Recent Articles

These are the most recent articles on CalCoastNews.com

Oceanfront concert at the Cliffs, fireworks and other Fourth of July events

Written on 2 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE For two years, the pandemic curtailed our county’s Fourth of July festivities. Now is the moment to make up for lost time! Celebrate your Fourth of July with a concert by Kevin Graybill on the oceanfront lawn... (Continue Reading)

Child’s jaw broken during melee at park in Paso Robles

Written on 2 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


By KAREN VELIE A teenager is in custody after he broke another boy’s jaw during a fight at the Downtown City Park in Paso Robles on Friday evening. The result of an ongoing feud, a 14-year-old suspect and a 12-year-old... (Continue Reading)

Jimmy Paulding wins SLO County supervisor seat, board majority undecided

Written on 2 Jul, 2022 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 4 comments


By KAREN VELIE Arroyo Grande resident Jimmy Paulding has won the District 4 Board of Supervisors’ seat displacing incumbent Lynn Compton, which places the board majority at stake as Bruce Gibson and Bruce Jones head to a runoff in November.... (Continue Reading)

Grover Beach man faces life in prison for disfiguring victim

Written on 1 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


By KAREN VELIE A jury convicted Jeremiah Leo Hernandez of Grover Beach of aggravated mayhem and assault after he slashed a man’s face with a knife in Pismo Beach, permanently disfiguring his victim. Shortly after 1 a.m. on Jan. 24,... (Continue Reading)

Deputies identify Paso Robles man killed in accident at truck stop

Written on 1 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office identified the man killed in an accident at the Paso Robles Truck Center on Thursday as 40-year-old Cesar Rivera Villegas. Shortly before 4 p.m., Villegas of Paso Robles was preparing... (Continue Reading)

DUI driver leads officers on chase from Atascadero to Pismo Beach

Written on 1 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 4 comments


By KAREN VELIE An allegedly intoxicated driver led officers on a high-speed chase Thursday evening from Atascadero to Pismo Beach, culminating with a crash on Highway 101. Shortly before 7 p.m., a 911 caller reported a possible DUI driver traveling... (Continue Reading)

Missing San Luis Obispo man found dead

Written on 1 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 4 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN A 37-year-old San Luis Obispo man who was reported missing this week, and who was apparently having a mental health crisis, has been found dead. On Wednesday at about 2 p.m., a person reported Jason Errecalde missing... (Continue Reading)

SLO County’s clerk-recorder counts on herself

Written on 1 Jul, 2022 in Featured, Opinion | 18 comments


OPINION by CYNTHIA MUIR It’s amazing that San Luis Obispo County’s appointed clerk recorder Elaina Cano, relatively unknown, who barely campaigned if at all, would have such a high percentage of the current election results. As of the June 25... (Continue Reading)

One person killed in industrial accident in rural Paso Robles

Written on 1 Jul, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN One person was killed in an accident at the Paso Robles Truck Center on Thursday. At about 4 p.m., Cal Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency north of Paso Robles on Monterey Road near Wellsona Road.... (Continue Reading)

Live music at the Sea Shanty in Cayucos

Written on 30 Jun, 2022 in Discovered, Featured | One comment


Editor’s Note: The following series, “Life in Radically Gentrifying Cayucos by the Sea,” to be posted biweekly includes the notes, thoughts, and opinions of an original American voice: author Dell Franklin.  Franklin’s memoir, “Life On The Mississippi, 1969,” is currently... (Continue Reading)

California DOJ leaks some gun owners personal information

Written on 30 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 16 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN The California Department of Justice has inadvertently made public the personal information of many concealed carry permit holders, as well as individuals who were denied citizen concealed weapon (CCW) permits. On Monday, the DOJ updated its Firearms... (Continue Reading)

Support vehicles on the Oceano Dunes, win a trailer

Written on 30 Jun, 2022 in Featured, Opinion | No comments


OPINION by JIM SUTY The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area has been under constant threat of closure which forced a grassroots organization, Friends of Oceano Dunes, to take up the challenge to defend their continued access. For over 20... (Continue Reading)

Vehicle sparked Camino Fire in rural Arroyo Grande

Written on 30 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 2 comments


BY KAREN VELIE Cal Fire San Luis Obispo investigators determined a broken catalytic converter sparked the Camino Fire in the Huasna area of rural Arroyo Grande. The fire, which has burned 375 acres, is 65% contained as of Thursday morning.... (Continue Reading)

San Luis Obispo apartment renters have little space, research finds

Written on 30 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 13 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo fairs among the worst cities in the country in the amount of personal space renters have in apartments. [Tribune] In San Luis Obispo, there are on average 2.47 renters per apartment and 1.09 rooms... (Continue Reading)

