Makayla Richardson

KSBY reporter covering the Five Cities area of California's Central Coast: Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Nipomo, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande. 

Broadcast News

KSBY News •

Arroyo Grande Police Department up for new grant to help with DUI enforcement

On Tuesday, Arroyo Grande city leaders are set to decide whether to approve a new grant for the Arroyo Grande Police Department.The $70,600 grant is coming from the California Office of Traffic Safety. If approved, it will be used to help fund training, more equipment, and overtime staffing related to distracted driving and driving under the influence. Arroyo Grande Police Chief Dave Culver said this will help bring officers in on their days off to do additional enforcement."When we do the distr...
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Cal Poly students and residents prepare for a new school year

School is back in session for Cal Poly students and for many businesses in the area, they’re already seeing a boost in sales. Residents are also preparing for an influx of students. Cal Poly students are facing their first fall semester this month and before classes start for the 2026 school year, students and their parents were making an impact on local businesses in Downtown San Luis Obispo.Peter Shaker owns SLO Froyo n' Italian Ice, SLOyo and SLO a la mode. “Summer is always a little hard, es...
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SLO County annual siren test was a success, officials say

From the Nipomo Mesa to Cayucos, sirens across San Luis Obispo County rang out twice on Saturday for the county's annual full-scale emergency siren test. If those sirens go off during a real emergency, do you know what to do?130 sirens sounded off simultaneously in San Luis Obispo County Saturday afternoon for an annual siren test.“It’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before," said Josie Brewer, an Arroyo Grande resident. The sound of more than a hundred sirens might be a little jarring at first,...
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Landscaping improvements could be on the horizon for busy Nipomo street

If you drive along Tefft Street in Nipomo, you’ll see bare medians. But if you look close enough, a few poppies are blooming out of the dirt. They are what’s left of one man’s efforts to beautify the city before local law enforcement stepped in.For four years, lifelong Central Coast resident Mike Conrow has been planting and watering poppies in the medians along Tefft Street in Nipomo.His daughter Laura said he started because he wanted his drive home to look nicer."He noticed the dividers down...
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Grover Beach man stung by stingray and the weather may be to blame

Warmer weather could be bringing more stingrays up to the Central Coast.Mark Perry visits the beach near the West Grand Avenue entrance in Grover Beach every day. As part of his routine, he takes a dip in the ocean.“While I was out there about chest deep water, I jumped over a wave," Perry said. "Then I landed on the ground and it felt something bit me.”After getting out of the water on Saturday and finding help from a lifeguard, Perry was told he wasn’t bitten, but stung by a stingray. He said...
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Local group hosts back-to-school clothing swap

Jaynie Mello was among the moms taking part in the Central Coast Kids & Family Clothing Swap in Oceano. She said that as the economy changes, free swaps like these are becoming more important to the community.“Things are so expensive, even when you're looking for clearance items and kind of like now that school's back," Mello said. "My kids have started TK this year. So just knowing that there are options to be able to find used items that aren't super expensive and just knowing that they're goi...
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Frequent shark sightings on the Central Coast: Here's why

Sharks are pretty common here along the Central Coast, but some locals say the sightings have gotten more frequent.Drone footage from Danny Martinez shows a great white shark near the Oceano dunes. He said it’s the biggest shark he’s seen and estimates it’s around 18 feet.Rich Weisbecker has been surfing in Pismo Beach for over 30 years. He said it’s pretty common to hear about sharks in the waves.“I've seen a couple of sharks breach all the way out of the water, but I've never seen one swimming...
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San Luis Obispo County hotels offer discounts to people impacted by Timber Fire

The Timber Fire burning in Big Sur is forcing residents out of the Monterey County region, and hotels in San Luis Obispo County are stepping up to help those displaced.Aaron Graves, founder of Everlygrove Hotels, said his property is among those offering discounted rates to first responders and evacuees."It's displacing people from the entire Big Sur region, which is really an extension of our home here," Graves said. "We wanted to contribute everything that we could for those that were displace...
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Local parents host free back-to-school clothing swap

It's time for a new school year and one group of local parents is hosting a free event to help with the increasing prices of back-to-school shopping. Class is back in session at many schools across the Central Coast. To get ready for the new year, parents are set to spend more than $863 per person, according to the National Retail Federation. 28% of that, around $250, will be clothes. Ginger Hasler is one of the parents who volunteers and participates in the clothing swap. She said her kids get...
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Governor Gavin Newsom says he will not extend operation of nuclear power plant Diablo Canyon beyond 2030

The future of California’s only nuclear power plant is up in the air. Diablo Canyon is currently set to stop operating in 2030.Governor Gavin Newsom recently addressed the plant’s future at a press conference in Oakland.“Well, we just finished the process that unfolded over the course of the last 4 or 5 years, just to extend its life," Newsom said. "That will be the baton that I will pass on to the next administration. So that will be the determination of the next administration.”The Federal Nuc...
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Heat advisory to wrap up this evening

Happy Sunday, Central Coast! We are close to the end of the heat advisory and extreme heat warning that are hitting the Central Coast. In San Luis Obispo County, the heat advisory is set to wrap up around 8pm tonight. Parts of Santa Barbara County are under an extreme heat warning, which will be expiring at the same time. The southern coast of Santa Barbara County is also under a coastal flood advisory, stretching all the way down the rest of the California coast. That is going to be sticking ar...
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Over 100 homes participate in community-wide yard sale

People in 109 homes were officially part of a community-wide yard sale in Nipomo on Saturday morning.While the popular event started four years ago with only 62 homes, it’s grown exponentially since then.Amy Arguijo saw this year’s sale as the perfect opportunity to show her daughter, Emma, how to give back to the community and the impact it has on others.“I think it's cool and nice that we could see people that we never met before and get to know them sometime and then maybe meet them," Emma sa...
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Avila Pier in emergency condition

