Category: keyt-local-news

Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – A group of Diablo Canyon employees banded together to restore a military tank outside the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum in San Luis Obispo.

The volunteer effort saved the museum about $20,000.

A Diablo Canyon security supervisor who also serves as a National Guard tank commander spearheaded the volunteer effort.

“I’m one of the leaders of the veterans department at Diablo Canyon Power Plant within PG&E,” says Cody Smith, Diablo Canyon Power Plant security supervisor. “I met with the museum director, he gave me a list of projects And then as soon as I saw that the tank restoration was on that with my background in tanks, that was immediately top of my list.”

It included pressure washing and prepping, masking and priming, and applying the final coat.

“It’s very inspiring to watch it evolve from its previous state to its current state,” says Bryan Galvan, Diablo Canyon Power Plant risk manager.

The piece of equipment, an M60 battle tank model M60A3, weighs 53 tons and measures 22 feet long, 12 feet wide and 11 feet high.

“This tank is the generation before the Abrams tank,” says Smith. “So it’s the Vietnam era. And then the Abrams tank came out in the Gulf War. And I served on the third generation of that platform.”

Many of the Diablo Canyon employees who participated are military veterans.

“We had a volunteer group that contacted us that said they were interested in helping us here at the museum,” says Paul Provence, a volunteer at the Central Coast Veterans’ Museum. “The tank came up as a great project for them.”

Volunteers utilized two pressure washers connected to 350ft of hose. Five gallons of primer, six gallons of topcoat, 300ft² of aluminum foil and paper for masking and hand-cut stencils.

“I think it’s important to keep monuments alive and in whatever capacity or history they serve,” says Smith.

The volunteer work allowed the museum to avoid spending money on a contractor.

“PG&E, they have a formula where they identify volunteers and then the number of hours that the volunteers participate,” says Provence. “There’s some type of an equation. And we were able to get an additional $750 donation from PG&E.”

The tank was in military service from 1960 to 1991 and has been installed outside the museum since 2006.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

UCSB 2, Long Beach State 2: Hailey Tyacke and Alondra Talamantes scored first half goals for UCSB in their Big West opener. The Gauchos extend their unbeaten streak to six games as they improve to 5-1-4 on the year. They host Sacramento State on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Cal Poly 2, Cal Baptist 1: The Mustangs Sam Liaty snapped a 1-1 game with a goal in the 69th minute. Madison Lujan scored in the first half as Cal Poly won their Big West opener and improved to 4-3-2 on the season.

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John Palminteri

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Since 2018, after the deadly Montecito mudflow, support for the first responders in Santa Barbara County has had one of the most unique fundraising efforts in the country.

One805 Live! has brought musicians together with multiple police, fire, and sheriff’s personnel and those that answer the 911 calls to make sure there are mental wellness services to process all they do on the front lines.

Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith is the Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO. She says, “we are all served by  the first responders and this has given us an opportunity to serve them.”

Along with her husband and one805 Co-Founder Richard Weston-Smith these events have united first responders and from there an endowment plan has been created to have funds ready now and for future firefighters who need the best services for themselves and their families.

There is an advisory group that includes past chiefs and law enforcement leaders.

The event this year is back at Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams property over looking the ocean where Carpinteria and Summerland come together.

As the large performance stage and facilities were coming together Wednesday, he said there was a community value to having this site available for this vital cause and hear the One805 message.

“We get to commune as a community. There are two days of it and the money goes to the people that are asked to go first in front of us. They are the ones that are going to work all night in the rain. The ones that are going to work next to a raging ocean,” said Costner who was very aware of the community challenges during the Montecito event and the Thomas Fire that proceeded it.

Supporters throughout the year have heard from those who use the services first hand. 

Many have attended events to keep the cause in the forefront of the community.

In a video message, Santa Barbara City Police Chief Kelly Gordon said, “I can tell you that when officers and firefighters have a bad day, having access to these services, having the wellness plans that they need, do in fact make a difference.”

Lt.  Jarrett Morris with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said, “I needed to take hold of therapeutic services to talk some of these things out.” 

