Category: keyt-local-news

Dave Alley

GROVER BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) – Grover Beach will hold a special City Council meeting tonight where the discussion will focus specifically on current housing and development issues.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Grover Beach City Hall and will be a joint session that includes members from both the City Council and Planning Commission.

“This meeting came at the request of the City Council,” said Grover Beach City Manager Matt Bronson. “There’s been a significant uptick in development activity over the last several years, particularly on West Grand Avenue, as vacant lots and vacant buildings and other buildings have been converted into mixed-use, multi-story housing developments with ground level retail, so it has meant a lot of community discussions around housing, around the size of buildings around the pace of development.”

Bronson indicated the meeting would focus primarily on three main points, to provide information on state housing laws and how those are dictating what is occurring in local communities, discussing the City’s response over the last several years, and to engage the City Council and Planning Commission in a number of key policy topics that they may wish to discuss further.

“There’s really an informational component to this because state housing law is so voluminous, extensive and complicated,” said Bronson. “This is an opportunity to bring that all together and share with the Council, the Commission and the public what those housing laws are all about.”

With the Grover Beach currently going through a building boom, most notably along the West Grand Avenue cooridor, it has captured a lot attention throughout the community, with some concerned about the size, scope and scale of recent developments.

In particular, two multi-story mixed-use housing developments have risen over the past two years at the busy intersection of West Grand Avenue and 4th Street.

“The feel of Grover Beach has changed,” said resident Loren Westphal. “We understand we need housing, but there’s other options. We don’t have to build up.”

Westphal is part of a recently formed group named “Save Grover Beach,” which is currently gathering signatures on a petition in an effort to reduce the height of developments through a public vote.

“Save Grover Beach is a group of concerned citizens from all over the city and from all walks of life, all making time to get petition signed for our November ballot,” said group member Kelvin Coveduck. “Specifically, what it would do is for commercial buildings. It would limit the height to 40 feet, and for industrial buildings, it would go to 33 feet, and then there’s the caveat of mixed-use. It would require one third commercial.”

Coveduck mentioned the group has about two weeks to gather the necessary number of signatures to quality the initiative on the November ballot and is about at the halfway point of reaching its goal.

While some community members are worried about the size of recent housing developments, others in Grover Beach are in full support of the new buildings.

“I’m fully okay with them,” said Grover Beach resident Krista Jeffries. “I wish they were taller.”

Jeffries pointed out that due to the nature of Grover Beach, the best way to increase housing inventory in the city is to build vertically.

“Grover needs more housing,” said Jeffries. “Everyone in SLO County, everyone in California needs more housing and that’s the way that we’re going to meet the need. Grover is hemmed in by the ocean, and two other cities, and then the unincorporated county that we can’t really go outward. We have people who need to live here who want to live here and going up is really the only practical way to answer that problem.”

In a biennial community survey published last year, Grover Beach reported 50% of those who responded felt there is too much development in the city, while 46% answered development is either just right or too little.

“The survey really reflects a mixed in community sentiment about development.” said Bronson. “I would say that’s consistent with what you see in every city in California, given the development pressures, the housing laws, community sentiments around the community they have today, and how change is viewed in the community. We understand those different perspectives and different voices. We will hear those voices tonight at our meeting and look to the Council to take in that input, take that feedback, and consider what areas of direction they’d like to provide to us to consider making continued progress on housing development issues in Grover Beach.”

Bronson added there will be no action take by either the City Council or Planning Commission, but it could eventually lead to future action on development at a later date.

“Council may wish to provide direction to staff to bring topics back to a later council meeting,” saids Bronson. “While there’s no specific actions being requested of the Council tonight, the Council may choose to direct staff to look into different areas that would come back to the Council for further deliberation, as well as the Planning Commission, given their role in advising the Council.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Words of appreciation are coming out throughout the Central Coast and across the state as the former “Cesar Chavez Day” has been renamed to “Farmworkers Day.”

These workers are a key part of the local economy and can often be seen in the soil harvesting crops year round in areas, including Oxnard, Goleta, the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria.

The number one Central Coast crop is strawberries, which are harvested by hand and involves bending over countless times during the day to fill baskets and boxes. Often the workers are hustling back and forth to trucks with the crops and get paid by how much they pick.

The pay depends in part by the market rate and the consumer demand.

In California, growers often receive payments based on the flats or boxes of berries brought in and that is around $2.50 per flat.

At the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, Kimmy Iniguez, with Shepherd’s Farm, says the life of a farmworker is very hard. “The weather is a gamble and you don’t know if it is going to be super hot. It is very rewarding in the end,” she said while selling heads of cabbage, lettuce and many other row crops. She says, it is “a lot of back pain, but you just got to keep going.”

