Daily Briefs


Oil drilling threat stirs Santa Maria angst

An 890-acre parcel in Santa Maria is being eyed by an oil company for possible drilling, but an official of Amrich Energy says no plans are on the immediate horizon. (Santa Maria Times) The so-called Area 9 is part of... (Continue reading)

SLO County orders Mid State Fair to turn in its turtles

The California Mid State Fair has been caught in the act — it possessed small turtles with the intent to distribute. The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department received notification this week that the carnival area of the Mid... (Continue reading)

Pepper-spraying former cop wants workers’ comp

A bullying campus cop who pepper-sprayed protesters at a UC Davis demonstration in 2011 has applied for workers’ compensation, claiming he was psychologically warped by widespread angry reaction to the resulting viral video. (San Francisco Chronicle) John Pike was a... (Continue reading)

Arroyo Grande broker vying for Teixeira’s former seat

Arroyo Grande real estate broker Michael Byrd has announced that he is seeking the gubernatorial appointment to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. [KCOY] Byrd became the first applicant to formally announce his candidacy to fill the seat... (Continue reading)

Drought hits NorCal pot farms

Drought conditions in Northern California may be prompting marijuana farmers to evacuate, leaving behind tens of thousands of dollars worth of pot cultivation. (San Jose Mercury News) Law enforcement officials report finding fields of pot with no one tending them,... (Continue reading)

Burglar nabs dozens of drugs from Guadalupe pharmacy

A burglar stole dozens of prescription drugs from a pharmacy in Guadalupe Tuesday night. [KCOY] The burglar stole the prescription medications from the Guadalupe Pharmacy in the 4500 block of 10th St. The medications were already packaged and ready to... (Continue reading)

Fake pilot names earn dismissals

A handful of veteran producers at San Francisco’s KTVU television station have been fired following the station’s now-famous phony naming of pilots of the Asiana aircraft which crashed July 6. (San Francisco Chronicle) With a perfectly straight face, anchor Tori... (Continue reading)

Bank robber arrested in Atascadero

Atascadero police arrested a Paso Robles sex offender for allegedly robbing a Bank of America in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday. Shortly after noon, Andrew Gilbertson, 38, showed a teller a note demanding money. He then fled the bank with... (Continue reading)

Rising ocean waters pose big threat

A panel of legislators today is hearing a discussion of climate change and its importance to Californians as — according to Gov. Jerry Brown — a “very slow but inexorable” rise in sea levels begins to approach an irreversible crisis... (Continue reading)

Thief stabs victims in Atascadero

A woman assaulted two people with a knife while stealing a cell phone from one of the victim’s on Tuesday at 9:28 a.m. Officers arrived at the 10700 block of El Camino Real to find the woman had fled the... (Continue reading)