Environmental group and Northern Chumash Tribal Council sue State Parks for Oceano Dunes habitat conservation plan
The Center for Biological Diversity and the Northern Chumash Tribal Council jointly sued the California Department of Parks and Recreation over its recently approved Oceano Dunes habitat conservation plan. The environmental group and the Native American tribe believe the plan threatens federally protected species like Western snowy plovers and California least terns. “The HCP [habitat…
Cayucos residents face proposed 35 percent water rate increase
Residents in Cayucos are facing a proposed water rate increase that could raise bills by more than 35 percent over five years, with some community members arguing that the county should address financial planning and infrastructure concerns before asking ratepayers to pay more. The increase applies to customers in County Service Area 10A (CSA 10A),…
Funding gap puts Cambria skate park project at another crossroads
After years of fundraising, planning, and anticipation, Cambria’s long-awaited skate park has reached the closest point yet to becoming a reality—only to hit another hurdle. The Cambria Community Services District will decide whether to move forward with construction after the project’s lowest bid came in higher than the funding currently available, leaving the skate park…
Two SLO County activists want expensive Oceano Airport event audited
Two longtime scrutinizers of local government, Oceano resident April Dury and Los Osos resident Julie Tacker, want the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors to conduct an audit of an allegedly extravagant airport event. Now a group called SLOcal Activists’ Coalition that’s looking to expand, the duo filed a complaint to supervisors on July…
Oakwood Enrichment Academy launches community theater program with inaugural production of Oliver!
While most churches are quiet on Monday evenings, the sound of young voices singing with British accents penetrates the doors of Mount Carmel Lutheran Church. The cast members, ranging from 8 years old to their adult parents, fill the church halls with songs from Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, a twist on the classic Charles Dickens novel…
Public land users push back as federal Roadless Rule faces repeal
When people on California’s Central Coast hear the phrase “roadless rule,” it’s often misunderstood to mean that roadless national forest lands are closed to the public or lack access altogether. That misconception has taken on new significance as the Trump administration moves to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a cornerstone federal policy that…
Disagreement with No More Tall Buildings proponents leaves Grover Beach unclear about state law compliance
As a controversial citizen-led measure to limit building heights in Grover Beach hurtles toward the November ballot, its advocates are at odds with city officials about following the will of the public or complying with state housing laws. The Grover Beach City Council unanimously agreed to submit the proposed ordinance to voters despite city staff…
Scorched Earth
Is it just me or is tRump determined to undo every environmental safeguard he can find? From gutting the Environmental Protection Agency to attacks on the Endangered Species Act to expanding fossil fuel extraction, he just can’t seem to leave well enough alone. He’s “unprotected” 86 million acres of public lands and counting. Of course,…
The frustrating undercurrent of division undercut celebrating 250 years
I’m a lifelong fan of our American flag. As a child, I remember browsing the pages of magazines like American Heritage and being thrilled by the Stars and Stripes as they flew in so many stirring images of our fighting forces both here and abroad—who could forget that iconic photograph of Iwo Jima? As a…
Our mayor should be held accountable
I have heard suggestions that the San Luis Obispo City Council is too heavily weighted toward Cal Poly and less responsive to the people who live here full time. Two council members are employed by Cal Poly. The county grand jury looked at the unruly behavior of fraternities in neighborhoods. In the last few years,…
Republican Party of SLO responds to ‘eradicate MAGA’ remarks
At a recent San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party event, Democratic Party Chair Tom Fulks was quoted as saying that Democrats want to “eradicate MAGA from every corner of our democracy.” See the June 11 San Luis Obispo Tribune article titled: “‘We want to eradicate MAGA’: SLO County Democratic leaders plan strategy for November.” The…
The San Simeon CSD is a zombie district
San Simeon CSD perfectly fits the definition of a “zombie” organization. As of mid-2025, the San Simeon Community Services District (CSD) has effectively been functioning as a shell entity, kept alive by external support, while it awaits formal dissolution. This assessment matches the current reality in three specific ways: 1) It is on “life support.” …
Minions & Monsters is cute but empty
Co-directed by Pierre Coffin and Patrick Delage, and co-written by Coffin and Brian Lynch, this is the third Minions prequel and seventh film in the Despicable Me franchise. It’s mostly set in 1927 Hollywood, but it begins at a film history museum as Olivia (voiced by Allison Janney), is giving a tour and relates the…
A curse endangers a New England island in Widow’s Bay
I saw a post on Instagram this morning that had clips from Widow’s Bay and the caption read, “I love my spooky Parks and Rec,” and that’s a perfect description of this series. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys, who’s having quite the career year) is somewhat reminiscent of Mayor Vaughn in Jaws—much too eager for tourism…
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is absurdist time travel comedy
Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Rango, A Cure for Wellness) directs this relentlessly inventive script by Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying, Love and Monsters) about The Man from the Future (Sam Rockwell) who travels back in time to a Los Angeles diner to recruit a group of…
Eric Scot Tryon signs copies of I’m the Undertow at Coalesce Bookstore July 11
Imagine you’re driving when suddenly—smash!—your windshield caves in, you feel an impact on the front of your car, so you slam on the brakes and skid to a stop. “Up ahead, on the opposite side of the narrow road, was the mangled form of a bicycle. The tires, the seat, the handlebars, all out of…
LA dance company Bodytraffic performs at the PAC in SLO July 16
Festival Mozaic and Cal Poly Arts present Los Angeles dance company Bodytraffic, in one of its final performances, at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on Thursday, July 16 (doors at 6:30, show at 7:30 p.m.; ages 5 and older; $30 to $95 at pacslo.org). Formed in 2007, this inventive and eclectic dance company…
Local NPR affiliate KCBX gets a phone app
If you love our local National Public Radio affiliate, KCBX 90.1FM, there’s a new and convenient way to tune in to your favorite shows anytime and anywhere. “The new KCBX app is here, and it’s built for the way you already listen,” the station announced. “Stream live, catch up on shows you missed, get local…
The California Mid-State Fair opens on July 15
The California Mid-State Fair is upon us, and if you were hoping to go to the Chris Stapleton pre-fair show on Tuesday, July 14, the day before the fair officially opens, I hope you have deep pockets because all that’s left are “verified resale tickets,” or as I like to call them, scalper specials. They…
White Buffalo Land Trust’s food products win a nationwide Good Food Award
Biting into a piece of Figure Ate’s biltong for the first time was unlike any other kind of meat stick Kyle Sullivan had ever tasted. “The tenderness of the beef really blew me away,” Sullivan told New Times. “It just has almost like a melt-in-your-mouth texture to it, which is really awesome.” When put up…
