Daily Briefs


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)

Brown signs, unions smile

  Labor unions look to be the big winner in the aftermath of Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing Friday of a Democratic bill limiting next year’s initiatives and referendums to the November 2012 ballot. Democrats’ voter turnout is expected to be higher than... (Continue reading)

Feds fire up anti-pot campaign

A looming federal crackdown on legal pot dispensaries in California is emerging in the wake of shifting sentiments in the Obama Administration regarding the use and sale of medical marijuana. This latest move by the U.S. government appears to be... (Continue reading)

“Occupy Wall Street” continues in SLO

The increasingly popular “Occupy Wall Street” movement hit San Luis Obispo on Wednesday as about 50 protesters gathered near the intersections of Santa Rosa and Monterey streets to protest against income inequality and corporate greed. Many of the protesters plan to... (Continue reading)