Uncovered SLO


SLO County hit with $6 billion property rights lawsuit

By DANIEL BLACKBURN Excelaron, the company seeking to drill as many as 12 oil wells in the Huasna Valley near Arroyo Grande, filed a more than $6 billion lawsuit against San Luis Obispo County. In the lawsuit filed Monday, attorney... (Continue reading)

Sanitation district regulatory woes escalate

By KAREN VELIE The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District is facing another fine for the third release of improperly treated sewage into the Pacific Ocean in less than four months, with each release larger than its predecessor. Sanitation... (Continue reading)

California Attorney General files lawsuit against local air district

EDITOR’S NOTE: See a brief of the California Attorney General’s lawsuit at the bottom of this story. By KAREN VELIE California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris filed a lawsuit in mid-October against the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control... (Continue reading)

More safety violations at Maldonado family farm

Since Abel Maldonado announced his plans to run for congress, his 6,000-acre farm in Santa Maria has had three Cal/OSHA citations for issues regarding employee safety. Since the 1990s, Agro-Jal has accumulated dozens of Cal/OSHA violations and hundreds of thousands... (Continue reading)

Coastal Commission staff recommends denial of PG&E seismic testing

By KAREN VELIE California Coastal Commission staff recommended on Friday that the board vote to deny PG&E’s seismic testing permit application and object to its consistency certification, according to a staff report. Renewal of Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power plant’s operating... (Continue reading)

SLO builders face steep fees for minor development

San Luis Obispo business and property owners who wish to make additions to their buildings and homes face a common obstacle in the city, higher than usual fees. Though local developers face fees no matter their location, builders in the... (Continue reading)

Wallace Group loses contract, gains others

Spooked by a $1.1 million fine levied against a public entity due to mismanagement by the Wallace Group, agencies throughout the area are reevaluating relationships with the engineering firm and its owner, John Wallace. Oceano Community Services District Board members,... (Continue reading)

Mayoral candidate facing criminal charges

By DANIEL BLACKBURN and KAREN VELIE A longtime Paso Robles business owner making a write-in bid for mayor has an extensive criminal history, was arrested five times in September alone, and faces felony charges for making terrorist threats while brandishing... (Continue reading)

Steve Kniffen is Cambria’s non-candidate

By DANIEL BLACKBURN Cambrian Steve Kniffen envisions a grand political experiment which he believes could productively alter the way Americans elect their leaders. And he’s shifting his philosophy into action by throwing his name into the hopper as a write-in... (Continue reading)

Loaded mayoral candidate partakes in Paso Robles debate: Video

One of six candidates for Paso Robles City Council who participated in a Wednesday evening forum at the Paso Robles Inn appeared intoxicated when he arrived about 15 minutes late wearing a T-shirt and flip-flops. Mayoral candidate Jeff Rougeot smelled... (Continue reading)