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State judge tosses SLO ballot measure, restores binding arbitration

A California administrative law judge has overturned the results of a 2011 city of San Luis Obipso election that eliminated binding arbitration for police officers and firefighters. Last week, California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) Judge Valerie Pike Racho voided... (Continue reading)

Central Coast man sues casino over losses

A Ventura businessman filed suit against a Las Vegas casino after he lost $500,000 playing drunk on Super Bowl weekend. Mark Johnston, 52, filed suit against the Downtown Grand for giving him a line of credit and serving him drinks... (Continue reading)

SLO police officer accused of forcing sex on informant

Former San Luis Obispo police officer Cory Pierce allegedly forced an informant to have sex with him, according to a civil rights lawsuit recently filed in federal court. In February, FBI agents arrested Pierce after an undercover investigation revealed the... (Continue reading)

Mecham says Paso Robles water district dead

By DANIEL BLACKBURN A controversial water district proposal sponsored by a group of vintners and ranchers and intended to manage the Paso Robles aquifer probably will not pass constitutional muster,  and its primary backer said he is “disheartened.” “It looks... (Continue reading)

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CalCoastNews reporters have uncovered cases of real estate fraud, embezzlement, and elder abuse that have led to arrests and public awareness. Reporter and CCN co-founder Daniel Blackburn covers water issues in the North County. His understanding of water politics is... (Continue reading)

Central Coast farmworkers oppose processing center

Central Coast farmworkers are strongly objecting to a proposed Santa Maria facility for processing convicted criminals who are illegal immigrants. Immigrants would be photographed and fingerprinted in the facility before being transferred to Southern California or deported. Federal and local... (Continue reading)

Vandenberg protester bucks Supreme Court, gets arrested

One week after the Supreme Court ruled that antiwar activist Dennis Apel could not protest along a stretch of Highway 1 that is located on the Vandenberg Air Force Base, Appel returned to the spot Wednesday and was arrested along... (Continue reading)

Resnick’s water bank takes big judicial hit

Billionaire Stewart Resnick’s nut dynasty in the Central Valley has taken a major hit following a ruling Wednesday by a Sacramento judge that state officials failed to “properly analyze” the environmental impact of the Kern Water Bank. [Los Angeles Times]... (Continue reading)

Sierra Vista Hospital loses $4 million lawsuit

A San Luis Obispo County jury awarded the family of a 42-year-old man who died from surgical complications at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center $4 million. The jury agreed that the hospital attempted to hide the cause of death of... (Continue reading)

The walking dead, event photos

The Walking Dead? More like the running dead. Saturday morning Cal Poly students dressed up in their goriest zombie costumes to run a 5K on the Cal Poly campus. The runners were a terror to look at, at least until... (Continue reading)