New COVID cases in SLO County continue dropping, 2 new deaths

Written on 30 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE The number of new COVID infections in San Luis Obispo County decreased 33% during the past week, according to the SLO County Health Department. New reported cases dropped from a daily average of 109 on June 22... (Continue Reading)

Firefighters battle house fire in Nipomo

Written on 29 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE Firefighters battled a fire at a home in Nipomo on Wednesday afternoon. Shortly after noon, a caller reported a home on fire on Burton Street near Sea Street. The resident was away, but his two dogs were... (Continue Reading)

Three more gang members found guilty in Santa Maria murder case

Written on 29 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 4 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN A jury convicted three MS-13 gang members on Monday of a series of murders and other crimes committed in northern Santa Barbara County, the final verdict in a case that consisted of two separate trials. Amid a... (Continue Reading)

Camino Fire burns 325 acres in rural Arroyo Grande

Written on 29 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


BY KAREN VELIE Fueled by dry and drought stressed conditions, the Camino Fire has burned 325 acres in the Huasna area of rural Arroyo Grande as of Wednesday morning. Firefighters have achieved 30% containment and report that no structures are... (Continue Reading)

Pismo Beach man convicted of sexually abusing multiple children

Written on 29 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN A Pismo Beach man could face a life sentence after a jury convicted him on Tuesday of molesting three minors under the age of 14. Todd Anthony Hortillosa, 44, sexual abused the children over a nine-year period.... (Continue Reading)

Who will control the SLO County Board of Supervisors?

Written on 28 Jun, 2022 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 10 comments


By KAREN VELIE With most of the ballots counted, it appears San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson is headed to a runoff with Dr. Bruce Jones in the District 2 race. In the District 4 race, Jimmy Paulding is... (Continue Reading)

Four people injured in rollover crash at the Oceano Dunes

Written on 28 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 7 comments


By KAREN VELIE Four people were injured in a single-vehicle crash at the Oceano Dunes on Tuesday afternoon. Shortly after noon, a 19-year-old was driving an off-road vehicle on a 15-foot dune when the vehicle rolled. The crash left four... (Continue Reading)

Brush fire east of Arroyo Grande grows to 200 acres, threatens structures

Written on 28 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


By KAREN VELIE A brush fire burning in rural Arroyo Grande off Huasna Road on Tuesday has scorched over 200 acres. Shortly after noon, a caller reported a fire burning in the 8400 block of Huasna Road. The fire quickly... (Continue Reading)

Fire that threatened dog kennel in Paso Robles fully contained

Written on 28 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE A vegetation fire in Paso Robles resulted in a call to evacuate 40 dogs from a nearby kennel, shortly before firefighters contained the blaze and the evacuation was called off. At 11:18 a.m., a caller reported a... (Continue Reading)

Vandalism and fire at elementary school in Orcutt

Written on 28 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating whether vandalism at an Orcutt elementary school is connected to a fire that broke out on the campus several days earlier. [KCOY] On the afternoon of June 19, a caller... (Continue Reading)

Arroyo Grande woman ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution

Written on 28 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


By KAREN VELIE A 57-year-old bookkeeper from Arroyo Grande was ordered on Monday to pay restitution of $1,304,524 to Rick Machado Livestock. Late last year, Ginger Lee Mankins was sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzlement. Mankins stole more... (Continue Reading)

SLO officers seeking to identify two stabbing suspects

Written on 27 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo Police are asking for the public’s help identifying possible suspects in two recent stabbings. Shortly before 2 a.m. on June 19, a caller reported a stabbing at the Library Bar on Higuera Street. Officers... (Continue Reading)

Is Central Coast shark the world’s largest great white?

Written on 27 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By JOSH FRIEDMAN The shark that attacked a Central Coast swimmer in Monterey Bay last week may be one of the largest great whites in the world. [Newsweek] Shortly before 11 a.m. on June 22, the shark attacked Steve Bruemmer,... (Continue Reading)

California Republicans introduce bill to save Diablo Canyon

Written on 27 Jun, 2022 in Uncovered SLO | 9 comments


By KAREN VELIE California Republicans introduced legislation last week that would keep Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo County operating beyond its expected 2025 closure date. Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.) introduced the Clean Energy Production Acton... (Continue Reading)

Robbers shoot and stab victims in Santa Maria

Written on 27 Jun, 2022 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


  By JOSH FRIEDMAN Robbers allegedly shot and critically injured one person and stabbed another in Santa Maria early Sunday morning. At about 3:30 a.m., a caller reported a shooting in the area of Knudsen Way and Western Avenue. The... (Continue Reading)

A perfect storm at Diablo Canyon in SLO County

Written on 26 Jun, 2022 in Featured, Opinion | 8 comments


OPINION by JOEY RICANO There has always been a myriad of threats to the precious coast of California. Sewage, over fishing, oil drilling and recently, seismic testing, to name a few. But never before have so many of these threats... (Continue Reading)