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It may be the tail end of November, but the brushfire danger could be high in parts of Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties for the next few days.

The National Weather Service issued some high wind advisories and warnings for the region, with sustained wind from 30 to 50 miles an hour possible, and gusts potentially hitting 80 miles an hour.  The strongest wind for Ventura County is expected from Thursday night, to just after sunset on Friday.  High wind is also expected in Santa Barbara County, but not as strong as it will be further south.

A Red Flag warning is in the forecast for the mountains of Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties from 9 p.m. Wednesday, to 6 p.m. Friday.  The warning means that a combination of strong wind, and low humidity are creating an increased fire danger.

Baseball fans from throughout Ventura County gathered last night at a Thousand Oaks Sports complex not for a game, but for an event to remember a huge figure in Major League Baseball.

KCLU’s Lance Orozco has the story from California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks, which hosted the event, which was also a charity fundraiser.

Click here to listen to/download story:  Sparky Anderson Tribute

A rocket launched last weekend in what’s being called the most ambitious Mars exploration mission yet is carrying key rocket, and rover parts made by a company in Goleta.  KCLU’s Lance Orozco has the story.

Click on link to listen to/download story:  Mars Mission

Authorities arrested a teenager they say is a known gang member for the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old man in Camarillo Monday.

Juan Valadez was found behind some buildings on the 300 block of Arneill Road just before four p.m. Monday.  The Camarillo man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses saw several young men running from the scene, and detectives spent Monday night, and yesterday questioning a number of people.

Yesterday afternoon, a 15-year-old boy was arrested for the killing.  There’s no word on whether more arrests are expected.

The CHP is investigating a bizarre incident in which they say a man on an isolated stretch of the 101 Freeway in Santa Barbara County was throwing rocks at passing vehicles, and then tried to assault investigating officers.

It happened around 3 a.m. yesterday (11/29), on the northbound 101 at El Capitan State Beach.  CHP officers responding to calls of a man running across the freeway, and throwing rock at vehicles found Silvano Perez, from the northern California community of Sebastopol.  The say he threw several large chunks of asphalt at their patrol car, and at one of the officers.  After a brief struggle, the 40 year old man was arrested on multiple charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer, and throwing objects at vehicles.

CHP investigators say they are  still trying to determine how, and why the man was at the isolated location, and why he was throwing objects at passing vehicles.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is stepping up with a $250,000 thousand dollar grant to help save a popular state beach in Ventura County from closure, which could put a campaign close to raising the money need to keep it open.

This fall, the state was planning to close McGrath State Beach, because the state park didn’t have the estimated $500,000 needed to replace a deteriorating sewer line which is threatening to cause groundwater contamination.  News of the potential shutdown prompted a grass roots fundraising campaign by beach users, with Ventura County, and the City of Oxnard pledging $50,000 each for the  project.  State parks officials pledged $100,000 and agreed to postpone a permanent shutdown, to try to give the campaign time to raise the needed money.

But, getting a $250,000 federal grant was key to raising enough money.  Democratic Congresswoman Lois Capps of Santa Barbara made the announcement, saying the funding will come from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Land and Water Conservation Fund.

A memorial service has been set for Thursday for a six year old boy who was struck, and killed by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle on Thanksgiving Day in Oxnard.

Police say Anthony Martinez Junior was riding on the 1300 block of Olive Street when he went into the roadway, and was hit.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A funeral mass will take place at St. Anthony’s Church in Oxnard at 10 Thursday morning.  Family members, and friends are also holding candlight vigils at 6:30 each evening this week, at the scene of the accident.

Demonstrators at U.C. Santa Barbara rallied Monday (11/28) to show concerns over conflicts between student protests, and police at other U.C. campuses, as well as unhappiness over potential new tuition and fee hikes.  KCLU’s Lance Orozco has the story.

Click on link to listen to/download story:  UCSB Protest

A report just released by Ventura County District Attorney’s Office investigators says the May, 2011 shooting death of a Ventura man by a police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call was justified.

Lucky Lopez had called Ventura Police, saying that her husband, Mario Lopez, was assaulting her, and that there were also other people at their Leighton Drive home potentially at risk.

Lopez was shot to death after an officer said the man had armed himself with a knife, and refused repeated orders for him to drop it, and surrender.

An autopsy shows he was under the influence of alcohol, and drugs at the time of his death.

Some family members had disputed the account of what occurred, but the independent investigators say the nearly 500 page report shows the officer acted reasonably to protect himself.

The City of Santa Barbara is hoping to finalize plans this week for some key safety improvements to a popular park, including permanently closing a scenic viewpoint.

The City is hoping to deal with issues stemming from a 2008 landslide in Shoreline Park, as well as concerns about MacGillvray Point.

A plan developed by the Parks and Recreation department calls for several projects, including sidewalk and fencing replacement around the landslide area, new fencing to block access MacGillvray Point, and replacement of the original park pole lights.

Officials say a geological study shows that there is a substantial risk of a new landslide at the point, prompting them to reluctantly recommend closing it to public access.

The City’s Planning Commission is set to look at the plan when it meets at Santa Barbara City Hall Thursday afternoon.