Daily Briefs


Rock slide closes Highway 1 at Ragged Point

By KAREN VELIE A rock slide discovered Wednesday morning has shut down Highway 1 from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Gorda in Monterey County, according to Caltrans. Rocks fell from a cliffside onto the northbound lane of... (Continue reading)

Former Atascadero teacher facing 3 years in prison for making child porn

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A former Atascadero teacher who took upskirt photos and videos of young female students agreed to a plea deal that could result in a three-year prison sentence, a punishment prosecutors argue is too short. [Tribune] Chris Lynn... (Continue reading)

Thief steals rare train parts from the Santa Margarita Ranch

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A rural Paso Robles man allegedly stole $30,000 worth of property, including rare train parts, from the Santa Margarita Ranch earlier this month. Detectives eventually traced some of the stolen items to recycling centers in Santa Maria... (Continue reading)

SLO County COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates up slightly

By KAREN VELIE For the second week in a row, San Luis Obispo County reported a slight increase in new COVID-19 cases, according to an Oct. 26 health department update. Over the past four days, newly reported cases increased from... (Continue reading)

California’s payments to unemployment fraudsters reach $20 billion

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The state of California has given at least $20 billion in unemployment funds to criminals since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, state officials said on Monday. [LA Times] In January, then-California Labor Secretary Julie Su acknowledged... (Continue reading)

Suspected catalytic converter thieves caught with multiple firearms

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Amid a rash of catalytic converter thefts, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies caught a pair of heavily armed Santa Maria men shortly after they stole a catalytic converter last week. At about 9:20 p.m. Thursday, a 911... (Continue reading)

4.7-magnitude earthquake rattles San Simeon, Cambria

By KAREN VELIE A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast from San Simeon and Cambria Monday afternoon. The United States Geological Survey recorded a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that struck approximately 11 miles northwest of San Simeon at 4:42 p.m,... (Continue reading)

Here’s how much rain fell across SLO County in the past 24 hours

By KAREN VELIE An atmospheric river stormed across San Luis Obispo County on Sunday and early Monday, launching this years rainy season. San Luis Obispo County released rain totals for the past 24 hours. Rocky Butte in northern SLO County... (Continue reading)

Flooding and downed trees slow traffic in San Luis Obispo County

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Amid heavy rainfall, flooding and debris caused multiple traffic delays in San Luis Obispo County Monday morning. In North County, there were reports of flooding on Highway 101 near 13th Street in Paso Robles and near the... (Continue reading)

Storm leaves thousands without power in SLO County

By KAREN VELIE Thousands of San Luis Obispo County residents are starting their Monday morning in the dark. A strong storm system with heavy winds has knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses throughout the county. Early morning... (Continue reading)