Karen Velie
Karen Velie lives in San Luis Obispo County.
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SLO loses another battle in its fight against the homeless
By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall awarded the two lawyers who sued the city for unconstitutional treatment of the homeless $133,880 for costs and legal fees on Thursday. Laws permit attorneys who undertake cases on behalf of the poor and downtrodden to request attorney’s fees if they win the […]... (Continue Reading)
California Attorney General files lawsuit against local air district
EDITOR’S NOTE: See a brief of the California Attorney General’s lawsuit at the bottom of this story. By KAREN VELIE California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris filed a lawsuit in mid-October against the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) over its contentious Oceano Dunes dust rule, focusing on the alleged scientific flaws […]... (Continue Reading)
Coastal Commission staff recommends denial of PG&E seismic testing
By KAREN VELIE California Coastal Commission staff recommended on Friday that the board vote to deny PG&E’s seismic testing permit application and object to its consistency certification, according to a staff report. Renewal of Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power plant’s operating license requires approval of its consistency certification by the commission. PG&E applied for the certification […]... (Continue Reading)
Air quality district internal emails expose manipulations
(Editor’s note: This is the second in a multi-part series about questionable activities of the San Luis Obispo County Air Quality Control District. Part one was Air quality district’s bloated salaries. See Alleged flaws in the study at the bottom of this story) It sounded like a good idea. Fine the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area for allowing particulate pollution... (Continue Reading)
Pismo Beach attorney arrested for grand theft
UPDATE: The San Luis Obispo Police Department says investigators have possibly identified additional victims as a result of searches conducted Thursday at Attorney William Peter Terhune’s Pismo Beach office and home. Terhune is facing charges of embezzlement and excessive taking of over $200,000. Bail was set at $1 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned July 15 at 4 p.m. Client trust... (Continue Reading)
Santa Lucia Bank facing regulatory deadlines
Santa Lucia Bank has been ordered to increase its shareholder equity by $12 million in less than three months in a state enforcement action -- a challenge in the face of plummeting stock prices. The Atascadero based bank’s stock prices have fallen from $8.15 a year ago to a current 42 cents. The consent order, issued by the California Department of Financial... (Continue Reading)
Foreclosures, lawsuits and filings
San Luis Obispo County developer John King’s lifelong climb to success has been clouded in recent years by a series of financial challenges which according to the King Ventures head were brought on by the collapse of the banking industry and were also plaguing several of his former business partners. Rob Rossi, local businessman and sometime partner in King projects, said... (Continue Reading)
EFI sues Bryan Cave attorneys $100 million for malpractice
A bankruptcy trustee filed suit Friday against Estate Financial Inc.’s (EFI) former attorney and her employing firm, Bryan Cave LLP, alleging a cover up which led to the swindling of more than $100 million from more than 1,500 San Luis Obispo County investors. The complaint claims Bryan Cave LLP, an internationally renowned law firm with 1,000 plus lawyers, and one of... (Continue Reading)
Princess Palms and beheadings: high times turn hairy
Actor turned developer John King and some of his early business investments in the 1960s, notably in Warehouse Sound Co. and California Cooperage, undoubtedly paid off big and afforded him with greater opportunities. But not everything King touched turned to gold. On a trip with a local doctor who wanted to buy property in the U.S. Virgin Islands, King was seduced by... (Continue Reading)
The life and times of John King
Love him or hate him, it is indisputable John King’s ventures have in many ways helped restore the aesthetic glory to downtown San Luis Obispo and molded the local hospitality industry thriving today. But in these economically challenging times even the King himself could possibly face financial collapse. King, who often refuses to speak to media, sat down with CalCoastNews in... (Continue Reading)
