Apex delivers an adrenaline-fueled, action-packed survival story
Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns, Everest) directs Jeremy Robbins’ script about adrenaline junkie Sasha (Charlize Theron), who’s haunted by a climbing accident and heads to the isolation of the Australian outback. What was meant as a retreat to reset turns into a cat-and-mouse battle to the death when Ben (Taron Egerton), a local weirdo, makes her…
Water concerns delay approval of San Miguel-area housing development
Groundwater concerns in the Paso Robles basin and questions over the durability of a decade-old environmental review stalled final approval of a proposed housing project near San Miguel, even as county supervisors rejected an appeal challenging the development. On May 5, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted to deny an appeal of the…
The Pitt season 2 is a sobering look at the toll on front-line health workers
Another 15-hour day in a Pittsburgh hospital ER with Dr. Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) is upon us with season 2 of the Emmy Award-winning show. End of shift, Robby’s leaving on sabbatical, a three-month motorcycle trip that sounds more like a mental health induced death march than a vacation. Charge Nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) is…
SLO County files public nuisance complaint against North County property
A junk-strewn property near Atascadero under the care of an owner with frequent run-ins with the law is facing a public nuisance complaint from San Luis Obispo County. Spanning 9 acres, the property on Toro Creek Road is a heavily wooded parcel owned by Thomas Brooks. He inherited it from his grandmother in 2023 when…
Nostalgia, good cause collide with Dr. No screening at Bay Theatre
Terence Young (who went on to helm From Russia With Love and Thunderball) directs this script by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather that adapts Ian Fleming’s 1958 novel about the British spy James Bond (Sean Connery), who’s sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of another British agent. Bond soon discovers that Dr.…
Best of SLO County 2026
A tribute to the winners who outserved, outshone, and outsmarted the rest The tribe—that’s you, dear readers—has made its final decision about the businesses, organizations, and people who make the community shine. Only those who have outserved, outshone, and outsmarted the rest to become the best are included in this issue. As part of the…
Jessica Puccinelli’s children’s book series helps people understand neurodivergence
Jessica Puccinelli remembers the moment she felt compelled to write a book about her autistic son, Maverick. “Back in February, we were at the playground,” she explained. “My son just turned about 2 and a half, and he was just getting to that age where other kids were starting to take an interest in him…
Runner-activist Peyton Thomas speaks at Cuesta May 9
On Saturday, May 9, at the Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, endurance runner Peyton Thomas, who’s also a postdoctoral associate at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will be wearing her environmental activist hat when she speaks following the screening of the eight-minute film Breath of Gloster, which chronicles the polluting biomass industry in Gloster,…
Vibrant acrylic painter Jill Andrews’ work at The Vault
The newest artist added to the impressive roster at Cambria’s The Vault Gallery is Jill Andrews, who Vault owner and gallerist Laylon Whittaker called a “vibrant new addition.” “A lifelong artist hailing from the sun-kissed landscapes of Southern California, Jill has dedicated 25 years to science writing and educational outreach at prominent universities,” the gallery…
Los Hermanos Mendoza bring the Bakersfield sound to Santa Maria, Paso Robles
When you think of the Bakersfield sound, a country music subgenre full of twang and attitude, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard probably come to mind, but the real progenitor was Wynn Stewart, who influenced Owens and Haggard. The raw Bakersfield sound was a response to Nashville’s slickly, overproduced music, and it was the hottest country…
Lumina Thrift supports survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence through every purchase
When Lumina Thrift opened toward the end of 2025 with a mission of helping fund an organization that supports locals facing intimate partner violence, survivors came into the store to donate items from their own homes. “They were actually really joyful and so happy that they have an opportunity to give back based on the…
SLO County’s 2nd District needs a new voice
The 2nd District supervisor race between Michael Erin Woody and Jim Dantona has been a congenial exchange of ideas and visions. In these polarized times, it has been refreshing to consider local issues in a nonpartisan way and with respect between the candidates. Until now. This race is not between the far left and the…
Best of SLO County 2026: Eats
Best Restaurant in Paso Robles Fish Gaucho 1244 Park St., Paso Robles (805) 239-3333 info@fishgaucho.com fishgaucho.com @fishgaucho facebook.com/FishGaucho Best Restaurant in Templeton McPhee’s Grill 416 S. Main St., Templeton (805) 434-3204 info@mcpheesgrill.com mcpheesgrill.com @mcpheesgrill facebook.com/McPheesGrillTempleton Best Restaurant in Atascadero Sylvester’s Burgers Los Osos, Atascadero, Oceano, Paso Robles (805) 528-0779 sylvestersburgers@gmail.com sylvestersburgers.com @sylvestersburgers facebook.com/sylvesters.burger Best Restaurant…
Los Osos already has plenty of parklands
I am writing to urge residents of Los Osos to vote no on Measure B-26 on June 2! No to more taxes, not for this limited purpose! I support Julie Tacker’s opinion piece (“Los Osos residents should fund fire protection, not parks,” April 16) stating that tax funds should instead be used to 1) strengthen…
