Branching Out with The Acorn Newspapers

Former Thousand Oaks planning commissioner and three-time City Council candidate Mic Farris joins Branching Out to share his insights into T.O. politics (past and present) and what to expect (and not…

Kyle's out of the office for this one, but the voice the Branching Out Intro, Acorn Newspaper managing editor John Loesing stepped in for an interview with political analyst James Bozajian.

The two di…

Ian and Kyle talk with Simi Valley Acorn reporter Melissa Simon about all the October surprises popping up in Simi's local races as well as an elections office flub that's left one mayor candidate th…

Ian and Kyle discuss last week's story about the death of two young brothers who were hit while trying to cross the street in Westlake Village, and the challenges of reporting on such tragedies. Plus…

Agoura Hills Planning Commissioner Jeremy Wolf, district director for state Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), sits down with Branching Out to touch on several environmental topics, including the propos…

Ian and Kyle are joined by Shawn Moradian, president of the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association. The trio discuss recent efforts at revitalizing the popular stretch of road and what hurdles stand in …

Page designer David Lopez joins the Branching Out team to share news about the new Acorn Newspapers Instagram account (@acornnewspapers). Plus a check-in on the Oak Park Unified School District's eff…

The Branching Out crew is joined by the newest member of the Acorn family, Camarillo Acorn reporter Brooke Stanley, to discuss some of the stories she's tracking in West Ventura County. Among them: t…

Ian and Kyle break down the governor's newly revamped system for guiding the state's second attempt at reopening from COVID lockdown and what it means for Ventura/LA county businesses, schools and li…

Kyle and Ian sit down with Las Virgenes Unified Superintendent Dan Stepenosky to discuss the atypical start of the 2020-21 school year, which for most local districts began on Aug. 19 with online cla…

Kyle sits down for an interview with Pastor Kirk DeWitt of Conejo Church in Thousand Oaks to discuss how the pandemic has affected his congregation and how they've adjusted to constantly shifting pub…

Kyle reports back from the scene of Sunday's illegal worship services at Godspeak Calvary Chapel Newbury Park, where Pastor Rob McCoy and his congregation defied a court order demanding they stop gat…

Kyle talks one on one with Thousand Oaks bar operator Drew Pletcher about navigating public health orders during the pandemic and still keeping the doors open. Plus a breakdown of what assistance has…

As schools announce they're keeping campuses closed to start the year, Ian and Kyle discuss what needs to happen to get kids back into the classroom. Plus a showdown is brewing between Ventura County…

Kyle and Ian do a quick catch-up after two weeks off, but then dive into an interview with Tara Carruth, who works for Ventura County to help the homeless. Carruth has been heading up the county's in…

Ian and Kyle share the latest on the Ventura/LA counties' sudden spike in COVID cases and hospitalizations. Plus, Ventura County sheriff's search of a private property leads to wild rumors and specul…

After a local college student's Black Lives Matter banner was vandalized multiple times, he decided to install a remote camera to keep watch. What that camera captured has led to the arrest of three …

Danielle Borja, CEO of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, join the Branching Out team to discuss the state of local economy and everything to Chamber is doing to get the word about the im…

Ian and Kyle look back at a week's worth of Black Lives Matter demonstrations occurring from Camarillo to Calabasas to Simi Valley, including the voices of the protesters themselves. Plus a discussio…

Kyle and Ian do a quick breakdown on the protests that have arisen in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. With curfews in place across Los Angeles County, thi…