We should be doing more about drones hovering over nuclear facilities
This is not an opinion piece on the pros/cons of nuclear power. What I am concerned about and have been speaking out for decades is the safety of the plants. While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) points to the fact that the reactor is “hardened” (meaning that the reactor has a concrete shield that can…
California’s high utility bills are caused by fighting climate change-impacted wildfires
What do the Gifford Fire and our exorbitant electricity rates have in common? It’s hotter and drier now, exacerbating both wildfires and the cost of electricity. Global warming, better known as global heating, has raised the frequency, size, and price tag of wildfires. In the early 1980s, the annual cost to Cal Fire to suppress…
Why we must fight back
If ever the maxim of fighting fire with fire presented a fitting action, it’s in these desperate times. Texas mid-decade and against rules reshaped the state district map, a move intended to add more Republicans to Congress when Trump asked for five more seats. A move that suppresses the votes of brown and Black residents. …
I am antifa, but I love (gulp) fascists
There—I’ve said it. The president can now add me to that list of “radical left group of lunatics.” Speaking from the grounds of the White House on Sept. 11, Trump called for his allies to “beat the hell out of those lunatics”—even before Utah police had arrested Tyler James Robinson for the murder of Charles…
Political paradox
All I can think about is national politics. It’s depressing. And cringey. Like a dystopian novel no one wants to read because the author sucks. Every time the Great Orange Man or one of his administration minions speaks, my gears beg for oil. They’ve been working in overdrive. And I’m over it. Our esteemed “political”…
Dreams to conserve Wild Cherry Canyon remain paused while Eureka Energy requests another appeals court hearing
Community hopes of conserving 2,400 acres of coastal open space known as Wild Cherry Canyon must stay on the back burner for longer while two stakeholders battle over land rights in court. “We were very close but there was always one or more issues that came up,” Kara Woodruff, the district director for Senate District…
District Attorney Dan Dow speaks at Cal Poly Charlie Kirk memorial
More than a thousand people stood with fists in the air chanting “I am Charlie Kirk!” at a memorial for the right-wing political activist at Cal Poly on Monday night. Hoots erupted after San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow took the podium at the event, held at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center…
Good Vibes and Otter Productions hosts Rebelution and more Oct. 9-10 in Avila Beach
It’s been more than 20 years since a quintet of UCSB students joined forces in Isla Vista to become Rebelution. Throughout 2004 and 2005, they grew their fanbase playing local shows and releasing an independent EP. By 2007, they released Courage to Grow, their full-length debut, which almost immediately got radio traction on stations like…
Family of Arroyo Grande stabbing victims calls for legislation to improve notification
The fatal stabbing of an elderly Arroyo Grande resident by a man with a criminal past sparked calls for legislation that would create mandatory requirements to notify survivors when their perpetrators are released or when protective orders expire. “The system failed my parents,” victim Cindy Giambalvos’ stepdaughter, Laura Giambalvos, said. “They should have been told…
A Pismo Beach resident accused the SLO DA’s office of mishandling what they believed to be a hate crime
One summer afternoon, a Pismo Beach resident noticed their Pride flag was mysteriously missing from the front of their home. Security footage revealed that a young man had come onto their property, grabbed the rainbow flag that hung near their kitchen window, tore it, and threw it in a trash can just off the side…
Central Coast Zoo addresses common welfare concerns about its late tiger
Connie Jansen couldn’t help but notice the tiger at Atascadero’s Central Coast Zoo. For 45 minutes this past summer, she said she watched him pace in his enclosure and cry out. She questioned whether he was severely depressed. “I just don’t know that he was getting the care he needed,” Jansen said. Jansen wasn’t the…
See the original play Odysseus Dies at the End at Filipponi Ranch
Good old Odysseus, legendary Greek king of Ithaca, the center of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the cunning dude who dreamed up the Trojan Horse. What a hero! Not perfect, of course. Hubristic, selfish—he’s a complex guy. Support original theater!The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival is mounting a production of playwright Weston Scott’s new original play…
SLO County poised to receive new incentive program to boost affordable multi-family homes
A new incentive program to boost affordable housing is coming to San Luis Obispo County, and it models itself on the state’s density bonus scheme. Called the Regional Housing Incentive Program, builders can choose to participate by offering on-site guaranteed affordable housing for multi-family developments or by paying into the proposed regional housing fund through…
Meet voiceover queen Kat Cressida at Ohana Comic Con in the SLO Elks Lodge
Have you seen Disney’s animated Tarzan (1999)? How about Dexter’s Laboratory (1996-2003)? Barbie: A Touch of Magic (2023-2024)? Maybe you’re a video gamer. Have you played The Thing: Remastered (2024)? Scavengers (2021)? Minecraft: Walt Disney World of Magic Kingdom Adventure DLC (2021)? World of Warcraft: Legion (2016)? If so, you’ve heard Kat Cressida’s voice. Her…
SLOPE presents the Colors of Conservation at Art Center Morro Bay
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County and Art Center Morro Bay are proud to present Colors of Conservation, an annual showcase of original landscape paintings of protected Central Coast lands by the artists of SLOPE (San Luis Obispo Painters for the Environment) hanging through Monday, Nov. 3. Featured artists include Dennis Curry, Jan…
One Battle After Another is a helluva cinematic ride
Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master) weaves this story about Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former revolutionary now living a paranoid existence off the grid with his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). When Bob’s old nemesis, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn),…
The Thursday Murder Club follows four cold-case-solving retirees who take on a new whodunit
Based on Richard Osmen’s novel, this slice-of-life film follows three retirees who welcome in a new recruit to their whodunit club, The Thursday Murder Club. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley star as the founding members of the crew with Celia Imrie as their new recruit, Joyce. Joyce is a retired nurse, so her…
Black Rabbit follows estranged brothers who reunite to sort out a series of dangerous problems
Created by Zach Baylin (King Richard, Creed III, The Order) and Kate Susman, this crime thriller miniseries focuses on the Friedken brothers, Jake (Jude Law), proprietor of NYC hotspot Black Rabbit, and his chaotic brother, Vince (Jason Batemen), who after a period of estrangement comes back into Jake’s life, bringing with him a whole litany…
Culinary adventures highlight Morro Bay’s famed mollusks
For oyster aficionados, multiple experiences beckon in Morro Bay, one of only six production sites in the Golden State. Kayak the calm waters of the bay for an immersive adventure with Central Coast Outdoors or enjoy wine pairings with the tasty mollusks ashore at Absolution Cellars. Meet the mermmelierBook kayak and oyster-tasting tours with Central…
St. Benedict’s Episocpal Church celebrates commitment to climate change with new solar panels
St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Los Osos joined more than 500 nonprofit organizations on SunDay, Sept. 21, to celebrate recently installed solar panels and the power of clean energy. As part of the day of action, St. Benedict’s priest, Linzi Stahlecker, blessed the solar panels as community members gathered at the church to take photos…
