Daily Briefs


SLO Chief behind open carrying legislation

San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deborah Linden launched the successful effort to criminalize the open carrying of unloaded handguns in public, wrote Dave Maggard, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, in an email. On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown announced... (Continue reading)

E. coli found in California ground beef

Meat samples from a Los Angeles company that ships ground beef to restaurants have been found to be contaminated with E. coli and a recall has been initiated, according to government officials. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and... (Continue reading)

Online poker? First one’s free

Political fighting in California over the issue of online gaming has veered from the moral path to the road to profits. Faced with looming federal legislation legalizing and regulating online gambling games such as poker, state lawmakers and a bevy... (Continue reading)

Man blamed for deadly crash identified

Officers arrested 55-year-old Jeffrey LaChance of Paso Robles for allegedly causing an accident that left one woman dead Monday afternoon. LaChance was driving northbound on Highway 1 south of Hearst Castle when he attempted to pass a tour bus. He... (Continue reading)

Netflix drops controversial Qwikster plan

Netflix, the country’s leading movie rental business, has decided to drop their controversial plan to create two separate websites—one for DVDs and one for streaming. [LATimes] However, a recent price increase that led to a backlash from consumers and a... (Continue reading)

Cal Poly sorority under excessive drinking investigation

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is investigating an excessive drinking incident involving the Alpha Phi sorority, Director of Student Life and Leadership Stephen Lamb told the Mustang Daily. A concerned parent asked campus administrators to look into allegations that an... (Continue reading)

SLO to spend extra $90,000 on new parking signs

The San Luis Obispo City Council approved a $91,500 increase in the cost of a parking sign replacement project at its October 4 meeting. City staffers told the council in July that the project would cost $11,000, but Parking Services Manager... (Continue reading)

Grants to illegal immigrant students could cost California $14.5 million

The California Dream Act, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Saturday, could cost the state $14.5 million a year in state grants to illegal immigrants. [LATimes] The California Department of Finance estimates 2,500 additional universities and community colleges students... (Continue reading)

Feds explain medical marijuana crackdown

Federal prosecutors announced Friday that they’re using property seizures and criminal charges to crack down on California’s commercial medical marijuana dispensaries. The top U.S. prosecutors in California said their enforcement effort “is aimed at curtailing the large, for-profit marijuana industry... (Continue reading)

Nursing assistants arrested for abusing patients

Santa Barbara Police arrested two men who worked as nursing assistants at the Central Coast Nursing Center following allegations of elder abuse that include sexual battery. [KCLU] Brian Michael Watt, 29, of Ventura, and Hugo Batalla Rendon, 32, of Santa Barbara were arrested in... (Continue reading)