Daniel Blackburn
Daniel Blackburn is editor of KCCN.tv
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Length of deputies’ visit to sheriff differs
By DANIEL BLACKBURN and KAREN VELIE How long did sheriff’s deputies spend at the home of Sheriff Pat Hedges and his wife, Sandy Oneal-Hedges, following a reported domestic disturbance? Official reports vary from more than an hour, to just 15 minutes, depending on who provided the information, and when it was divulged. San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies responded January 19 to... (Continue Reading)
BULLETIN: $8 million claim hits Paso water plans
A group of North County residents has filed a claim against the city of Paso Robles to recover $8 million in water and sewer fees they say has been improperly levied against property owners and ratepayers for the past six years. John Borst of Concerned Citizens of Paso Robles (CCPR) said the claim was filed earlier this month for “damages as... (Continue Reading)
Reclamator inventor sues water resources establishment
By DANIEL BLACKBURN Tom Murphy is not a patient man, but he is immensely optimistic. Murphy scoffed brusquely at questions about whether his sewage-treatment invention, the Reclamator, really works, and suggested the machine’s capability is a foregone conclusion. And he’ll be putting the validity of his claim to the test in court as he takes on the entire governmental water resources infrastructure... (Continue Reading)
FBI busts sheriff’s deputy Goossens for child porn
By DANIEL BLACKBURN and KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Deputy Sheriff Bryan Goossens was arrested Monday by federal agents as part of a widespread roundup of suspected members of a child pornography ring. Two other county men also have been named and face charges. Officials said the suspects used the Internet to trade photographs. Goossens, who caused a five-car accident in Atascadero... (Continue Reading)
FBI agents seize deputy sheriffs computer
By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN A San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputy is the target of an FBI investigation which has included a search of the deputy’s house and the seizure of his computer. Bryan Goossens, a 20-year employee of the sheriff’s department, was placed on paid administrative leave July 11 by Sheriff Pat Hedges.... (Continue Reading)
Sheriff’s deputy slams four parked cars
By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN A San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputy on administrative leave drove into four parked vehicles before flipping and rolling his pickup truck in a July 19 mishap. Deputy Bryan Goossens was northbound on Traffic Way in Atascadero at 8:50 a.m. when the chain-reaction collision occurred. Currently on paid administrative leave in an unrelated matter, Goossens was not... (Continue Reading)
Medical pot shop owner facing 100 years
By DANIEL BLACKBURN Charles C. Lynch sits in his South County home this weekend awaiting the start of a trial that poses for him the threat of a century in federal prison for doing what he thought was the right thing. The parents of a San Luis Obispo County youth suffering from bone cancer agree with Lynch, as does a legion of... (Continue Reading)
Cruisin oldies plan unsanctioned Paso revival
By DANIEL BLACKBURN “Old habits like you are hard to break.” - Country western singer Ronnie Milsap. Hold the obituary on Paso Robles’ famous Memorial Weekend custom vehicle cruise. Some longtime participants, quoting Yogi Berra in proclaiming, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” are fashioning an under-the-radar celebration that likely will attract hundreds of customized vehicles and their fun-loving owners, just like the... (Continue Reading)
INSIDE EFI: Under The Microscope
Part 3: The good times are gone (Editors’ note: This is the third and final article in a series examining the high-rolling, multi-million-dollar Paso Robles financial lender, EFI, and its current problems.) By DANIEL BLACKBURN One of the down sides of divorce is its very public nature, proceedings often revealing things about people they’d rather keep secret. Had it not been for the bitter... (Continue Reading)
INSIDE EFI: The Long Fall
Part 2: Maybe money does grow on trees By DANIEL BLACKBURN (Editors' note: This is the second in a series examining the high-rolling, multi-million-dollar Paso Robles financial lender, EFI, and the fascinating reasons for its current critical condition.) When Karen Guth angrily ordered the locks changed on the office housing Paso Robles’ Estate Financial Inc. (EFI) in February 2003, banishing her then-husband and... (Continue Reading)
