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SLO officers accuse serial arsonist of setting fire to homeless encampment

By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo police officers arrested a serial arsonist for allegedly starting the fire that burned a homeless camp behind the Elks Lodge on Monday. During late afternoon, officers on patrol saw smoke coming from the creek... (Continue reading)

Jury selection underway in Paul Flores’ murder trial

By KAREN VELIE More than 26 years after Kristin Smart disappeared from the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus, attorneys are selecting jurors in the murder trial of Paul Flores. Smart, a native of Stockton, was nearing the end of... (Continue reading)

Fire burns homeless encampment in San Luis Obispo

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A fire burned at a homeless camp near the San Luis Obispo Elks Lodge on Monday, with flames coming close to motorhomes and trailers. A caller reported the blaze shortly before 5 p.m. at a homeless camp... (Continue reading)

Officers arrest machete-wielding domestic violence suspect

By KAREN VELIE Atascadero police officers arrested a machete-wielding domestic violence suspect in Templeton on Sunday evening. Shortly after 7 p.m., a caller reported a man hitting the door of a car parked at the Motel 6 on El Camino... (Continue reading)

Coastal Commission signs off on Morro Bay offshore wind farms

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The California Coastal Commission has given approval to the federal government’s plan to create wind farms off the coasts of Morro Bay and Humboldt County. [offshorewind.biz] Last year, the federal Department of the Interior, in coordination with... (Continue reading)

Shooter kills man, wounds woman in Lompoc

By JOSH FRIEDMAN One man is dead and a woman is wounded following a shooting in Lompoc on Sunday evening. Shortly before 8 p.m., a caller reported a shooting in the alley between the 400 blocks of E. College and... (Continue reading)

SLO County gas prices nearing $7 a gallon, find the lowest cost

By KAREN VELIE Rising oil prices and increased demand for gasoline during the summer months have led to another all time high gas price. During the past week, the average price of gas increased 16 cents to $6.63 a gallon,... (Continue reading)

When will high energy prices and inflation come down?

OPINION by LARRY BITTNER If you ask most politicians when gasoline prices and inflation will come down, do not expect a clear answer. I started my career with Atlantic Richfield Petroleum Company (ARCO) in 1971, experiencing firsthand, the most tumultuous... (Continue reading)

Lompoc man attempts to burn his father alive

By KAREN VELIE Lompoc police officers arrested a man on Saturday afternoon after he allegedly attempted to burn his father alive, according to police. After receiving a call that 40-year-old Joe García Jr. was beating his father at a home... (Continue reading)

Kenneth McDaniel appointed SLO Superior Court Commissioner

By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on Friday announced the appointment of attorney Kenneth McDaniel as the court’s newest superior court commissioner. In 2010, McDaniel received his Juris Doctorate from the Santa Barbara College of Law.... (Continue reading)