Daily Briefs


Female arsonist arrested for North County fires

A 58-year-old Bradley woman is charged with starting multiple fire in the Nacimiento Lake Drive area in North San Luis Obispo County. However, investigators ruled out that Devorah Collins had any involvement in the cause of the 46,000-acre Chimney Fire.... (Continue reading)

Mothers for Peace seeking to speed up Diablo Canyon closure

In a bid to force the closure of Diablo Canyon power plant prior to the planned shutdown dates of 2024 and 2025, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace is attempting to intervene in California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearings. Mothers... (Continue reading)

Was Paula Lopez discriminated against for being an alcoholic?

Former news anchor Paula Lopez Ochoa is suing the parent company of her former employers, Central Coast broadcasters KEYT and KCOY, arguing discrimination based on her race, sex and disability led to her firing. Lopez’s disability is alcoholism. Ochoa was... (Continue reading)

Carbajal apologizes to Lompoc residents

Salud Carbajal, Santa Barbara County supervisor and candidate for Congress, issued an apology Thursday afternoon after a group of people protested his reference to Lompoc as the arm pit of the county. Recently, Carbajal was overheard asking a county employee,... (Continue reading)

Atascadero Burger King employee steals cash, reports a robbery

A Burger King employee stole a large amount of cash from the business, then told police the restaurant had been robbed, according to the Atascadero Police Department. At about 1 a.m. Wednesday, Atascadero police responded to a report that a... (Continue reading)

SLO council candidates debate water and development

Both San Luis Obispo mayoral candidates and all six council candidates participated in a debate Wednesday at the city’s Senior Citizens Center. San Luis Obispo’s water supply, particularly in the context of new development, was the most noteworthy issue discussed... (Continue reading)

Man killed in Arroyo Grande hit and run

A 68-year-old Santa Maria man was killed Thursday morning when a intoxicated driver crashed into his car which was parked on the shoulder of Highway 101, according to the CHP. The crash occurred near El Campo Road on the outskirts... (Continue reading)

Two SLO County politicians charged with election fraud

Two members of the California Valley Community Services District Board of Directors are accused of felony voter election fraud for allegedly lying under penalty of perjury about where they live. In order to sit on the district board or run... (Continue reading)

Deputies identify teen found dead at Cal Poly

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department identified the 18-year-old found dead Tuesday on the Cal Poly campus as Robert Sean Douglas Aversano, a recent graduate of San Luis Obispo High School. According to an autopsy performed Wednesday, Aversano died... (Continue reading)

Cross-county Central Coast chase ends in fiery wreck

An approximately 100-mile police chase that spanned large portions of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties ended in a fiery crash in Oxnard Tuesday. A man driving a stolen vehicle with paper license plates led officers from the city of Ventura... (Continue reading)