Recent Articles

These are the most recent articles on CalCoastNews.com

DA’s expert witness never earned her college degree

Written on 21 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 32 comments


By KAREN VELIE A woman who has testified in dozens of cases and been offered as an expert witness by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office does not have a college degree that she has claimed in court.... (Continue Reading)

Arroyo Grande man identified as suspect in Kristen Marti death

Written on 20 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


San Luis Obispo police have identified an Arroyo Grande man and local business owner as the sole person of interest in the Kristen Marti disappearance and death case. [Cal Coast Times] Robert Koehler, 36, is the owner of a local... (Continue Reading)

More judges, less access at SLO County courts

Written on 20 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 4 comments


OPINION by STEW JENKINS Six times in the Declaration of Independence Congress said that denial of access to independent, honest and opened courts was cause to sever ties with England. An independent honest judiciary is the lynchpin holding our democratic-republic... (Continue Reading)

SLO council delays plans for a tax hike

Written on 20 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 5 comments


Sensing the possibility that a new tax measure would not pass if placed on the ballot this year, the San Luis Obispo City Council decided to delay the initiative, as city officials spend more time pitching the tax hike to... (Continue Reading)

Los Osos woman arrested for attempted kidnapping

Written on 19 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


San Luis Obispo police have arrested a 50-year-old Los Osos woman for trying to kidnap a 3-year-old boy at the SLO Target store on Tuesday. [Cal Coast Times] On Wednesday, police circulated a surveillance image of the suspect who was... (Continue Reading)

Los Osos teen sentenced to seven years in prison

Written on 19 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


A San Luis Obispo County judge sentenced a Los Osos teen to seven years in prison for a DUI hit-and-run crash that killed a 22-year-old Cal Poly student. [Cal Coast Times] At about 11 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2017, a... (Continue Reading)

DA opts not to charge educators accused of assaulting students

Written on 19 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 5 comments


Two Central Coast educators who were accused of battering students have evaded charges following a conclusion by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office that the crime of battery could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in either... (Continue Reading)

SLO man killed in off-roading crash in Pozo

Written on 18 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


A 23-year-old San Luis Obispo man died in an off-roading accident on Monday. His body was discovered a day later by firefighters. [Cal Coast Times] Wolfgang Wyatt Forbes was riding a 1986 Suzuki Samurai on Stair Step Summit Trail in... (Continue Reading)

The SLO City Council’s abuse of power

Written on 18 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 12 comments


OPINION by T. KEITH GURNEE There are so many forms of abuse these days. It’s tough to keep track of all of them: sexual abuse. domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, spousal abuse, etc. With its Anholm Bikeway proposal, our... (Continue Reading)

Attempted kidnapping reported at Target in SLO

Written on 18 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


San Luis Obispo police have released a surveillance image of a woman who possibly attempted to kidnap a 3-year-old child at the SLO Target store on Tuesday. [Cal Coast Times] The suspect was seen possibly trying to lure the child... (Continue Reading)

Another racist incident at Cal Poly

Written on 18 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 20 comments


Following fresh allegations of racism at Cal Poly, including a new fraternity photo that surfaced, university President Jeffrey Armstrong announced Tuesday that all Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council fraternities and sororities have been placed on indefinite suspension. [Cal Coast Times] Last... (Continue Reading)

Hill and Gibson vote no on resolution opposing offshore oil

Written on 17 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 6 comments


At a contentious San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, supervisors Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson voted no on a resolution opposing offshore oil drilling that supervisors Lynn Compton and Debbie Arnold supported. Lacking a majority vote... (Continue Reading)

Child struck by vehicle in Templeton

Written on 17 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


A vehicle collided with a child bicyclist Tuesday morning in Templeton, resulting in the child being taken to the hospital. [Cal Coast Times] However, CHP spokesman Patrick Seebart says the child was uninjured. The young bicyclist was merely taken to... (Continue Reading)

Setting the sanitation district record straight

Written on 17 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 5 comments


OPINION by JOHN CLEMONS At the April 10 Arroyo Grande City Council meeting, former South Luis Obispo County Sanitation District Board member Mary Lucey gave false and incorrect information during public comment. She was speaking to my tenure as Chief... (Continue Reading)

Fact check: Sheriff Parkinson twists jail death statistics

Written on 16 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 13 comments


San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson appears to be twisting facts when it comes to whether or not the number of deaths in the SLO county jail is average or excessive. [Cal Coast Times] At a forum last week,... (Continue Reading)

