SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - For the first time ever, Santa Maria's weekly entertainment event "Downtown Fridays" is moving out onto a city street.

Set to begin its 11th year next week, Downtown Fridays has been held since its inception at the Santa Maria Town Center West shopping center parking lot, next to large building that was the former home of Mervyn's and Fallas department stores.

Now, the event is shifting close by, about a block east to South McClelland Street, between East Cook Street and East Boone Street.

"We've actually been trying to move here for seven years because having an event on the street always trumps having it in a parking lot," said Ed Carcarey, who created Downtown Fridays in 2016 and remains as the event coordinator. "I've always loved doing events on the street, so we're pretty excited about being able to come out here on McClelland, and I think McClelland is a great backdrop to put an event."

The new location will be about 200 yards long and run on the street between the Santa Maria Public Library to the site of the old Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) building, which closed last year. 

After being located in a parking lot for 10 years, the street location will mark a dramatic change for the layout of the event that features a wide variety of food, entertainment and other vendors.

"It's a better presentation," said Carcarey. "People feel more comfortable out on the street than they do a parking lot. That's why we've wanted to move to this street for seven years."

For vendors, such as Miguelito's BBQ owner Ariana Gonzalez, who has been part of the Downtown Fridays since it was created, they're hoping the move will attract more visitors.

"I think it's going to be a great move," said Gonzalez. "It's going be more like a street fair. It kind of reminds me of San Luis Obispo on Thursdays, Farmer's Market. We kind of get that vibe over here on this side as well."

Downtown Fridays will start its 2026 season next Friday, March 27 and will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each Friday for 27 straight weeks through Sept. 25.

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By Alayna Treene, Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Kevin Liptak, CNN

(CNN) — US officials are furiously trying to avert a potential monthslong closure of the Strait of Hormuz, privately acknowledging that reopening the key waterway is a problem without a clear solution and dependent at least in part on what lengths President Donald Trump is willing to go to force the Iranian regime’s hand, multiple administration and intelligence officials tell CNN.

“One of the core conundrums of this conflict is the Iranians have real leverage with this, and there’s not an obvious fix for it,” an intelligence official said of efforts to reopen the strait.

A recent internal assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency that was circulating inside the Pentagon in recent weeks determined that Iran could potentially keep the passage shut for anywhere from one to six months, four sources familiar with the document told CNN. But White House and Pentagon officials insisted that the assessment — particularly the longer end timeframe, which some consider a worst-case scenario — was not being seriously considered.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had not seen it, and Trump has not been briefed on it, nor was he using it to inform his policy decisions, one senior White House official said.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the Defense Intelligence Agency was “one of many intelligence agencies at the Pentagon that plans for every worst possible outcome.”

“One assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and it’s dangerous for the media to cherry pick the worst case scenario to scare the American people,” Parnell said. “I have been present for every briefing on this matter, and the six month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the Secretary of War. The Pentagon was well prepared for the Iranian regimes attempts to close the Strait, and we are working to address this challenge at the direction of the Commander in Chief.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “As the White House has long maintained, President Trump and his national security team were well prepared for the Iranian regime’s attempts to close the Strait, and the U.S. military is zeroed in on systematically eliminating the terrorist Iranian regime’s ability to disrupt the free flow of energy.”

The Defense Intelligence Agency said in a statement, “DIA can neither confirm nor deny the alleged referenced assessment.”

The variables for how long the Strait of Hormuz will be closed shift on an almost daily basis, the intelligence and administration officials told CNN, as the US and Israeli military operations continue to damage Iran’s capabilities to launch attacks. The timeline of the closure, the officials said, depends in part on how much those attacks are able to impact the Iranians’ weapons stockpiles and the lack of certainty around Iran’s remaining military capabilities.

The US has stepped up military efforts to clear the strait, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine this week detailing a number of weapons systems used to counter Iranian drone attacks and control the passage. Among them was an A-10 Warthog to attack ships in the strait.

The US has undeniably damaged Iran’s capabilities, but its short-range missile stockpile has not been co

By Katia Hetter, CNN

(CNN) — Health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating a cluster of meningococcal infections, including two deaths.

The situation has drawn renewed attention to meningococcal group B, or MenB, an infection that can cause severe illness and has been associated with outbreaks, especially among adolescents and young adults.

To better understand what this means and how people can protect themselves, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.

CNN: What is meningococcal group B disease, and how serious is it?

Dr. Leana Wen: Meningococcal group B disease is a severe bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis. It can lead to meningitis, which affects the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or to a bloodstream infection known as septicemia. Sometimes both occur together. Although rare, these are medical emergencies because people can become critically ill within hours.

In the current situation in Kent, as of Thursday, UK health officials reported 15 laboratory-confirmed cases and 12 suspected cases under investigation, bringing the total to 27. Two people have died. Many of the cases have been linked to a nightclub exposure among young people, which helps explain how quickly the cluster emerged.

Even with treatment, invasive meningococcal disease can be very serious. It can be fatal in 8% to 15% of cases, and survivors may experience long-term complications such as hearing loss, neurological damage or limb loss.

CNN: What is known about the UK cases, and how should people interpret the risk?

Wen: This appears to be a localized cluster rather than widespread transmission. What stands out is the speed and concentration of cases over a short period. Public health officials have described it as an unusually rapid cluster and have moved quickly to identify contacts and limit further spread.

At the same time, the overall risk to the public remains low. Meningococcal disease is rare. What is happening here is a reminder that rare but severe infections can still occur, especially in settings where people are in close contact. For Americans and others outside of the UK, these events should be viewed as a prompt for awareness rather than alarm.

CNN: How is MenB spread, and who is most at risk?

Wen: Meningococcal bacteria spread through respiratory and throat secretions. This typically requires close or prolonged contact, such as kissing or sharing drinks, utensils or other items that come into contact with saliva. It is not spread through casual contact.

There are three main ages when risk peaks. The highest rates occur in infants, who are vulnerable to this disease and many others due to limited immunity.

There is also a peak in adolescence and early adulthood. Teenagers and young adults are more likely to carry the

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