Uncovered SLO


Cal Poly Saudi deal: Dueling contracts

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN Deal-making with the Saudis is proving plenty problematic for Cal Poly officials. Efforts to ink what has become a contentious and controversial plan linking the CPSU Engineering College with Jubial University College (JUC) hit another snag... (Continue reading)

Evidence keepers scrutinized by Grand Jury

By DANIEL BLACKBURN and KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury is probing allegations of sloppy evidence protection by law enforcement and reviewing procedures currently being used by the Sheriff’s Department to protect evidentiary integrity. Sources with detailed knowledge of... (Continue reading)

Santa Margarita Ranch property on auction block

By KAREN VELIE A thousand-acre parcel of the controversial Santa Margarita Ranch, owned by developer Ronald Hertel, is in default and will be sold at auction December 30. Also on the block, this one slated for December 22, is a Pismo Beach... (Continue reading)

Bank dubbed co-conspirator

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN Estate Financial Inc. (EFI) creditor Ron Cooper said he plans to identify Heritage Oaks Bank as a co-conspirator with EFI principals Karen Guth and Joshua Yaguda in a lawsuit to be filed later this month. Heritage... (Continue reading)

Atascadero manager admits falsehoods

By KAREN VELIE Atascadero city officials lied in public statements regarding an eminent domain controversy and made a scapegoat of a city employee. City Manager Wade McKinney, one of those officials, confessed the deception only when testifying under oath in depositions earlier... (Continue reading)

Housemate cops cruising to cash in

By KAREN VELIE Atascadero City Manager Wade McKinney probably isn’t feeling very gay this holiday season after getting some straight talk about a looming and large payout of taxpayer money to settle a police department dispute. McKinney, who heads SLO county’s most... (Continue reading)

Estate Financial attorneys blame market downturn

By KAREN VELIE Following a fourth bail hearing and arraignment continuation, Joshua Yaguda’s attorney pointed at the downturn in the market as the catalyst for the financial ruin of Estate Financial inc. (EFI), on Monday morning. “The market shifted and changed,” Yaguda’s... (Continue reading)

Hospitals battle over market share

By KAREN VELIE Care of San Luis Obispo County trauma patients takes a back seat while local physicians and hospital officials battle over lucrative patient dollars. French Hospital Medical Center and Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center continue to scuffle over whether either... (Continue reading)

DRUNK, BROKE: DUI rehab techniques questioned

PART TWO: Offending the offenders By DANIEL BLACKBURN If you’re one of the thousands of people arrested this year and charged with driving while intoxicated in San Luis Obispo County, be encouraged by the knowledge that the entire judicial system and a... (Continue reading)

News moves slowly, Nacimiento gas leak does not

By DANIEL BLACKBURN A gasoline leak in Lake Nacimiento marina supply lines spilled an undetermined amount of fuel near lake waters earlier this month before the problem was noticed by park employees. Following three days of queries by CalCoastNews reporters, Nacimiento Park... (Continue reading)