Recent Articles

These are the most recent articles on CalCoastNews.com

SLO man arrested for transforming home and yard into illegal pot grow

Written on 20 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo police officers arrested a 26-year-old man last week for allegedly transforming his home and yard into an illegal cannabis grow, police said. In 2020, officers charged Spencer Jefferson with illegal cultivation of marijuana at... (Continue Reading)

SLO County to continue mask mandate, back in tier system

Written on 20 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County will continue to require people wear masks in public places until two benchmarks are met, the county health department announced Wednesday. The health department will not lift the mask mandate until the county... (Continue Reading)

Cal Poly to switch from quarters to semesters, following CSU demand

Written on 20 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Upon the demand of the California State University system, Cal Poly will switch from a quarters calendar to a semesters schedule. Currently, Cal Poly is the only CSU campus that remains on the quarter system. In 2012,... (Continue Reading)

Goleta man allegedly starts home on fire

Written on 20 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a reportedly mentally ill man who allegedly set a house in Goleta on fire early Tuesday morning, injuring at least one person. On Monday evening, deputies arrived at a home in... (Continue Reading)

DUI driver hits mother walking children to Arroyo Grande school

Written on 20 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By KAREN VELIE An intoxicated man, with a history of driving under the influence, crashed into a woman walking her two children to Harloe Elementary in Arroyo Grande on Tuesday morning. Shortly after 8 a.m., 35-year-old Michael Kiss allegedly crashed... (Continue Reading)

SLO County supervisors deny appeal, allow 31 oil wells

Written on 19 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 8 comments


By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to deny an appeal and allow additional time for an oil company to drill the final 31 of 95 approved wells at an Arroyo Grande oilfield, with Supervisor... (Continue Reading)

SLO County reports 186 new COVID-19 cases, no new deaths

Written on 19 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County reported 186 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a slight increase in new cases from a daily average of 37 on Friday to 40 on Tuesday. The number of SLO County residents in hospitals... (Continue Reading)

SLO County Farm Bureau, assessor win inheritance tax battle

Written on 19 Oct, 2021 in Featured, Opinion | 13 comments


OPINION by BRENT BURCHETT Farm and ranch families can once again pass along their land to the next generation, thanks to work by Farm Bureau and our very own San Luis Obispo County Assessor Tom Bordonaro. For those who don’t... (Continue Reading)

Students walk out of SLO County schools to protest vaccine mandate

Written on 19 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 14 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN At least hundreds, and possibly thousands, of San Luis Obispo County parents pulled their children out of school as part of a statewide walkout Monday in protest of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for schools. [Tribune]... (Continue Reading)

DUI driver crashes through fence at Chevron in SLO

Written on 19 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 2 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN An allegedly intoxicated driver slammed into a dumpster and a chain link fence at a San Luis Obispo gas station Monday night. The individual was driving a black Chevrolet sports car near the Chevron station on Monterey... (Continue Reading)

Adam Hill spent $40,000 in campaign money on his criminal defense

Written on 19 Oct, 2021 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 15 comments


By KAREN VELIE If you were one of the donors to former San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill’s campaign in 2020, then along with the SLO County Deputy Sheriff’s Association you probably helped pay for his criminal defense attorney.... (Continue Reading)

Dust storm shuts down Highway 41 near Cholame ‘Y’

Written on 18 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 2 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Authorities closed Highway 41 between highways 33 and 46 Sunday night because of a dust storm in the area, Caltrans announced. Caltrans stated in a tweet that the dust storm was causing “zero visibility.” It is unclear... (Continue Reading)

Two people killed, one wounded in shootings in Lompoc

Written on 18 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | One comment


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Two victims died and another person suffered injuries in a pair of shootings in Lompoc that occurred within a span of two and a half hours on Sunday. First, shortly before noon a caller reported a shooting... (Continue Reading)

Suspect in Pismo Beach stabbing arrested

Written on 17 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE One man is in jail and another is in the hospital following a stabbing in Pismo Beach on Saturday afternoon. Shortly after 2 p.m., a caller reported a stabbing in the 400 block of Price Street. Officers... (Continue Reading)

Victorian style home and vineyard for sale in San Miguel

Written on 17 Oct, 2021 in Discovered, Featured | No comments


Surrounded by acres of rolling vineyards, this Victorian-style home is the ultimate wine country dream, currently on the market for $2,495,000. This picturesque 120-acre property in San Miguel offers it all, including a historic vineyard, vibrant garden, and beautiful barn... (Continue Reading)

