This month San Luis Obispo will host a housing summit, featuring the state lawmaker behind a push to override local zoning laws and build high-density housing near centers of public transportation and jobs. And recently San Luis Obispo County officials signed an agreement with Central Coast builders and nonprofits dedicating themselves to building a lot more affordable housing in the coming years.

What’s not being talked about is how the planned construction is actually going to get done, when there currently are not enough construction workers to build all those new housing units.

UPDATE 3/6/19 8 A.M. Evacuation orders are now lifted for all areas of Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said many roads may be impassable or have standing water and mud, but the immediate danger of debris flows has passed.

Around 3,000 Santa Barbara County residents are evacuated  from their homes once again this week. Rainstorms starting Tuesday are expected to be severe enough to potentially cause debris flows and mudslides, especially with already-saturated ground. The forecast prompted Santa Barbara County officials to issue evacuation orders starting at 4 p.m. on March 5 for those who live near or below the Sherpa, Whittier and Thomas Fire burn scars.

It's been 100 years since the first public library came to San Luis Obispo County, and this year the library system is celebrating. In digging through the archives for centennial material, staff came across a wrong they thought needed righting. San Luis Obispo's first city librarian is currently buried in an unmarked grave at a local cemetery, so staff and volunteers started a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money to buy a headstone for Francis Margaret Milne. They've since surpassed their goal, the headstone delivered and awaiting installation. Library officials are planning a memorial and dedication ceremony in April of 2019. 

On this week's Issues & Ideas, it's been 100 years since San Luis Obispo County set up its first library, and this year the SLO Library system is celebrating. In digging through its archives for centennial material, staff came across a wrong they thought needed righting. San Luis Obispo's first librarian is buried in a local cemetery with no grave marker, so staff and volunteers started a Go Fund Me campaign to raise the money to buy a headstone for Francis Margaret Milne. KCBX heads to San Luis Cemetery to learn more. Also, we discuss diversity and inclusion at Cal Poly with the university's first Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award recipient, Camille O'Bryant. And a 30-year-old San Luis Obispo city law means students are living “off lease," is it illegal? We'll talk to the student reporter investigating the issue in SLO. Finally, Father Ian Delinger dives into dahl and diversity with Ermina Karim, former CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce.

Diversity and inclusion have been ongoing issues at San Luis Obispo's California Polytechnic State University, long before a series of racist incidents in 2018 highlighted the need for more racial awareness on the campus. In January, at Cal Poly’s second annual Martin Luther King Jr. dinner—featuring a keynote dialogue with American philosopher, political activist and social critic Cornel West—Camille O'Bryant was named the inaugural recipient of the campus' Martin Luther King Legacy Award for her effors in advocating for underrepresented students.  O'Bryant has taught at Cal Poly for over two decades and is an associate dean in the College of Science and Mathematics. 

"A 30-year-old San Luis Obispo city law is causing Cal Poly students to live off lease and it may be illegal." That's the headline of a recent article by Cal Poly student media outlet Mustang News. Student reporter Ashley Ladin stopped by the KCBX studios to discuss her story about the law, how students navigate it and what is—or isn’t being done—to change it.

San Luis Obispo County officials chose this week not to switch to a new voting system for the 2020 election, created by the state legislature aiming to modernize voting in California. The county’s election official presented options, and community members shared their support, but the price tag may have swayed supervisors from changing, for now.