Karen Velie
Karen Velie lives in San Luis Obispo County.
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Larry Allen enters battle against Forbes magazine columnist
By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District Executive Director Larry Allen fired back at Forbes Magazine columnist Steven Hayward Wednesday claiming none of the information in his “attack piece” is true. For example, Allen claims Hayward misstated his base salary by about $100,000. Hayward wrote Allen was paid close to $250,000. […]... (Continue Reading)
Kelly Gearhart and James Miller receive another reprieve
By KAREN VELIE For the fifth time, former North County developer Kelly Gearhart’s fraud trial and Hurst Financial president James Miller’s sentencing hearing have been delayed. A federal judge continued Gearhart’s trial from Feb. 18 to June 17. Miller’s hearing has been continued from March 17 to Sept. 8. “Failure to grant the requested continuance […]... (Continue Reading)
Report shows homeless languishing in San Luis Obispo County
By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County is ranked third in the nation for the highest percent of homeless who sleep unsheltered and is bucking the national trend of reducing homelessness, according to a 2013 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report made to Congress. In San Luis Obispo County, 90 percent of homeless […]... (Continue Reading)
SLO Sheriff’s war on drugs spreads collateral damage
By KAREN VELIE Shortly after 3 a.m. on Dec. 4, a woman awoke to strange sounds outside her San Luis Obispo home and walked quietly towards the front door while her family slept. As she reached the door, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies broke it down on top of her, tossed in a flash-bang […]... (Continue Reading)
Morro Bay councilman knew apartment not permitted
By KAREN VELIE Morro Bay Councilman George Leage said a few days ago that his apartment was either properly permitted or grandfathered in, though he was aware that an application to permit the apartment had been filed in 2011. Leage lives in an unpermitted apartment in his family’s sushi restaurant, Off the Hook, which is […]... (Continue Reading)
Where does Morro Bay’s George Leage live?
By KAREN VELIE and JOSH FRIEDMAN Morro Bay Councilman George Leage does not have a legal residence in Morro Bay; instead he sleeps in an apartment in his family’s sushi restaurant, Off the Hook. Off the Hook is located in Morro Bay tidelands, an area of which the city acquired ownership through a state grant. […]... (Continue Reading)
Toxic substance department records point to inaction in chemical cases
By KAREN VELIE Almost two years ago, a San Luis Obispo city employee ordered others to dump chemicals and paints at a city facility. The state’s Department of Toxic Substance Control began an investigation and told witnesses that criminal cases would be started in about six months. As the two-year anniversary of the dumping approaches, […]... (Continue Reading)
Morro Bay man wins constitutional rights lawsuit
By KAREN VELIE A Morro Bay man won his lawsuit to have several “Joe McCarthy era” sections of the California Election Code declared unconstitutional last week, according to a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court ruling. John Barta filed the suit against Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Attorney General Kamala Harris and San Luis Obispo […]... (Continue Reading)
Gibson plants 500 trees while calling for ag moratorium
By KAREN VELIE and JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson planted 500 new citrus trees on his rural Cayucos property several months ago while pushing to impose tough water conservation measures on agriculturalists in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. Neighbors in rural Cayucos say that while they have been struggling to water […]... (Continue Reading)
Kelly Gearhart’s trial delayed a fourth time
By KAREN VELIE For the fourth time, former Atascadero “Person of the Year” and prominent North County land developer Kelly Gearhart’s fraud trial has been delayed. Gearhart’s public defender, Kim Savo, successfully requested another delay in her client’s trial originally scheduled for Oct. 9, 2012. Savo noted a variety of reasons for the early delays […]... (Continue Reading)
