Daily Briefs


Dumb criminal of the month, child pornographer

Our dumb criminal of the month award goes to a 31-year-old man who disclosed on his application to become a California Highway Patrol officer that he viewed child pornography on the Internet. As a result, CHP officials launched an investigation... (Continue reading)

Grand jury says Atascadero needs more transparency

Atascadero’s handling of its $126,000 settlement with former Chief of Police James F. Mulhall “led to public confusion and complaints” about lack of transparency, according to a report released Thursday by the San Luis Obispo County grand jury. “There was... (Continue reading)

Oceano selects new manager

The Oceano Community Services District board has appointed a new interim general manager by a unanimous vote on Wednesday. Thomas Geaslen, president of Titan Lending Corp. in Nipomo, replaces ousted General Manager Raffaele Montemurro. Geaslen says he is coming on board with... (Continue reading)

County to investigate Ogren and Kelly

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is asking staff to investigate allegations of a conflict of interest between county Public Works director Paavo Ogren and Maria Kelly, who stepped down last week from the Los Osos Community Services... (Continue reading)

Adam Hill apologizes to COLAB

District 3 San luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill  issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon: “I want to apologize to the COLAB members who took offense to my recent, admittedly strident generalizations about racism. “I feel strongly about the subject,... (Continue reading)

Cayucos woman tells story of home intrusion

More information has surfaced about what happened at a Cayucos home Monday night after a stranger entered a family’s home. Hilda Villalobos told CalCoastNews that Robert Auston Romero trespassed onto her property sometime after 2:30 a.m., entered her home, and went... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara police digging for missing girl

Santa Barbara Police began excavating a portion of land near Highway 101 on Tuesday in the search for a 7-year-old girl who vanished nearly 50 years ago. [SantaBarbaraIndependent] Confessed child serial killer Mack Ray Edwards helped build an overpass west... (Continue reading)

SLO City Council finalizes budget

After several months of heated budget talks, the San Luis Obispo City Council passed a balanced budget for fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13. The council eliminated a previously existing $4.4 million shortfall in the $99.6 million budget by cutting $2.6 million... (Continue reading)

SLO County approves new budget

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors passed a $450 million budget Tuesday night after three days of hearings. The new budget, which takes effect July 1, represents a $1.9 million increase in spending and no reduction in jobs.... (Continue reading)

Morro Bay man awakes in wrong home

A Cayucos couple was startled Monday morning to the find someone sleeping in their home, and he was no Goldilocks. The man of the house held the apparent trespasser, Robert Auston Romero, at bay while his wife wielding a knife called... (Continue reading)