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Parent pushback: In less than a week, parents convinced San Luis Coastal to take its TK program off the budget cut list
Los Osos parent Kylee Singh credits Baywood Elementary School’s transitional kindergarten (TK) program for her 6-year-old son’s rapid learning of Spanish. “The other half of the class that didn’t do TK is still learning the basic principles of reading,” Singh said. “How do you sound out a syllable? How do you make those sounds that…
Permit for incoming SLO cannabis retail storefront gets appealed
A newly proposed cannabis retail storefront in the city of San Luis Obispo, touted as safe enough for even grandparents to visit, faces concerns raised by a naysayer worried about its impact on local families and neighborhood character. “Going to Embarc is somewhere that you feel comfortable bringing your grandma,” Embarc dispensary’s vice president of…
Kaleidos Wine of Paso Robles is still artisanal, sustainable, and quality-focused after 20 years
Meet the Martells Kaleidos Wine, located at 1990 Township Road in Paso Robles, is open by appointment only. Contact owners Steve and Heather Martell at kaleidoswine.com and follow the winery on Instagram and Facebook @kaleidoswine. For more information on the Garagiste Wine Festival in Solvang, Feb. 7 to 8, and to nab a Garagiste Tasting…
SLO County firefighters face longer fire season
As Los Angeles County faces ongoing red flag wind warnings and continues to fight the Palisades and Eaton fires, San Luis Obispo County firefighters remain on alert during a time that’s typically storm season. According to Cal Fire’s website, as of Jan. 22 the LA fires have killed 28 people, burned more than 37,000 acres…
American Primeval depicts a romance-free version of western expansion
AMERICAN PRIMEVAL What’s it rated? TV-MAWhat’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Netflix Peter Berg directs creator Mark L. Smith’s Western TV miniseries set in 1857 during the Utah War and the violent clash between the Mormons, the U.S. government, early settlers, and the indigenous tribes, focusing on the…
Grover Beach Police Department hosts educational academy
The Grover Beach Police Department is on a mission to connect the community to its day-to-day functions through an eight-week long Citizen Police Academy. Grover Beach is one of the only police departments in the county to host this event, and Police Cmdr. Nelida Aceves said the department will take residents behind the scenes for…
Landman
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024-present Where’s it showing? Paramount Plus Score another TV hit for writer/actor Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, 1883, 1823, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness). Landman is another macho neo-Western, this time about the boom-or-bust oil business. The story centers on Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a fixer for M-Tex petroleum company…
SLO County names queer musician and Morro Bay High School dropout Caleb Nichols poet laureate
Hear the new poet laureate Caleb Nichols, SLO County’s first openly queer poet laureate, plans to read his work this Friday, Jan. 24, in the Milking Parlor at the Octagon Barn (7 to 9 p.m.; all ages). Outgoing SLO County Poet Laureate Kevin Clark, California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick, and Cal Poly professor and poet…
3rd annual Banff Film Festival comes to the Fremont this Friday and Saturday
If you want to experience an exhilarating selection of outdoor films exploring nature adventure, mountain culture, and environmental stories, look no further. The Fremont Theater in downtown SLO plays host to the third annual Banff Centre: Mountain Film Festival World Tour this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25 (7 p.m.; all ages; $22 to…
All-day Rod & Hammer SoCal fire relief fundraiser Songs of Solace is on Jan. 26
If you want to help those devastated by the Southern California fires, may I suggest Songs of Solace—A Benefit Concert for LA Wildfire Relief at Rod & Hammer Rock this Sunday, Jan. 26 (noon to 8 p.m.; all ages; $20 ticket plus $3.27 in fees at my805tix.com with kids under 12 free). The full $20…
A Real Pain
What’s it rated? R When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime I missed this one when it played at the Palm Theatre, but it’s made many critics’ Top 10 lists for 2024. I wouldn’t put it in my top 10 (A lot of competition last year!), but this is a thoughtful film exploring complex human…
Morro Bay’s Gallery at Marina Square exhibits Focus on Birds through Jan. 30
Whether you call yourself a twitcher, birdwatcher, birder, lister, or a professional ornithologist, this month Morro Bay’s Gallery at Marina Square has the show for you: Focus on Birds is a stunning fine art photography exhibition featuring works by Alice Cahill, Dominic Hartman, Gregory Siragusa, Jack McNeal, Karen Peterson, Michael Johnston, and Teresa Ferguson. “Focus…
Trump’s election is not a Republican mandate
I read Mr. Donegan’s column, “Democratic postmortem” (Jan. 16), with some interest. Sure, there was the expected snarky gloat regarding the decisive win of Trump over Harris, and yet he did have some good points. Democrats have lost touch with what has made the party great and my home for 50 years. However, it would…
Our water supply depends on fighting the lawsuit against SLO County
I’m writing to alert residents of the South County to an issue that has the possibility to result in both higher water rates and reduced water supply. In August, four environmental groups sued San Luis Obispo County over its operation of the Lopez Dam claiming potential harm to steelhead and other protected species. In December,…
We no longer have elections, we have auctions
Mr. Donegan’s recent opinion piece is unusually uninspiring (“Democratic postmortem,” Jan. 16). Not that I disagree with what he has to say about the Democrats. On the contrary, I agree with most of it. I was a Democrat for years until Clinton came along—the first Clinton. After his antics in the White House, I could…
The inaugural address we needed vs. the one we got
Our nation has endured a lot of pain since my last column here: Our beloved and much-maligned 39th President Jimmy Carter checked out after a long journey into that good night. Then, a week into 2025, the LA firestorm swept over the southland like a nuclear blast. Neither of these events was exactly unpredictable. Both…
Subjective solutions
Nothing to see here! That’s the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s tactic when it comes to the recent settlement it reached with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over a more than six-year-long civil rights investigation into jail conditions. The report from the DOJ outlines several steps the jail needs to take to improve…
SLO County, DOJ reach settlement to improve jail conditions
The San Luis Obispo County Jail must improve suicide prevention, lessen excessive force, and reduce unnecessarily isolating inmates after a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation found facility conditions violated amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “We are encouraged by the improvements the San Luis Obispo County Jail has made…
Morro Bay closely monitors Moss Landing battery plant fire in Monterey County amid Vistra’s pending application
A Vistra-owned battery plant caught fire in Monterey County on Jan. 16, shutting down Highway 1 and causing mandatory evacuations in the area. The company is hoping to build a similar facility in Morro Bay. Vistra’s Moss Landing Battery Plant was completed in August 2023, and the Texas-owned energy company named the 750-megawatt facility “the…
Paso school board approves $6 million toward new TK program
As school bond funds start to dwindle, the Paso Robles school board is navigating how to support a new transitional kindergarten (TK) program and facility enhancements at Georgia Brown Dual Immersion School. At its Jan. 14 meeting, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) board of trustees was asked to approve the final phase…
