Correction
• In last week’s news brief, “The two SLO County supervisors’ races are too close to call,” New Times incorrectly reported how much Michael Erin Woody raised in his campaign for 2nd District supervisor. Woody raised $56,106. New Times stated a higher amount and regrets the error. ∆
SLO County DA Dan Dow doesn’t get his budget request for more positions
SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow’s late budget request asking for five more full-time positions isn’t moving ahead after the Board of Supervisors denied it during the June 8 budget presentation. “Each of the 26 departments is being asked to live within their means because of the budget challenges that this board faces,” 4th District…
Morro Elementary purchase moved to new fiscal year budget
The Morro Bay City Council removed the planned purchase of Morro Elementary from the city’s current budget, a procedural adjustment officials say has no impact on the city’s effort to acquire the historic campus. The change, approved during City Council budget deliberations on May 26, shifts the $5.3 million purchase from the current fiscal year…
San Luis Coastal Unified School District elementary school libraries restructure, causing parent complaints
Six full time librarians will be spread out across the 10 elementary schools in San Luis Coastal Unified School District next school year thanks to an estimated $190,000 reduction in the elementary library media tech budget. The middle and high schools will remain fully staffed. “Libraries, that’s like the heart of what literacy is and…
Vote counts flip in SLO County supervisor race as ballots are tallied
Despite initial vote counts showing Michael Erin Woody ahead in the race for San Luis Obispo County’s 2nd District supervisor seat, the race flipped as ballot counts continue, with Jim Dantona holding the lead as of June 10. The 2nd District race wasn’t the only contest in the county that changed course since those first…
Grudge match
What do we do with Dan Dow—the county’s elected official with the biggest mouth? After low-key threatening to sue the county if it didn’t fund his late-to-the-game budget request for the District Attorney’s Office, he did walk it back ever so slightly. Dow and outgoing 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson sparred over the comment in…
Xavier Becerra is set to be the next Latino governor, but a local man was our first
I won’t count chickens until they’re hatched, but I will go out on a limb to predict that Xavier Becerra will become the second Latino governor of California. Prediction markets already show Becerra with a 75 percent chance of winning. He’d be the first elected Latino governor in California. History shows, however, that our first…
Why don’t the people vote?
No interest in a primary election? Not enough Vote for Me flyers from candidates? Does it take massive advertisements from and about candidates to alert the voters to vote? Are voters unaware unless there is a contest generating ads on radio, TV, or in our mailboxes that there is an election and they should care…
Oceano Airport deserves facts, not guesswork
The recent letter from the Oceano Beach Community Association calling for Oceano Airport to be converted into a vertiport is putting the cart before the horse (“The Oceano Airport needs to evolve,” June 4). Before Oceano abandons another public asset, we should examine the facts. The authors, who have no aviation experience, argue that the…
The Oceano Dunes is paid for by your gas taxes
A common argument for continuing driving and off-roading on the Oceano beach and dunes is that if vehicles go away, then the off-highway vehicle (OHV) funds that protect the snowy plover will go away too. Probably, yes, some of it will go away. But so would the biggest threat to the snowy plover and the…
Welcome Home Village opened June 8 in San Luis Obispo to transition locals out of homelessness
A new housing village designed to help people transition out of homelessness and into stable housing opened June 8 in San Luis Obispo, marking a new approach to addressing local encampments along the Central Coast. Welcome Home Village, located on the County Health Agency Campus in San Luis Obispo, will provide housing and supportive services for…
After being closed for more than a month, the Oceano Dunes reopened to vehicles and camping
For SunBuggy Fun Rentals owner Randy Jordan, when the Oceano Dunes reopened to vehicle traffic and campers on May 21, it meant his business could start renting out ATVs, dune buggies, and side-by-sides again. “I think it’s great, and I think you really know how much you’re going to miss something when you have to…
Memory of a Killer chronicles a hitman experiencing dementia
Based on the 1985 Belgian novel and 2003 film De Zaak Alzheimer, this TV series follows Angelo Doyle (Patrick Dempsey), a contract killer trying to keep his family life separate from his life of crime while experiencing early signs of dementia. He often visits his brother, Michael (Richard Clarkin), who’s got Alzheimer’s disease and lives…
The Boroughs is Stranger Things for retirees
Last year The Thursday Murder Club saw some older stars solve a mystery in their retirement home, and now The Boroughs does the same—but with a very Stranger Things twist. THE BOROUGHSWhat’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2026Where’s it showing? Netflix Sam, played by the always epic Alfred Molina, has come to the “idyllic” community kicking and…
Balls Up offers big dumb mismatched buddy comedy vibes
Peter Farrelly (Green Book) directs this script by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese about product inventor Elijah DeBell (Paul Walter Hauser)—who dreams up a condom that fully covers male genitals, which he calls The Testicle Sentinel—and salesman Brad Lewison (Mark Wahlberg), who with Elijah is tasked with pitching the product to Brazil’s Travel Ministry as…
SLO County libraries invite you to take the Summer Reading Challenge
Long days and a slower pace make summers the ideal reading season, and the SLO County libraries are ready to fill your book bag with material sure to entertain and educate. “Summer is our time to celebrate readers and libraries. We aim to keep kids reading over the summer so that they’re ready for the…
See San Francisco painter Casey Gray’s landscapes at Left Field
San Francisco painter Casey Gray is best known for vibrant, colorful, stylized still lifes, but for his new show, Lay of the Land, hanging at Left Field Gallery through July 5, he’s turned his attention to landscapes. The results are stunning. “Gray expands his practice into landscape for the first time, translating his distinct visual…
Nederlander Concerts buys Vina Robles Amphitheatre
A new chapter in Vina Robles Amphitheatre’s rocky saga has begun, and it promises to bring new life to the venue, which was years in the making. You may recall its initial architect died before construction began. When it finally opened, its first season was a financial disappointment. The venue’s first general manager was fired, and…
Blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite headlines the last night of Live Oak with GA-20
Charlie Musselwhite is an old-school blues legend. GA-20 is a band dedicated to keeping the old-school blues flame alive. Together, they’re a match made in heaven, and they’re headlining the last night of the Live Oak Music Festival at El Chorro Regional Park on Sunday, June 21 (8:45 p.m.; tickets at liveoakfest.org). “GA-20 is named…
Ídola is bringing unique, natural wines to the downtown SLO tasting scene
Ídola wine co.’s new tasting room, slated to open on June 19 at the Creamery Marketplace in downtown San Luis Obispo, offers a transcendent experience within its intimate 575-square-foot space. Peruse the portfolioVisit ídola’s online shop—with nationwide shipping—at idolawineco.com and follow the company on Instagram @idolawineco. The soon-to-open tasting room will be open Thursday to…
