Daily Briefs


Arroyo Grande rapist to spend 50 years to life in prison

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A judge sentenced an Arroyo Grande man who sexually assaulted three San Luis Obispo women at knifepoint to 50 years to life in prison. On July 8, 2018, Arthur Tiofilo Rocha broke into a San Luis Obispo... (Continue reading)

Fraudsters rip off California’s disability insurance system

By JOSH FRIEDMAN After acknowledging mass unemployment fraud amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of California is now faced with tens or hundreds of thousands of fraudulent disability insurance claims. On Friday, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) announced it... (Continue reading)

Judge sentences Atascadero man to 28 years to life for sodomizing boy

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A judge sentenced an Atascadero man on Tuesday to 28 years to life in state prison for sodomizing a 6-year-old boy. Fred Raymond Knight, Jr., 46, is a repeat sex offender. In 2011, Knight was convicted of... (Continue reading)

SLO County’s COVID-19 surge continues, hospitals overwhelmed

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County health officials reported a record high daily number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, with a 14 day average of 383. The surge is overwhelming local hospitals. Health officials are asking the public not... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo City Council green lights large mixed-use development

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to give the green light to a proposed mixed-use project near the intersection of Orcutt Road and Broad Street. The proposed Bullock Ranch project includes 88 bungalow... (Continue reading)

Pregnant woman critically injured in crash near Gaviota

By KAREN VELIE Five people were injured, four critically, in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 101 near Gaviota on Monday afternoon, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Shortly after 4 p.m., the driver was headed northbound on Highway... (Continue reading)

Superintendent for two SLO County school districts gets 10% raise

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The administrator who is serving as the superintendent of two North Coast school districts, and is collecting six-figure pay from each, recently received a 10 percent raise. [Tribune] Scott Smith, the superintendent of both the Cayucos Elementary... (Continue reading)

Two shootings in Santa Maria on Sunday, three during the week

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Following an early morning shooting that left a juvenile with multiple gunshot wounds, a gunman shot another victim in the same area in Santa Maria, leaving the second victim suffering from serious injuries. Early Sunday morning, a... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles teen killed in crash identified

By KAREN VELIE The 17-year-old who died in a car crash at the intersection of Spring and 34th streets on Jan. 13 has been identified as Joaquin Ripley. At about 5:15 p.m., Joaquin Ripley was driving northbound on Spring Street... (Continue reading)

Boy shot multiple times in Santa Maria

By KAREN VELIE A Santa Maria “boy” was shot multiple times while reportedly walking in the Atkinson Park area early Sunday morning. Shortly after 3 a.m., a caller reported a juvenile male was seeking medical care at Marian Regional Medical... (Continue reading)