Daily Briefs


Central Coast oil platform sets new record

Exxon Mobil’s Santa Barbara facility set a new record for slant drilling from an oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, bringing to the forefront tensions between those in favor of local oil exploration and those opposed to off... (Continue reading)

Police bust Atascadero baby formula gang

Atascadero Police suspect four foreign nationals they arrested are members of a gang which has been stealing baby formula from grocery stores throughout California. [KCOY] Police seized 195 cans of formula from a car driven by one of the suspects... (Continue reading)

State workers tend to be professors or prison guards

It’s a familiar  refrain heard in any election year: What we really need to do in Sacramento is cut state jobs. Not so fast, according to the nonpartisan California Budget Project which reports that most state workers tend to be... (Continue reading)

California home prices continue to rise

Home prices in California have continued to increase for the fifth month in a row adding up to a 14 percent increase from March 2009. [AssociatedPress] The medium price of a home has increased to$235,000 from $223,000 in 12 months, according... (Continue reading)

Roy Ashburn sentenced for DUI

State Sen. Roy Ashburn [R-Bakersfield] pleaded no contest to drunken driving charges on Wednesday and was immediately sentenced to two days in jail and three years’ probation. [Sacramento Bee] Ashburn, 55, was given credit for one day already served in... (Continue reading)

UC schools have a wait list of 10,700 applicants

Nearly 11,000 high school seniors statewide were offered a spot on one or more of the University of California’s controversial new waiting lists for admission. [Los Angeles Times] A spokesperson for the UC admissions office described 2010 as the most... (Continue reading)

Arnold’s attorney accuses city council of retaliation

Saying “it’s time to take the gloves off,” the attorney for Arroyo Grande city councilman Ed Arnold held a press conference Wednesday morning to reaffirm his client’s innocence and accuse other council members of “retaliation.” Ilan Funke-Bilu told reporters that... (Continue reading)

Atascadero prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries

The Atascadero City Council unanimously voted to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in their city at last night’s council meeting. [KSBY] City Attorney Brian Pierik made the recommendation to prohibit medical cannabis dispensaries. Pierik said dispensaries would bring problems such as... (Continue reading)

Federal district gets Indian-American judge

A history-making Indian-American federal judge will be sworn in today as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, which includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara  counties. [LompocRecord] Vijay Chand Gandhi, 38, will be the first Indian-American... (Continue reading)

Brown to investigate Palin CSU appearance

California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced Tuesday that he will investigate the circumstances surrounding an upcoming campus appearance at CSU Stanislaus by Sarah Palin. [Attorney General’s Office] The investigation targets the privately-run University foundation and allegations that documents relating to... (Continue reading)