Extreme heat is considered one of the deadliest climate-related hazards. Even though the Central Coast is known for its moderate climate, projections for the region show an increase in frequency and severity of heat waves in the coming decades. In this four-part series about extreme heat on the Central Coast, KCBX reporter Beth Thornton speaks with scientists, health experts and local nonprofit organizations about the different ways people can stay safe during high temperatures. This series is made possible by a grant from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism.

For the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2023 Data Fellowship, KCBX's Amanda Wernik delves into the connection between PTSD and homelessness in San Luis Obispo County.

Domestic Violence can be invisible since it often happens behind closed doors, and it can take a long time for a survivor to leave.In this three-part series about domestic violence in San Luis Obispo County, KCBX reporter Melanie Senn speaks with local advocates, survivors and law enforcement about ways people can find help.The series was produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2023 Domestic Violence Impact Fund.

Polling the People is a five-part series on voting rights, access and engagement in Santa Barbara County. Through in-depth feature storytelling, the series examines issues including Latino voting access, voter turnout across the county and ways to get undocumented people involved in the political process. Polling the People is made possible by a grant from the Sunflower Foundation.

A 21-year-old Paso Robles man accused of killing another man because he perceived he was gay pleaded not guilty in the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Wednesday.

A bill that could designate coastal communities along the Monterey Bay National marine Sanctuary as a National Heritage Area was introduced to the House of Representatives Tuesday. The National Park Service describes Heritage Areas as places “where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes.”

Former student athletes are suing Santa Barbara Unified School District for allegedly enabling sexual abuse by a football coach.

A local land conservancy is in the process of restoring and cleaning up more than 3,000 acres along the Central Coast. The Gaviota Coast Conservancy acquired El Rancho Tajiguas in September with a goal to maintain it as a working ranch, protect it from further development and eventually provide public access.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will allow ranchers and farmers to grow new revenue streams. The Board has passed what it calls an “Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance,” which means that people who own agricultural property can put their land to use in new ways.

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department has reported three cases of whooping cough in the past two weeks.

Santa Barbara County officials are requiring the operator of the county’s first large-scale wind farm to take new steps to protect birds and bats. Since November of last year, nearly 50 dead birds have been found at the site, including protected species like golden eagles and red-tailed hawks.

San Luis Obispo residents ranked affordable rental housing as the top priority in a new County Homeless Services report. The 2025 Community Development Needs Assessment report surveyed over 900 SLO County residents to identify the community’s most pressing needs.

Local agencies are meeting for a second day to update residents on the effort to clean-up a hazardous chemical spill near the San Luis Obispo Regional Airport.

A northern California man has been arrested for allegedly flying a drone and photographing Vandenberg Space Force Base. The US Attorney's office said 39-year-old Yinpiao Zhou failed to register his drone as required, and violated national defense airspace.