Lance Orozco
News DirectorLance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, developing the station's local news coverage as it transitioned to a news/talk format.
He has provided award-winning local coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. He even did a story about his own kidney cancer surgery, taking listeners along as the operation was being performed.
Lance has won more than 200 journalism awards for KCLU, including more than 90 Golden Mikes, 20-plus regional Edward R. Murrow awards, a National Edward R. Murrow Award (an honor which came to David Letterman’s attention on “The Late Show”), and four National Society Of Professional Journalists awards. He has been AP's small market reporter of the year for the western U.S. 13 times.
Lance is a familiar face in the region, having worked nearly two decades as a television reporter and weathercaster for ABC, NBC, and CBS television stations in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. His adventures included an unexpected guest appearance on "Late Night With David Letterman."
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The Madre Fire, burning between Santa Maria and New Cuyama, is now 30% contained. The 80,000+-acre fire has grown only minimally during the last few days. -
Fourth of July blaze destroyed a historic Central Coast building. -
Northbound lanes in Montecito reopened to regular traffic. Southbound lanes will be split temporarily to allow construction. -
A man was airlifted out of the Jackson Camp area outside of Santa Paula with a stab wound. A second man was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. -
The Madre Fire showed little growth over the holiday weekend. -
Containment still at 10% as of Saturday morning. -
Containment grows to 10% for massive blaze in San Luis Obispo County -
Highway 166 remains closed from Santa Maria to New Cuyama. Carrizo Plain National Monument is closed to the public. -
Ventura County fire prevention inspectors go though special training to insure they are ready to oversee safety at shows. -
Air quality has been good to moderate for the region so far, but the concern is that changes in weather conditions could send smoke from the Madre Fire towards populated areas.
