Cover Story
Power struggle: PG&E, state officials work on Diablo’s future while community benefits of offshore wind energy are up in the air
The Central Coast is on the cusp of big changes regarding green energy production, but the transition will take time. Currently, state, local, and PG&E officials are discussing how to keep energy flowing from Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Faced with the challenge of energy shortfalls amid climate change, state lawmakers released funding to keep Diablo…
Someone needs to hold the oil companies accountable for their actions
Sierra Club v. Morton is a Supreme Court of the United States case on the issue of standing under the Administrative Procedure Act. The court rejected a lawsuit by the Sierra Club seeking to block the development of a ski resort at Mineral King valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains because the club had not…
SLO police identify alleged driver who hit and killed couple
San Luis Obispo police released the name of the driver who allegedly hit and killed a local couple and their dog last month—three weeks after the incident amid mounting public pressure on the investigation. Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio, 24, was driving in the 3400 block of Sacramento Drive on Nov. 21 when “he lost control…
One SLO County supervisor has karma coming
Debbie Arnold strongly supported the unsuccessful gerrymandering of the 2nd District to maneuver Bruce Gibson out of office, then was the only vote on the SLO County Board of Supervisors to not certify his win over Bruce Jones. In her efforts, she lost areas of the county that were reliable supporters of hers and traded…
Coastal Commission dismisses permit appeal linked to Pismo City Council member
A Pismo Beach official recently publicly admitted to the California Coastal Commission that the city’s approval process of a contentious coastal development permit was less than ideal. “I think we can all agree that the process for this particular project wasn’t great,” Matt Downing, the community development director, told the commission at the Dec. 16…
Free speech and the left
If you thought that the transformation of Jeff Goldblum from a bookish scientist into a fly in the 1986 movie The Fly was a dramatic metamorphosis, just consider the sudden conversion of Elon Musk from liberal hero to hated nemesis. And a transmogrifier wasn’t even necessary! It seems like just yesterday that Musk was the…
Paso Robles partners with Cal Poly to apply for spaceport license
Paso Robles took a step into the future by partnering with Cal Poly on its spaceport license application. The City Council voted on Dec. 6 to pay the Cal Poly Corporation an estimated $110,000 to complete a three-part plan that would help get the Paso Robles Municipal Airport’s application to become a licensed spaceport into…
Pismo Beach’s planning process isn’t up to snuff
“The whole thing reeks of corruption.” That sounds rich coming from disgraced former Pismo Beach City Council member/California Coastal Commissioner Erik Howell, who’s had his fair share of corruption allegations lobbed against him along pay-to-play lines. He believed this so much of the city that he once helped govern that he filed an appeal of…
Straight from Michoacán, Taqueria El Güero is on a mission to bring birria to San Luis Obispo
Simmer down Enjoy birria and other Taqueria El Güero dishes at 1122 Chorro St., SLO. Keep up with menu updates on Instagram @taq.elguero. Downtown San Luis Obispo restaurant owner Oscar Macias remembers eating birria ever since he could chew. Traditionally made with young goat meat, the fragrant terra-cotta-colored stew was a birthday staple. Now at…
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a surreal tour de force
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth, Bulbul? Full price What’s it worth, Caleb? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix Editor’s note: Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote Split Screen this week while Glen and Anna Starkey went on holiday. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio breathes new life…
A.i. Artificial Intelligence
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2001 Where’s it showing? Paramount Plus Seeing Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio made me think about other cinematic retellings or reimaginings of the timeless puppet fable. When it comes to my own personal favorites, Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi epic A.I. Artificial Intelligence will always top that list. Haley Joel Osment plays David,…
Gossip Girl
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2021 Where’s it showing? HBO Max The scourge of New York City is back! Do I mean the infamous anonymous social media sensation that calls itself “Gossip Girl” while airing high society’s dirty laundry, or the bratty pack of rich heirs, heiresses, and socialites who find themselves in her grimy…
C.A.R.E.4Paws is fundraising to expand care for pet owners in need
Forget making a trip to the veterinarian’s office—animal care organization C.A.R.E.4Paws is fundraising for a larger mobile vet clinic that’ll come to you. The organization provides affordable veterinary services to low-income, senior, disabled, and homeless pet owners in Santa Barbara County. However, its recent expansion of services to SLO County in February 2022 and the…
Judge approves receivership for ‘dangerous’ Prado Road property
A San Luis Obispo County judge signed off on an emergency order filed by the city of SLO to appoint a receiver to take control of a property on Prado Road deemed “substantially substandard and unsafe.” SLO resident William Sievers’ 2.2-acre lot shares a property line with the 40 Prado Homeless Center and is used…
Atmospheric changes force KCBX to end service on 89.5 FM KSBX
A phenomenon colloquially understood as a “hot air sandwich” squeezed out an FM frequency hosted by KCBX. Changes in atmospheric conditions due to climate change forced the radio news station to end service on 89.5 FM KSBX after almost 40 years of cultivating listenership in Santa Barbara County. KCBX also serves San Luis Obispo and…
Atascadero launches loan program to help local restaurants
More food establishments could open up in Atascadero thanks to a new loan program the city started to help revitalize downtown. The city is planning to start accepting loan applications in January. The Restaurant Development Incentive Loan Program started in 2021 as part of the city’s action plan to attract more businesses and restaurants to…
Pismo Paper Arts handcrafts works that benefit charity
Foundation for the future Grab a handcrafted piece of art for someone (or yourself) and support a good cause by visiting pismopaperarts.com or etsy.com/shop/PismoPaperArts. For more information on how to assist in the mission of Gina Zapperiello-Illescas’ nonprofit, FTC, to provide educational foundations for school-age girls in Baja California, visit ftcmx.com. Colors blend with meticulously…
Gallery at Marina Square announces January exhibitions
Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay plans to debut three new exhibitions in January. Starting on Sunday, Jan. 1, the gallery will host Where The Birds Are, a group photography exhibit, and two solo exhibits that showcase mixed media artist Stevie Chun and sculptor and painter Jarien De Ham, respectively. A joint reception for…
The Cliffs Hotel and Spa hosts Elf screening
As part of its ongoing Cliffsmas festivities, the Cliffs Hotel and Spa in Pismo Beach will host a family-friendly screening of the 2003 Christmas comedy, Elf, on Thursday, Dec. 22, starting at 6 p.m. The event will be held in the venue’s ballroom. Elf follows Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human raised by elves at the…
One TikTok post is making all the difference for SLO locals Próxima Parada
Although it’s a relatively quiet week for live music on the Central Coast, one local band received a Christmas present that will carry them into a new future. Próxima Parada, a San Luis Obispo-based blue-eyed soul band whose members quit their day jobs to take on music full-time in 2019, had the No. 1 viral…
