Daily Briefs


Fire burns four acres near Pismo Beach, preserve temporary closed

By KAREN VELIE A fire near Pismo Beach burned four acres on Tuesday evening, leading to the temporary closure of the Pismo Preserve, according to Cal Fire. Shortly before midnight, a caller reported a fire burning on a hillside next... (Continue reading)

Brad Pitt filming racing movie at the Oceano Dunes

By KAREN VELIE Brad Pitt is currently filming scenes for F1, a Formula 1 racing movie, at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The filming is slated to continue through Thursday afternoon. In the movie scheduled for release in... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles man charged with murder, hate crime, animal cruelty

By KAREN VELIE A 21-year-old Paso Robles man is facing charges of murder, animal cruelty and a hate crime in the stabbing death of 32-year-old Todd Pinion of Atascadero, a gay man. Pinion had been missing for more than a... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo County election night coverage 2024

By KAREN VELIE One of most stressful election cycles in San Luis Obispo County is drawing to a close. There are controversial measures in Morro Bay and Grover Beach, four cities want to increase their sales tax, and there are... (Continue reading)

Atascadero police warn residents of identity theft scam

By KAREN VELIE The Atascadero Police Department warns the public of an identity theft and fraud scheme targeting local residents. Several community members have reported receiving calls from individuals falsely claiming to represent the Atascadero Police Department. These scammers use... (Continue reading)

Why are San Luis Obispo County residents now part of 3C Energy?

By KAREN VELIE Rural San Luis Obispo County and Atascadero City residents were recently auto-enrolled in Central Coast Community Energy (3C Energy) for their energy needs causing concern by some while supported by others. On mutiple occasions, the San Luis... (Continue reading)

Vistra seeks state approval, bypassing Morro Bay City Council

By KAREN VELIE With many Morro Bay residents and some public officials opposed to a proposed battery storage facility near the coastline, Vistra Energy has decided to seek state approval while bypassing the city’s consideration. Vistra, a Texas-based energy company,... (Continue reading)

SLO County prosecutor files Supreme Court appeal over victim’s rights

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow filed an appeal with the California Supreme Court last month arguing the victim’s rights of a Pismo Beach police officer assaulted on the job were violated. Specifically, the officer’s... (Continue reading)

Missing Atascadero man murdered, body found

By KAREN VELIE The body of a 32-year-old Atascadero man missing for more than a week was found near a creek in rural Santa Margarita. His alleged killer, a 21-year-old Paso Robles man, is in custody. Last seen on the... (Continue reading)

More than 40% of ballots in San Luis Obispo County already returned

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County voters appear to be returning their 2024 presidential election ballots sooner than in the 2022 election, with more than 40% of ballots returned as of Saturday. Of the approximately 189,800 ballots sent to... (Continue reading)