Good morning, Ventura.

Firefighters extinguished a blaze at Kirby Kia auto dealership in Ventura on May 8th when heavy smoke was reported around 11:30 p.m.—no injuries were reported as crews contained the fire in a small office and began investigating its cause.

SpaceX will try to launch 26 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base with a backup window starting today at 5 p.m. PT if the May 9 launch was scrapped; people in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties may hear sonic booms as the event is livestreamed on the company website.

Three suspects from the East Coast were arrested in Colorado and extradited to Ventura County on felony charges after allegedly stealing a Moorpark man's ATM-card at 11:30 a.m. on Dec.

27 at a Bank of America ATM and then using it to withdraw $3,800, with each facing $150,000 bail and links to 11 similar crimes in Southern California and 14 in New York.

The Ventura County District Attorney charged a Thousand Oaks man, 42-year-old Nitun “Nate” Dayalghai Ahir, with unlawfully practicing medicine at Regen Spine and Nerve—he is accused of continuing treatment after a bail condition barred him from such work.

The Los Robles Children’s Choir — Ventura County’s premier youth chorus — will hold auditions on May 31 and June 7 in Westlake Village for its 29th season running from September to May.

Children ages 7 to 18 can set an audition appointment by emailing [email protected].

Cal State Channel Islands will hold two commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2025 on May 17—one at 9 a.m. and one at 2 p.m., with nearly 1,500 of the 2,198 eligible students participating based on their academic programs.

University President Richard Yao praised the students’ hard work and said that philanthropist Linda Dullam and alumna Dani Anderson, the first to receive an honorary doctorate from CSUCI, will be honored at the ceremonies.

Jessica Lavariega Monforti, a first-generation college grad and former community college transfer student, has been named permanent provost at Cal State Channel Islands after serving as interim provost since fall 2024—she led the college’s academic plan and renewed its accreditation—and brings experience from Cal Lutheran, Pace University and UT Pan American to help more students succeed.

On May 1, 2025, scientists and others explored a marine reserve off Anacapa Island—where humpback whales fed and dolphins played.

The trip provided a closer look at the area’s diverse marine life.

The Ventura County Taxpayers Association opposes the state’s proposed mileage tax because it would add extra bureaucracy and cost drivers an estimated $900 to $1,200 a year—raising concerns that tracking mileage will be invasive while continuing to fund road repairs from the existing 60 cents-per-gallon excise tax.

California law requires sellers in high risk fire zones to provide buyers with defensible space documentation before escrow or within a year if both sides agree – homeowners in our area can get an inspection from the Ventura County Fire Department, although studies suggest these disclosures may lower home sale prices by about 4.3%.