Daily Briefs


Paul Flores’ attorney accuses prosecution team of inappropriate hugging

By KAREN VELIE The attorney for Paul Flores has requested a mistrial nine times, the latest over claims members of the prosecution team acted inappropriately in front of the jury. On Monday afternoon, Paul Flores’ attorney Robert Sanger asked the... (Continue reading)

Fire damages storage containers outside hotel in San Luis Obispo

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A fire broke out outside the Hampton Inn in San Luis Obispo Tuesday morning, damaging mattresses that were being kept inside storage containers. Shortly before 7 a.m., a caller reported a fire burning outside the Hampton Inn... (Continue reading)

SLO police nab felon with drugs and a gun

By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo police arrested a felon over the weekend on a variety of charges, including drug and firearm offenses, after an officer noticed an improper license plate on the suspect’s motorcycle. Early Sunday morning, Officer Peck... (Continue reading)

Man’s body found near Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo

By KAREN VELIE The body of a deceased man was found Monday off Highway 101 and Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo. Shortly after 1 p.m., a caller reported a body on the Highway 101 right-of-way near a homeless encampment.... (Continue reading)

Ruben Flores’ jury reaches a verdict

By KAREN VELIE A Monterey County jury has reached a decision for Ruben Flores, the man accused of helping his son Paul Flores dispose of the body of Kristin Smart, though the jury’s determination will not be read in court... (Continue reading)

Fire temporarily closes Highway 101 offramp in San Luis Obispo

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A fire near Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo resulted in the temporary closure of an offramp Monday morning. Shortly after 6 a.m., a caller reported a brush fire burning beside northbound Highway 101 at the Grand... (Continue reading)

Driver ejected from SUV in crash near Los Alamos

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A woman was ejected from an SUV and suffered major injuries after crashing on Highway 101 near Los Alamos early Monday morning. The woman, who was the lone occupant of the SUV, crashed on northbound Highway 101by... (Continue reading)

SLO County gas prices drop slightly, find the lowest prices

By KAREN VELIE While the national average price of gas remains unchanged, the price of gas in California and San Luis Obispo County has dropped significantly. At $6.31 a gallon, the average price of gas in SLO County is 23... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara County to pay $28 million settlement for billing issues

By KAREN VELIE Santa Barbara County administrators agreed to settle a Department of Justice complaint over improper billing regarding low-income mental health patients, amounting to $28 million, according to an Oct. 11 press release. In its complaint, the Department of... (Continue reading)

California offers tax credits for marijuana business expenses

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Beginning next year, the state of California will allow cannabis business owners to receive tax credits for company expenses. Federal law prohibits tax deductions for marijuana business expenses because cannabis sales remain illegal federally. Many states are... (Continue reading)