5 that are booked for the Fall, but we are very much open to bookings either short term or long term, and so people on my staff are ready to help answer questions,” said Quill, “We will be in the Independent’s wedding feature in a couple weeks, so we are getting the word out there as best we can.”

People interested are welcome to visit the location.

“I love to bring as many people to our campus as possible, it is 10 acres of gorgeous gardens and wonderful history and really one of the true gems in Santa Barbara, so to get as many people that are local as well as visiting to come to campus is really special for us,” said Quill.

The next wedding will be held after the 8-week Summer Festival that includes 100 concerts and Master Classes.

It runs from June 14-Aug. 9.

For more information visit https://musicacedemy.org.

Your News Channel will have more on weddings at the Music Academy this weekend.

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Tracy Lehr

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) The Surfliner Inn project in Carpinteria is still under review.

A public hearing took place on Wednesday evening to discuss the Environmental Impact Report known as the EIR.

The hearing included a summary of the project and the environmental impacts found.

It will be used by state and local agencies before final decisions are made.

Developers hope to build The Surfliner Inn at 499 Linden Avenue by the train station. 

“This project will bring the city $1 million -$ 1. 5 million to the general revenue fund each year and it is 36 rooms, it will help all the merchants on Linden and we think it is ideally positioned,” said developer Whitt Hollis.

Hollis said the project was proposed a long time ago to revitalize Linden Ave.

But some neighbors worry it will be the first of many projects.

“I am opposed because I am really concerned about the view impacts, the resource impacts, it is kind of magnificent when you come to the platform when you come to Carpinteria we are going to lose that,” said Gigi White.

White said she doesn’t trust the EIR results.

“This environmental impact report is disingenuous and conclusory and it is the predictable result of when the responsible agency solicits a project, so it is really hard to exercise oversight when you ask for something,” said White.

The public comment period runs through March 9.

The EIR is also available online.

For more information visit https://carpinteria.gov

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Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara Humane brought yet another furry guest to TV Hill this morning, 12-year-old Chloe! The mature chihuahua was placed at the shelter following the death of her owner, so the organization says she’s well accustom to life at home.

“I took her home last night and she slept on my mom’s bed and she’s just waiting for that person who wants to spoil her,” says SB Humane’s Dori Villalon.

Some people can be opposed to taking in older dogs, but Dori says they just need to time adjust before getting comfortable.

If you recently just adopted a pet or thinking about adoption, the organization will be hosting walk-up vaccines clinics at both their Santa Barbara and Santa Maria campuses for any needed shots.

Dori also previewed their upcoming Wild West Fest on March 14th. The dinner and auction event supports the organization’s ability to assist thousands of animals throughout the county.

To learn more about how to adopt Chloe and their other available animals, visit SB Humane.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Work crews spent the morning taking apart a massive pile of twisted metal where a large scaffolding collapsed in a violent wind storm Tuesday night in downtown Santa Barbara.

The scaffolding was in front of a new 36-unit housing project at 425 Garden Street.

An alert from Santa Barbara Police advised drivers to avoid the area. During the mid-morning hours, one lane was open but some of the scaffolding was still hanging 30 feet over the street.

A resident nearby said winds in excess of 50 miles per hour came through with a direct hit Tuesday night about 10p.m..

The metal did not get tossed to other properties. It did damage two trees in the area, which showed signs of broken branches as the scaffolding was being removed.

At the same time an aggressive rain, lightning and thunder event roared over the area causing trees to come down, a power pole broke off, electric lines were down and hundreds were without power.

Several intersections were without signals including at Micheltorena and De la Vina and Arrellaga and Castillo. Some drivers did not yield to check both directions during the outage and there were several violations and close calls with possible crashes.

A power pole was snapped in the 900 block of Flora Vista on the Mesa. Power lines were down in a backyard and many residents were in the dark. Santa Barbara City fire and police were checking the area for life hazards late Tuesday night.

Massive Tree collapses down in Isla Vista

There was also a massive tree down in the 6500 block of Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista that narrowly missed a multi-story home. It took hours to carve it up.

(More details, video and photos will be added later today.)

