55 Fiction
Misery, Minecraft, mayhem, and more Since 1987, New Times has insisted that you, too, can become a published writer. In our annual 55 Fiction contest, we ask would-be authors to send us their tiny stories and cross their fingers. In 55 words or fewer, weave a tale full of emotion, description, and surprise. Give us…
Lumin Earth Apothecary opens San Luis Obispo County’s first kava bar
Lumin Earth Apothecary doesn’t sell alcohol, but on a Friday night, patrons will catch owner Sierra Mace mixing drinks and making small talk at the bar. Mace, a trained herbalist, launched a traditional kava bar on May 8 as an extension of the tea bar and holistic wellness shop she runs with her mother, Summer…
Relive MTV’s hard rock glory days with Rock Lord at the Pour House Aug. 1
I was more into the new wave and punk sounds of the ’80s, but over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the spectacle that is spandex-clad, big-haired ’80s rock ’n’ roll, and if it’s your jam, there’s a new band in town that you’re going to want to meet. “I started a new band called…
Ride or Die is Prime’s female-led mismatched buddy crime dramedy
Created by Tessa Coates (Massive Dad), this new miniseries set in the U.K. and other parts of Europe follows besties Debbie (Octavia Spencer) and Judith (Hannah Waddingham) as they go on the run from a mysterious enemy. Debbie is married to David (Jamie Parker), a member of Parliament who has his sights set on becoming…
Big Mistakes follows siblings blackmailed into organized crime
Nicky (Dan Levy) is a put-upon pastor whose mother, Linda (Laurie Metcalf); troublemaking sister, Morgan (Taylor Ortega); and suck-up sister, Natalie (Abby Quinn), keep him irritatingly busy alongside his congregation—a congregation happy to have a gay pastor as long as he is “non-practicing.” BIG MISTAKESWhat’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2026Where’s it showing? Netflix Morgan’s reckless (yet,…
Old-school sword-and-sandal epic, The Odyssey,reflects the current zeitgeist
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception, Batman Begins) wrote and directed this action fantasy based on Homer’s epic poem about Odysseus (Matt Damon), king of Ithaca, who after the Trojan War faces a dangerous voyage home to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway). During the perilous journey, he encounters creatures such as the cyclops…
A local former Broadway performer hits the road for a Central Coast tour
Hear original pieces and old Broadway tunes from singer Gale McNeeley on his four-stop August tour called My Life in Song. He’ll be joined by pianist and Pacific Conservatory Theatre musical director Paul Marszalkowski. McNeeley will sing originals and renditions of selections from his Broadway days. He toured with Marszalkowski last fall and said it…
Don’t miss Brushstrokes and Off the Wall at Art Center Morro Bay
You’ve only got a few more days to see Brushstrokes and Off the Wall at Art Center Morro Bay. The juried exhibitions, presented by The Painters Group of San Luis Obispo and Central Coast Sculptors, come down on Monday, Aug. 3. Entry was open to all California artists and, all told, 46 paintings and 39…
Author Cliff Branch delivers an insightful examination of America over the past decade
By any unbiased measure, Cliff Branch is an astute observer of American politics and culture. He’s also an entertaining and lucid writer who scored a hit with 2015’s American Made: A Boomer’s Reflection—something of an oddball mashup of writing genres that inexplicably coalesces into a soul-bearing examination of a life well lived, missteps and all.…
Wasted
Disposing of hazardous wastes is kind of a bitch. You gotta load the hazardous waste into your vehicle without spilling it all over, drive to a facility that accepts it also without spilling, and show an ID as proof of residency. The SLO County Integrated Waste Management Authority allows residential addresses to dispose of up…
Who decides what the public gets to hear?
San Luis Obispo County’s July 30 event, Diablo Canyon 2045: Local and Statewide Implications, is being promoted as an informational session. But an informational session should present more than one side of an issue. The announced speakers include an economist who previously supported extending Diablo Canyon’s operation and PG&E representatives discussing the plant’s safety, seismic…
Vote for change: democratic socialists, progressives, independents, prairie populists
Was Dwight Eisenhower a communist? As a Republican president in 1956, he ran on a platform of expansion of Social Security; federal assistance for construction of hospitals; increased federal aid for medical care of the needy; and the creation of a Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. And an immigration policy that provided a haven…
Cal Poly’s research helps ensure a healthy future for California strawberries
When people bring home a carton of California strawberries, they probably aren’t thinking about plant diseases, soil health, or the students spending long days collecting samples in a field. As a plant pathologist, I do. Because behind every strawberry is years of research, countless hours of fieldwork, and a shared commitment to finding better ways…
Bike SLO County’s Kidical Mass teaches safe cycling through family-friendly rides
Bike San Luis Obispo County underscores the local passion for cycling through a safety program geared toward parents and kids. Since 2009, Kidical Mass—a parade of locals of all ages—has taken to the streets of SLO on bikes of all kinds. There are seasoned BMX riders able to perform tricks, younger ones on balance bikes,…
Grover Beach residents on either end of building heights measure run for City Council seat
Fresh faces may appear on the Grover Beach City Council if, as candidates claim, 1st District City Councilmember Robert Robert is not planning to run for reelection. The candidate nomination period ends Aug. 7, and if the current council member doesn’t pull papers for his seat before then, the deadline extends to Aug. 12. Robert…
Two seats open as Templeton CSD election approaches
Templeton Community Services District board of directors, with two seats up for election in the Nov. 3 general election. According to the San Luis Obispo County Elections Division’s unofficial candidate list, incumbent Eric Mortensen and newcomer William Nowinski have filed nomination papers to run for the two available seats. The seats are currently held by…
Final Point-in-Time Count shows drop in SLO County’s overall homelessness
San Luis Obispo County’s total number of homeless individuals decreased by 5 percent since 2024, according to the finalized 2026 Point-in-Time Count. Required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Point-in-Time Count is a snapshot of homelessness over a single day that takes place every other year. The 2026 survey occurred…
Morro Bay hazardous waste facility to relocate
The Morro Bay Household Hazardous Waste Facility will permanently close at its current location on July 25 as the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) works to relocate the service to a new North Coast site. The facility, located at Morro Bay’s former wastewater treatment plant, must move because the property is…
