Uncovered SLO


Has SLO gotten a grip on its pension problem?

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Ahead of Tuesday’s vote on San Luis Obispo’s half-cent sales tax, state pension reports have emerged indicating that the city’s unfunded liabilities have decreased slightly, but its annual retirement costs will likely rise by several million dollars... (Continue reading)

Paso council race almost seems civilized

By DANIEL BLACKBURN In a campaign season drenched in vitriol, the contest for two vacant city council seats in Paso Robles appears quite sanguine. And the mayor’s job there will be filled by default; former council member Steve Martin will... (Continue reading)

Is Dee Torres-Hill a whistleblower?

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Claiming to be a whistleblower, the embattled former head of the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo’s homeless services program has sued the nonprofit, alleging CAPSLO retaliated against her for expressing safety concerns. Earlier this year,... (Continue reading)

A reckoning for Councilman John Ashbaugh

By KAREN VELIE In the aftermath of San Luis Obispo Councilman John Ashbaugh’s public tirade that included violating open meeting laws, San Luis Obispo City staff announced plans to discuss the violations at the Nov. 10 council meeting. Following months... (Continue reading)

Developers weigh in on SLO elections

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Several developers with projects under consideration by the San Luis Obispo City Council are injecting cash into the election campaigns of two incumbents who have recently supported their development from behind the dais and a county official... (Continue reading)

Ferrara to oversee manager consultant pick

By DANIEL BLACKBURN Two of the most ardent supporters of disgraced Arroyo Grande City Manager Steve Adams will pick a consultant to find Adams’ replacement at an estimated cost of $26,000 if the city council approves a staff proposal on... (Continue reading)

A crooked road to Arroyo Grande?

Editor’s note: The Arroyo Grande ordinance limiting how the mayor and city council members may legally interact with city staff is at the bottom of this story. By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN Business owners and city staffers in Arroyo... (Continue reading)

Wild high speed chase lands Los Osos woman in jail

By KAREN VELIE A Los Osos woman who led Santa Barbara County Sheriff deputies on a high speed chase with speeds that reached over a 100-mph was arrested along with her two companions on Friday, officers said. At about 2:45... (Continue reading)

Big guns show for Arroyo Grande Council meeting

By DANIEL BLACKBURN Arroyo Grande city officials imported backup law enforcement fire power for Tuesday’s council meeting, but a tightly-regimented gathering of citizens remained in check as debate surrounding a July 3 City Hall incident continued to simmer. At Police... (Continue reading)

SLO’s police chief brings back Israeli lessons on suicide bombers, rioters

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN San Luis Obispo Police Chief Steve Gesell spent a week in Israel learning how its police agencies deal with suicide bombers and attacks by militants armed with automatic weapons. The program, sponsored by the... (Continue reading)