Category: keyt-local-news

Caleb Nguyen

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office arrested Shane Ryan Gledhill on 15 felony charges of sexual abuse and exploitation of children after a nearly five-year investigation.

The initial investigation began in Nov. 2021 after a 17-year-old survivor reported suspicious and inappropriate conduct when she was 15 involving Gledhill, according to the SBCSO.

SBCSO detectives later identified two additional survivors and served a search warrant at Gledhill’s home in the 3000 block of Courtney Drive in Lompoc on February, 23, 2022.

SBCSO investigators found thousands of digital files, which were later examined through extensive digital forensic investigation.

SBCSO detectives found nine additional survivors during their continued investigation, all of whom were minors during the alleged crimes.

Gledhill contracted many of his survivors through casting calls and filmmaking projects using the professional names “Shane Ryan” and “Shane Ryan-Reid,” according to the SBCSO.

SBCSO detectives hope Gledhill’s booking photo will help identify additional survivors or witnesses as individuals who interacted with him may not recognize his legal name.

SBCSO detectives also believe Gledhill used the following social media accounts and websites to maintain an online presence:

Instagram: @madsincinema, @talkhardcinema, @shaneryanreid, @shaneryanreidfilms Facebook: Shane Ryan Reid Websites: madsincinema.com, shaneryanfilm.weebly.com

SBCSO detectives arrested Gledhill at his Lompoc home on Monday before booking him into the Northern Branch Jail on $500,000 bail under the following felony charges:

child molestation rape forcible sexual assault contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense possession of child sexual abuse material providing harmful matter to a minor

Gledhill’s criminal conduct may have spanned 25 years across the Central Coast, LA area and the East Coast through his filmmaking and casting, according to the SBCSO.

Additional survivors may still be unidentified based on the information in the ongoing investigation, according to the SBCSO.

Anyone who has had contact with Gledhill or has information relevant to the investigation are encouraged to contact the SBCSO or anonymously using the SB Sheriff’s Office website.

Sexual abuse and assault survivors are also encouraged to contact either the Victim-Witness Assistance Program or the Standing Together to End Sexual Assault Services.

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Caleb Nguyen

SHANDON, Calif. (KEYT) – CAL FIRE SLO crews are fighting a 10-acre vegetation fire off Bitterwater Road in Shandon.

The fire first emerged around 3:00 p.m. and had the potential to grow to 20 acres despite no structural threat. Forward progress of the fire stopped just before 3:45 p.m at 35 acres.

More information on the fire will be provided once it becomes available to Your News Channel.

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Maria City Council held a public hearing tonight regarding the new Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay District.

There was some discussion but the council ended up approving the ordinance.

The proposed overlay district will establish rules to prevent senior-only facilities from being converted into all-age communities within Santa Maria boundaries.

“We’re trying to make the steps more difficult and give you more discretion on whether or not you think it’s a good idea for the community to change a zone later,” said Santa Maria city attorney Thomas Watson at the meeting.

Under the new ordinance, affected parks will be required to maintain an 80% occupancy standard for seniors, and submit reports to the city every two years to ensure compliance.

“Say you’ve got two people that are over 55, and for some reason they have to take in a grandchild or something,” Santa Maria mayor Alice Patino asked from the dais. “That’s permissible?”

“Yes,” was the response from Community Development director Chenin Dow.

The zoning protection plan identifies five specific age-restricted communities located within Santa Maria city limits.

Together, these parks represent 1,137 individual housing units.

“That’s not to say that they could never be converted,” says Dow. “There is a process for that, but it would require a public hearing, and it would allow those residents who are affected to have their voices heard.”

Other senior parks in the immediate area, such as Knollwood Village and Del Cielo, are not included in the proposed city overlay. 

They are located in unincorporated Santa Barbara County jurisdiction, which maintains separate regulations.

“Based on this happening throughout the region with different parks looking to convert, it was seeking to kind of get ahead of the game before there was a desire to convert here,” Dow said in her presentation to the City Council Tuesday evening.

The move to establish the overlay district follows years of requests from local mobile home park residents for increased protections.

“Getting old isn’t for sissies,” said La Maria Senior Mobile Home Park resident Esther Jensen. “We chose when we came to Santa Maria to pick a senior park. It’s been a good investment.”

While dwellers have frequently asked the city for rent control measures, this current proposal focuses on preserving the 55-plus status of the parks rather than regulating space rents.

“Often, because those appointees are appointed to the Planning Commission by the City Council, that often can reflect their philosophies and does indicate some good likelihood that this will be adopted,” says Dow.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the overlay district ordinance.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – After losing a spouse, one local parent’s first priority became helping the children through their grief.

