Daily Briefs


Does California owe you money?

More than 89,000 California residents and businesses are currently sitting on an estimated $50 million in uncashed I.O.U’s.  [New York Times] The state issued about 450,000 I.O.U.’s, valued at roughly $2.6 billion, to taxpayers, vendors, and contractors last July during... (Continue reading)

Governor seeks to terminate environmental restrictions

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants 100 major construction projects across the state exempted from California environmental laws. [Capitol Weekly] The plan, already coming under heavy attack, would block the power of the courts to review 25 projects each year, from 2011... (Continue reading)

Beaches re-open after sewage spills

Environmental health officials have re-opened both Oceano Beach and Avila Beach after two separate sewage spills this week caused environmental health officials to close the beaches. Public health officials closed Oceano Beach on Wednesday after the San Luis Obispo County... (Continue reading)

Paso police bust suspected pot grower

Paso Robles police arrested a man in connection with an alleged marijuana sales and cultivation operation. Shaun Michael Sweetin was taken into custody Jan. 7, following a search of his home at 813 Oxen in Paso Robles. Police conducted a... (Continue reading)

Supreme Court rejects Prop 8 camera coverage

The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote on Wednesday, rejected video coverage of the Proposition 8 trial currently taking place in San Francisco. [Los Angeles Times] The conservative majority on the court ruled that the defenders of the ban on... (Continue reading)

Text cash for Haiti

Central Coast residents who want to help the victims of yesterday’s horrific 7.0 earthquake in Haiti are being urged to text “HAITI” to “90999.” A $10 donation, charged to your cell phone bill, will be given automatically to the Red... (Continue reading)

Sewage release closes Oceano Beach

Public health officials closed Oceano Beach today as the result of a sewage release of between 160,000 and 180,000 gallons. The flow of partially treated sewage effluent was released into the Pacific Ocean from a pipe located some 4,000 feet off... (Continue reading)

Governor seeks to shift taxes to middle class

Sacramento observers believe Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is embracing a tax reform system for California that includes a major shift in the tax burden from the rich to the middle class. [Oakland Tribune] The strategy comes on the heels of a... (Continue reading)

Off-roader: CalCoast News is “Enviro-Nazi Press”

A leading advocate for off-roading in the Oceano Dunes has called CalCoastNews “our local Enviro-Nazi Press” in a letter published on a national off-roading blog. [Off Road] Kevin P. Rice of San Luis Obispo wrote the letter in response to... (Continue reading)

Homeless man busted for child porn in Oceano

A homeless man, accused of possessing child pornography, is being arraigned today in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. Detectives from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department arrested Lawrence Alan Baughman on Jan. 7 in Oceano. Detectives traced thousands of... (Continue reading)