Best of SLO County 2026: Drinks
Best North County Bar Club Car Bar 508 S. Main St., Templeton (805) 400-4542 office@templetonmercantile.com templetonmercantile.com/clubcarbar @clubcarbartempleton facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094210434111 Best North Coast Bar The Siren 900 Main St., Morro Bay (805) 225-1312 info@thesirenmorrobay.com thesirenmorrobay.com @thesirenmorrobay facebook.com/thesirenmorrobay Best San Luis Obispo Bar Black Sheep Bar & Grill 1117 Chorro St., SLO (805) 544-7433 info@blacksheepslo.com blacksheepslo.com @blacksheepslo facebook.com/blacksheepslo…
Educate yourself about the 2nd District candidates
On June 2, the coastal communities have a chance to choose a new county supervisor to represent Los Osos, Harmony, Cayucos, Cambria, and unincorporated areas in District 2. Bruce Gibson has held the position for 20 years. Gibson has hand-picked his replacement, Jim Dantona, and has gone so far as making him his current legislative…
Best of SLO County 2026: Arts
Best Community Event (name & city) Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market Higuera Street, downtown SLO (805) 541-0286 farmers@downtownslo.com downtownslo.com @downtownslofarmersmarket facebook.com/DowntownSLOFarmersMarket Best Food/Drink Event The Macaroni & Cheese Festival Avila Beach (805) 781-2750 events@americangeneralmedia.com themacandcheesefest.com @themacfest facebook.com/TheMacandCheeseFest Best Movie Theater The Palm Theatre 817 Palm St., SLO (805) 541-5161 info@slofilmfest.org thepalmtheatre.com @thepalmtheatre facebook.com/ThePalmTheatre Does the Palm…
We need to do more to prevent tragedies caused by older drivers
San Luis Obispo County has seen too many heartbreaking crashes involving older drivers—incidents that are rarely about recklessness and almost always about age-related changes that make driving harder than people realize. In recent years, we’ve had seniors drive through storefronts, collide with pedestrians in crosswalks, and, most recently, run over a pedestrian in a parking…
Best of SLO County 2026: Goods
Best Local Grocery Store California Fresh Market 555 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach 771 E. Foothill Blvd., SLO (805) 250-1425 socialmedia@californiafreshmarket.com californiafreshmarket.com @californiafreshmarkets facebook.com/CaliforniaFreshMarkets Best Farmers’ Market Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market Higuera Street, SLO (805) 541-0286 farmers@downtownslo.com downtownslo.com @downtownslofarmersmarket facebook.com/DowntownSLOFarmersMarket Best Farm Stand Halcyon Farms 1075 The Pike, Arroyo Grande halcyonfarms@gmail.com halcyonfarmsag.com @halcyon_farms facebook.com/HalcyonFarmsAG Pesticide-free,…
Artificial intelligence will transform society
Artificial intelligence is bound to be transformative. Whether the changes will be good or bad remains to be seen. For example, lawyers are going to want a piece of the action. An article in the Jan. 20 issue of SFGate described the recent settlement of lawsuits against Open AI by families alleging death or injury…
Best of SLO County 2026: Services
Best Computer Repair Shop Cal-Tec Computers 560 Higuera St., suite B, SLO (805) 546-9976 caltechcomputers.net Best Cleaning Service Pioneer Carpet Cleaners 1376 Phillips Lane, SLO (805) 544-4761 office@pioneerslo.com pioneerslo.com @pioneercarpetcleaners facebook.com/PioneerCarpetCleaners Best General Contractor King Construction 7800 Portola Road, Atascadero (805) 462-9133 Best Interior Design Company Honeycomb Home Design 132 W. Branch St., Arroyo Grande…
The lesser of two ‘huhs?’
Imagine being locked out of voting for a supervisor for eight years thanks to redistricting—I’m looking at you, Morro Bay and Los Osos—and when you finally get the chance to vote for a representative, your two candidates for District 2 seem to have confusing platforms. Cayucos resident Jim Dantona is running as a Democrat but…
Best of SLO County 2026: Recreation
Best Health Club/Gym Kennedy Club Fitness Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles, Templeton, SLO sloservice@kennedyclubs.com kennedyclubs.com @kennedyclubfitness facebook.com/KennedyClubFitness Best Yoga Studio Spark Yoga 977 E. Foothill Blvd., suite 111, SLO 1289 Laurel Lane, SLO 285 Buchon St., SLO (805) 439-1848 hello@sparkyoga.com sparkyoga.com @sparkyogaslo facebook.com/smileatspark Best Pilates Studio Club Pilates SLO, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles clubpilates.com @clubpilates…
California investigates $120M Morro Bay wind lease exit
The California Energy Commission (CEC) is investigating a federal agreement with Golden State Wind that allows the developer to walk away from a major offshore wind project off the coast of Morro Bay. On May 4, the CEC issued an administrative investigative subpoena to Golden State Wind LLC seeking documents and communications related to the…
Try something new with the Central Coast Meatless Meetup crew
Thirteen years ago, Steve Key decided to stop eating animal products. Before he flipped the switch, he’d call himself a “wannabe vegetarian,” refraining from meat most of the time but not going against the grain while out to eat with his buddies. Don’t kale their vibeJoin the Central Coast Meatless Meetup group on Facebook to…
SLO County Board of Supervisors again stops Nipomo mobile home park from hiking rent
Controversial mobile home park management company Harmony Communities’ second attempt to raise the rent at a Nipomo mobile home park was knocked down by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors at its May 5 meeting. Following rent increase requests for Buena Vista Mobile Home Park and Cambria’s Oak Terrace mobile home park in…
