March, 2021

Which business sectors hit hardest with unemployment during pandemic?

San Luis Obispo County’s labor market strengthened in February as employers added 1,000 jobs, dropping the unemployment rate to 6.3% from 6.9% in January, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. Employment numbers are making a comeback as COVID-19 vaccines... (Continue reading)

Police officer shoots and kills pedestrian in Lompoc

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Lompoc police shot and killed a pedestrian who was allegedly armed with a handgun Sunday evening. Shortly after 8 p.m., a 911 caller reported a person wielding a handgun was walking northbound on H Street. The caller... (Continue reading)

One person killed, three injured in alleged DUI crash in Nipomo

One person was killed and three others were injured after a 24-year-old man drove the wrong way on Highway 101 in Nipomo on Saturday, crashing head on into another vehicle, according to the CHP. The alleged drunk driver then fled... (Continue reading)

The man from India visits Cayucos

Editor’s Note: The following series, “Life in Radically Gentrifying Cayucos by the Sea,” to be posted biweekly includes the notes, thoughts, and opinions of an original American voice: author Dell Franklin.  Franklin’s memoir, “Life On The Mississippi, 1969,” is currently... (Continue reading)

Sulfuric acid spill leads to hazmat cleanup near San Miguel

By RICHARD BASTIAN A punctured vineyard storage tank leaked sulfuric acid across a San Miguel roadway and into a storm drain leading to the Salinas River on Thursday afternoon, according to the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health.... (Continue reading)

Carpinteria massage therapist charged with sexual battery

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a 46-year-old male massage therapist on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting clients. After two people reported Xiaodong Mei had sexually assaulted them during their massages at Max Relaxin in Carpintaria, detectives opened an investigation.... (Continue reading)

Uber driver convicted of raping college students in SLO

A San Luis Obispo County jury found an Uber guilty on Friday of 13 counts including rape, sexual assault and grand theft that were perpetrated against five victims. The initial four victims were all SLO County college students, three of... (Continue reading)

SLO County coronavirus cases surge following Saint Patrick’s Day parties

Following dozens of local Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County have increased, meaning the county can no longer move into the less restrictive orange tier within the next week. Of the 142 new coronavirus cases... (Continue reading)

Two suspects arrested for allegedly sex trafficking teen in SLO County

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Law enforcement personnel have arrested two suspects and are searching for a third in the case of a previously missing 15-year-old girl from Nevada who was being sex trafficked in San Luis Obispo County. Investigators are searching... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles police seeking the public’s help to find violent motel intruder

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Paso Robles police have identified one of two would-be-robbers whom a motel clerk fought off earlier this month. Shortly before 1 a.m. on March 15, two suspects dressed in dark clothing rang the bell at the Economy... (Continue reading)