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August, 2012

All steamed up over fatal oak blight

Written on 15 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments

A new way has been found to battle a particularly lethal plant disease called sudden oak death, which periodically plagues this region and can cause huge financial losses. The baffling and complex disease, it has been discovered, can be eradicated... (Continue reading)

Mission Prep athletic director target of anti-gay vandalism

Written on 15 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 42 comments

Two acts of vandalism that targeted the gay athletic director of Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo are being investigated as hate crimes. [Tribune] In April 26, gay athletic director of Mission College Preparatory Catholic High... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles man dies in Templeton car crash

Written on 15 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 10 comments

A 22-year-old Paso Robles man died early Wednesday morning when his car crashed into a tree on South El Pomar Rd. near Rancho Rd. in Templeton. California Highway Patrol officials said a Templeton resident heard a speeding car followed by... (Continue reading)

Hill claims red ink stains his coffers

Written on 14 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 13 comments

By DANIEL BLACKBURN Adam Hill’s reelection campaign put him in debt, according to the county supervisor, but it really didn’t. Nevertheless, he’s appealing to supporters — and to more than a few folks who opposed him — for money in... (Continue reading)

Gearhart pleads not guilty to fraud

Written on 14 Aug, 2012 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 62 comments

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN Onetime Atascadero “Person of the Year” Kelly Gearhart pleaded not guilty to 16 charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering at his arraignment Monday at a federal court in Los Angeles. The... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria teen claims officer raped her

Written on 14 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 56 comments

A former Police Explorer in Santa Maria filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 7 against the city, members of its police department and the estate of Officer Albert Covarrubias Jr., alleging that Covarrubias used his position of authority to rape... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles city officials manipulate election?

Written on 13 Aug, 2012 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 65 comments

By DANIEL BLACKBURN EDITOR’S NOTE: See both versions of City Council candidate Jim Reed’s campaign statement at the bottom of this story. Jim Reed wanted to help initiate major changes in the way Paso Robles’ government is being managed, and... (Continue reading)

CalPERS tops San Bernardino creditor list

Written on 13 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 18 comments

The city of San Bernardino owes $143.3 million to the California Public Employees Retirement System placing CalPERS at the top of the city’s creditor list. [Press-Enterprise] CalPERS, which runs a $234 billion pension system for more than 1.6 million state... (Continue reading)

New fees for rural SLO County residents

Written on 13 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 19 comments

Later this week, thousands of San Luis Obispo County rural residents will begin receiving bills for a new annual “fire prevention fee” levied by the state of California and criticized by opponents as unnecessary and illegal. Gov. Jerry Brown proposed... (Continue reading)

Push to list great white sharks as endangered

Written on 13 Aug, 2012 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 13 comments

Environmentalists have petitioned the state and federal governments to have great white sharks off the coast of California declared endangered. [LATimes] According to recent studies, about 220 adult and near-adult great white sharks inhabit the waters of California’s central coast... (Continue reading)