At Tutti Fruiti Farms, Joseph Schiebel said the work takes place no matter what the conditions are. “It could be 85 degrees. It could be 45 degrees and no matter what they are out there working. They deserve the appreciation they get. It’s a tough job.”

The weather has been a factor lately with extreme heat waves off and on since November followed by a period of rain that can sometimes stop the harvest.

Some of the farmer workers are very mobile and will go from picking one crop to another depending on the harvest months. That means a grape picker could also be a strawberry picker.

Many people said the special day is long overdue. Schiebel said, “I’m glad they are getting recognized especially in the state of California where we are raising so much of the country’s produce.”

Santa Barbara County recognizes its farm laborers with special groups annually holding a day of family activities, health check ups and outreach services they need.

With the changing of the holiday by Governor Gavin Newsom, among those to lead the effort has been State Senator Monique Limon from Santa Barbara, who is the State Senate Pro Tem and spoke out in front of the leadership on behalf of changing the holiday name to honor these workers.

The Governor’s proclamation can be found here.

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Michael Yu

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara County deputies are investigating a vehicle versus pedestrian collision on Los Carneros in Goleta.

The pedestrian suffered serious injuries from the collision and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Investigators closed a portion of Los Carneros to traffic from Calle Real to Cathedral Oaks, but is now back open.

The Sherriff’s department says the driver remained on the scene and was cooperative with deputies.

Illegal substances did not play a factor in the crash.

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Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Zion Sensley, Colin Smith and Jason Fontenet II are all in the NCAA transfer portal according to several online recruiting sites.

The 6’8 Sensley led the Gauchos in rebounding this past season as a sophomore with 7.6 boards per game. The 4-star recruit out of high school also scored 10.9 points per game.

Smith scored 11.9 points per game as a redshirt junior while Fontenet II missed almost the entire season due to injury. He will have two seasons of eligibility left.

(Fontenet II was a preseason All-Big West selection but played just 5 games this past season. Entenza Design).

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Tracy Lehr

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – Before “Deltopia” and “Soltopia” there was “Floatopia.”

At the Isla Vista Bike Boutique, Henry Sarria said he remembered Floatopia back in the day.

“A few thousand of us we paddled offshore with rafts, kayaks, whatever would float and we had a great time,” said Sarria.

But then he said someone went on social media and word spread.

All the attention led to crowds that sank the Floatopia tradition.

“Multiple fights, sexual assaults, someone fell off a balcony, and some fell off a cliff at one and a near drowning, massive overdoses, alcohol poisoning,” said Soria. “The problem has never been locals.”

This year, ‘Soltopia’ is the alternative, but the sheriff’s office is prepared to respond to Deltopia, too.

“We want them to know that restorative justice has been suspected for the deltopia weekend that is really important it means that you are not going to have the opportunity to have a citation going through the restorative justice process and not become part of your permanent record.”” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Raquel Zick.

Zick said beaches off Del Playa will closed over the weekend and there will be barricade blocking an influx of cars.

She said there goal is to keep people in Isla Vista safe and to prevent injuries and accidents.

Word on the Isla Vista streets is that the unsanctioned or permitted street party isn’t happening.

The Isla Vista Community Services District is working to make Soltopia take its place.

All kinds of events will happen on the so-called Isla Vista Loop on Saturday April 4th from noon to 6 p.m.

“Soltopia is going to be on Saturday, so we are going to do all of Saturday we are going to go to band and stuff it is just going into be really very fun vibes,” said Valarie Adams.

The fourth year UCSB student has never attended Deltopia, but friends have.

Brianna Garcia has fun memories of it. She said her friends stayed together.

She is making similar plans for Soltopia that is being billed as Isla Vista’s Spring Music Festival.

‘We are always hydrated and we never like to go past our limits and we are always in a big group together and just careful, ” said Garcia.

Isla Vista community Services District General Manager, Jonathan Abboud, handed out festival-style wristbands to people with student or Isla Vista resident identification

They are good for food and drinks and VIP areas where bands will be performing during the sanctioned event.

Since Soltopia falls on Easter weekend it could reduce the attendance to the sanctioned Soltopia and unsanctoned parties along Del Playa.

Either way the Sheriff’s Office and Isla Vista Foot Patrol are planning to have maximum enforcement available to respond to any problems.

For more information visit https://www.sbsheriff.org and https://islavistacsd.ca.gov

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News Channel 3-12

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The time has come to see who will represent the Spirit & Junior Spirit of Fiesta. The search was narrowed down to 20 finalists from throughout the community of Santa Barbara.

