Month: May 2025

Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – San Luis Obispo County is providing an update on the contaminated water incident last week in the Five Cities.

Last Wednesday, San Luis Obispo County issued an unprecedented notice for Five Cities residents to boil water after harmful bacteria was discovered in samples taken from Lopez Lake, the main source of water for the entire Five Cities region.

According to a San Luis Obispo County release, test results on April 29th showed that Five Cites tested positive for total coliform bacteria.

In addition, one of the sites also tested positive for E. coli, a bacterium that can sometimes cause illness.

Once those test results became known, San Luis Obispo County Public Works said it immediately notified the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (Division of Drinking Water), as well as the communities and districts use water from the Lopez Project (Lopez Lake).

Public Works added that the department began testing the system, and on April 30th, the next set of test results showed that two locations still tested positive for total coliform and zero positive for E. coli.

Since the follow-up results still showed the presence of coliform bacteria after one earlier sample tested positive for E. coli, Public Works said the Division of Drinking Water required the county to issue a “Boil Water Notice” to the all of the agencies that pull water from the Lopez Project in order to protect public health.

In its release, Public Works states that all local water agencies that tested their distribution systems also reported no contamination during the event.

The county also added it was required by the Division of Drinking Water to continue daily sampling of the pipeline until there were two consecutive sets of samples over a 48-hour period showing no total coliform or E. coli.

The two-day time frame was the minimum regulatory time period necessary to remove the boil notice.

According to the county, on May 1st, all thirteen testing sites showed no presence of total coliform or E. coli, and on the next day May 2nd, all thirteen testing sites also detected no presence of total coliform or E. coli.

After test results showed no signs of contaminated, San Luis Obispo County began lifting the boil notice for the affected communities.

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Alissa Orozco

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and its an opportunity to take to some time to evaluate and prioritize your mental health. 1 in 5 adults in the United States lives with a mental health illness, however, not many people are aware of the resources available.

San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Program Manager, Brita Connelly, spoke with your News Channel to talk about making your mental health a priority. Connelly says the county recognizes mental health illnesses are important to talk about as it is something that impacts so many people, even those in our community.

“Mental Health Awareness month, like other campaign months, is a great opportunity for all of us to take action and follow a call to action to assess our own mental health, check in with others and have conversations about a really critical topic,” Connelly says.

Connelly says taking care of your mental well-being is just as important as taking care of your physical health. The World Health Organization says although most people are resilient, factors such as poverty, violence, disability, and inequality can put you at a higher risk for developing a mental illness.

“Remembering to check in with yourself and noticing what your own signs and symptoms are when you’re may be experiencing some challenges or a decline, so that you are the best advocate for yourself when you know that you’re struggling.”

If you suspect you and or anyone you know is struggling mentally, doing things to help ease your mind such as journaling, joining a support group, and talking to friends or family is recommended.

“I just encourage everyone to find something near to them or maybe build one themselves and build a small community where they focus on something together, like breathing exercises to just help with grounding for all of us.”

Santa Barbara County is also celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month this May with their “Light Up Green” campaign, where buildings all over the county will shine bright in green, the official color for mental health awareness.

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly university president Jeffrey Armstrong testified before Congress this week about the rise in antisemitic incidents on campus.

President Armstrong and two other university presidents received a letter from the House Committee on Education and Workforce asking them to testify about antisemitic incidents on campus.

The education and workforce committee cited a 388% surge nationally in antisemitic incidents in the month after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.

The Anti-Defamation League gave Cal Poly a “D” grade on their Campus Antisemitism Report Card…. which led to president Jeffrey Armstrong’s testimony before the committee on Wednesday.

“The violence permeated that day must be condemned without equivocation, and the targeting of Jewish students on campuses across the U.S. that followed was terrible and unacceptable. Both as a university president and a human being. This is a matter I take particularly seriously. We have to do better,” says president Armstrong.

Incidents cited by the house and anti-defamation league include alleged verbal harassment by a cal poly professor and threatening graffiti.

Armstrong expressed how seriously he takes the matter.

“I want to emphasize that our goal is continuous improvement. We will work to give each student the safest possible environment free from discrimination and religious intolerance so they can learn, grow and succeed. We call it being ready day one,” says president Armstrong.

Several students say the Cal Poly campus normally has a well-managed and non-threatening atmosphere, one that’s quite conducive to learning.

“I feel very, very safe at Cal Poly and the entirety of SLO as well. And I’ve never really had an issue with like, you know, finding a safe space to study or a safe place to go,” says Hudson Lund, a first-year student.

“Cal Poly is a really, like, comfortable place. I’ll go to Subway at two in the morning and feel totally fine walking a total of like a miles from my dorm to subway at back in two in the morning. I can’t like when it’s night. I can’t really walk around and not see a police officer, which is also like a very reassuring thing,” says Kennan Knowles, another first-year student.

The Trump administration is scrutinizing many college campuses across the nation, demanding Jewish students be kept safe lest their federal funding be pulled.

Some universities have pushed back against those demands.

And the American Jewish Committee has said it welcomes actions preventing antisemitism, but that overly broad funding cuts or punishment will hurt the standing of American universities.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Veterans learned more about their benefits and the services available for them at a special “Stand Down” day.

It itook place at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Barbara Friday.

Different groups and non-profits specializing in veteran’s services were in one place to answer questions and provide help in a collaborated way.

Many vets showing up looked for the outreach, a support group and to learn about and new benefits.

Some of their needs are clear and some are still coming to the surface. U.S. Army Veteran Matthew  Nancarrow said,  “you are living with it every day and it is good to see those guys actually getting  the recognition.”

Even though most of the veterans who came were aware of their benefits, there were some who came in  and found out there were some new opportunities and signed up immediately.

“Just today, I’ve had two new faces that came in, that were not combat veterans but were in service and got injured in the line of service and didn’t think they were entitled but they were here today and they  got signed up,” said Nancarrow.

Everyone who attended was treated to a free lunch.

This gives the veterans, many who know each other and some making new friends, a chance to bond and reminisce.

They plan to get together again later this month.

Nancarrow said, “so this is the big run up to the Memorial day services at our cemetery.”

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps stopped by.

Her dad  the late former Congressman Walter Capps devoted his time in office and as a UC Santa Barbara Professor to veterans issues, care and overall wellness.

Capps said, “veterans have a strong sense of duty.  I think we are missing some of that sense right now. That sense of duty that giving back to your country  patriotism that we are in it  for a larger collective good. Even when it’s hard that’s what veterans prove to us.  That’s why we don’t forget.”

Having activities for veterans is said to be vital. The Friendship Center was at the event with a list of daily events that are covered as a benefit.

Kim Larsen is with the Montecito and Carpinteria Friendship Center. She says, “any qualified veteran can attend our Friendship center  five days a week.  If they are not currently enrolled in the VA I will enroll them.  We are bilingual  so we have activities in Spanish and English.”

Veterans will also be back together on Saturday May 17th for a Santa Barbara Salute to the Armed Forces at the American Indian Health Center on upper State street.

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