Daily Briefs


San Luis Obispo County Counsel Rita Neal retiring

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Counsel Rita Neal announced today she plans to retire on March 15. Neal has worked for the county since 1998, when she was hired as a deputy county counsel. The SLO County Board... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo officers seek help identifying thieves

By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo Police Department is seeking the public’s help identifying a pair of thieves who allegedly stole a purse while at a restaurant on Saturday afternoon. Both women were wearing hats when they entered Finney’s... (Continue reading)

Battery storage facility in Nipomo nearly completed

By KAREN VELIE A 100 megawatt battery storage facility is slated to open next month in Nipomo. Caballero Energy Storage plans to store energy in lithium-ion batteries. Initially proposed and owned by PG&E, Apha Omega Power recently acquired the facility... (Continue reading)

Continuation school in Cambria temporarily closes, only one student

By KAREN VELIE Cambria’s continuation high school is temporarily closed after enrollment fell to just one student. Part of the Coast Unified School District, Leffingwell Continuation High School suspended operations, but is not permanently closed. The school’s only student plans... (Continue reading)

Vandenberg rocket lights up San Luis Obispo County skies

By KAREN VELIE A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 23 starlight satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday morning and lit up skies in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. One early morning driver questioned if... (Continue reading)

Man hit, killed by car near Santa Margarita following altercation

By KAREN VELIE Shortly before a vehicle hit and killed a 19-year-old man attempting to run across Highway 101 near Santa Margarita, the man was in an altercation in a passenger vehicle, according to the CHP. Not long after midnight... (Continue reading)

Addis’ battery storage legislation would halt Morro Bay project

  By KAREN VELIE In the aftermath of a raging fire at a battery storage facility in Moss Landing, Assemblywoman Dawn Addis introduced legislation that if passed will likely halt plans for a facility in Morro Bay. Along with Monterey... (Continue reading)

Neighbor appeals third retail pot shop in San Luis Obispo

By KAREN VELIE Even though the San Luis Obispo City Council voted in 2017 to approve three retail cannabis shops, there have been only two. In September, the Planning Commission voted to approve a third proposed pot shop, this one... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara News-Press relaunching as a nonprofit

By KAREN VELIE After closing in June 2023, the Santa Barbara News-Press will begin publishing again, this time under as a nonprofit under the NEWSWELL umbrella. Previously known as the oldest daily newspaper in Southern California, the News-Press began publishing... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo man busted with over 700 child porn images

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo police arrested a 30-year-old man on Jan. 16 who had downloaded more than 700 images of child pornography. Electronic service providers such as Facebook, Google and Reddit are required to monitor and report those... (Continue reading)