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Santa Ynez official and husband arrested for entering Capitol on Jan. 6

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Federal agents arrested a Central Coast Community Services District board member and her husband for being inside the United States Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. [Independent] Karen Jones is a Santa Ynez Valley Community Services District... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles police arrest 1 DUI suspect, cite 19 drivers

My KAREN VELIE Paso Robles police officers arrested one DUI suspect and cited 19 other drivers at a DUI checkpoint on Dec. 15. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., officers checked drivers for impairment and licensing requirements. All 19 citations... (Continue reading)

Door falls from plane before it lands in San Luis Obispo

By KAREN VELIE A door on a twin-engine plane broke off and fell in the area of Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday. The door damaged the leading edge of the trail, according to the Federal Aviation Administration... (Continue reading)

Three Pismo Beach clerks cited for selling alcohol to minors

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Pismo Beach police officers cited three clerks for selling alcohol to minors during a sting conducted on Friday.  Along with Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents, police officers conducted a minor decoy operation in Pismo Beach.... (Continue reading)

One person killed, two injured in crash on Highway 166

By KAREN VELIE One person was killed and two people suffered major injuries in a single vehicle crash on Highway 166 east of Aliso Canyon Road on Monday afternoon, according to the CHP. Shortly after 4 p.m., a caller reported... (Continue reading)

Belsher, Wright’s legal woes reveal justice system theater

By KAREN VELIE The ongoing legal battles of San Luis Obispo County developers John Belsher and Ryan Wright reveal a multitude of ethical lapses, including ordering witnesses not to comply with subpoenas and allegedly suborning perjury. Belsher and his business... (Continue reading)

One man killed, another wounded in Santa Maria shooting

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A gunman shot two men in Santa Maria Sunday afternoon, killing one and leaving the other in critical condition.  Shortly after 4 p.m., a caller reported the shooting in the 500 block of W. Cook Street. Shortly... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria Police arrest suspects for robbing postal worker, stealing mail

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Maria Police officers on Sunday arrested a man and a woman for allegedly robbing a United States Postal Service mail carrier and then stealing residents’ mail.  On Tuesday, a suspect robbed a mail carrier at knifepoint.... (Continue reading)

Central Coast DUI crash sends sheriff’s SUV airborne, lands next to ocean

  By JOSH FRIEDMAN An allegedly intoxicated driver slammed into a Ventura County Sheriff’s patrol SUV Saturday evening, resulting in the vehicle falling onto boulders beside the ocean.  Deputy Castaneda and his K-9, two-year-old Dutch Shepherd Danny, were responding to... (Continue reading)

Another SLO High School teacher accused of misconduct

By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo High School math teacher was recently placed on administrative leave amid allegations he sent inappropriate text messages to a student, sources said. Several students informed school staff that Ethan McSwain had allegedly “engaged... (Continue reading)