Cn Saturday, April 11th, the Spirit & Junior Spirit of Fiesta will be chosen at a final audition at the Lobero Theatre.

In anticipation, your News Channel will be showcasing one Spirit and one Junior Spirit candidate each day leading up to the final audition, starting Monday, March 30th.

Spirit of Fiesta Finalists:
Junior Spirit of Fiesta Finalists:

Alejandra Quepons
Valentina Vega

Lane Danhauer
Aleah Valdez-Estrada

Paloma Aguilar
Amarah Saenz

Emilio Gonzales
Penelope Hernandez

Mia Talaugon
Alessandra Goycochea

Alexandra Nocker
Bobbi Sanchez

Natalie Rodriguez
Catalina Montepeque

Chloe Kossen
Kaili Kauka

Tessa Shyrock
Emiko Dorfman

Jenna Ramirez
Sophie Godinez

You can find a complete list of finalists here.

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Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A three-car crash killed a person just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday near Higuera Ranch on the southbound side of Highway 101, according to the SLO CHP.

A 2026 Toyota Camry tried turning left from Higuera Ranch onto the highway when a 2023 Highlander going north hit the Camry at an unknown rate of speed, according to the CHP.

Both cars crashed, and the Highlander came to rest on the southbound 101 right shoulder, while the heavily damaged Camry faced the wrong way in the northbound #1 lane, according to the CHP.

A woman in the Camry came out of the passenger side door, trying to exit the car, when a 2024 Hyundai Tucson going north did not see the Camry and unfortunately hit the woman at an unknown speed.

The Tucson hit the Camry as the woman exited and landed in the southbound 101 lane following the collision, according to the CHP.

First responders later pronounced the woman dead, and five more people, two adults and three children, went to Sierra Vista Hospital for minor to moderate injuries, according to the CHP.

CHP officers kept the #2 lane and the shoulders for Highway 101 open for traffic during the initial analysis of the crash. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash, according to the CHP.

The incident remains under investigation, according to the CHP.

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Dave Alley

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – The Lompoc Animal Shelter has been awarded $850,000 in federal funding that will help kickstart a major renovation project of the aging facility.

The funding was recently announced by the office of Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), who also helped secure millions of dollars in funding for several other projects in Santa Barbara County.

The award for the animal shelter will specifically help the facility improve and modernize the outdoor animal kennels, which are mainly occupied by dogs.

“The space of the kennels is rather small,” said Sarah Aguilar, Santa Barbara County Animal Services Director. “By renovating the dog kennel or some of the housing spaces for our dogs, we’ll be able to provide a lot better care for them and have them be more comfortable while they’re visiting us.”

According to Aguilar, the overall cost of the project is still to be determined, but could land somewhere between $5 million to $8 million.

“Santa Barbara County Animal Services has contracted with an organization called Animal Arts that does shelter design, and they’ll come out, this spring and they’ll take a look at our data,” said Aguilar. “They’ll do laser measuring of all of our spaces. They’ll talk to staff, volunteers, community members and look at all of our data projections for community growth over the coming years and will also take a look at our budget and give us sort of some ranges of what we can do to improve our kennels.”

Once Animal Arts has collected its information about the shelter, it will provide recommendations to Santa Barbara County how to proceed with the capital improvement project.

The County is hoping to have work completed within about three years.

“This $850,000 secured by Congressman Carabajal is transformational for our shelter,” said said Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann. “Modernized kennels mean healthier, less stressed animals, improved conditions for our staff and volunteers, and a facility that truly reflects the compassion of the Lompoc community. From families in Lompoc to the service members at Vandenberg Space Force Base, so many people rely on the work of the shelter — and now we have the resources to do it even better.”

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from the California Mid-State Fair regarding an addition to the event’s performance line-up, country artist Lainey Wilson.

PASO ROBLES, CA – The California Mid-State Fair is pleased to announce Lainey Wilson will perform Friday, July 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM as part of the Michelob ULTRA Concert Series in the Chumash Grandstand Arena at the Paso Robles Event Center. Opening the show is Colton Dawson.

Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday, April 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM and are priced at $70, $100, $140, and $185. Tickets are available online only. To ensure ticket authenticity and face-value pricing, fans should begin their purchase at MidStateFair.com, which links directly to the official ticketing provider.