He said it helped him be skilled to help younger deputies facing some of the toughest challenges. 

Morris has worked in the Coroner’s Bureau, as a Patrol Sergeant, and Chief of Police duties for the Sheriff’s substation in Goleta.

In addition to the music and magnitude of this event, the two-day concert gives the public a chance to interact with the first responders at a time when there isn’t an emergency going on.

First responders will be honored on the stage and they will talk about long-term wellness services.

Cavendish Weston-Smith said, “ONE805 really evolved out of that concept and with the chiefs working together.” 

She said the organizers have been able to hear from them and what they wanted in the way of services.       

This year’s two-day event will have performers including George Thorogood, Pat Benatar and Neil Gerardo, Alan Parsons, Slightly Stoopid, the Four Tops, the Temptations, the Fray, Plastic Harpoons and many special guests.

Cavendish Weston-Smith said most of them, “have a connection to a first responder. They are either related or they had an incident.” 

She said some live nearby in the Montecito, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara communities and connect with their first responders regularly.

Costner will be on stage with his band Modern West for a set during the event as he did two years ago. “Enough people said to me that they wished I could play.” He will perform on Saturday evening.

In recent years those appearing on stage have included, Kenny Loggins, Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Rob Lowe, Trishia Yearwood, John Fogerty, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, Michael Keaton, Jeff Bridges, Maria Schriver, Good Charlotte, Pink and Dallas Green, Joe Bonamassa, Glen Phillips and the Santa Barbara Symphony. Numerous other performers and entertainers along with community leaders have taken the stage in a united front both at this event and other special shows throughout the years at locations including the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara.

The event has collaborated with non-profits assisting the first responders including Adam’s Angels, the Bucket Brigade and Santa Barbara Humane, which provides K-9 vet services.

Some additional General Admission tickets for the event have been released and are available at ONE805.org.

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Tracy Lehr

MONTECITO, Calif. (KEYT) Hikers are returning to Old Romero Road, Franklin Trail, Arroyo Burro Trail, Matias Connector Trail and North Tunnel Trail.

The Santa Barbara Ranger District said the trails that had been closed since storms in early 2023 are now open to the public again.

The Los Padres Forrest Association and countless volunteers partnered with the Montecito Trails Foundation, Santa Barbara County Trails Council, Sage Trail Alliance and Santa Barbara Ranger District to restore the trails.

Some volunteers and paid crews worked in 100 degree heat to get the trails ready for hikers and mountain bikers.

Montecito Trail Foundation Executive Director Ashlee Mayfield

“It is really thrilling to have all these trails open for the first time since 2023, it has been a long three plus plus years waiting,” Mayfield,” We had such saturation in 2023 it wasn’t just one particular day it was so much rain over that time period in January.”

Rain on January 9th, the fifth anniversary of the Montecito Mudslide, caused trail bed failure and landslides, too.

Many trails were damaged and some were fixed sooner than others.

Now they are gearing up for El Niño impacts.

“It is hard not to be concerned, I think the important thing to realize is that we are here and prepared to come back and go to work and sometimes I just say we are really building sand castles so it is not about one particular project but just about being able to come back and maintain it regularly and try to keep it open and reopen things as fast as possible we obviously don’t want to see these three year lags,” said Mayfield.

She recommends keeping your ankles covered and watching what you touch, not weating earplugs and be cognizant of your surroundings.

The trailheads also have mountain bike bells that helps people know when cyclists are riding nearby.

“You can pick up a bike bell at the top of the trails on Camino Cielo at the top and it goes on your bike so that people with dogs or hikers can hear your bike coming,” said Mayfield.

Other trails remain closed until work is completed including;parts of the Santa Cruz Trail and Aliso Loops and lower sections of north Tunnel.

For more information visit https://lpforest.org

National Public Lands Day happens to be on Saturday when volunteers will be meeting at Cold Springs Elementary in the morning to help refresh Hot Springs Canyon Trail between 8:30 a.m. and 1p.m.

People may sign up at https:/SantaBarbaraCa.gov/trailwork

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A large community movement has rapidly evolved out of efforts from a small group of fitness class attendees in Santa Maria.

