Karen Velie
Karen Velie lives in San Luis Obispo County.
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Legal counsel battles board
BY KAREN VELIE Amid allegations he had repeatedly failed to follow board direction, the San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District Board will review the performance of district legal counsel Mike Seitz on Jan. 21. At a Dec. 17 sanitation district meeting, the board unanimously voted to direct staff to seek a mitigated settlement with the […]... (Continue Reading)
Steve Adams threatens to sue Arroyo Grande
BY KAREN VELIE Former Arroyo Grande City Manager Steve Adams filed a claim against the city last week threatening a lawsuit if the council does not extend his paid administrative leave for six months. The city will meet in closed session on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. to discuss the threat of litigation. Following a […]... (Continue Reading)
Vons to pay for illegal dumping
By KAREN VELIE A judge from Alameda County ordered Safeway, the parent company for six San Luis Obispo County Vons grocery stores, to pay $9.87 million to 42 California counties and two cities for the illegal dumping of chemicals and medicines. In the case, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney along with 43 other […]... (Continue Reading)
Did Gibson purposely doctor the agenda?
BY KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s last act as chairman of the board of supervisors was to shut down public comment and board discussion over Supervisor Adam Hill’s appointment to vice chair in violation of the Brown Act. The Jan. 5 agenda, the last agenda created with Gibson as board chairman, […]... (Continue Reading)
Fourth SLO County Jail inmate dies
By KAREN VELIE A 63-year-old Morro Bay man died shortly after collapsing at the San Luis Obispo County Jail early Sunday morning. He is the fourth man to die while incarcerated in the county jail in less than 12 months. David Osborn was arrested for drunk in public on Saturday shortly before 1 p.m. He […]... (Continue Reading)
CMC warden accused of doctoring an inmate’s file
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Warden Elvin Valenzuela and Captain Jennifer Core were suspended while Lt. Ray Baez and Officer Oscar Herijld was fired for their participation in issues regarding an investigation into a document being removed from a prisoner’s file. However, Herijld left CMC during the investigation, the findings […]... (Continue Reading)
Sanitation district attorney under fire
By KAREN VELIE After San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District staff failed to follow board direction and agendize the settlement of a $1.1 million fine with the state, the board voted Wednesday to seek a review of district legal counsel Mike Seitz’ performance and contract. At a Dec. 17 sanitation district meeting, the board unanimously […]... (Continue Reading)
Did lack of oversight lead to jail deaths?
By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County Jail inmate, who died from a heroin overdose, had not been seen by jail personnel for more than 10 hours when deputies became aware of his death, according to the coroner’s report. Timothy Richard Janowicz was one of three inmates who died in the men’s jail in […]... (Continue Reading)
PG&E destroys 20 palm trees at The Graduate
By KAREN VELIE After a large eucalyptus tree crashed into a power line, PG&E destroyed 20 older palms trees located at The Graduate Restaurant and Nightclub in San Luis Obispo, even though the removal appears to violate city and state laws. During last week’s storm, a large eucalyptus tree toppled during the storm, taking with […]... (Continue Reading)
Cal Poly to settle public records lawsuit
By KAREN VELIE California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo has agreed to pay the costs in an agreement to resolve a public records request lawsuit brought by journalism professor and editor of CalCoastNew Bill Loving. The agreement also calls for the university to send out yearly reminders to faculty and staff about complying […]... (Continue Reading)
