Good morning, Central Coast! It's Friday, and sunshine is on the horizon, a beautiful way to head into the weekend. Here are the top stories our community reporters are covering.
- Trail closure in Paso Robles: The Salinas River Trail will be closed for the rest of the month for construction improvements. Signs are posted near the Woodland Shopping Center and Larry Moore Park, including the bathrooms. The City of Paso Robles hasn’t shared exactly what changes are being made.
- Popular sandwich shop shutters: A beloved sandwich shop in San Luis Obispo appears to have closed. KSBY stopped by Gus’s Grocery on Osos Street and found the store empty with coolers cleared and the familiar green awning gone. We’ve tried reaching the owners for comment but haven’t received a response.
- Tariff trouble: Wall Street saw a historic drop after former President Trump announced new tariffs on imports. Community reporter Ashley Stevens spoke with local experts about what this could mean for Central Coast consumers. Tariffs could lead to higher unemployment, rising costs of goods, and even a potential recession.
Cal Poly’s baseball team has installed a new $500,000 motion-capture system called KinaTrax, giving them a rare edge in performance analysis and injury prevention. The high-tech setup uses 16 cameras to track players' mechanics in real time, allowing both pitchers and hitters to optimize their movements. Coaches and players say the data is helping them develop faster while also staying healthy throughout the season. With just six other programs in the nation using KinaTrax, Cal Poly stands out as the only mid-major with the system and they’re already off to their best conference start in program history.
Santa Barbara County is facing its highest food insecurity rates in nearly a decade, and proposed federal and state program cuts could make things worse for thousands of families, seniors, and children. Programs like SNAP and USDA-funded food assistance are critical lifelines, with 1 in 3 residents currently struggling to afford groceries. Foodbank of Santa Barbara County CEO Erik Talkin warns that cuts to programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance initiative could lead to food shortages and reduced support for local farms. With these changes looming, the Foodbank is calling on the community to help fill the gap and support food sourcing efforts.
Tickets are now available for the 4th annual Be.StacieStrong Golf Tournament, which raises funds for Stacie Athon's cancer treatment. This year marks a milestone, as Athon has been tumor-free since 2024, and the foundation will give back by donating a portion of proceeds to SabesWings, a nonprofit helping other cancer patients with financial struggles. The event will take place June 8th at Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles and will feature a golf tournamentfollowed by a lively after-party with a silent auction, raffle, and more.