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Alissa Orozco

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Folks in Old Town Goleta will be seeing some forward progress on construction starting in March. Today, the city announced two roundabouts on Hollister Ave. are scheduled to open the morning of March 2nd.

The roundabouts will direct traffic to off-ramps of Hwy 217, and were constructed as part of Project Connect – the city’s largest improvement project.

With weather permitting, the roundabouts will be open as early as 6:00am on March 2nd. However, both the southbound and northbound Hwy 217 off-ramps on Hollister Ave will be closed starting Friday, February 27th at 8:00pm until the following Monday morning.

The city encourages drivers to pay attention to signage for alternative routes and plan for additional travel time.

Anyone seeking additional information or questions can contact the city at Connect@CityofGoleta.gov, 805-690-5116, or visit the webpage at www.CityofGoleta.org/ProjectConnect.

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Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – The Lompoc Chamber of Commerce is highlighting two new options for dining out during this year’s Restaurant Week.

There are plenty of cozy indoor options.

New leaders at the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce say locals eagerly anticipate Restaurant Week every year, and this year there are two new options.

“Hangar 7” is doing well under new ownership, and the Village Inn is housing newcomer restaurant “Dave’s Place.”

“One of our most popular events,” says Melanie Lindley, executive director for Lompoc Valley Chamber Of Commerce. “People are really excited about Restaurant Week. We get a lot of interest. They look forward to the menus coming out and, I think our phone ringing off the hook Monday on a holiday with the interest for that.”

Restaurants both locally owned and franchisees participate in Lompoc Restaurant Week, serving culinarily creative meal and libation options.

“We going to be offering one of our newest items, which is our steak frites,” says Juan Magana, Hangar 7’s new owner. “That is a terrace major, which is similar to a filet mignon that, is, grilled up, served over french fries, and then we put a chimichurri on it. The other one is we have what we call our Garden State pizza for vegetarians. And then we also do our Tamarindo wings. They’re very unique. They’re very different. Those wings are jumbo wings. They are, lightly fried and then tossed in our Tamarindo sauce and then topped off with a little bit of Tajin.”

At participating locations, $20.26 can buy options including a meal for one, two-for-one, a special event, or wine (or beer) flights with pairings.

“Our menu has changed,” says Magana. “We’ve added quite a few more items, we do live music on Saturdays, I’ve incorporated some more seating.”

Restaurants serve these specials for the whole week, and the event lasts through sunday.

And families can escape this week’s rainstorms with indoor spaces available at all locations.

“The rain has been a lot,” says Lindley. “But I think people still really are excited about it. The menu options are exciting, and I think that people are willing to hopefully weather the storm and get out there and support our local restaurants.”

Restaurant owners say this week’s rainstorms may have played a part in boosting business so far this week, as much as the specials offered.

There are five days left for Lompoc Restaurant Week, and everyone is invited out to try something new or revisit a favorite.

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Dave Alley

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo County District 4 Supervisor Jimmy Paulding has accused opponent Adam Verdin of violating campaign finance rules.

Paulding announced this week he has submitted a formal complaint to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), with a copy provided to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, requesting an investigation into the alleged violation of local campaign finance law.

“The complaint, essentially, says that there is a local contribution limit how much somebody can donate to a local political campaign, and that is $5,900, and in this particular case, my opponent, Adam Verdin, has taken twice that limit from a local developer,” Paulding said in an interview with News Channel 3-12 on Wednesday. “I think that that’s problematic and I think the voters of District 4 deserve transparency.”

In question by Paulding is a pair of $5,900 donations to the Verdin campaign from Covelop, Inc., a San Luis Obispo-based real estate development company.

“When I joined the Board of Supervisors, I voted to reduce the limit from $25,000 per individual business or political action committee down to $5,900,” said Paulding. In this particular case, my opponent has taken, $11,800 from (Covelop, Inc.). 

Paulding, who is seeking a second term as District 4 Supervisor after first winning the seat in 2022 state in a statement this week, he is asking for “a thorough and impartial investigation into whether Verdin’s campaign knowingly violated contribution limits and whether any additional enforcement action is warranted.”

