Daily Briefs


Billionaire banker buys Pacific Capital Bancorp

Billionaire banker Gerald Ford has agreed to buy a 91 percent interest in Pacific Capital Bancorp, the parent company of First Bank of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, for $500 million. [Rueters] The company plans to... (Continue reading)

Arnold resigns from Arroyo Grande city council

The Arroyo Grande City Council will move quickly to fill a vacancy following Tuesday’s announcement by councilman Ed Arnold that he will resign. [Tribune] Arnold made the announcement at the start of last night’s meeting. “It’s a very sad time... (Continue reading)

Robbery suspect admits to assaulting sex offenders in Grover Beach

A man shot and wounded by a Grover Beach police officer last Friday morning may have been involved in a self-styled vigilante spree, targeting convicted sex offenders posted on the Megan’s Law website. Police believe David Jordan Griffin, 24, who... (Continue reading)

Sheriff candidates to debate Wednesday night

The six candidates for County Sheriff are scheduled to meet in a public forum Wednesday night at Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo. Mark Adams, Joe Cortez, Ben Hall, Jerry Lenthall, Ian Parkinson, and Mike Teixiera will participate in the... (Continue reading)

Maldonado to be sworn in Tuesday as lieutenant governor

Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) is expected to make a little Central Coast political history on Tuesday when he is sworn in as California’s new lieutenant governor. [Los Angeles Times] Maldonado’s expected ascension marks the highest any Central Coast politician has... (Continue reading)

San Francisco calls for boycott of Arizona over immigration law

Top city officials in San Francisco are calling for a boycott of Arizona to protest the state’s new law regarding illegal immigration. [Associated Press] Arizona’s governor signed a new law last Friday, making it a crime to be in the... (Continue reading)

PG&E biggest spender on lobbying in California

California companies spent more than $66 million lobbying state officials and Congress during the first quarter of 2010–and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is at the top of the list. [California Watch] The report, maintained by the U.S. Senate, shows... (Continue reading)

Texting driver blamed for San Luis Obispo power outage

A male driver who allegedly took his eyes off the road while texting on his cell phone crashed his car and caused a power outage in the neighborhoods surrounding Cal Poly Sunday afternoon. [Tribune] The driver’s Toyota Camry crashed into... (Continue reading)

Sales tax income for San Luis Obispo drops again

San Luis Obispo officials are bracing for the possibility of more spending cuts following reports that the city’s sales tax revenue continued to decline in late 2009. [Tribune] Sales tax revenue, the main source of income for the city’s general... (Continue reading)

Grover Beach police officer shoots robbery suspect

A man who had robbed a gas station was shot and wounded by a Grover Beach police officer Friday morning after he tried to drive over an officer, authorities said. David Jordon Griffin, 24, was shot inside a trailer park... (Continue reading)