Daily Briefs


Battle over Atascadero Walmart goes to court

San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Jac Crawford heard arguments Tuesday on whether the city of Atascadero followed environmental law when it approved the construction of a Walmart in June. An attorney for Save Atascadero, a group opposed to the... (Continue reading)

Body found in U-Haul parked in Orcutt

Three Santa Maria men are in jail on murder charges after police discovered a body inside a U-Haul truck parked in an Orcutt residential neighborhood. [Santa Maria Times] Santa Maria police received a tip from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s... (Continue reading)

Los Osos man sentenced in mother’s murder

A judge sentenced a Los Osos man on Tuesday to 15 years to life in prison for murdering his mother. Lisa Van Heuver, 56, died on May 12 from injuries she suffered at the hands of her son Michael Van... (Continue reading)

Excelaron weighing options, considering appeal

An attorney for Excelaron, the company seeking to drill as many as 12 oil wells in the Huasna Valley near Arroyo Grande, said she is considering appealing last week’s dismissal of a more than $6 billion lawsuit she filed against... (Continue reading)

Miller flips again, agrees to life in prison without parole

A day after choosing to plead not guilty to the murder of Dystiny Myers, Cody Miller reversed his plea to guilty and accepted a prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Miller surprised prosecutors and courtroom spectators Monday... (Continue reading)

Neighboring county seeks drone site

Ventura County officials are angling for a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to become one of six test sites nationwide for unmanned aerial vehicles — drones. (Sacramento Bee) A legislative committee in Sacramento is hearing testimony today regarding... (Continue reading)

Co-conspirator describes Myers beating and burning

Former Dystiny Myers murder defendant Jason Greenwell took the stand Monday in the trial of Jacob York and his mother, Rhonda Wisto, and described his account of the 2010 slaying of the 15-year-old Santa Maria runaway. Greenwell, who pled guilty... (Continue reading)

Accused killer changes plea, won’t testify

BULLETIN: A key witness in the trial of alleged murderers Jacob York and his mother, Rhonda Wisto, surprised prosecutors and a courtroom full of spectators Monday morning by reneging on an earlier promise to testify. Cody Lane Miller invoked his... (Continue reading)

Man dies in Paso Robles Motorcycle crash

A man died Sunday after crashing his motorcycle into a dirt berm in Paso Robles. Paso Robles police and the Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services responded to the motorcycle crash at the intersection of 24th Street and Mountain Springs... (Continue reading)

SLO County outlaw motorcyclists arrested for carrying guns

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Gang Enforcement Unit arrested five members of an outlaw San Luis Obispo County motorcycle gang Friday evening for carrying concealed handguns. [KSBY] Around 8 p.m. Friday, law enforcement pulled over two motorcyclists near the intersection... (Continue reading)