KCLU Radio, 60 W Olsen Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA (2025)

08/29/2025

Here's one of the top stories KCLU covered this week:

Ventura County Supervisors rejected proposals for the county to set aside $250,000 to help fund legal aid efforts for undocumented residents impacted by immigration enforcement actions.

The proposal also called for $1.3 million per year to hire seven people to support the Public Defender’s office in addressing immigration issues.

Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez brought the issue to the board. Lopez and County Supervisor Matt LaVere voted in favor of the $250,000 contribution, but the majority of board members overruled them. Lopez was the only one who voted in favor of the funding to add public defenders. In both instances, the majority cited concerns about tight county finances.

Hundreds of people testified during two days of hearings on the proposal, most of whom called for supervisors to provide help.
The board did approve training development for county personnel who might have to deal with federal immigration enforcement actions.

The status of undocumented immigrants in the county became a significant concern after raids in Camarillo and Carpinteria on July 10.

For this story and more visit kclu.org 🔗

NPR Affiliate for Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo County

08/29/2025

Carla Mead and Dave King faced off in the special election for a vacant Buellton City Council seat. In an update issued Friday, Mead had a 90-vote lead over King in the vote-by-mail election.

Mead is a former teacher involved with some of the community's nonprofits. She’s facing Dave King, a retired CHP officer who was a Buellton City Council member in the past.

After council member David Silva was elected Mayor of Buellton last year, the council decided to hold a special election to fill his council seat. The final results are expected to be in and certified on September 12.

It could be nearly two weeks before results are finalized for the Buellton City Council seat.

08/29/2025

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:08 p.m. The payload is 24 small communications satellites. With clear skies in much of the region, the flight could be visible throughout most of the Tri-Counties.

It would be the 15th flight for the reusable first-stage booster. Plans call for the booster to land on a barge off the West Coast.

The two dozen Starlink satellites would join a network of more than 8,000 satellites in orbit. These satellites provide internet and cell phone service to underserved parts of the world.

SpaceX is set to launch 24 communications satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

08/29/2025

The Santa Barbara Symphony is getting ready to kick off its 2025-2026 season in a special way. It will give the community a free season preview on September 18 at the Lobero Theater.

The Symphony’s season features eight concert events, ranging from Mozart’s Requiem to a New Year’s Eve celebration. It’s a special season for the symphony, with Music and Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti kicking off his 20th season in Santa Barbara.

The preview begins with a reception. People can try instruments from the Symphony’s mobile education van and enjoy live performances.

The September 18 event includes a reception, a chance to play some instruments, and live performances.

08/29/2025

The Agriculture Department announced the opening of a 21-day public comment period on a proposal to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

The rule protects about 58 million acres of national forest from the construction of permanent roads and industrial logging. The policy protects more than 630,000 acres of land in the Los Padres National Forest.

Administration officials say repealing the rule is needed for wildfire prevention and economic growth. However, representatives of the conservation group Los Padres Forest Watch say this is a push by the federal government to open more public land to logging.

The proposal would rescind a two-decade rule restricting permanent roads and logging in some mostly undeveloped national forest areas.

08/29/2025

All evacuation orders and warnings for the Gifford Fire have been lifted. The fire has burned 131,000 acres of land in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. However, the area remains completely closed to recreational activities.

More than 1,300 people are still involved with mop-up efforts, and containment is at 95%. A community meeting to update people on the fire is set for 6 p.m. Friday at the SLO Veterans Hall in San Luis Obispo.

Mop-up work continues on the 131,000-acre blaze in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

08/28/2025

Migrating Western Monarch butterflies come to Ellwood Mesa in Goleta over the winter to feed and shelter, but the habitat needs some restoration. Volunteers are stepping up to help restore it by planting hundreds of trees and native plants to create the shelter monarchs need to survive.

"What we're trying to do is create the microclimate environment," explained George Thomson, the Parks and Open Space Manager for the City of Goleta. "The right amount of shade and wind that monarchs will thrive in during the winter months."

The first volunteer day is Saturday, August 30. Registration is full, but additional volunteer days are coming up on September 27, October 25, and November 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No experience is necessary.

Migrating Western Monarch butterflies come to Ellwood Mesa in Goleta over the winter to feed and shelter, but the habitat needs some restoration.

08/28/2025

Ventura County Supervisors said no to a request to help fund legal aid efforts for the undocumented residents in the county impacted by immigration enforcement actions.

Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez brought the issue to the board, asking for the county’s help.

Her plan called for spending $250,000 annually for a county legal defense fund, and $1.3 million a year to hire seven people to help the Public Defender’s office support those with immigration issues.

The majority of the board cited concerns about tight county finances. Long and Gorell both said the federal government should provide legal assistance through the federal public defender's office. However, an official with the county public defender's office said the federal public defenders don't deal with civil issues. Depending on the circumstances, many cases are considered to be civil issues, not criminal.

Ventura County Supervisors reject proposals for a contribution to a legal defense fund and to hire additional county public defenders to help.

08/28/2025

A Ventura County man has received a 20-year-to-life state prison sentence for a DUI collision that killed a Good Samaritan who had stopped to help victims of a traffic accident. A jury convicted Francisco Garcia of Oxnard of second-degree murder, two felony DUI counts, and fleeing the scene of the accident.

Garcia hit Elicia Lopez Hernandez and another bystander with his vehicle in July of 2018 as they were stopped to help traffic accident victims. Hernandez died.

Garcia was arrested shortly after fleeing the scene. His blood alcohol level was at three times the legal limit

The victim had stopped to help people involved in a previous traffic accident when she was hit.

08/28/2025

A retired teacher has a big early lead in the preliminary results for a city council seat. Carla Mead and Dave King faced off in the special election for a vacant Buellton City Council seat. Mead has 62% of the votes counted to King’s 38%.

After councilmember David Silva was elected mayor of Buellton last year, the council decided to hold a special vote-by-mail election to fill his seat. The next update on the election results is expected on Friday.

A vote-by-mail election will fill a vacancy on the Buellton City Council.

08/28/2025

Two workers were injured when a jet bridge undergoing maintenance at Santa Barbara Airport collapsed on Tuesday morning. Jet bridges are the movable walkways that connect the airport terminal to the aircraft.

The two workers were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The bridge was out of service for maintenance when the incident occurred. No passengers were involved.

Officials checked other jet bridges at the airport but found no other problems.

The equipment was undergoing maintenance at the time. No passengers were involved.

08/28/2025

A significant infrastructure investment of $51 million is underway in Ventura. It will extend Olivas Park Drive and construct about 5,400 feet of new levees and floodwall.

"It's a project that has been on the list for decades, I'm sad to say, but happy that it's finally reached this point," said Ventura Mayor Dr Jeanette Sanchez-Palacios. She added that the project will open new opportunities for economic growth in East Ventura.

It aims to improve regional traffic circulation, enhance public safety, and reduce flood risk along the Santa Clara River.

KCLU Radio

08/29/2025

08/29/2025

08/29/2025

08/29/2025

08/29/2025

08/29/2025

08/28/2025

08/28/2025

08/28/2025

08/28/2025

08/28/2025

08/28/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category