That search for support led the family to Hospice of Santa Barbara, where specialized grief programs gave the children a safe place to express their emotions, connect with other young people facing similar losses and begin healing together.

The family’s experience is one reason Hospice of Santa Barbara is working to raise awareness of its children’s grief services. Many people associate hospice with end-of-life care and don’t realize the nonprofit also provides free grief counseling and emotional support for children, teens and families after the loss of a loved one.

Programs include individual counseling, peer support groups, family services and activities that help young people understand grief, express difficult emotions and develop healthy coping skills in a supportive environment.

Leaders believe helping children process loss also strengthens the entire family. Early support can make a meaningful difference as children navigate changes at home, school and in their relationships while learning they don’t have to face grief alone.

The nonprofit hopes more families will learn these services are available and reach out when children need support during one of life’s most difficult experiences.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department held the first in a series of back-to-school health fairs taking place this week in Santa Maria on Tuesday.

The event started at 11 a.m. at the Santa Maria Health Care Center and offered community members an opportunity to connect with 30 different local organizations that provide immigration resources, nutrition education, and mental health information.

This marks the fourth straight year Santa Barbara County has held the back-to-school health fair.

“We started this three years ago and it’s a big hit,” said Mouhanad Hammami, Santa Barbara County Health Director. “It’s a big event that helps our families, our children that are going back to school for two reasons. One, catching up on their sports physicals and their immunizations and any health care needs that they might need. The other is we bring our partners and those community partners that can provide services that are needed for families, and we give giveaways, so it’s a hit in every matter and every way that would support families as they prepare for their school year.”

Two more back-to-school health fairs are scheduled this week in Lompoc on Wednesday and Santa Barbara on Thursday.

Children who attended were provided with free backpacks, school supplies and hygiene kits.

“It is so gratifying,” said Hammami. “You hand a kid a backpack and see that smile if they he or she got the right color. We have a lot of support from other organizations giving them essential household items, and the mother or the grandmother or the family member that is accommodating that child is as happy as well!”

Last year, the County said the three fairs attracted 2,400 people, with an estimated 800 at each location.

On Wednesday, the second health fair will take place at Aug. 5 at Lompoc Health Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The third and final health fair is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6 at the Franklin Health Center in Santa Barbara from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All three back-to-school health fairs are free to attend.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara Humane joins your Morning News to introduce the sweetest and cuddly, Indie!

Indie is a 6 year-old Australian Shepherd mix, who is ready to show you all her tricks she can do, like sit and paw.

Her personality quickly blossoms as she is quick to greet whoever comes her way.

Santa Barbara Humane is having an adoption special on Thursdays, now through the rest of August. All cats and kittens have adoption fees waived at both locations from 12-4:30 p.m.

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Tracy Lehr

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) – When students return to the former Cesar Chavez Elementary School this month they won’t see a Cesar Chavez mural at the entrance or the giant bust in the garden.

The Oxnard School District had the mural painted over to match the new coat of paint on the entire school.

The district also removed a giant elegant bust that had been gifted to the school decades ago.

The changes follow a district vote in the wake of sex abuse accusations that surfaced against the famous labor leader in the spring.

But First 5 Ventura County still has a Chavez resource center sign outside the school.

Artists Judy Suzuki and Horacio Martinez also painted over Chavez face on a mural at Colonia Park next door.

Chavez spent some of his childhood in a La Colonia home just a few blocks away.

The district intends to change the school’s name.

The district received hundreds of suggestions and is considering more than a dozen.

A decision will be made later in the school year.

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Tracy Lehr

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – An Nextdoor.com thread about Goodland Guns moving from Old Town Goleta to a new location next to the Here We Grow Early Learning Center on Hollister Ave. led to a community meeting in a park.

Dr. Daniel Mizrahi said parents feel blindsided.

“I am encouraged by the amount of people that came out, the conversation that we had that was very civil, the conversation needs to continue but I think our councilmembers specifically James Kyriaco said it pretty plainly that these are two incompatible uses next to one another, a day care next to a gun store so we need to find a solution that is viable but this isn’t about gun rights, it is about both businesses being able to exist successfully but maybe not next to each other,” said Mizrahi, “and the city needs to step up and revise their rules and take accountability for their lack of action and also get involved with helping relocate the Goodland Guns store to an acceptable space.”

Councilmember, the school board president, and both business owners showed up, too.

Goodland Guns CEO Daniel Ashton said he found the new place after his Old Town landlord doubled the rent.

“You know when we secured 7443 Hollister Ave. this property sat vacant for years, plagued by trespassing, drug use vandalism, defecation right beside the preschool property line. Since taking over and installing our security fence alongside other security infrastructure the behavior has completely ceased,” said Ashton.

