Daily Briefs


Early vacation for double-dipping general

A former adjutant general in the California National Guard has been “transferred to the retired list, effective immediately,” for financial improprieties. [SacramentoBee] General William H. Wade II, the Guard’s boss from 2005 until being relieved of that duty early last... (Continue reading)

SLO County Supervisors pull redistricting vote from consent agenda

CORRECTION: A tentative vote was made to support Option B separate from the consent calendar. ORIGINAL STORY: A battle between San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and an outspoken group of Templeton residents resulted in an agreement to pull... (Continue reading)

War of words: Are private libraries best?

A bitterly-contested proposal to stem an emerging trend toward privatization of public libraries in California is undergoing myriad changes as it awaits action in the state Senate. Those amendments to the legislation, AB 438, Das Williams (D, Santa Barbara), have... (Continue reading)

Stabbing victim remains unidentified

A yet-unidentified 55-year-old man was found stabbed to death Monday afternoon in a Paso Robles motel and police are seeking a man known only as “Poncho.” A 911 call led police to the Farmhouse Motel at 425 Spring Street, according... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo County’s redistricting process under fire

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote to adopt a controversial redistricting plan that would separate both Templeton and San Luis Obispo into three different districts, according to Tuesday’s consent agenda. Supervisors Adam Hill, Jim... (Continue reading)

Paul Flores gets Googled

Meet Paul Flores, the former Cal Poly student who is the last known person to see Kristin Smart alive the night she disappeared from campus in May 1996. The undated photograph, posted on Facebook by Smart family friend Dennis Mahon,... (Continue reading)

Avila Beach bus driver arrested for driving drunk

San Luis Obispo Police arrested a  Regional Transit Authority driver for allegedly transporting a busload of passengers while drunk on Monday at about 2:40 p.m. Passengers on the bus traveling between Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo called 911 to... (Continue reading)

Union grocery workers agree to strike

The union representing 62,000 grocery workers from Paso Robles to San Diego has voted to call a strike if an acceptable contract deal cannot be reached with Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons supermarkets. [Reuters] After working without a contract for six... (Continue reading)

Plastics industry editing California textbooks

Under pressure from the American Chemistry Council, a lobbying group for the plastics industry, schools officials in California edited a new environmental curriculum to include positive messages about plastic shopping bags, interviews and documents show. [CaliforniaWatch] The rewritten textbooks and... (Continue reading)

Cal Fire planning another round of layoffs

San Luis Obispo County Cal Fire officials are planning another round of layoffs after learning the state is slashing an additional $15.85 million from the wildland fire budget. “We are going to make the best choices when we make these... (Continue reading)