Daily Briefs


Man accused of adopting dog, then killing it

A man adopted a two-year-old chihuahua named Floyd from the Santa Barbara County animal shelter, then killed the dog, animal rescue activists say. The chihuahua was kicked, strangled and possibly drowned, according to the Animal Rescue Team, a Santa Ynez... (Continue reading)

Arroyo Grande council adopts contested letter writing rules

On a 3-2 vote, the Arroyo Grande City Council adopted a resolution requiring council members to inform one another when they author letters using city resources. Critics have said the rule violates the First Amendment. Council members must now copy... (Continue reading)

SLO County renews lodging tax

A 2 percent tax on hotel stays along much of San Luis Obispo County’s coastline will remain in place for at least one more year and likely much longer. The tax is also collected at motels, vacation rentals and bed-and-breakfasts.... (Continue reading)

County supervisors vote for local control of basins

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to have the county fund the first phase of compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA). California law requires that water basins be sustainably managed by... (Continue reading)

Templeton tap water turns brown

The tap water turned brown in some Templeton homes Sunday evening. Community Service District officials say a firefighting exercise stirred up sediment at the bottom of a pipeline, causing the discoloration. Yet, that posed no health risk, according to the... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria Times cuts Monday edition

As local publisher Lee Central Coast Newspapers announced it would stop printing the Times Press-Recorder, it also informed Santa Maria Times subscribers that they would no longer receive Monday newspapers. The publishing company says it is adapting to an industry... (Continue reading)

Company plans to house up to 600 farm workers near Santa Maria

Just weeks after an arsonist burned down a home being built to house farm workers in Nipomo, a Santa Maria company is proposing building 30 houses to accommodate up to 600 farm workers. Unlike the Nipomo project, plans call for... (Continue reading)

Times Press-Recorder announces closure

After 129 years, the Times Press-Recorder plans to print its last paper on Friday. In 2008, the paper shut down its Arroyo Grande office and went from two days a week to one day a week. The paper covered the... (Continue reading)

Intoxicated mother crashes while driving children

San Luis Obispo police officers arrested a woman for driving under the influence Sunday evening after she crashed a pickup truck into two parked cars. Two children were inside the truck when the woman lost control of the vehicle. Around... (Continue reading)

Highway 46 crash injures two people

An ambulance transported two people to a hospital Sunday afternoon following a head-on collision in northeastern San Luis Obispo County. The crash occurred on Highway 46 at Jack Ranch, according to Cal Fire. Officials have not disclosed the extent of... (Continue reading)