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.

Santa Barbara County projects an $11.9 million budget surplus by the end of the fiscal year.

Starting this month, solar energy will supply more than 70% of the district’s power.

The City of San Luis Obispo is making adjustments to its parking structures in the Downtown area. Visitors of Downtown SLO will once again have to pay for parking before they exit parking structures.

The vaccine protects against the human papillomavirus, a common virus that can lead to cancer. It’s recommended for kids ages 9 to 12, with two doses given six to 12 months apart for the best protection.

A San Luis Obispo County park is one step closer to fruition. In the second phase of a three part plan, The Land Conservancy of SLO County acquired 750-acres stretching from Del Mar Park in Morro Bay through Alva Paul Canyon.

The council voted unanimously to revise existing laws, clarifying definitions for e-bikes and what is considered “unsafe riding.”

In an effort to block the building of three Costco-sized battery storage facilities in Morro Bay, council members voted to pause the city’s ability to process permits for the plants. The ordinance will be in effect the next two years.

The governor has appointed San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg to the California Air Resources Board.

The Trump Administration continues to lay-off federal employees whose work doesn’t align with the President’s priorities as outlined in a string of executive orders. This week, the President is directing agencies to cut career positions in addition to the probationary workers who’ve been laid off over recent weeks. Meanwhile, a union representing federal employees filed a lawsuit last week against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

The Board vote was split 2-2 on an appeal by environmental groups that challenged the transfer of permits to Sable Offshore, the company seeking to restart the pipeline.