Harbor officials say the Avila Pier is now in emergency condition. The iconic Avila Pier has been welcoming visitors to the small beach town for almost 120 years and the landmark is starting to show its age.We talked to Andrea Davila and her family who were visiting from Minnesota. “We love walking up and down the pier, but we get a little frustrated when we hit the sign that says that we can't go any further," Davila said. The Avila Pier closed entirely in 2015 from age and damage from various...
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Potential multi-story development heads to Grover Beach Planning Commission

Businesses at the Beachfront Plaza were preparing to leave as plans for a multi-story building moved forward almost a year ago in Grover Beach. Now, the planning commission is deciding whether to approve the project and one statewide nonprofit says they may not have a choice.The four-story, mixed-use development by Coastal Community Builders could include three businesses and 39 homes. It's part of an ongoing debate among Grover Beach leaders and residents over growth in the city, and it’s a pre...
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State letter puts Grover Beach growth measure in jeopardy

For five months, I've followed residents pushing a petition to stop tall buildings in the city and it’s made its way to the ballot in November, but a recent letter from the state changes everything.After getting over 1,200 signatures to qualify for the ballot, supporters of a measure to limit building heights in Grover Beach thought all they had to do next was wait for the results from November’s election, but a letter from the state’s department of housing and community development has changed...
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Back-to-school bash in Arroyo Grande brings free supplies to families in need

The first day of school is right around the corner. With a new school year comes the need for new supplies and rising costs can make this season difficult for some families. This local event aims to make back-to-school shopping a little easier. Linda Hernandez’s daughters are getting ready to start first grade. The three were some of the first people in line for Sunday’s back-to-school event in Arroyo Grande.“It's a blessing because you know what? It's hard, especially with all the prices going...
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6,000+ pounds of meat donated to local nonprofits

In an effort to help local families and people facing homelessness, Cal Poly’s Meat Processing Center is donating nearly 6,000 pounds of meat to several San Luis Obispo County nonprofits.Eight San Luis Obispo County charities are receiving 216 cases of pork chops, a total of 6,397 pounds of meat. The 37th District Buyers Coalition raises funds through grants, nonprofit partnerships and donations from the community to purchase animals from youth exhibitors at the Santa Barbara County Fair.This ye...
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Park hours in Grover Beach are changing

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports across the country, but not everyone is on board with courts in their neighborhoods. Now, Grover Beach is addressing recent noise complaints from neighbors.For the last four years, residents near Mentone Basin Park in Grover Beach have been waking up to a unique sound, sometimes as the sun rises.William James lives around the block from Mentone Basin Park. “I’m hearing bonk, bonk," James said. "That's fine during the day, but nighttime and early mo...
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Arroyo Grande has first Firewise Community within city limits

Las Jollas de Rancho Grande in Arroyo Grande is surrounded by trees and other vegetation, which are a major risk if a wildfire came through the area. That’s why neighbors decided to form the first Firewise Community within city limits. Gary Sprague is a resident in Las Jollas de Rancho Grande. His home backs up to a highly vegetated area near the community. “I woke up one day and worried that what we were hearing about the devastating fires south of us, in north of us, it was obvious that someth...
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California Mid-State Fair comes to a close

Another season of the California Mid-State Fair is in the books for Paso Robles. Sunday marked the final day of the fair and the best opportunity for Billy Robison and his family to beat the crowds.“I expected it to be more people here already, but it just opened, and that's kind of the goal," Robison said. "We know there’s going to be a lot of people." Robison said he’s been coming to the fair since he was a kid. Now, his own kids, Liam and Bailey, are old enough to experience the fair.“It seem...
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Heat advisory continues through the weekend

Happy Saturday, Central Coast! We have a few watches and warnings on tap for the area today, with each set to close in the next few days. Heat Advisory: A heat advisory is in place until Monday at 8:00 P.M. This stretches throughout San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara and Kern counties. Beach Hazard Statement: There is a beach hazard statement for all of San Luis Obispo County's western beaches through Wednesday evening. Rip currents are expected so be cautious when near the waves. Small Craf...
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Arroyo Grande buildings sit partially burned after training exercise stalls

Two buildings have sat partially burned on Valley Road since they were intentionally set on fire in the beginning of June by CAL FIRE and other local emergency organizations.A concerned viewer contacted KSBY regarding the structures, stating: “At the time, we were told the buildings would be demolished and the site cleaned up immediately following the exercise … What was once part of the training exercise now appears to be little more than graffiti and blighted structures.”Ryan Bullock lives nea...
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Oceano sidewalk fixed after years of disrepair

For more than two years, Sylvia Martinez had been forced to ride her mobility scooter on Highway 1 because of a buckled sidewalk outside of her home at the Duna Vista Mobile Home Park. She called KSBY News in April to find out who was responsible for fixing it. “I fought so hard to have this buckled up piece of sidewalk work that prevented us from walking on it," Martinez said. "Riding my scooter to the bus stop from here, it was a real hardship.”Earlier this month, the sidewalk was finally repa...
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Power lines are moving underground in Avila Beach. Why PG&E says it's necessary

More than 3,600 feet of overhead power lines in Avila Beach are going underground, and the Bob Jones Trail will soon have a lower risk of wildfires.“It's so green and yes, I think that would be devastating to have a fire in this area," said Jill Ramey, who visits the trail every time she's in Avila Beach. "There's a lot of homes over there.”A new PG&E project is replacing the above-ground power lines along San Luis Bay Drive between Ontario Road and the Avila Village Market with 7,200 feet of un...
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