Uncovered SLO


Settlement stunner ends ticket quota trial

By DANIEL BLACKBURN A settlement reached during the noon hour Thursday abruptly ended a civil trial pitting a former Paso Robles police officer against his one-time employer for allegedly ordering unlawful traffic ticket quotas as part of a relentless quest... (Continue reading)

Marx’s car vandalized after SLO council contests binding arbitration ruling

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Shortly after the San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously Monday morning to appeal a ruling that would restore binding arbitration for police and firefighters, a vandal smashed the window of Mayor Jan Marx’s car. Marx attended... (Continue reading)

Morro Bay staff accused of suppressing business competition

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Antique shop owner Jeffrey Specht and his staff spent months clearing out, cleaning and painting a shop so he could open a business in Morro Bay. But city staff refused to grant him the operating permits for... (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)

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)

High cancer rates near Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant

A report by the World Business Academy that details negative health trends in the area surrounding the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County was released Monday. Stephen W. Hosea, MD, the associate director of Internal Medicine... (Continue reading)

Former SLO broker charged with federal bank fraud

A former San Luis Obispo real estate broker is facing federal prison time for illegally flipping houses that he purchased in short sales. Timothy William Barnes, 37, pleaded guilty Monday to committing bank fraud. Barnes, a San Francisco resident, owned... (Continue reading)

Sheep deaths, Mother Nature or animal cruelty?

By KAREN VELIE EDITOR’S NOTE: See videos of sheep in creeks, dying and dead at Heritage Ranch and being tossed in a truck at the bottom of this story. The videos are disturbing and include cursing. A young lamb struggles... (Continue reading)

CAB throws water on district formation plans

By DANIEL BLACKBURN A group representing hundreds of rural landowners in Creston won’t support a proposed North County water district as presently envisioned by its advocates. Sheila Lyons, chair of the Creston Advisory Body (CAB), sent a letter to Assemblyman... (Continue reading)

Five Cities firefighting costs escalating

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach and the community of Oceano merged their fire departments in 2010 with the intent of saving money, but the resulting Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) may soon cost residents... (Continue reading)