Although Isla Vista has a reputation as a party town, those who live here – will also tell you that there’s a strong sense of community. The Isla Vista Youth Projects has been serving Isla Vista families for over 40 years. KCSB reporter Erin Wetherley spoke with executive director LuAnn Miller about how it has grown and what is in store for its future.

Reflecting on what is now a nationwide opioid epidemic, it has recently come to light that Santa Barbara’s opioid death rate is almost twice that of the state average. For a closer look at this alarming statistic, KCSB’s Soobin Lee speaks with John Doyel, the Program Manager for the Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness Alcohol and Drug Program, about opioid abuse and how it’s affected our county.

The Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary is home to a remarkably diverse population of sea life. However, the sanctuary is in danger of closure if a Trump executive order passes. The executive order would rollback or eliminate 11 marine sanctuaries and monuments, including the Channel Islands and Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuaries, and open these protected areas to oil and gas exploration. The public comment period to voice concerns about Trump’s review of marine sanctuaries ends August 14th. KCSB’s Amarica Rafanelli spoke with Representative Salud Carbajal about his efforts to protect these marine sanctuaries and what local residents can do.

SB 54, also known as the sanctuary city bill, has drawn attention from local law enforcement and activists within Santa Barbara County. KCSB’s Amarica Rafanelli spoke with Sheriff Bill Brown from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, an opponent of the legislation, and Lucas Zucker from CAUSE, a local activist group working to protect immigrant rights.

Every year, the UCSB Library chooses one book as their “UCSB Reads” selection. Once the book is unveiled - hundreds of students and community members get to reading. The UCSB Reads committee has narrowed down next year’s selection to five finalists. KCSB’s Priscilla Kang spoke with “UCSB Reads” committee member Alex Regan, to find out more about each title. She’ll also offer insight into how UCSB Books are selected, and the ultimate goal of the program.

Image Courtesy of UCSB Library

Earlier this week, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner denied collusion with Russia, while Donald Trump Jr., whose emails disclosed a statement that the Russian government allegedly supported a Trump presidency, has yet to testify. The Trump administration’s ties to Russia remain an ongoing thorn in the executive branch’s side. KCSB’s Alex Casavant spoke to Jack Pitney, professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, to explore the implications of this relationship.

Santa Barbara county District Attorney Joyce Dudley talks about county efforts to make Isla Vista a more safe place to live. Host Lisa Osborn also asks how things have changed between now and the mass murders of 2014, prosecuting sex offenses, drugs and alcohol and what makes Isla Vista unique when it comes to fighting crime.

The proposed expansion of the Cabrillo Oil Field in Oxnard has left residents with many questions about their environment and health. Two environmental justice organizations are holding a public forum on Thursday, August 3rd from 6-8PM at the Ocean View School District Board Room. This forum seeks to inform Oxnard residents about the proposed expansion of the Oil Field. KCSB's Kendra Lee spoke with Kim Rivers of CFROG - Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas - to find out more about the forum.

Local Santa Barbara organizations are fighting to protect central coast waters in spite of the Trump administrations' pursuit of less federal regulation over the environment. The Environmental Defense Center and the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper recently took a victory over the federal government regarding offshore fracking. KCSB's Kendra Lee spoke with Maggie Hall, a Staff Attorney for the Environmental Defense Center, to find out more about the case.

Image by Andy Rusch (Flickr: Walk to the Beach) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

State energy regulators were recently in Oxnard for a hearing regarding a proposed power plant. They were met with plenty of opposition, and listened to hours of testimony from students and activists. A state lawmaker criticized the plan for not being sustainable. There are also concerns over coastal flooding and erosion of sand dunes. KSCB’s Harry Lawton explains.