“What is important is that we see any local candidate play by the rules, play by our local rules,” said Paulding. “The complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission simply asks is this legal? Is this ethical? Can you look into this? The Fair Political Practices Commission will undertake an investigation. It could result if there is a violation in either civil penalties or criminal penalties. The matter has been referred to the District Attorney as well. It’s his job to determine what authority he has over the matter and I did get a response from him saying that he would have his Public Integrity Unit look into this.”

In response, Verdin has denied wrongdoing and also spoke to News Channel 3-12 on Wednesday regarding the allegations.

“We followed the law,” said Verdin. “We’ve properly allocated $5,900 towards the Primary Election and towards the General Election. “Right now, from now until March 6th, somebody else can join the race, in which case it would likely get pushed to a General Election. We can’t touch that money allocated for a General Election if there’s if there’s no General Election, then we return that money to the donor. It’s pretty black and white, and frankly, there’s no controversy here.” 

The South County businessman and pilot is participating in his first political race. He expressed disappointment he is needing to defend him even though he states he followed the election law that Paulding supported earlier in his term. 

“Supervisor Paulding has run for office, this would be his fourth campaign,” said Verdin. “He has a very strong campaign team that are very experienced. I would say that they are very knowledgeable about these set of rules. As a matter of fact, Supervisor Paulding voted on this, so I just think it’s an opportunity for him to make a headline and I think these kind of allegations distract us from the important issues of our county.”

Verdin added he is optimistic that any forthcoming investigation would clear him of any unfair or illegal financial

“The allegations simply are incorrect in the interpretation of the law and it’s well-established law,” said Verdin. “I really look at it like it’s behind me. We have significant issues in this county, that myself as a candidate, and my opponent as the incumbent, should be focused on and I don’t think this is one of them.”

District 4 in San Luis Obispo County represents Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Huasna, Edna Valley, California Valley and other unincorporated portions of the South County.

Voting for the seat will be held during the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

A candidate will need to capture a majority of votes in June to win the election. If not, a runoff will take place during the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Whoever wins the race will be sworn in early January 2027.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

CIF-Southern Section Quarterfinals:

Division 6: Valencia/P 56,St. Bonaventure 39

Division 8: Edgewood 58, Dunn 56

Division 9: Valley Christian Academy Santa Maria 53, Loma Linda Academy 51: Lions play Colton in semifinals on Friday

CIF-Central Section Quarterfinals:

Division 1: St. Joseph 100, Centennial 45: Knights host Bakersfield Christian in semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Division 2: Atascadero 82, Sanger 41: Greyhounds host Hoover in semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Hoover 54, Arroyo Grande 51

Bakersfield 65, San Luis Obispo 50

Clovis 63, Mission Prep 55

Division 5: Santa Maria 85, Highland 72: Saints host California City in semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Division 6: Orcutt Academy 47, Dos Palos 43: Spartans at Orosi in semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) An Ash Wednesday Drive-Thru returned to Holy Cross Catholic Church in Santa Barbara.

Fr. Egren Gomez and others offered ashes through car windows in the the driveway and parking lot of the church located at 1740 Cliff Drive.

The event took place from 3-4 p.m.

“It is a special day because today begins the 40 day Lenten journey and everyone is receiving a sign of that, it is a cross an what we say is repent and believe in the gospel which means we have a chance of mind, ” said Fr. Egren, “Really is a time to reset to start fresh,look at life the way that God wants it to be for you which is always a good thing, the best way and it is a reminder that we are given 40 days to make the chance, that transformation.”

Volunteers welcomed the sunshine as they recalled hosting the drive-thru in the rain last year.

For more information visit https://holycrosssantabarbara.org

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Caleb Nguyen

NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – A driver in a box truck suffered minor injuries after his car went through a fence and into a garage just after 8:30 p.m. at 116 Hazel Lane in Nipomo, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

No one else besides an adult male driver was in the truck and the building is being tagged for inspection after the car went into the structure, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

CAL FIRE SLO crews cleaned up the accident for about two hours before wrapping up the operation.

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