CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) -   A plan for a new cell phone tower in downtown Carpinteria is getting a closer review.

Three sites are now being studied as an alternative to the tower that was proposed on a building on Linden Ave. and Carpinteria Ave. Currently it is home to several businesses including Pacific Health Foods and Sushi Teri.

Verizon and Centerline Communications believe this is the best spot to improve the signal strength they need. 

At a prior public meeting there was a strong push back on that location and concerns about health impacts.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Roy Lee offered to help with one of the alternative sites.

Verizon has said two other sites in that area are being considered and one other would be a couple blocks away on a government building.

The update and next hearing will be December 7th.

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - On the day after Election Day, the San Luis Obispo County Elections Center was buzzing with activity all day long.

However, work that was taking place in the newly refurbished facility located inside the Katcho Achadjian Government Center in downtown San Luis Obispo did not include counting of ballots.

"No counting today," said Erin Clausen, San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Public Information Specialist. "What we're doing today, among other things, is reconciling the counts from the polls against the ballots issued, all of that sort of balancing work that we do to make sure that everything is accounted for, and all the voters who voted at the polls are credited appropriately."

With a handful of elections still to be decided, including a pair of tightly contested supervisor races, the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office will resume counting ballots on Thursday.

"We have about, I would say 20,000 or so ready to be counted tomorrow," said Clausen. "There will be a big influx of results added to those (already posted) and then we'll continue to process mail ballots that come in and we will update results each time we count."

The San Luis Obispo County Elections office will post updated election results by 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

In addition to the 20,000 ballots that are queued and ready to be tabulated, Clausen added there are thousands more still to arrive.

"We got about another 20,000 vote by mail ballots dropped off at the polls, so those are what are going through scanning and processing now to get those ready to be counted," said Clausen. "That's about 40,000ish right now that are outstanding, and then the mail will continue to come in over this week, so we don't really have an idea until those come in exactly how many of those they'll be." 

The break in ballot counting on Wednesday comes as both San Luis Obispo County supervisor races are still to be decided.

In District Two, which represents the North Coast and parts of San Luis Obispo, Michael Erin Woody (3,333 votes/51.87%) was leading Jim Dantona (3,093 votes/48.13%) by just 240 votes.

The two candidates are looking to fill the seat that has been occupied since 2007 by Bruce Gibson, who decided to not seek reelection.

The District 4 seat that represents much of South San Luis Obispo County is also up for grabs between incumbent Jimmy Paulding and challenger Adam Verdin.

Paulding, who is currently serving as the Board Chair, is seeking a second term, while Verdin, a local businessman, pilot and community volunteer, is running for office for the first time ever.

Paulding is holding a slightly larger lead than Woody in the District 2 race, with a 386 vote advantage as of the last update, which was posted by the Elections Office at 12:52 a.m. early Wednesday morning.

Paulding currently has votes 4,408 votes (52.28%), while Verdin has 4,022 votes (47.70%).

"I'm happy to be in the lead right now," Paulding said late Wednesday morning. "I'm absolutely optimistic that I will be able to keep that lead, and that margin and it will grow, ultimately I'll be able to continue to serve District 4."

Verdin is well within striking distance to make up ground and rally back in t

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A major housing development planned for Santa Barbara's Eastside has moved one step closer to becoming reality after receiving design approval from the city's Architectural Board of Review.

The proposal would bring 45 new apartment units to the property occupied by Tri-County Produce on Milpas Street while expanding the longtime neighborhood market that has served the community for decades.

For many residents, Tri-County Produce is more than just a grocery store.

"Because it's a neighborhood. Jaime and his son are here, and they run it, and it's part of my childhood," said Santa Barbara resident Jon Jessup.

The approved design includes 45 apartments located above and behind the market. Fourteen of the units would feature three bedrooms, a component project designers say was intentionally included to accommodate families.

The latest proposal is smaller than an earlier version that called for 53 housing units. Developers say reducing the total number of apartments allowed them to create more family-sized homes while maintaining the same number of affordable units.

Supporters argue the project strikes a balance between preserving a beloved local business and helping address the region's ongoing housing shortage.

"You can't stop the developments. You can't stop the housing. You just maybe slow it down," Jessup said. "However, I'm surprised that the more waterfront property hasn't been developed."

Not everyone is convinced the project belongs on Milpas Street.

"I understand we need more housing, but not here," said Santa Barbara resident Carrie Lauer. "Too much traffic on the street here. It's going to be a lot of coming and going and many accidents, I predict."

Lauer said she worries continued development is changing the character of Santa Barbara.

"Buildings are taller and taller. Things are denser and denser. Parking is harder and harder. Space is tightened," she said.

In addition to the housing component, the project includes a nearly 5,000-square-foot expansion of Tri-County Produce, a new outdoor patio area and parking for residents.

Tri-County Produce owner Jaime DeSales has previously said additional housing near the market could help bring more customers to the business while allowing it to remain at its current location.

Jessup believes city leaders are working to balance growth with preserving Santa Barbara's identity.

"At least we got a good city council that's keeping everything under control because otherwise this would be like New York City down here or something," he said.

The project must still undergo additional city reviews before construction can begin. However, with design approval now secured, developers have cleared a significant milestone in the approval process.

If ultimately approved, the development would add 45 new homes to Santa Barbara's Eastside while allowing Tri-County Produce to remain and expand at its longtime Milpas Street location.

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GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) Direct Relief has moved quickly to respond to the Ebola outbreak.

"Direct Relief right now is doing everything it can to help the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo," said Direct Relief's Vice President of Communications, Tony Morain."

At least 48 Ebola deaths and nearly 1,000 cases have been confirmed by US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (WHO) in teh DRC and Uganda.

Some of the people who have died have been health care workers responding to Ebola.

"As we have seen in past Ebola responses the loss to the health workforce is absolutely tragic so anything we can do to help them we are going to do."

They are now tracking a shipment that left the cavernous Goleta warehouse that if filled with international flags.

The shipment should arrive later this week.

"We've dispatched a major shipment with significant quantities of PPE, N95 respirators, full body protective gear and that is to help health works who are putting themselves on the line to care for patients," said Morain.

The disease was first discovered in the mid 1970s, but there is still no vaccine.

And this outbreak involves a rare strain called Bundibugyo.

"It is an infectious disease that is transferred via body contact, it has an extremely high mortality rate, it isolates patients from their families, it has a chilling effect on the entire health system, it diverts resources away from chronic conditions that need to be addresses every day, so beyond the disease itself it has a huge humanitarian impact that is going to be lasting," said Morain.

In past USAID helped trace Ebola cases. Now nonprofits are taking the lead.

"Direct Relief plays a role as one of the largest providers of humanitarian medical aid in the world but there are a number of amazing groups that are responding right now, again doing everything they can to help as well, said Morain.

Due to the War in Iran fuel costs have spiked, making it one of Direct Reliefs's biggest expenses.

People may go https://directrelief.org to support the effort.

Direct relief commits to ensuring that all those donations go to this response, so just look for Ebola response at https://directrelief.org..

People may also donate without marking the cause, allowing Direct Relief to stretch each donated dollars to cover costs.

The latest shipment is valued at $2.5 million and is funded by donations.

"Every bit helps and is appreciated." said Morain.

Your News Channel will have more on the effort to help tonight on the news.

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