Central Coast

SpaceX is scheduled to launch a U.S. Space Force mission early Saturday from Vandenberg Space Force Base on California's central coast. Local outlets including the Santa Maria Times and Santa Ynez Valley News report on the planned liftoff, which adds to the company's growing slate of national security launches from the West Coast pad.

Santa Barbara County has joined a regional initiative to expand solar power and battery storage, according to local reporting. The move links the county with neighboring jurisdictions in a coordinated effort to boost clean energy capacity and grid reliability on California's Central Coast.

A powerful nor'easter battered the US East Coast, and analysis by Climate Central indicates climate change made the coastal flooding worse. Rising sea levels caused by warming oceans mean storm surge and waves pushed water further inland than the same storm would have decades ago. Scientists say such storms increasingly flood communities that once stayed dry, highlighting the growing cost of warming along densely populated Atlantic shorelines.

SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission could produce sonic booms heard along California's Central Coast, according to local reports from KSBW and KSBY. The ride-share launch, expected to depart from Vandenberg Space Force Base, may create loud booms as the booster returns for a landing, and residents are being advised they might hear them.

Cal Poly has unveiled a new housing development in San Luis Obispo intended for its staff and faculty. The project addresses the difficulty university employees face finding affordable homes in the high-cost Central Coast area. Local coverage is showcasing details of the development as the university continues efforts to recruit and retain employees amid a tight regional housing market.

Yemen's government forces have maintained their defensive positions against Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast, according to reports. Despite earlier coastal gains by the Houthis, sustained air strikes are credited with blunting further movement. The standoff highlights the ongoing contest for control of the strategic Yemeni coastline, which remains central to the wider conflict and to security of Red Sea shipping.

Devin Nunes, the former chief executive of Trump Media & Technology Group and a former US congressman from California, has opened a wine business in Pismo Beach. The venture marks a new chapter for Nunes, who represented the state's Central Coast area in Congress before joining the Trump media company. The business adds to the region's established wine and tourism scene.

SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy rocket around midnight, capping a day that featured two launches from Florida's Space Coast. The heavy-lift rocket's return produced loud sonic booms heard across central Florida as boosters came back to land. Residents reported the late-night noise, and the rare double-launch day drew attention from spacefans and local media.

Two rockets are scheduled to launch from Florida's Space Coast on the same day, and residents across the region may hear sonic booms as the boosters return to landings. Back-to-back launches from Cape Canaveral are a rare treat for space fans, and local news outlets are alerting communities that the double liftoff could rattle windows in Central and South Florida.

SpaceX is planning one rocket launch from California this week, according to the Ventura County Star. The launch is expected from Vandenberg Space Force Base, though the exact liftoff time and payload details were not specified in the report. Local residents along the central coast are being alerted, as launches from the site are often visible across Southern California.