Cover Story
Education today 2025: Growing minds
For our annual Education Today issue, we delve into various aspects of student growth. In Paso Robles, the community wants its kids to be more empathetic, so the district held inclusion and excellence training. Staff Writer Libbey Hanson spoke with the district and Diversity Coalition of SLO about the results. Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal gets…
San Luis Obispo’s Fresh Paint Co. receives a new coat with an all-women painter team focusing on interiors
When San Luis Obispo’s Fresh Paint Co. owner Jim Ringley found out that the United States is experiencing a shortage of workers in trades, he turned to people not immediately thought of for such jobs: women. “Big corporations like Sherwin-Williams are reaching out to Spanish-speaking people and to women in order to bring more people…
Great American Melodrama turns 50 with a special show mixing melodrama with vintage, contemporary vaudeville
Get your tickets for the 50th The Great American Melodrama presents its 50th Anniversary show that will mix traditional melodrama, vintage vaudeville, and contemporary vaudeville at its Oceano theater (1863 Front St.) from Friday, Aug. 8, through Saturday, Sept. 20. Purchase tickets online at americanmelodrama.com or call (805) 489-2499. Melodrama may have enjoyed its theatrical…
Paso Robles School District and the Diversity Coalition of SLO are working to create more empathetic students
Today’s educators don’t just feel the pressure to teach students to read, write, add, and subtract—they also feel the responsibility of ensuring their pupils leave the K-12 school system as more empathetic human beings. At least that’s what Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) and the Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo are working…
Lisa Tupetz of Pismo Beach wins ‘Importer of the Year’ at Sommeliers Choice Awards
Back in 2008, at age 19, Lisa Tupetz left her hometown of Cologne, Germany, to live and work with her mother’s best friend in Christchurch, New Zealand. The friend, Lisa Scholz, co-founder and former owner of renowned restaurant and wine bar Saggio di Vino, said Tupetz had just finished high school and had no idea…
Central Coast county education offices look at metrics beyond state assessments for student success
Ten years ago, a new computer-based test for California students replaced the paper-reliant standardizing testing and reporting program. Called the Smarter Balanced assessments, the tests measure third through eighth graders’ and 11th graders’ knowledge of the state’s English language arts and math standards. But only 13 percent and 0.8 percent of students served by the…
Colors of Conservation art show comes to the Octagon Barn Aug. 8 and 9
By any measure, SLO County is beautiful, from rolling farmlands to rocky peaks to coastal waters. This month, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County and SLOPE (San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment) will highlight Central Coast beauty at their annual Colors of Conservation fundraising art show on Friday, Aug. 8 (5 to…
Explore Ecology and One Cool Earth show Central Coast students the value of a garden-to-table lifestyle
Reading. Writing. Arithmetic. Cauliflower. Alongside the three Rs, growing minds are learning the ins and outs of growing food at local schools with gardening programs like Explore Ecology. “I think one of my favorite things to grow with kids is cauliflower, which may sound like one of those vegetables that a lot of times they’ve…
County libraries host back-to-school event at Cuesta College on Aug. 9
SLO County Libraries are inviting Central Coast families to a free back-to-school extravaganza on the Cuesta College campus on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event promises to be four hours of nonstop fun, and maybe a little learning too. Touch-a-Truck lets you interact with squad cars, big trucks, and engines…
Musician, activist, and humanitarian Michael Franti plays Vina Robles Amphitheatre Aug. 15
“This tour isn’t just about the music—it’s about celebrating what really matters: connection, resilience, and finding light even in tough times,” Spearhead frontman Michael Franti explained in press materials regarding his current Welcome to the Family Tour, coming to Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Friday, Aug. 15 (doors at 6, show at 7:30 p.m.; all ages;…
The Naked Gun is silly fun
THE NAKED GUN What’s it rated? PG-13What’s it worth, Anna? Stream itWhat’s it worth, Glen? MatineeWhere’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 Akiva Schaffer (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers) directs and co-writes this fourth installment of the Naked Gun franchise. Following in the footsteps of his father, Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam…
The Central Coast desperately needs to build its way out of the housing crisis
We are pro-housing. Period. At Generation Build, housing is our core mission. We advocate for it all: for all types, at all levels. Unlike some organizations, we aren’t afraid to engage in the tough political conversations that others shy away from. That’s because we know real progress requires bold action, not empty platitudes. To solve…
Newsom’s mid-decade redistricting is dangerous gerrymandering
Gov. Newsom has proposed mid-decade redistricting to redraw California’s congressional lines—not to serve the people, but to play political revenge games with Texas. This is gerrymandering, plain and simple. And a dangerous step backward. Californians fought hard to end the days of shady, backroom map deals. In 2008, we passed Proposition 11 to create the…
Winner chronicles the true story of NSA translator Reality Winner, imprisoned for releasing classified documents
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Hulu This black comedy may be based on a true story, but it was new to me despite only happening eight years ago in 2017. Emilia Jones plays Reality, a young woman whose big brain and big dreams want more than her little hometown life in…
The latest Texas two-step has the entire nation in suspense as the GOP takes a torch to our democracy
In case you missed it, the Texas State Legislature is embroiled in yet another intense debate over voting rights, this one about a blatant attempt to “gerrymander” congressional districts to create five more GOP seats to rig the 2026 election. Except this debate is not actually happening right now, because more than 50 Democratic legislators…
Schooled
In honor of our Education Today issue, behold the things I learned in public school: how to get in a straight line; how to shut my mouth; how to sort-of-learn in 50-minute increments then switch to another topic; how to raise my hand; how to retain and regurgitate information on a short-term basis. Ta-da! Conformed…
Shark Whisperer documents the work of controversial marine conservationist Ocean Ramsey
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix Depending on who you ask, Ocean Ramsey is either a serious marine conservationist with an unorthodox approach or a crazy woman and self-aggrandizer who risks her life for online clicks and likes. Netflix’s new documentary—co-directed by Harrison Macks, James Reed (My Octopus Teacher), and JT…
Locals concerned Homeland Security funding for SLO County Sheriff could aid ICE
Some San Luis Obispo County residents are worried that the Board of Supervisors’ approval of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant for the Sheriff’s Office could encourage local law enforcement to bolster Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) crackdown on undocumented immigrants. “I think it’s a naïve amount of optimism to believe that what the…
Gifford Fire scorches more than 83,000 acres east of Santa Maria
Less than a week after the Madre Fire was declared 100 percent contained, it was dethroned by the Gifford Fire as California’s largest wildfire of the year. Both wildfires impacted several areas along Highway 166, prompting evacuation warnings and orders across different parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. While the Madre Fire…
Survivor of alleged sexual assault files suit against former Hancock instructor, Mason Bar
Former Allan Hancock College instructor Kevin Daily, who’s facing a case of alleged sexual assault stemming from charges filed by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, is now being sued by the survivor of the reported abuse. Jacqueline Doe—the woman identified in the DA’s Office complaint from 2022—sued Daily on May 9 for…