Central Coast fitness trainer Mary Bigelow is known for the spin class she teaches at the Santa Maria YMCA.

Just months ago, she was diagnosed with cancer.

Now people in her spin class have organized the Movement For Mary 5K event.

“We basically have a board now of people putting this together,” says Christina Landeros, Movement For Mary 5K organizer. “But what I will say is supporting and loving Mary Bigelow is the easiest part of my day.”

Bigelow has worked as a fitness trainer on the Central Coast for more than 20 years.

“Mary was just automatically like, so magnetic,” says Sawyer Coffey, a spin class attendee from Santa Maria. “And she just shone so bright as a person. It just felt so empowering to do with Mary. She had little inspirational moments where she would tell us, you know, something motivational to keep us going.”

Her roles have included spin instructor, strength trainer, CrossFit coach, personal trainer and nutrition coach.

She is married, a mother of three and a grandmother to a baby girl, Nora.

“She’s right there alongside us doing stuff with us,” says Lauren Black, another spin class attendee from Santa Maria. “I think when she says, ‘show up for yourself,’ to give yourself grace. And think about your why. A lot of the times when she’s up there in spin, she’ll say, ‘Who are you showing up for? Let this be your time’.”

Bigelow had to visit the ER in April for an unrelated issue that led to an emergency surgery where they discovered a tumor on her pancreas.

Her doctors say the cancer was found early and is still at an operable stage.

“I think when she got the news, it shook all of us to just be more present to something she always says during all her classes is, ‘You get to do this, you don’t have to’,” says Tara Van Fleet, a spin class attendee from Orcutt. “And I think that just kind of, like hit a lot harder.”

Following the diagnosis, Bigelow connected with a specialist at Stanford and immediately began chemotherapy to prepare for surgery.

“So we wanted to give back to her as much as she has done for us and show up for her in a way,” says Black.

Bigelow’s medical plan includes ongoing treatments, frequent trips to Stanford, major surgery, recovery and additional chemotherapy.

The 5k walk and run event was organized to help ease the financial demands of her medical treatment and recovery for her and her family.

“It is so easy to get people on board when I mention her name,” says Landeros. “I just have to mention who she is and that this is for her and what she’s going through. And people just… ‘I’m in, I’m in, I’m in’.”

The event will include food vendors, bounce houses, even a raffle contest.

“Mary is used to being a woman who pours out love to others,” says Landeros. “And so having all of this attention and having everyone pouring into her is definitely something that feels super foreign to her. But she deserves it. So we’re just forcing it on her at this point. So, you know, she just has to deal with all of our love.”

The Movement For Mary 5K is scheduled for Sunday October 4th here at Waller Park with the start and finish line just in front of the Santa Maria Valley YMCA.

Raffle donations are being accepted until a couple days prior, but signing up to participate is open until the day of the event.

To sign up or find out how to make any kind of donation, start by clicking here to visit the Movement For Mary 5K Instagram page.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

Dos Pueblos 3, San Marcos 0: Faith Harrison had 8 kills, 3 blocks and 3 aces to lead the Chargers to a rivalry sweep on the road (25-23, 25-12, 25-18).

(Charlize Welch put away a match-high 10 kills for DP in this non-league match. Entenza Design).

Santa Barbara 3, Oxnard 0: Blake Saunders had a match-high 14 kills as the Dons improved to 4-0 in the Channel League (25-16, 25-18, 25-15).

Bishop Diego 3, Villanova Prep 0: Natalie Chan tallied 20 kills and 16 digs while junior Karina Urzua added 16 kills and 16 digs as the Cardinals keep a share of first place in the Tri-Valley League (25-15, 25-15, 25-19).

St. Bonaventure 3, Laguna Blanca 0: Lauren Kenny registered 6 kills and 10 digs but the Owls fell out of a first place tie in the TVL (16-25, 16-25, 22-25).

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The Santa Barbara City Council received a Winter Storm Preparedness Update.

With El Niño-related weather activity in the forecast city and counties are preparing for a possible increase in rainfall.

