Daily Briefs


Chihuahua killer facing life sentence

A Gilroy man is facing life in prison for allegedly killing his wife’s 6-week-old Chihuahua if he is convicted under California’s “three strikes” law. [MercuryNews] Police arrested Bud Wally Ruiz, 53, and formally charged him on Wednesday with two felony... (Continue reading)

Is there a way to predict earthquakes?

A team of NASA and Russian space and physical scientists, in the days before the March 11 Tohoku earthquake in Japan, said the atmosphere directly above the epicenter rapidly heated up possibly providing a way to predict earthquakes in the... (Continue reading)

CalCoastNews needs financial support

Whether it’s a developer misusing investor funds or sewage that is leaking into our waterways, CalCoastNews is watching out for you. CalCoastNews has a diverse but irregular revenue stream which is a reflection of the current economy. Our revenue is... (Continue reading)

SLO Chamber of Commerce selects new president

Ermina Karmin has been named president and chief executive officer for the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. Karim, the current vice president of governmental affairs and economic development for the 1,400-member Chamber, was chosen from a national pool of... (Continue reading)

Hazmat team responds to ammonia leak in Oceano

Emergency crews have evacuated a state park’s maintenance building at 928 Pacific Blvd in Oceano because of an ammonia leak that was found at 8 a.m. on Thursday. It is suspected that the ammonia leak is coming from pressurized cylinders... (Continue reading)

California cuts $170 million from pension costs

California is slated to save $170 million in pension fund payments mostly because new union contracts shift some of the costs to state worker. [MercuryNews] New agreements with unions have boosted employee contributions by anywhere from two percent to five... (Continue reading)

Measles in San Luis Obispo County

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health department reported on Tuesday that measles has been confirmed in a resident who recently returned from a trip to France, a country which has battled a measles epidemic during the past two years.... (Continue reading)

SLO voters to decide on binding arbitration

San Luis Obispo City Council voted Tuesday in favor of a mail in election on binding arbitration and a charter that requires voter approval to make changes in retirement benefits. Facing a $4.4 million shortfall in the 2011-2012 fiscal year,... (Continue reading)

Nipomo woman arrested for tax and loan fraud

A Nipomo woman was arrested Monday on charges she orchestrated a tax scheme involving stolen identities, as well as a loan fraud scheme in which she allegedly submitted false income tax returns that overstated her income in an effort to... (Continue reading)

Maria terminates Arnold after learning of love child

Former California First Lady Maria Shriver left her husband Arnold Schwarzenegger last January after the former governor admitted fathering a child more than a decade ago with a longtime member of their household staff. [LA Times] Shriver moved out of... (Continue reading)