Category: keyt-local-news

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria is considering adopting a new ordinance that would provide protections for mobile home parks that are designed as age-restricted communities.

On Wednesday, the Santa Maria Planning Commission will discuss the creation of a Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay District (SMHP).

“What that will do is create really a separate zone for senior mobile home parks,” said Chenin Dow, Santa Maria Community Development Director. “It will mean that if an owner wants to convert in the future to an all-ages park, they will need to go through a public hearing process where the public will have the opportunity to weigh in, as well as the Planning Commission on that rezone.”

According to Dow, there are currently 15 total mobile home parks located in Santa Maria, with five of those designed as seniors-only parks for residents age 55-years-old and older.

Within those five seniors-only parks, there are 1,137 total units, meaning there are likely thousands of seniors currently living in those locations.

One of the senior-only parks is Rancho Buena Vista Mobile Estates, where senior mobile home park advocate Gary Hall has lived for the past 12 years.

“One of the reasons why we moved here was because it was 55 and over,” said Hall. “We wanted to move in with people of our own age, people interested in some kinds of things we’re interested in. We wanted it to be maintained in that manner and be protected.”

Hall said Tuesday he supports the proposed ordinance and is hopeful his senior-only community will remain age-restricted.

“It’s very comfortable,” said Hall. “It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. Everyone’s very good and this has a nice slow pace to it. Most of us have smiles on their faces and we’re we’re enjoying the the lifestyle that we’ve selected. I just think that a park that is designed for seniors needs to stay a senior park. The sign on the gate says 55 plus and we wanted to stay that way.”

Dow said the goal of the ordinance is to ensure Santa Maria continues to provide affordable housing options for seniors.

“Santa Maria does have a substantial senior population, and of that population, roughly 60% are considered lower income, meaning they make 80% or less of the regional AMI (Area Median Income),” said Dow. “Our median incomes are very high here in Santa Barbara County, but that can mean that many of them are housing burdened and our City Council really wants to make sure that our seniors are taken care of in our community.”

According to the Santa Maria Planning Staff Report, key components of the proposed ordinance include:

Preservation of Senior Communities: Formally designates senior mobile home parks to maintain long-term availability as affordable housing for older adults.

Occupancy Standards: Requires that at least 80 percent of occupied mobile home units be occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older, consistent with HOPA requirements.

Biennial Certification: Requires biennial age verification and compliance certification by park owners or operators to confirm continued compliance with federal and state senior housing requirements.

Disclosure Requirements: Mandates that park rules, leases, advertising, and signage clearly identify the property as a Senior Mobile Home Park.

Conversion Protection: Prohibits conversion to all-age status without a City initiated or owner requested rezoning process, which includes mandatory public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council.

The definition of Mobile Home Park is proposed to be amended to add definitions for “Mobile Home Park, Senior” and “Mobile Home Park, All-ages”.

The zoning map for the city is proposed to be amended to add the SMHP overlay district.

If the SMHP is approved on Wednesday by the Planning Commission, it will then proceed to the City Council and will be considered for approval at their first meeting in August.

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Patricia Martellotti

MONTECITO, Calif. (KEYT) – Residents in Montecito may now receive advanced emergency medical care even faster when they call 911.

The Montecito Fire Protection District has added a firefighter-paramedic position to Medic Engine 92, which serves the western portion of the community from Station 92 on Sycamore Canyon Drive.

The new staffing model means every fire engine responding to a medical emergency can provide advanced life support care. Firefighter-paramedics are trained to perform specialized medical procedures, including cardiac monitoring, administering medications, and managing life-threatening emergencies before a patient reaches the hospital.

District leaders shifted personnel assignments to create more balanced paramedic coverage throughout Montecito and improve access to emergency medical services across the community.

Fire Chief Brian Fallon described the change as an investment in both patient care and firefighter safety, helping crews respond more effectively to medical emergencies.

The district continues to focus on advanced training and equipment to ensure first responders can provide critical care when every minute counts.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

VENTURA, Calif. – If you enjoy watching films of all kinds, especially in black and white, we have just the right spot.

The Ojai Art Center is calling all film lovers to see their film noir series featuring rare restored classics.

Curator and film historian, Steve Grumette joins the Morning News to talk about what film noir is and the upcoming dates.

To learn more about film noir and the upcoming events at the Ojai Art Center visit their website.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Qualifier Kayla Day pushed veteran Madison Keys to three sets but the Santa Barbara native lost in the first round at Wimbledon 7-6, 4-6, 3-6.

The 26-year old Day was playing in the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time in her career and she showed well, fighting off three set points to eventually win the first set in a tie-breaker.

Day is now 1-2 lifetime against Keys in major tournaments with the win coming at the French Open while losing at the US Open and now Wimbledon.

Keys won the 2025 Australian Open and entered Wimbledon coming off her third Eastbourne title.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) When historian Neal Graffy looked at the calendar two deadly earthquake anniversaries came to mind.

The Santa Barbara Earthquake on June 29, 1925 and the June 29, 1926.

Neal Graffy said the 1925 quake took eleven lives.

The quake exactly one year later killed a little boy.

Colin “Sonny” Orr, 3, was fatally struck on the head by a brick from a collapsing chimney while visiting the backyard of Ira D. and Margaret Altschul at 401 Bath Street.

Investigators said the chimney had been repaired by Long Beach based contractor who used “inferior” green lime for mortar following the the damage from the 1925 quake.

Orr and his mother and little brother had walked over to the Altschuls from their home on Haley Street.