Lainey Wilson continues to captivate the world, capturing the hearts of fans and respect of her peers. With her new song, “Can’t Sit Still,” Wilson shares a snapshot of her life as an unstoppable force. Filled with restless energy, the track arrives during a period of non-stop activity, as Wilson made her film debut in Universal’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, prepares to headline Stagecoach 2026 and joins Chris Stapleton for stadium shows this summer, after just wrapping her Whirlwind World Tour. She is also the subject of a new in-depth Netflix documentary, Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool, which will be released April 22 after recently premiering at SXSW. Last year, the 2x CMA and 2x ACM Entertainer of the Year hosted the 59th CMA Awards (the first solo female host since Reba McEntire in 1991) and released the deluxe version of her album Whirlwind, featuring her #1 single “Somewhere Over Laredo.”

A sought-after songwriter, the 12x CMA, 16x ACM, Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry member has nine #1s including “4x4xU,” “Watermelon Moonshine” and the 2x Platinum “Heart Like A Truck,” plus collaborations with Jelly Roll (“Save Me”) and HARDY (“wait in the truck”). Moreover, Wilson has worked with artists such as Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and Post Malone, made her acting debut in Paramount’s hit show Yellowstone and recently launched her fifth collection with Wrangler, as well as her own boot (Golden West Boots) and jewelry lines (The Lainey Wilson Jewelry Collection).

Colton Dawson is a rising country singer-songwriter whose soulful voice, sharp guitar work, and honest storytelling have quickly set him apart in Nashville’s new wave of traditional country. Originally from Arizona and now based in Tennessee, Colton has already turned heads with standout live performances — including a surprise opening set for Clay Walker at the Ryman Auditorium that earned him two standing ovations. Blending classic country roots with fresh, heartfelt songwriting, he is currently recording his debut album with some of Nashville’s top musicians. With authentic lyrics, rich melodies, and a deep commitment to country’s timeless sound, Colton Dawson is fast becoming one of the genre’s most compelling young artists.

The California Mid-State Fair runs July 15 through July 26, 2026, featuring twelve days of concerts, exhibits, carnival rides, livestock shows, and family-friendly entertainment.

For more information, visit www.MidStateFair.com

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – If $6-$7-dollar a gallon gas prices are putting the brakes on your Spring break travel plans, a stay-cation may be the most affordable way to enjoy some time off.

Many people are thinking just that. The Automobile Association says about 10 percent of the traveling public are reeling back to keep their time off closer to home.

Some have annual trips that are mandatory including seeing relatives, and sharing Easter services together. For those where the trip is optional, this could be the time to save hundreds of dollars, even more, on traveling.

It’s not just a decision for drivers. Fuel costs for jets have also gone up significantly.

At the pumps some of the highest prices that have caught eyes are for diesel fuel fill ups which can often easily exceed $100 dollars.

Driving, flying, and hotel costs have changed drastically in recent months.

For those concerned about airport delays and cancellations with the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) funding and sick-call-surge, flights might be getting a second thought.

The plan to save money starts with setting a budget and staying as close to it as possible.

There are also many affordable and free activities close to home that you may not have been to before or are worth re-exploring with family and friends.

Eating out can also get costly, so it is wise to look for special happy hour and early bird discounts if you can fit that into your schedule before the traditional reservation bookings.

For Easter Sunday, there will be many sold out tables in restaurants, and some families celebrate Saturday when they have a better chance at a seating and a better price point.

The “staycation” became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic for health reasons, and it continues for financial reasons for many people.

“I definitely think twice before driving somewhere, ” said Daniel Gonzales from Santa Clarita. At the base of Stearns Wharf he said, “my cousin is visiting from Mexico so we brought him out here so regardless of gas prices or not we are visiting Santa Barbara.”

On a coastal trip with his family from Ontario, Christopher Acosta said, the gas prices could be a factor in the next few months. He said, “you know Spring break I think people stay close because it is not as long as a period but in the summer with the girls out for so long it will definitely prevent us from going farther in a car that is for sure. “

He has two cars and went for the best mileage. “In the Accord I am getting in the 30’s and in the Pilot I am getting in the low 20’s so that’s another reason why I brought the car and not the SUV!”

An RV traveler Anchie Cote said even when prices are down she is looking to cut fuel costs. “We have discount prices like Love’s or Shell and all that so even with the gas prices low we try to pick. Go to Costco for it or Love’s if we are traveling. “

Key Spring Break Cost Factors:

Gas Prices: jumped more than $1-dollar-a-gallon after the war in Iran began.

Airline flights : higher ticket prices linked to fuel and operational costs have consumers on alert for price jumps.

Hotel costs: In addition to room rates going up, there are sales and transient occupancy taxes that could raise the rate by over 20 percent. Plus some parking fees in excess of $40-dollars at some hotels.

Reduced Income: Rising costs for fuel, flights and hotels come as costs for months have impacted budgets across America.

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