KCBX News

More than two dozen dead sheep in northern San Luis Obispo County are at the center of an investigation by the sheriff's office.

The flock was grazing in the Heritage Ranch area near Lake Nacimiento as part of a program to keep grass in check for the summer fire season.

Hikers came upon several of the sick and dying animals and recorded video of the problem, then contacted authorities.

(note: video below may not be suitable for everyone)

A pair of storm systems brought several inches of much-needed rain to the Central Coast over the past several days. The mid-winter punch provided some measurable relief to the region's exceptional drought status, yet much more is needed.

Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties saw the largest Central Coast rainfall totals, with some mountain areas receiving more than 14 inches of precipitation since Wednesday. Ojai topped the local cities with 6.21 inches recorded.

Police sketches are being circulated in the Santa Barbara area following the rape and beating of a 19-year-old UCSB student. Campus police connect these two men in their early 20s to last weekend's crime.

In a message sent to the campus community, UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang addressed the sexual assault and vowed to strengthen security.

Yang authorized an increase of five campus officers, as well as the frequency of their patrols. Additionally, there will be increased security measures with installation of new lighting and cameras on campus.

Updated: 2/28/2014 at 1:32 p.m.

A former Cuesta College criminal justice instructor has been named as the interim police chief in King City, following the arrests of the police department's acting chief and several officers on bribery and embezzlement charges. 

Dennis Hegwood was appointed by City Manager Michael Powers to run the police department while a national search is conducted for the department's next police chief.

The amount of money spent at local lodging facilities in the City of Santa Barbara saw its largest increase in several years last month with a significant 23.8 percent bump. 

This year-over-year increase in visitor spending helped generate $991,834 in revenue for the city through its 12 percent Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), the vast majority of which goes into the general fund. A smaller portion of the TOT is set aside for creek restoration and water quality improvements.

Updated: Tuesday, 2/25 at 4:59 p.m. PST

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team is now part of the effort to look for evidence related to the rape and beating of a 19-year-old UCSB student.

After being treated Sunday at a Santa Barbara area hospital, the student went to recover with her family.

Updated Monday, 2/24 at 1:52 p.m. PST:

The month of February could end much the way it started, with some badly-needed rainfall for California and the Central Coast. Unlike the last couple of rain events however, this time around the region could get hit with a major winter storm.

  A Silicon Valley venture capitalist who believes California has become too large to manage received word Wednesday from Secretary of State Debra Bowen that he may begin circulating his voter petition to split up the state.

The proponent for the measure, Tim Draper, must collect signatures from eight percent of the state's registered voters by mid-July in order for his initiative to qualify for the November 2014 ballot. He launched his measure back in December.

A new image from NASA helps put into perspective one component of California's exceptionally dry winter—its effect on the vegetation found in state's grasslands, farms, and forests.

Using a series of images captured through the latter half of January, NASA came up with a composite map highlighting areas of vegetation growth. The image was created by using a specialized sprectroradiometer to compare current plant health to the average for the same period over the past decade.

Central Coast home prices shot up last month according to the latest report released by the number crunchers at San Diego-based DataQuick.

The San Luis Obispo County real estate market saw a strong year-over-year January with an increase in both the number of homes sold and the overall median sales price. A total of 261 properties were sold countywide during the first month of 2014, up 19.7 percent from the previous year. The median price of those homes also rose to $400,000, up 5.5 percent.

Waves up to 11 feet are expected along the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County coastlines through Thursday night. The National Weather Service based in Oxnard has issued a high surf advisory for the west and northwest facing beaches along this stretch.