Protests disrupt Cal Poly’s Open House

Written on 16 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 18 comments


As Cal Poly welcomed prospective students and their families over the weekend to the university’s annual Open House, hundreds of students boycotted the event, marched and protested on and off campus, creating an uneasy situation for administrators, particularly President Jeffrey... (Continue Reading)

Lynn Compton’s critics are way off-base

Written on 15 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 3 comments


OPINION by ELSA DAWSON It’s fascinating reading the drum-beat of nasty letters launched by Supervisor Lynn Compton’s critics in their efforts to demonize her for the many good things she’s done. Consider the park funding issue. Last year, after discovering... (Continue Reading)

SLO police searching for thief, video

Written on 15 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 5 comments


San Luis Obispo police are searching for a man who was caught on surveillance film Friday night burglarizing a car in SLO. [Cal Coast Times] In the video, a man wearing a white or light-colored sweatshirt with an emblem on... (Continue Reading)

Frat member speaks out about blackface accusations

Written on 14 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 16 comments


OPINION by KYLER WATKINS As a former Cal Poly Lambda Chi Alpha member, I would like to respond to numerous statements made by Cal Poly to the press regarding the Lambda Chi Alpha “blackface” incident, in addition to factual misstatements... (Continue Reading)

Activist attempts to save Cal Poly pig from slaughter, holds vigil

Written on 14 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 8 comments


Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is again under fire from a local activist. On Thursday, a15-year-old girl unsuccessfully attempted to stop the slaughter of a pig. Shortly before the pig was to be butchered as part of a meat processing... (Continue Reading)

Stop SLO officials’ steamroller mentality

Written on 13 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 8 comments


By ALLAN COOPER On the night of April 10, the San Luis Obispo City Council gave direction on a number of very important and controversial changes to the city’s zoning regulations. This direction on policy included: 1) significantly increasing the... (Continue Reading)

Two people die in Grover Beach over apparent drug overdose

Written on 13 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 6 comments


Police found a middle-aged man and woman dead inside a Grover Beach home Thursday evening with illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia at the scene. Grover Beach police have not revealed the suspected cause of death, and they say there were... (Continue Reading)

More suspensions over Cal Poly blackface

Written on 13 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 6 comments


Despite the suspension of Cal Poly’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha and the resignation of its leadership, some students and community members are continuing to express outrage over last weekend’s blackface incident both on campus and in the press. [Cal... (Continue Reading)

Cal Poly fraternity leaders quit over blackface scandal

Written on 12 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 9 comments


The chapter officers of Cal Poly’s Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity have all resigned over the blackface incident that has snowballed into national news story, not just a community controversy. [Cal Coast Times] On Saturday, while Cal Poly was holding its... (Continue Reading)

Turnover continues, Hill appoints Ortiz-Legg to planning commission

Written on 12 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 9 comments


San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill has appointed former state Assembly candidate Dawn Ortiz-Legg to the SLO County Planning Commission, pending approval from the board of supervisors. [Cal Coast Times] Ortiz-Legg, a public affairs specialist in the solar industry,... (Continue Reading)

Lucia Mar Unified School District bus driver allegedly abuses child, video

Written on 11 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 2 comments


The lawyers for the family who filed a lawsuit against the Lucia Mar Unified School District accusing a school bus driver of sexually molesting a 9-year-old special-needs child released a video of the suspected abuse on Tuesday. [KSBY] In the... (Continue Reading)

Hill rips SLO County for hiring PR firm over Holland video

Written on 10 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 10 comments


Several opponents of San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson’s reelection bid are criticizing county officials for spending money on hiring a public relations firm to direct crisis communications in the aftermath of the release of the video showing Andrew... (Continue Reading)

Sanitation district official’s failures need to be corrected

Written on 10 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Opinion | 8 comments


OPINION by JULIE TACKER The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District held a special closed session meeting on Saturday at 8 o’clock in the morning at the Courtyard Marriott hotel in the city of San Luis Obispo. They were... (Continue Reading)

Study ranks SLO County13 for pot friendliness

Written on 10 Apr, 2018 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 6 comments


San Luis Obispo County is ranked 13 out of 58 counties for pot friendliness, according to a study by the Southern California News Group. SLO County received a score of 20.9. [Cal Coast Times] A review of all marijuana ordinances... (Continue Reading)

Cal Poly fraternity member’s blackface makeup sparks controversy

Written on 9 Apr, 2018 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 17 comments


A Cal Poly fraternity is under university investigation and faced with community outrage after one of its members appeared in blackface at a brotherhood event over the weekend. A photo of the individual was later circulated online. [Cal Coast Times]... (Continue Reading)