The city of Santa Barbara is urging residents to prepare, stay informed and learn about local readiness efforts.

Now is the time to prepare to protect their families, homes, and property from flooding.

“We want people to know that the upcoming El Niño is serious, ” said Asst. City Manager René Eyerly.

The city and county can help.

“With any upcoming storm season, we want them to be looking at their homes and cleaning their gutters and looking at the roof, we want them to be having an evacuation plan, to have their go kits ready and we want them to know the city and county have a lot of information to get them prepared,” said Eyerly.

Flooding can happen with little warning, especially in areas below the south county foothills prone to flooding during periods of heavy rain.

The County of Santa Barbara is also hosted a virtual El Niño Community Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m. Residents are encouraged to Register for the Meeting

The meeting will cover the weather outlook, creek and road preparations, and key storm and flood safety tips.

Everyone is encouraged to sign up to receive emergency alerts, and to review your household’s emergency evacuation plans, and make a go bag full of supplies.

Residents are also urged to find out if their home and workplace is in a flood zone.

Sign up for ReadySBC alerts, by visiting, readysbc.org.

Find out about flood zones, by visiting, the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

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Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – Once again the Day of Hope fundraiser was a record-breaker, setting a new all-time mark for money raised for the 13th straight year.

However, this year’s amount of $681,779 not only set a new record, it smashed last year’s total by a whopping $207,842, representing a remarkable 44% increase.

“It’s absolutely incredible,” said Derek Baden, Mission Hope Cancer Center Senior Director of Cancer Services. “We we had a lofty goal this year and we blew it out of the water and I couldn’t be more impressed with this community.”

The announcement was made Tuesday night by Dignity Health during a special Thank You Celebration held at the Edwards Barn in Nipomo.

Day of Hope is a yearly community fundraising event for Mission Hope Cancer Center, which operates facilities in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande.

All of the proceeds collected during the event help support cancer patient assistance needs, the acquisition of new technology and equipment, and programs and services.

Held last month on Aug. 26, the 13th Annual Day of Hope took place in several Central Coast locations, including Santa Maria, Orcutt, Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, Guadalupe and Lompoc.

Since the fundraiser was first held in 2014, it has featured hundreds of volunteers selling special edition $1 Santa Maria Times newspapers on street corners, intersections, parking lots, schools and many other locations.

Another constant has been an ever increasing amount of money raised through not only newspaper purchases, but also generous donations from local businesses, families and individuals.

In 2014, the first-ever Day of Hope raised $100,000, and ever since, a new record has been established each and every year.

This year, the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation raised $542,057 to support Mission Hope Cancer Center’s Santa Maria location, while the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Foundation raised $139,722 to support Mission Hope Cancer Center’s Arroyo Grande location.

“Day of Hope is a profound testament to the compassion of our community,” said Sue Andersen, Marian Regional Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital President/CEO. “The support we’ve received goes far beyond a financial gift, it represents a wave of hope for those facing a cancer diagnosis. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed; your generosity ensures that our patients and their families have the expert care and unwavering support they need throughout their healing journey.”

The top fundraising teams for several catergories were also announced on Tuesday during the celebration event.

The first place team in the corporate team category was Rugged Radios, which collected a record-breaking $50,135.

The top team for the family and friends category was Passion for Color, with $33,773 raised.

The most spirited team award was given to Mission Hope Cancer Center for the Santa Maria location and Grands of AG for the Arroyo Grande location.

The top fundraising school was El Camino Junior High in Santa Maria, which raised $1,052.

With this year’s $681,779 added to the overall total collected, more than $3,850,000 has been raised over the 13 years the Day of Hope has been held.

While the 2026 Day of Hope has officially concluded, community members can still contribute financially to Mission Hope Cancer Center and support local cancer patients.

For more information, call the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation at (805) 739-3595 and the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Foundation at (805) 994-5421.

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John Palminteri

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Using a special $3.00 gas deal in Goleta, Republican Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton says low gas prices are possible.

He connected with longtime local gas station owner John Price who owns several locations on the South Coast and for this political stop the site on Storke Road with 12 pumps was the highlighted location.

