Good morning, Central Coast. Here are some stories we are following on Daybreak.
- A local grocery store caught fire: We're learning more this morning after a fire tore through Lassen's Natural Foods in Santa Maria Tuesday night. The building suffered major damage. Officials say the fire is believed to have started in the attic. They’re confident it was accidental. The cause is still under investigation.
- Art takes center stage at Cuesta College: Starting today, you can check out over 50 works of art created by Cuesta College students, everything from paintings and sculpture to photography and printmaking. The Student Annual Art Exhibition kicks off with an opening reception tonight from 4:30 to 7:30 P.M. and it's totally free and open to the public.
- Heads up for drivers in Goleta: Caltrans crews are out this morning working along the northbound lanes of Highway 101 from Winchester Canyon Road to El Capitan. Work will be happening today and tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with more expected next week. So if you’re headed that way, plan for alternating lane closures and expect a few slowdowns.
Construction is expected to begin this summer on a new bridge in Paso Robles that will connect South Vine Street to the intersection of Theater Drive and Highway 46, part of a four-phase traffic relief plan first set in motion in 2006 when the Target shopping center was developed. Phase one, completed in 2008, rerouted Theater Drive, and this second phase will help local drivers avoid the freeway by offering an alternate route through town. Capital Projects Engineer Ditas Esperanza says the bridge will take about 200 working days to complete and shouldn’t impact traffic since most of the work will happen off-road. Phases three and four, still in design, will add roundabouts near Highway 101. Residents say they’re hopeful the bridge will ease congestion, especially during busy times like the Mid-State Fair.
Rising grocery prices are putting pressure on shoppers like Colleen Rayburn, who says she notices increases every week. With food costs rising about 3% annually for the past five years, experts say it’s more important than ever to reduce waste, especially when it comes to misunderstanding food label dates. Apeel Sciences co-founder Jenny Du says "sell by" and "use by" dates don’t reflect food safety, and confusion around them leads to billions of pounds of edible food being thrown away each year. FoodBank officials suggest boosting "food literacy" by planning meals, budgeting, cooking at home, and even buying in bulk with neighbors to cut costs. For those facing food insecurity, the FoodBank of Santa Barbara County and SLO FoodBank offer helpful resources.
Military families were honored at Joe Nightingale Elementary in Orcutt on Wednesday as part of the Month of the Military Child, recognizing the 230 military-connected students in the Orcutt Union School District. Among them were the children of Nevada Army National Guard member Cody Smith, who spoke to students about the sacrifices service members make. His kids, Tyce and Korra, shared how proud they are of their father and reflected on the challenges of his time away. The district recently earned a Purple Star designation for its efforts to support military families.
Lompoc Valley Medical Center hosted a flag-raising ceremony Wednesday to honor National Donate Life Month and raise awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation. Community members and hospital staff gathered as the Donate Life flag was raised, a symbol of unity, remembrance, and hope. Among those in attendance was W. Scott Burn, a Santa Barbara resident whose life was saved by an organ donor. Hospital officials say the flag will fly all month long in recognition of donors and recipients, and noted the hospital has helped facilitate two organ donations and 22 tissue donations over the past 15 years.
