Cover Story
Smoke plumes: The Gifford Fire in SLO and Santa Barbara counties tops 125,000 acres
Air tankers and drones are among the forms of aerial support available to the crews—made up of more than 4,500 personnel—tackling the Gifford Fire, which has grown to more than 129,000 acres since Aug. 1. Helicopters are in the mix as well—some armed with a crucial accessory firefighters are using to essentially fight fire with…
Arroyo Grande parents’ rights advocate Shannon Kessler runs for Assembly
Arroyo Grande resident Shannon Kessler is challenging Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) for the California State Assembly’s 30th District seat in 2026. The San Luis Obispo County Republican Party-backed Kessler propelled herself into the public eye earlier this year for criticizing the inclusion of transgender student athletes in gendered sports categories and locker rooms. That…
San Miguel water treatment plant receives approval for $54 million upgrades
San Miguel’s wastewater facility needs updates—not only to accommodate a growing population, but to keep up with state mandates. Those enhancements are now in the realm of possibility after the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission unanimously approved the expansion of the Machado Wastewater Treatment Facility on July 24, allowing it to more than double…
RTA providing buses for SLO County students amid a school bus shortage
School buses in Paso Robles are going to look a little different this year—less yellow, more blue and green. That’s because the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority, or RTA, is offering another bus route starting Aug. 14 to get students to and from school amid the Paso school district’s bus shortage and increasing ridership…
Freakier Friday delivers emotive body swap comedy
FREAKIER FRIDAY What’s it rated? PGWhat’s it worth, Chuck? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 Nisha Ganatra (Late Night, The High Note) directs this sequel to Freaky Friday (2003), itself a remake of a 1976 film based on Mary Rodgers’ 1972 novel. It’s been 22…
Singer-songwriter Don Lampson plays a rare solo gig at The Porch on Aug. 16
Singer-songwriter Don Lampson used to perform in public regularly, but these days his live shows are few and far between. The last time he played before an audience was earlier this year on Feb. 11, when he joined Nashville singer-songwriters Jade Jackson and Josh Wolfe in an intimate singer-in-the-round evening at The Range in Santa…
Casino is an expansive, gritty mob picture
What’s it rated? R When? 1995 Where’s it showing? Friday, Aug. 15, 7:15 p.m. at the Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo Director and co-writer Martin Scorsese knows his way around a mob picture, and in this sprawling story that takes place over more than a decade, we see Chicago sport handicapper Sam “Ace” Rothstein…
Grover Beach’s Stacy Korsgaden pins insurance crisis on Proposition 103 in her bid for California Insurance Commissioner
Licensed Grover Beach insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden is combining her political ambitions with her career roots by running for California Insurance Commissioner. “People are suffering,” Korsgaden said. “I talk to people that have no house payment. All of a sudden, their home insurance is being canceled, and their costs are going up three, four, five…
Into the Wild is cautionary tale of an idealist and dreamer
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2007 Where’s it showing? Monday, Aug. 18, 5:30 p.m., at the Bay Theatre of Morro Bay Sean Penn directs this 2007 film he adapted from Jon Krakauer’s novel about the true story of Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a disconnected recent college grad who travels throughout North America, eventually making his…
SLO County Clerk-Recorder’s Office is offering speedy wedding ceremonies on the spot at its counters
“I now pronounce you married,” is often heard now in the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office after it started offering express marriage ceremonies at its counter. Clerk-Recorder’s Office Public Information Officer Erin Clausen said that this specific service started on July 1 and has been a hit after having more than 400,000 views on…
Condesa mixes romance, cocktails, and modern Mexican cuisine on SLO’s Monterey Street
Cocktail hourFind Condesa at condesabarslo.com, at 1491 Monterey St. in SLO, and on Instagram @condesabarslo. Hours are Monday through Sunday from 4 to 11 p.m. with happy hour, meals past 9 p.m., and party brunches coming soon. A Bohemian neighborhood in Mexico City—dotted with a mix of colonial, art deco, and modern architecture; named for…
Cayucos author Debbie Noble Black’s new preadolescent book series entertains and edifies
Learn from the best Award-winning Cayucos author Debbie Noble Black will teach Kid Lit 101 on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27, during the 41st annual Central Coast Writers’ Conference held at Cuesta College. “It’s an overview of writing for kids. A lot of people want to write for kids but don’t know where…
Photographer Michael Johnston shows her work in Gallery at Marina Square through Aug. 29
Watching a horse gallop freely through a field instantly inspires feelings of freedom. The fact that these powerful creatures can form close bonds with humans adds to our love and respect for them. In equine fine art photographer Michael Johnston’s work, each of her images captures this twin feeling of freedom and power, which you…
Painter Drew Mayerson’s work is in the window of Studios on the Park through August
Drew Mayerson’s loosely painted Hollywood Taxis has a dreamy quality that perfectly captures Southern California light. He looks “for ordinary scenes that can be described as muted with a noticeable splash of color or light that draws the viewer into the painting,” he said in his artist statement as the featured artist at Paso Robles’…
We need to speak up about the humanitarian crises across the globe and at home
With so many humanitarian atrocities continuing to happen here locally on the Central Coast, in our state, across the United States and globally, I’ve spent many sleepless hours pondering how I’ve become so disillusioned and frustrated with Americans. Until this year, I’ve been proud to be an American and part of our society that I…
The shooting range near Morro Bay should be reopened
The closure of our local range has gone on far too long. I know hundreds of locals who had volunteered and invested the majority of their free time for over the last 30 to 40 years to create one of the safest and best public shooting ranges on the West Coast. This public range has…
A fabricated ’emergency’ aims to reduce environmental protections
Do you know about the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule? It prioritizes the health and resilience of ecosystems on public lands. The rule, legally binding on the actions and decisions of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), requires them to “protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make informed management decisions based on science and…
Not the answer
Is Stacy Korsgaden the answer to California’s insurance crisis? I’ll bet the most recent increase in home insurance rates that she isn’t. The twice-failed supervisor candidate and Grover Beach Republican is betting on your next home insurance rate increase that she is—as in, she thinks California’s insurance commissioner shouldn’t be able to tell insurance companies…