150 vehicles were allowed in and each driver could get 12 gallons.

The line of cars went down the street with each driver getting a number until they all went through for their $36. purchase.

Hilton filled up many of the cars. He said, “we are being ripped off.  Californians are being ripped off by the government and it starts with the taxes.”

He said the taxes are too high and the funds are not always going where drivers expect them to end up. He says some goes to the high speed rail plan, which he opposes. “We pay the highest taxes in the country in California and we get the worst results.”

He also says the highways are in poor shape in many areas.

Road costs are also excessive according to the calculations by Hilton. “It costs four times as much in California as it costs in any other state,” he said.

Politics aside the drivers were thrilled. Some waited at 8:30 a.m. for the promotion to start at 10 a.m.

The Central Coast Republican Party Director Bobbi McGinnis said, “$3.00 a gallon gas. They have it in Texas , they have it in Idaho , they have it in Tennessee why can’t we have it here?”

Valentine Valerdi stood by his truck and said, “I used to fill this baby with $50 bucks now it is $80. “

Charles DiMauro is a strong Republican supporter with American flags flying off the back of his truck. He says Hilton would be “the best Governor.” He agrees, “we should just get rid of the taxes that we say are going to the roads and make everything cheap again or affordable. We need to survive here in California. “

One of the first drivers, Sally Hershberger said she sees it differently. “I like the roads the way they are and California has some of the best public transportation system there is. I am ok with the gas taxes and that is not what is going on,   it is because of the war.”

When it comes to the supply chain, “in 1975 there was 42 refineries now there at six and they just keep closing up,” said Price who pointed out the companies are scaling back in both Northern and Southern California.

Hilton said he favors pumping California offshore oil into California refineries instead buying gas from the other side of the world.

Later in the day the Fuel Depot went back to the gas price under the current conditions which is $5.85 a gallon for unleaded 87 octane regular.

Up the street, another station, run by Chevron is selling the gas for $7.00 a gallon.

Democratic Candidate Xavier Becerra has not commented on this campaign gas stop.

Hilton says he may do it again somewhere else in the state before the November 3rd election.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Santa Barbara City Councilmembers voted 4-to-3 to remove some Rent Stabilization Ordinance language requested by Mayor Pro Tempore Kirsten Snedden.

The RSO is intended to cap annual rent increases at 3 percent or 60 percent of the Consumer Price Index.

The CPI is a measure based on the change in prices of goods and services.

And in a separate vote, the council passed a motion to include two additional exemptions described by the Housing Authority.

“We have one of the best housing authorities that manages those units that was one of things I was able to support I wasn’t able to support the ordinance overall because in the longterm I think it actually leads to raised rents overall in the community,” said Eric Friedman who is running for Mayor.

Snedden, who is also running for mayor, chose not to comment as she left the council chambers.

Some people are concerned they won’t have a enough votes next week, but Santamaria appears ready to vote yes, despite tenant related changes she requested in a motion that did not pass.

“This will get done one way or another we are going to be protecting families we may not have the full scope of protections we were aiming for from the very beginning it got a little bit watered down, I think tenants saw that I was fighting for habitability standards and for every single tenant regardless of income to have a safe and stable home,” said Santamaria.

An updated ordinance will be introduced and voted on next week.

Santa Barbara Rental Property Association President Betty Jeppesen was disappointed by the meeting.

“I know for a fact clients of mine are selling and leaving the area, even one of the speakers tonight said that she is going to talk to her husband about selling her duplex and moving to Nevada,” said Jeppesen.

She has opposed the ordinance from the beginning and is part of a lawsuit against the rent freeze.

Angeliza Sanchez said she is okay with the delay since the ordinance will give renters some sense of certainty over future rent increases.

“Ideally it would help create something that people could predict, right, so you know that maybe a 3 percent increase is coming, you are able to plan for that a little bit better,” said Sanchez.

 If approved the final ordinance would launch in January when the rent hike moratorium ends.

The council is also expected to finalize a Rental Registry Fee on Dec. 15.

For more information visit https://www.SantaBarbaraCa.gov

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