Nipomo ranch witnesses avocado theft worth at least $3,000
A rural Nipomo ranch’s bounty made it the target of an unusual form of grand theft. On July 11, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office deputies retrieved 500 pounds of avocados stolen from the ranch by two Santa Maria men. The avocados are valued between $3,000 to $5,000. Grand theft occurs when someone steals property…
Lake Fire burns more than 38,000 acres, Nipomo base camp remains open
Noelle Berg and her husband evacuated from their Santa Ynez Valley home on their own initiative as they saw helicopters drop retardant on the spreading Lake Fire, Berg told New Times on July 8, three days after the fire started. “We encouraged all of our friends to get out, but some of these people have…
Paso Robles co-sponsors Hispanic Heritage Festival
Paso Robles will co-sponsor the annual Hispanic Heritage Festival this year, and Mujeres de Accion’s heritage and awareness celebration will be held at City Park for the first time on Sept. 15. Local nonprofit Mujeres de Accion has hosted annual heritage celebrations in other locations for Hispanic Heritage Month since 2022, and due to its…
OCSD receives $25,000 grant for track at Oceano Elementary
A hoped-for walking and jogging track at Oceano Elementary School became a hot topic for the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) board of directors. Wanting to build a project that will ensure healthy habits, OCSD President Charles Varni told New Times that this will be a lasting legacy for the community. “I think it’s…
Crazy for You Jr. shines spotlight on young cast at SLO REP
The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre (SLO REP) presents its production of Crazy for You Jr. with performances from July 18 through 28. Set in New York during the 1930s, this vibrant musical features a cast of young artists from SLO REP’s Academy of Creative Theatre, according to press materials. The show follows Bobby Child…
Nine artists from around the world share insights about surf culture and community
For many on the Central Coast, the ocean is a way of life and it’s hard to picture living anywhere other than next to the lively body of water. Between now and October, land-loving locals and ocean afficionados alike can be immersed in a world of surf history, culture, and communities at the San Luis…
SLO begins transit plan update study session
The city of San Luis Obispo plans to make its bus system more user-friendly with the help of working papers and community feedback as part of its Short-Range Transit Plan. “On July 3, I was waiting at the 1B stop on Tank Farm Road in Poinsettia with a young lady from Cuesta College who works…
Cambria affordable housing project receives seventh extension
The Cambria Community Services District board of directors approved a seventh extension for Cambria Pines Apartments, a new affordable housing complex, as People’s Self-Help Housing has struggled to find the required funding since the project started in 2012. Through surviving a California Coastal Commission appeal review in 2020, to obtaining funding for construction, the Cambria…
Federal Victims of Crime Act fund cuts darken the future of local resource groups
California’s largest federal funding source for crime victims suffered deep federal funding cuts, leaving local victim services groups anxious about continuing to sustainably provide care to survivors in the years to come. In 1984, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) established the Crime Victims Fund that’s since used fines and forfeitures from convictions in federal…
JonnyBoy’s Bagelry becomes Atascadero’s first Jewish deli, honoring owner Emilie Goldstein’s dad and his roots
Bagels and beyond Grab bagels, cream cheese, sandwiches, latkes, and more from JonnyBoy’s Bagelry and Jewish Delicatessen on 5935 Entrada Ave. in Atascadero. It’s open Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Keep up with the bagelry on Facebook and Instagram @johnnyboysbagelry. JonnyBoy’s…
County Supervisors will split Dana Reserve property tax revenue with Nipomo Community Services District
Voting against their own policy that states that funding for independent special districts should not result in a net fiscal loss to the county, the Board of Supervisors has set a new precedent for community services districts. “I’m a little confused because we do have … a board rule that does say that from a…
Sewer spill is a ‘crime against nature’
Thank you to Libbey Hanson for her news article (“Morro Bay sewage leak closes two beaches,” June 27) alerting the community not only about the terrible sewage spill in our estuary, but also to the devil-may-care attitude of so-called “Director of Environmental Health” Peter Hague, who was frightfully quick to dismiss the true danger. How…
Cambria will construct a new skate park after $1.2 million in fundraising, creating a new hangout spot for Cambrian skaters and community.
Skaters of Cambria are getting a new hangout spot after four years of grassroots efforts and $1.2 million in fundraising for a new skate park after the previous park was closed in 2020. Leading the local movement is Skate Cambria, an organization of residents and local skaters who advocated for a recreational space for its…
Get serious about stopping illegal fireworks
The traumatic effects from use of illegal fireworks are worse than ever in 5 Cities. It started July 1 and continued daily from morning past midnight. We’ve been battered daily by multiple explosions sounding like mortars set off in metal barrels. I know these acts are illegal, but where are the various law enforcement agencies…
Three-time New Times Music Award-winner Sadie Jasper releases Her Kingdom Come on July 19
Sadie Jasper really doesn’t sound like anyone else. The Texas born and bred singer-songwriter mixes rock, pop, country, and hip-hop into her dreamy music, but when listening to her new single “Not Here in the Now,” which has a terrific online music video produced by Room For Cream Films, you’ll be forgiven if you suffer…
Doctor burnout is real; they need more oversight
My husband and I relocated to Paso Robles three- plus years ago and are now moving back to Santa Fe, New Mexico due to the inaccessibility of health care options in this underserved area. I’m one of those patients who “fell through the cracks” due to a negligent primary-care physician who didn’t order the prescribed…
Strange daze
Is it just me, or does America seem really weird these days? By “weird,” I mean off, out of whack, lost. Take rule of law—the political ideal that all citizens and institutions are accountable to the same laws. That used to mean something. Now the rules seem “made to be broken,” as Five-Star Gen. Douglas…
