2015

Should Californians stop vaping?

California health officials have announced plans to wage an ideological war on the use of e-cigarettes. [Sacramento Bee] The California Department of Public Health released a report Wednesday stating that electronic cigarettes, also known as vaporizers and vape pens, contain... (Continue reading)

Jealous Oceano man gets 16 years for murder

An Oceano man convicted of killing a 25-year-old Nipomo resident during a 2013 fight received a 16-year prison sentence on Wednesday. [KSBY] Joseph Munoz, 37, stabbed to death Joseph Padilla in front of an Oceano home, allegedly due to jealousy... (Continue reading)

Are APCD employees underpaid?

By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo County Air Control District employees, most of whom receive six-figure pay and benefit packages, are due for salary increases, following a board decision Wednesday. During a closed session hearing, the APCD voiced approval for... (Continue reading)

Cayucos firefighter allegedly had a sex slave

As the sex slave of former Cayucos firefighter Oscar Higueros Jr., a teenage Los Osos girl had to engage in intercourse with her master as often as five times a day over the course of a month, court testimony indicates.... (Continue reading)

Stabbing suspect arrested in SLO

San Luis Obispo police arrested a man who allegedly stabbed a person in an unprovoked attack early Thursday morning. Daniel Allen, a 43-year-old transient, stabbed a 61-year-old man near the intersection of Broad Street and Industrial Way around 1 a.m.,... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles teen charged in death of bicyclist

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has opted to prosecute an 18-year-old Paso Robles man who was the driver in a November collision that killed one bicyclist and severely injured another. Joseph Mondo struck the two bicyclists while... (Continue reading)

Jail population plummets, sheriff budget increases

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN Jail inmate numbers in San Luis Obispo County have dropped by more than 25 percent since last year following initial implementation of Prop. 47, but San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson’s spending continues... (Continue reading)

Adams gets $71,000 settlement from Arroyo Grande

Threatened by a potential lawsuit, the Arroyo Grand City Council agreed to issue ousted city manager Steve Adams a settlement of more than $71,000, but the council did not meet all of his demands. Late last year, Adams’s attorney sent... (Continue reading)

California tribes entering marijuana industry

California medical marijuana patients will soon be able to consume Native American-grown cannabis products, including flowers, hash and medicinal pills and oils. [Indian Country] FoxBarry Farms, a firm that partners with tribes on projects ranging from farms to casinos, has... (Continue reading)

Lucia Mar teachers threaten strike

Members of the Lucia Mar Unified Teachers Association packed a school board meeting Tuesday night as they rallied for an increase in pay. Many of the teachers held signs noting the show of force was a ‘dress rehearsal.” After the... (Continue reading)