SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – After a fierce competition, the Old Spanish Days Fiesta officially has its Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta winners for the 2026 edition.

Jenna Ramirez from Santa Barbara City College and Penelope Hernandez from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel both earned the Spirit and Junior Spirit honors, respectively, on Saturday.

Hernandez danced Bulerias "Le Pido Al Tiempo Que Vuelva," and Ramirez danced Guarijas "Fronteras del Tiempo" to earn their places.

Both will join El Presidente Colin Hayward as ambassadors for the Old Spanish Days through this year's Fiesta from Aug. 5 through Aug. 9.

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Por Devan Cole, CNN

Un tribunal federal de apelaciones dijo este sábado que el presidente Donald Trump puede seguir adelante durante otra semana con la construcción de un enorme nuevo salón de baile en la Casa Blanca mientras los jueces consideran el proyecto.

La orden 2-1 del Tribunal de Apelaciones del Circuito del Distrito de Columbia es una victoria temporal para Trump en una prolongada batalla legal sobre si tiene autoridad para construir el salón de baile en el sitio del antiguo Ala Este sin la aprobación expresa del Congreso.

El tribunal de apelaciones dijo que el trabajo en el proyecto puede continuar al menos hasta el 17 de abril. El tribunal devolvió el caso a un juez federal que inicialmente falló en contra, diciendo que necesitaba examinar más de cerca el argumento de la Casa Blanca de que la construcción debe continuar por razones de seguridad nacional y seguridad, y agregando que el tribunal de apelaciones no podía escrutar la idea sobre un “expediente apresurado”.

“Sigue sin estar claro si y en qué medida el desarrollo de ciertos aspectos del salón de baile propuesto es necesario para garantizar la seguridad de las mejoras de seguridad nacional subterráneas o, en general, para asegurar la protección de la Casa Blanca y sus ocupantes mientras el proceso de apelación continúa”, escribieron los jueces de la mayoría.

Los dos jueces que decidieron devolver el caso fueron designados por los expresidentes Barack Obama y Joe Biden. El juez disidente fue nombrado por Trump durante su primer mandato.

La decisión de este sábado es el más reciente punto de tensión en una disputa de meses sobre el intento de Trump de avanzar con el proyecto del salón de baile con poca o ninguna supervisión externa.

Después de que Trump demoliera el Ala Este el año pasado para iniciar la construcción, el principal grupo de preservación histórica del país acudió a los tribunales para impugnar la legalidad del proyecto. Argumentó, entre otras cosas, que el Congreso debía aprobarlo.

El juez federal de distrito Richard Leon dio la razón al grupo a finales del mes pasado, al señalar en un contundente fallo que Trump estaba llevando a cabo la construcción de manera ilegal, ya que no había solicitado permiso a los legisladores para construir la nueva y ambiciosa ampliación de la Casa Blanca.

Leon, designado por el expresidente George W. Bush, señaló que gran parte del trabajo debía detenerse en espera de la aprobación del Congreso, pero que las cuadrillas podían continuar con la “construcción necesaria para garantizar la seguridad de la Casa Blanca”.

“El presidente de Estados Unidos es el custodio de la Casa Blanca para las futuras generaciones de primeras familias. Sin embargo, ¡no es el propietario!”, escribió Leon en la resolución de 35 páginas.

Trump y sus abogados se apresuraron a aprovechar esa laguna jurídica para argumentar que la decisión carecía, en esencia, de sentido.

“Eso significa: ‘puedo continuar construyendo según sea necesario’”, dijo Trump poco después de que Leon emitiera su fallo. “Así que, en ese aspecto, estamos bien”.

Tras apelar la decisión de Leon ante el Circuito del Distrito de Columbia, los abogados de Trump dijeron al tribunal en un escrito de tono contundente que el juez se excedió al emitir una “orden judicial impactante, sin precedentes e impropia” que, según afirmaron, “pondría en peligro al presidente y a otras personas que viven y trabajan en la Casa Blanca”.

Al argumentar que todo el proyecto “avanza objetivos críticos de seguridad nacional”, los abogados del Departamento de Justicia pidieron al tribunal suspender el fallo de Leon mientras el caso sigue su curso.

“Las mejoras en el Ala Este no son cosméticas; incluyen el uso de columnas y vigas de acero resistentes a misiles

The post The Rites of Spring in the Hills of Summerland appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo Police arrested a man after reports of a domestic violence dispute at the 900 block of Valecito just before 11:00 p.m. Friday.

The victim talked to police on the phone after the man, who had been drinking, got physical with her and left the home, according to the SLOPD.

SLOPD officers ordered a shelter-in-place before they found the 35-year-old man in the domestic dispute and later detained him.

SLOPD officers then found several firearms and brass knuckles in the man's car near the home.

Further investigation revealed the 35-year-old pushed the woman mulitple times, prevented her from exiting the house and poured juice and gasoline on her car, according to the SLOPD.

SLOPD officers arrested the 35-year-old on the following charges where he is being held without bail:

• felony false imprisonment with force
• felony vandalism
• misdemeanor domestic battery
• misdemeanor possession of brass knuckles

The post Man arrested after domestic violence dispute in San Luis Obispo appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

Story by Associated Press

Paris (AP) — A 9-year-old boy has been rescued after living locked in his father’s utility van in eastern France since 2024, according to the local prosecutor. The child has been hospitalized, and his father detained.

Police were alerted by a neighbor to the “sounds of a child” coming from a van on Monday in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany, according to a statement on Saturday from prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.

After forcing the van open, officers found the child “lying in a fetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement,″ Heitz said.

The boy was clearly malnourished and could no longer walk after being in a seated position for so long, according to the statement.

The boy’s father told investigators that he put the child in the truck in November 2024 “to protect him” because his partner wanted to send the then 7-year-old to a psychiatric hospital, the prosecutor said.

Heitz said there was no medical record that the boy had any psychiatric problems before he disappeared and that he had had good grades in school.

The boy told investigators that he had “big difficulties” with his father’s partner and thought his father “had no choice” but to lock him up, according to the prosecutor. He said he hadn’t showered since 2024.

The father was handed preliminary kidnapping and other charges and kept in custody. His partner denied knowledge that the boy was in the van, according to the prosecutor. She was handed preliminary charges, including for failure to help a minor in danger, and released under judicial supervision.

The boy’s 12-year-old sister and the 10-year-old daughter of his father’s partner were placed in the care of social services.

The prosecutor’s office is investigating whether others were aware of the boy’s detention.

Friends and family told investigators they thought the boy was in a psychiatric institution. His teachers were told he had transferred to a different school, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The authorities have not released the names of the victim or his relatives.

Hagenbach residents contacted by The Associated Press expressed shock on Saturday over the cases and said they were unaware of the boy’s whereabouts, but didn’t want to discuss details.

The prosecutor declined to comment further to AP pending further investigation.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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