Record low arrests at Deltopia during festival debut

Author

Carly Heltzel
April 08, 2026

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m reading about which SLO County pizza chain took home a first place win at an international pizza competition. Onto the five Cal Poly, SLO and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Isla Vista took a page out of Cal Poly’s book, debuting the Soltopia festival as an alternative, sanctioned event during the generally destructive weekend of UC Santa Barbara’s Deltopia partying. Think St. Fratty’s, but beach. As 12,000 students gathered at Soltopia, medical services only made contact with 7 people compared to 135 last year, a 95% drop — and none of them were in the traditional Deltopia party areas. Police issued 42 citations and arrested 6 people, a decrease of more than 90%. 

2.

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Train will soon offer another daily trip from Los Angeles to SLO, beginning May 4. Now, there will be three departure times to choose from. The newest addition will leave SLO 12:12 p.m. and arrive in LA at 5:50 p.m. Some students said they or people they know might use it, but others said the five- to six-hour train ride is too long compared to a three-hour drive. 

3.

SLO just wrapped up a flooding prevention project 30 years and $13 million in the making. The San Luis Obispo Creek can now hold 40% more water than before, mediating the flooding issues that wreaked havoc most recently during the January 2023 storms. The project widened the creek and built two bypass channels to divert water away from the creek, targeting Higuera Street from Madonna Road to Marsh Street. 

4.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to boost an oil refinery that makes “sustainable aviation fuel” through tax credits that would divert hundreds of millions of dollars away from local road and highway improvements. A UC Berkeley expert said this initiative could also raise gas prices in the state. While some see it as preserving jobs and advancing the state’s climate goals, a strong voice opposing the bill is the Legislature’s nonpartisan analyst, who was adamant the tax credit would be a waste.

5.

Cal Poly Rodeo is a multigenerational family legacy for 11 athletes competing this week. Moms, dads, uncles, aunts and cousins all competed before them and indoctrinated them into the Cal Poly Rodeo way of life since before they can remember. Some family members come back for the alumni rodeo every year and a few current athletes are cousins. “It’s been one of my goals since my dad’s been telling me stories my whole life,” on student said of competing for Cal Poly.