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December, 2009

Jeanette Trompeter becomes the news. Again.

Written on 12 Dec, 2009 in Uncovered SLO | 7 comments

Soon-to-be-returning KSBY news anchor Jeanette Trompeter must be counting the days until she leaves Minneapolis-St. Paul for the friendlier confines of San Luis Obispo. As CalCoastNews first reported in November, Trompeter lost her lucrative TV news anchor position in the... (Continue reading)

Former Estate Financial principal files bankruptcy

Written on 12 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | One comment

Don Vaughn, the former owner of Estate Financial, Inc. (EFI) has filed for bankruptcy, is accused of defrauding investors through his hard money lending company, and is at risk of losing his contractor’s license for failing to pay a civil... (Continue reading)

Judge Picquet retires

Written on 12 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | 7 comments

San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Roger Picquet announced plans to retire from the bench, effective next Tuesday, just four months after his decision to overturn a ballot initiative was thrown out by the court of appeals. [Tribune] Picquet’s 2008... (Continue reading)

Bodyguard $$$ for Arnold triples

Written on 12 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | 5 comments

The budget for bodyguards who protect Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other top officials has tripled since the Governator took office in 2003. State records show spending on the California Highway Patrol’s Protective Services Division grew from $14.4 million under Gray... (Continue reading)

Avatar: The movie that changes everything

Written on 11 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | One comment

We know what you’re thinking: Why is CalCoastNews bothering with a review of a brand new Hollywood movie? Are we doing this just as a cheap way to drive up traffic to our web site? Maybe. Actually, the movie is... (Continue reading)

Unsupervised prisoner release imminent

Written on 11 Dec, 2009 in Uncovered SLO | 12 comments

California state prisons are to begin implementing a plan for the unsupervised release of up to 40,000 non-violent inmates and are required to train staff on non-revocable parole eligibility by Jan. 21, according to a memo sent from the State... (Continue reading)

Retailers get nervous

Written on 11 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | No comments

Holiday sales nationally are not looking good, according to The Wall Street Journal. The first week of December was especially slow, with sales dropping 18 percent over the previous week. One retail observer is saying, “It looks like the middle... (Continue reading)

Cuesta names interim president

Written on 10 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | One comment

The Cuesta College Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Gil Stork to serve as interim Superintendent/President. Stork will assume his new duties on January 1, 2010 and serve for 12 months, or until a new president can be found. Stork... (Continue reading)

The Legacy of Warren Baker

Written on 9 Dec, 2009 in Opinion | 4 comments

BY JEFF BLISS San Luis Obispo is really two “towns” when you look at it (three if you include the nearby Men’s Colony prison): the almost 43,000-strong city that is SLO and its neighbor, Cal Poly – a bustling campus... (Continue reading)

Aging computer system holds up unemployment checks

Written on 9 Dec, 2009 in Daily Briefs | 7 comments

An estimated 117,000 Californians haven’t received their unemployment checks–some for more than a month–because of an aging and outdated statewide computer system. According to Wednesday’s LA Times, the people whose checks have been held up are among the neediest of... (Continue reading)