When the quake struck at 3:21 p.m. the boys were playing as the Jeanie Orr a d Margaret Altschul watched from the porch.

Graffy said both quakes happened on hot days with temperatures in the triple digits.

The 1926 quake also followed a week of tremors in La Mesa and Bakersfield, California.

Large quakes also starting shaking places around the world, including France, Italy, Greece, northern Africa, and India.

On June 24-25th a large earthquake killed at least 1700 people in Venezuela where rescue efforts are still underway.

A quake also rattled Willits, California on June 24.

Children selling juice and brownies by the Old Santa Barbara Mission Rose Garden said they learned to what to do during the California Shakeout Drills at their schools.

Banksia Cunningham & Hayden Anderson said they learned to drop, cover and hold on.T

Graffy said he hoped the anniversaries and recent earthquake remind people to prepare by creating an emergency plan and having emergency supplies in convenient locations.

For more information visit https://earthquakecountry.org

Downtown Santa Barbara owes its Spanish Colonial Revival Style to quake repairs that began more than a century ago.

Your News Channel will have more on the the past and current earthquakes tonight on the news.

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Caleb Nguyen

AVILA BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) – CAL FIRE SLO crews helped an injured man from a cliff near Avila Beach just before 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The man hung from the cliff after suffering a broken shoulder and head injury before crews requested a helicopter for the rescue, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

The fall happened at Florin Street and Indio Drive and the rescue concluded just after 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

The man’s condition is unknown at this time and more information will be provided once available to Your News Channel.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The sale of “safe-and-sane” fireworks are now underway in a handful of Central Coast locations, including Santa Maria.

For area non-profit organizations, the annual fundraiser with the sale of fireworks can generate several thousands of dollars in profit, which for many, represents their biggest fundraiser of the year.

This year, as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on the Fourth of July, the 23 non-profit organizations that are licensed to sale fireworks are hoping the special occasion will provide an extra boost.

The sale of safe-and-sane fireworks officially went on sale in Santa Maria at 12 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 and will continue on through this Saturday.

While the safe-and-sane fireworks are now for sale, they are not allowed to be used at any time before the Fourth of July.

Customers who make a purchase at one of the booths will have to wait until Independence Day to light fireworks.

Fireworks can only be used in Santa Maria on the Fourth of July during a 12-hour period from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Santa Maria is one of only a few Central Coast cities where safe-and-sane fireworks are permitted.

In Santa Barbara County, safe-and-sane fireworks are also allowed in Lompoc and Guadalupe, while in San Luis Obispo County, they are permitted in Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach.

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Maria city officials and first responders are preparing for the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebration.

Local leaders are reminding the public of the consequences for using illegal fireworks.

Leaders and officials want everyone to have a great Independence Day, and especially since our semi-quincentennial celebration is on Saturday, they say they’re expecting a prolific use of fireworks overall.

But they’re reminding the public that safe and sane fireworks are all that are allowed, and only on Saturday.

“In a nutshell, if a fireworks can leave the ground, it is not safe and sane,” says Santa Maria’s fire marshal Jim Austin.

Officials say the use of illegal fireworks has become a highly prevalent issue in recent years as the population has grown.

“I’ve lived in Santa Maria since 2004,” says Jane Teh, administrative analyst for the City of Santa Maria. “The celebrations have gotten more and more robust you may say, with each passing year.”

Residents report repeated use of illegal fireworks in the weeks leading up to and subsequent to July 4th, every year—as well as the holiday itself.

“I’m sure everybody heard them over the weekend and it starts ramping up and it increases till the 4th of July,” says Austin. “As we approach dusk or it gets dark, then literally this entire city is active.”

Ordinances from the state and county have become more strict in recent years, yet city leaders affirm the issue persists.

“With larger numbers of people, you’re going to have more celebrations taking place,” says Teh.

For those who are noise sensitive or have sensitive pets, yard signs printed in both English and Spanish are available for free all week at City Hall.

“The goal of the signs is to notify basically your neighbors,” says Teh. “This kind of alerts somebody to be a little bit more considerate and mindful.”

Fire department officials say citations have been increasing in recent years thanks to the implementation of aircraft and drone technologies.

“This year is the 250th anniversary of our great nation,” says Austin. “So I would request that people celebrate responsibly.”

Citations for using illegal fireworks are $1,000 apiece, and residents can report their use by calling the city’s fireworks hotline or visiting their website by clicking here.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — New CalFresh eligibility requirements are expected to affect thousands of residents across Santa Barbara County.

Foodbank leaders estimate about 17,000 county residents could feel the impact as new federal SNAP requirements take effect.

More than 55,000 local residents received CalFresh benefits last year.

Among the changes are stricter work-reporting requirements for some adults who care for children between the ages of 14 and 17.

Leaders of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County expect more people may seek help if they lose benefits or experience gaps in assistance.

The concern comes as food prices remain elevated and many households continue to feel pressure from the region’s high cost of living.

To prepare, the Foodbank is increasing food purchases and expanding outreach efforts to connect residents with available resources.

The Foodbank expects the effects of the new CalFresh requirements could become more noticeable in the months ahead.

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Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara Police are investigating an assault with a deadly weapon case that happened just before 1:30 Sunday morning at the 300 block of Milpas Street.

SBPD officers found a victim suffering from stab wounds and helped him to Cottage Hospital after the attack.

The 21-year-old man needed further medical treatment from the stabbing and while no threat to public safety is present, an investigation remains ongoing.

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