He told the crowd he signed a 25-year lease with a new landlord who lives in San Diego.

Goleta Union School District Board President Ethan Bertrand understands the emotions running high in a community that has experienced gun violence nearby.

“We are community that has experienced gun violence we have a lot of families that are on edge and I am really counting on the city and all of us as a community to come together to try to make sure that this doesn’t go through,” said Bertrand.

Bertrand who also works for State Assemblymember Gregg Hart, said Hart ran a daycare for decades and may be able to help from Sacramento.

Councilmember Stuart Kasdin took a lot of heat as he explained that he was blindsided, too.

“I think staff interpreted this as just another sporting goods store and so there wasn’t a recognition that there might not a lot more public concerned about it particularly next to a preschool,” said Kasdin.

He said he only found out about the issue a few days ago.

Kasdin said the zoning allows for a sporting goods store and that Goodland Guns falls into that category.

There isn’t a sign up at the new locations and construction is underway, but Ashton said the shop is plans to host a soft opening on Monday, Aug. 11, followed by a grand opening on Sept. 5.

Even so, parents say they are not giving up.

They have started a couple of petitions and hope that parents and neighbors will sign them.

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Dave Alley

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – A Arroyo Grande communications equipment business held an annual fundraiser on Monday to help benefit patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center.

Beginning at 10 a.m., Rugged Radios went live with its popular “Pink Radio Day,” a yearly promotion that has helped raised thousands of dollars to benefit the annual Day of Hope, a community-based fundraiser that supports Mission Hope Cancer Center.

“We’re giving back,” said Greg Cottrell, Rugged Radios Founder and CEO. “This is the day that we sell a special pink radio and this year we added a pink headset. We only do this once a year because all the proceeds to this go to Mission Hope Cancer Center. It’s our time to do a lot of good for a lot of people.”

Helping kick off the event was a big gathering of people associated with Mission Hope Cancer Center, including physicians, Dignity Health officials, as well as several patients and their family members.

“It’s great to see the support from the community,” said Mission Hope patient Gilbert Rea. “It is amazing how much these phones have been ringing. People who are calling are supporting people like me that are cancer survivors.”

Headquartered in Arroyo Grande, Rugged Radios is a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional communication equipment serving the off-road, racing, recreation, and commercial industries.

Cottrell has been a staunch advocate and supporter of Mission Hope Cancer Center and the Day of Hope for nearly a decade.

His business has become the top financial benefactor to the Day of Hope, which altogether has raised over $3 million since the first one was held 12 years ago.

“I do this every year because they’re helping our own,” said Cottrell. “It started off with one of our employees got breast cancer and she was thrown right into their program and I got to know everything about this program and I had to help. I decided every year we’re going to help Mission Hope because they are saving lives and helping our community and helping our Rugged family.”

The Day of Hope was created in 2014 and specifically raises funds for patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, starting at 7 a.m., hundreds of volunteers will be located throughout the Santa Maria Valley and in South San Luis Obispo County at dozens street corners, intersections, parking lots, schools, churches and other highly visible locations.

Participating teams members will once again be selling special edition $1 Santa Maria Times newspapers.

Proceeds specifically helps the cancer center provide patients with a myriad of complimentary programs and services.

“Please, please come and support us,” said Dr. April Kennedy, Mission Hope oncologist. “If you ever want to come by the center, we can show you we do because we have we have thousands of patients that we help every single day. We would really appreciate support, so anything that you can donate, whether it’s a dollar or over what you want to do, we would be happy to have it. Thank you!”

For more information about the car show or the upcoming Day of Hope, click here to visit the official webpage.

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Patricia Martellotti

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Summer is being spent exploring, creating, and imagining new possibilities at the Carpinteria Arts Center.

The center’s arts camp is giving local kids a chance to dive into hands-on experiences in art, music, theater, and STEM – all in an environment designed to encourage curiosity and creativity.

From painting and performance to building and experimenting, campers are getting the chance to try new activities and discover talents they may not have known they had.

The program is built around bold, engaging projects that keep children active and inspired while giving them space to express themselves.

This summer, the demand for the camp was so strong that organizers expanded the offerings by an extra week, bringing the total to nine weeks. Leaders say that response shows just how valuable the program has become for families in the community.

One of the biggest reasons the camp has been able to reach so many kids is the support of generous donors.

The Carpinteria Arts Center has also been able to provide financial aid to every family that requested it, helping make sure cost is not a barrier to participation.

For many children, the camp is more than just a summer activity, it’s a place to build confidence, make friends, and discover new creative interests.

And for the Carpinteria Arts Center, it’s another way to help shape the next generation of young artists through meaningful, hands-on experiences.

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