Uncovered SLO


Excelaron appeals $6 billion lawsuit dismissal

By KAREN VELIE An appellate court will determine if San Luis Obispo County officials should be able to have a lawsuit dismissed after their staff provided deceptive information in an apparent attempt to mislead the plaintiff. In what could become... (Continue reading)

APCD skews report on Nipomo Mesa air quality

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A member of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District Board discovered last week that district staff used incomplete data sets to compile a report which inaccurately portrays escalating pollution levels on the Nipomo Mesa.... (Continue reading)

CAPSLO threatens whistleblowers in homeless inquiry

By CALCOASTNEWS STAFF Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) is threatening more than a dozen persons who have come forward with information about wrongdoing at the nonprofit which serves the homeless in San Luis Obispo County. These threats... (Continue reading)

Torres sues private investigator over questions about abuse of homeless

By DANIEL BLACKBURN Dee Torres, homeless services coordinator for Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO), has filed a slander lawsuit against private investigator Mike Brennler. The suit, filed by attorney Roy Ogden, alleges that Brennler slandered Torres in... (Continue reading)

Chumash cemetery unearthed in Los Osos

By KAREN VELIE Members of the Chumash community want sewer collection system excavation halted in Los Osos where Native American remains were unearthed at what is believed to an ancient cemetery. Chumash leaders are asking that the area remain intact... (Continue reading)

Homeless director accused of pocketing donations

KEEPING THEM HOMELESS By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) Homeless Services Coordinator Dee Torres routinely took... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles lenders arrested on multiple fraud charges

By KAREN VELIE Heritage Lending principals Candy Wells and her husband Ronald Wells were arrested Tuesday on seven felony charges. The court has set their bail at $2.5 million each. Prosecutors from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office... (Continue reading)

Federal agency starts investigation of Family Ties and Niesen

Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) Federal officials launched a probe of Family... (Continue reading)

Family Ties fails to provide money or accounting

Keeping them homeless By KAREN VELIE, JOSH FRIEDMAN and DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series about San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services and the nonprofits managing the program.) A San Luis Obispo based fiduciary has... (Continue reading)

Hill tries to divert spotlight away from his fiancée

By CALCOASTNEWS STAFF An Arroyo Grande marketing company that worked on the successful re-election bid of San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill has launched a new website attacking those who question Hill and his fiancée’s actions. “Some friends have... (Continue reading)