Firefighters quickly contain Pirate’s Cove and Paso Robles fires

Written on 16 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 2 comments


By KAREN VELIE Firefighters quickly contained two fires during the past 24 hours, one in Paso Robles and the other at Pirate’s Cove near Avila Beach. At about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, a caller reported a fire burning at Pirate’s... (Continue Reading)

Bicycle thefts remain rampant in SLO, though cases decreasing

Written on 15 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 17 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN A total of 143 bike thefts have been reported in the city of San Luis Obispo thus far in 2021. [Mustang News] While bike thefts remain rampant in the city, the number of bicycles stolen over the... (Continue Reading)

4 new COVID-19 deaths, SLO County cases continue to fall

Written on 15 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County reported four new COVID-19 deaths on Friday, and a decline in new cases from a daily average of 46 on Tuesday to 37 on Friday. Those who recently succumbed to the virus range... (Continue Reading)

SLO County Clerk Recorder error leads to Tribune correction

Written on 15 Oct, 2021 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 11 comments


By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo Tribune slammed SLO County Supervisor Lynn Compton this week in an article claiming she was illegally raising money for her campaign, before insinuating a speaker at one of her upcoming fundraising events is... (Continue Reading)

Highway 101 reopens, Alisal Fire partly contained

Written on 15 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN With containment of the Alisal Fire in Santa Barbara County increasing, Highway 101 has reopened in both directions between Goleta and Highway 1. Additionally, the railway that runs parallel to Highway 101 in the area of the... (Continue Reading)

Paso Robles teachers protest for higher pay

Written on 14 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 20 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Despite receiving pay of more than $70,000 a year on average, Paso Robles teachers say they are in dire need of a wage increase. [Tribune] More than 100 teachers, parents and community members demonstrated Tuesday evening outside... (Continue Reading)

Vehicles strike two Santa Maria children on their way to school

Written on 14 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 2 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Drivers struck two school children in Santa Maria this week, seriously injuring at least one of the students. On Wednesday morning, a young girl was struck on her way to school near the intersection of Railroad Avenue... (Continue Reading)

Arroyo Grande woman sentenced to 10 years for embezzlement

Written on 13 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 3 comments


By KAREN VELIE A 56-year-old bookkeeper from Arroyo Grande was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to embezzlement. Ginger Lee Mankins allegedly stole more than $5 million from Rick Machado Livestock and B&D Farms. Initially... (Continue Reading)

SLO County may allow landowners to rent out campsites

Written on 13 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 25 comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo County is considering changes to its camping ordinance that would allow property owners to rent out camping facilities on their land. [Tribune] Proposed changes to the county ordinance would allow for permanent or temporary... (Continue Reading)

Alisal Fire burns nearly 15,000 acres, scorches landfill

Written on 13 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN The Alisal Fire that is scorching Refugio Canyon and the Gaviota Coast more than doubled in size over the last 24 hours, and it burned part of a landfill, damaging equipment at the facility. Between Tuesday morning... (Continue Reading)

New COVID-19 cases in SLO County continue to plummet

Written on 12 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | 5 comments


By KAREN VELIE The number of new COVID-19 cases plummeted from a daily average of 51 on Friday to 46 on Tuesday, with no new deaths. However, the number of SLO County residents in hospitals receiving treatment for the virus... (Continue Reading)

SLO County supervisors select new county clerk recorder

Written on 12 Oct, 2021 in Featured, Uncovered SLO | 9 comments


By KAREN VELIE After learning one of the final three candidates had dropped out of the race for San Luis Obispo County Clerk Recorder, county supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to appoint Elaina Cano, ending a contentious battle. During her... (Continue Reading)

Alisal Fire in Santa Barbara County fire nearly doubles in size

Written on 12 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Fueled by gusty winds, the Alisal Fire, which is ravaging the Gaviota area of Santa Barbara County, nearly doubled in size overnight. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the fire has burned 6,000 acres and is 0 percent... (Continue Reading)

Windy, dry conditions spark fires from San Simeon to Gaviota

Written on 12 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By JOSH FRIEDMAN Amid windy, dry conditions; power lines sparked a pair of fires in San Luis Obispo County on Monday. In Santa Barbara County, a wind-driven fire led to the closure of Highway 101 in the Gaviota area. In... (Continue Reading)

5,432 customers without power in San Luis Obispo County

Written on 11 Oct, 2021 in Daily Briefs, Featured | No comments


By KAREN VELIE While PG&E shut off the power to 246 customers in San Luis Obispo County because of gusty winds that could increase the risk of wildfires, another 5,196 customers also lost power during Monday’s wind event. In 2019,... (Continue Reading)