Hearst land plan details will
be aired
Details of the proposed Hearst Ranch land deal will be presented to the public during the next few weeks after a year of secret negotiations.
The American Land Conservancy will release data on the plan prior to May 5, when the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments will decide whether to contribute $23 million in federal and state transportation funds.
California's Transportation Commission may be ready to finalize the funding by the middle of May.
The 82,000-acre parcel will be subjected to limited development under the plan. Sales price for the property is $80 million, plus $15 million in tax credits, to be paid by voter-approved state bonds. The land is worth an estimated $200 million; the balance of its value will be donated by the Hearst family.
Hearst Corp. would keep San Simeon Point, specific beach areas not purchased by Caltrans, and the rest of the land east of Highway 1.
Under the plan, Hearst Corp. would be able to construct a 100-room hotel at Old San Simeon Village, and 27 five-acre home sites.
Other than agricultural use, no other use or development will be allowed.
Caltrans would purchase most of the 18 miles of coastal property west of Highway 1. And Hearst would donate 500 acres east of the highway for road movement and erosion control.
Sheriff's report alleges Yecny struggled
Excessive force was not a factor in the March 13 custody death of San Luis Obispo resident Keith Yecny, according to a report issued by Sheriff Pat Hedges.
According to the report-which absolves jail deputies and other personnel of any responsibility in the 23-year-old man's death-Yecny had consumed methamphetamine before his March 6 arrest.
Sheriff's investigators concluded that Yecny struggled with officers six hours after he was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail and that the deputies restrained his hands and ankles.
Yecny, in the midst of a confrontation with jailers, suddenly went limp. A sheriff's department videotape shows deputies rushing into Yecny's cell. Most of the activity, however, was out of the view of the camera. Only the sounds of a scuffle can be heard. After about eight minutes, a phalanx of paramedics rush into the cell, and Yecny is seen being removed from the cell on a gurney.
He was taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Facility, where he died after a week in intensive care. He never regained consciousness.
San Luis Obispo police stopped Yecny at about 9:30 p.m. March 5 after observing him driving in an erratic manner. He was arrested for being under the influence of meth and alcohol and possessing stolen credit cards.
The sheriff's report said that a jailer asked a staff counselor to evaluate Yecny at about 8:15 p.m.
Then, shortly after 11 p.m., Yecny was reported to be acting "strangely" by a jail sergeant. A nurse was called to the holding cell in which he was being detained. Officers attempted to handcuff him, according to the report, and Yecny began to struggle.
The report said Yecny "fought with unusual strength."
Then, in the sheriff's version of events, Yecny suddenly became quiet.
A pathologist's report is pending. Investigations by the county district attorney and sheriff's internal affairs are continuing.
County wants time to study GM rice
One of the hottest topics at last Tuesday's San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors meetings was rice. Specifically, genetically modified (GM) rice and the California Food and Agriculture's proposal to list the county as an acceptable site to grow the experimental crop.
The state's Food and Agriculture secretary announced
that it will make a decision on April
8 but County Administrator David Edge will
contact the state before then and ask for a
postponement.
In news reports, Supervisor Peg Pinard said that allowing companies to grow the rice would be a huge change in the county and that allowing any plans to advance without more discussion would be a "huge mistake." Fellow supervisor Shirley Bianchi voiced her own disapproval of the plan and said she wasn't even interested in the county being listed as a potential site.
Speakers at the meeting spoke against the plan as well and asked the county to study the issue before making a decision. Concurrently, local environmental groups are trying to introduce a ballot measure that would forbid growing genetically modified crops in the county.
The board will hear a staff report on the issue on April 20.
In early April, Sacramento-based Ventria Bioscience announced it was seeking approval to grow genetically modified rice in 10 California counties early April. Company officials have said they were interested in San Luis because it was removed enough from other rice growing counties and the genetically modified rice would have a lower potential for cross pollination.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting, County Agricultural Commissioner Bob Lilley said he was unaware of any place in the county where rice could be grown.
Horse trailer death case ends in hung jury
A hung jury forced a mistrial in the two-week trial of Jose Iniguez, 35, of Arroyo Grande, accused of leaving a horse on the Cuesta Grade and causing an accident that claimed the lives of three people.
Killed when their car struck the horse were Atascadero residents Peter Hunt, 66, and his nephew, Paul Tucker, 41, and Virginia Hunt Richardson, 61, of Honolulu.
The horse fell from a trailer towed by Iniguez. A California Highway Patrol investigation eventually linked Iniguez to the accident.
The jury hung 10-2 in favor of acquittal on a hit and run charge, 7-5 to convict on vehicular manslaughter, and 7-5 to convict on a cruelty to animals charge.
District attorney deputies were uncertain Wednesday if they will retry the case.
Cal Poly student death ruled a suicide
The morning of April 5, Michael Blitz, a 20-year-old Cal Poly student from Valencia, Calif., was found dead in his Stenner Glen apartment. San Luis Police are calling the death a suicide.
Blitz's parents had not heard from the junior computer science major for several days and contacted the apartment's management when he missed an appointment earlier that day. Housing staff found him in his room and contacted the police.
Investigators from the San Luis Obispo Police Department, Cal Poly Police Department, and the SLO County Sheriff's office were attempting to piece together the last several days of Blitz's activities. It seemed likely that Blitz had died sometime over the weekend.
Fate of Mardi Gras still undecided
On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce held a luncheon to discuss the future of the city's Mardi Gras celebrations. But participants-who ranged from city and police officials to college students and event organizers-left the meeting no closer to finding a decision than when they first came to the $15 affair.
The debate stems from the riot-and subsequent arrest of 198 people-that erupted during this year's celebrations. Allen Rood, the 2004 Mardi Gras King, said the problems stemmed from drunk and violent youths, not the celebrations themselves. City and police officials countered that the only way to send the message that the party is over is to not have a parade.
Alison Anderson, president of Associated Students Inc. at Cal Poly, charged that a lack of a community plan kept students from congregating in a safe and legal way. Ken Hampian, the city administrator, said the city and parade organizers' past efforts-changing the parade's date and time, increasing police presence-have not worked. He maintained that shutting down the event was the only way to prevent 2005's celebrations from getting worse than 2004's.
Parade organizers have not announced whether or not they will hold next year's parade. The San Luis Obispo City Council will discuss the matter at its April 20 meeting. ³
This week's News was compiled from local and other news sources by News Editor Daniel Blackburn and Staff Writer Abraham Hyatt.
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