Josh Friedman
Writer Josh Friedman may or may not live in San Luis Obispo County.
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Grover Beach may help developer fund hotel project
By JOSH FRIEDMAN As a reward for potentially generating millions of dollars in tax revenue for the city, Grover Beach may financially assist a developer that plans to build a hotel on a site with no water and sewer connections. The developer is requesting a few forms of financial assistance which total more than $2 […]... (Continue Reading)
Ortiz-Legg has 2, not 1, criminal convictions
By JOSH FRIEDMAN Assembly District 35 candidate Dawn Ortiz-Legg has been arrested and convicted twice, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court records show. Ortiz-Legg, who has attacked her opponent Jordan Cunningham for his criminal defense work, has opted to conceal her criminal record, or only partially divulge it, when asked about it publicly. San Luis […]... (Continue Reading)
Fareed and KEYT trade legal threats over political ad
By JOSH FRIEDMAN A dispute over a political ad has resulted in Santa Barbara broadcaster KEYT and Republican District 24 congressional candidate Justin Fareed threatening legal action against one another. KEYT claims Fareed is illegally making use of copyrighted material and is compromising the station’s political neutrality. Fareed argues the broadcaster does not understand copyright […]... (Continue Reading)
Ortiz-Legg discusses DUI, struggles during debate
By JOSH FRIEDMAN Assembly candidate Dawn Ortiz-Legg didn’t charm North County voters Wednesday when she said she was happy to have experienced a DUI arrest or when she lashed out at her opponent Jordan Cunningham. The candidates debated on conservative radio station KPRL and a couple of the questions came from pro-Cunningham callers. Ortiz-Legg struggled […]... (Continue Reading)
Trailer proves fleeting refuge from smells at sanitation district office
By JOSH FRIEDMAN The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District’s new administrator has caused a bit of a stink over an office trailer that he rented to get away from odors, mold, pests, stained carpets and having administrators and other employees sharing space. Gerhardt Hubner was hired in April at $150,000 a year in […]... (Continue Reading)
Hill, Lucey seek to censure one another at sanitation meeting
By JOSH FRIEDMAN (Editor’s Note: Oceano CSD Director Mary Lucey’s Facebook comment attacking Arroyo Grande Mayor Jim Hill is posted in entirety below.) Arroyo Grande Mayor Jim Hill and Oceano CSD Director Mary Lucey will make separate requests to censure one another at the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District board meeting on Wednesday. […]... (Continue Reading)
Is SLO County seeking to profit from heroin addicts?
By JOSH FRIEDMAN and KAREN VELIE Amid a growing opioid problem, San Luis Obispo County has announced plans to expand its substance abuse treatment programs. However, critics say the plans are inadequate in that they focus on providing replacement medication rather than full detoxification. The county’s plans to promote drug replacement therapy as opposed to residential […]... (Continue Reading)
Santa Barbara nonprofit sues Lands Commission over Diablo Canyon
By JOSH FRIEDMAN A Santa Barbara-based nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against the California State Lands Commission, alleging the agency wrongfully approved a new lease for the cooling system at Diablo Canyon power plant. The lawsuit claims state law mandates than Diablo Canyon undergo an environmental review. On June 28, the three-member State Lands Commission […]... (Continue Reading)
Central Coast counties rank in the top 6 for heroin overdoses
By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo County ranked fourth per capita in heroin overdoses leading to hospitalizations in California in 2015 while Santa Barbara County ranked sixth, according to statistics from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. On average, last year in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, one person […]... (Continue Reading)
Cambria manager gets raise despite financial discrepancies
Editor’s Note: The CalPERS audit is at the bottom of the article. By JOSH FRIEDMAN A series of financial blunders committed by the Cambria Community Services District have surfaced over the past year, including in a recent audit that discovered violations of the California Government Code. The district responded with the board granting its general […]... (Continue Reading)
