State, federal incumbents come out ahead in primary
Incumbents lead in federal and state races across the Central Coast after early vote counts in the June 2 primary, including Democrat Dawn Addis in the 30th Assembly District. As of June 3, Addis had more than 37,000 of the votes counted across the district, which covers parts of Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa…
Los Osos park funding measure has more no votes than yes
The Los Osos measure to support purchasing a school property with a parcel tax was losing, according to the early vote counts from the SLO County Clerk-Recorder’s Office. The counts released at 1 a.m. on June 3 show 1,197 no votes and 1,097 yes votes. The proposed parcel tax would support the Los Osos Community…
Cano leads Clerk-Recorder race in early returns
Incumbent San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano is leading a three-candidate race after the first rounds of ballot counting, according to unofficial results released June 2. With approximately 20 percent of ballots counted, Cano holds a clear early advantage with 61 percent of the vote. Vanessa Rozo followed with 27 percent, and Gaea Powell…
The two SLO County supervisors’ races are too close to call
Early vote counts show close races in the two San Luis Obispo County supervisor races, with Michael Erin Woody leading in the 2nd District and incumbent Jimmy Pauling leading in the 4th District. Those outcomes could potentially change, as the SLO County Elections Office still has thousands of ballots left to count in both districts.…
Voter burnout?
Did you vote on Tuesday? If you did, you were in the minority. As of yesterday, voter turnout in SLO County hovered at a dismal 20ish percent. What the hell, people? With all the attempts at disenfranchisement, it seems deeply weird to self-disenfranchise. Of course, midterm turnout is always lower than in presidential election years,…
Mandated and approved thinking
A sad story in the May 6, 2026, edition of SFGate brought back memories of my distant and misspent youth and made me reflect on the efficacy of many of the behavioral training programs that we are subjected to today. A 17-year-old high school student was killed in a crash, and a second student…
Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona holds part of Arroyo Grande history
There was something terribly morbid and terribly wrong about the report of FBI Director Kash Patel’s VIP snorkeling dive on USS Arizona. It’s yet one more example of this administration’s casual indecency. I take it personally, and this is why. Two sailors who died on the Arizona were from my hometown, Arroyo Grande, population 1,090…
Noise is pollution, too
The recent weeks of quiet, with no roar from dune buggies, brought forth a realization. Living 2 miles from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, parts of Oceano and the Nipomo Mesa bear an undiscussed, invisible physical toll. When coastal wind carries engine roars into our yards and homes, it does more than disturb…
The Oceano airport needs to evolve
Oceano is a community divided—literally—by a land-heavy, low-utility, extremely costly fixed-wing airport: Oceano Airport L52. So, is closure the best option? We think not. We propose modernization over maintenance. It’s an option that will take us past the same tired story of Oceano being abused by wealthier interests with a blind eye to the environment…
There’s more to the seabirds story
Mr. George Hansen makes the stretch that birds died because we use gasoline in our cars (“Dead seabirds are the harbinger of a preventable future,” May 28). A few other things to consider: 1) He may want to discard his wetsuit, flip-flops, and sunglasses, which may also contain petroleum. 2) Elevated seawater temperatures may be…
Pride is alive: Queer speed dating, out in STEM, and Central Coast drag queens
June means one thing for the LGBTQ-plus community across the Central Coast and beyond: It’s Pride Month! That translates to events in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria that celebrate the season, including drag shows. For our annual Pride issue, Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal speaks with queer speed dating attendees, Staff Writer Chloë Hodge talks…
The stories behind the drag queens performing at drag shows for June Pride
Before Nala Diamond goes onstage, they check in with their cats via the cameras in their home. “I like to video chat them and be like, ‘I’m getting you money, I’ll be home soon,’” Diamond said. All the money Diamond makes from performing drag is put back into the animal community. This includes rescuing animals,…
Queer Cal Poly students find community and career support through oSTEM
In lecture halls filled mostly with men, Yenny sometimes feels like an outsider. As a queer woman studying computer science at Cal Poly, Yenny said there are moments when being LGBTQ-plus in STEM can feel isolating. That’s why she became involved with Cal Poly’s chapter of Out in STEM, or oSTEM, a national organization that…
Queer speed dating sessions at Two Broads Ciderworks is also about finding community
Sit, sip, speak, shuffle, swap. This basic sequence makes up the enigmatic dance of speed dating. San Luis Obispo resident Jack DePuy experienced that plus another coveted step at Two Broads Ciderworks’ quarterly queer speed dating session: clicking with someone who’s now their boyfriend for two years running. “I remember being like, ‘This person asks…
Parents can learn to do their kids’ hair at Pints and Pigtails, complete with a drink
Your kid’s next updo doesn’t have to be basic, thanks to Paso Robles’ On The Park Salon & Suites. Owner Bailey McKean and her team of hairdressers are gearing up to teach parents how to style their kids’ tresses—and they can sip on beer and wine during the lesson. “We’ll probably focus on different simple…
Nemesis is campy, melodramatic crime drama fun
Created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, this series feels like a real ’80s throwback. I almost abandoned the first episode midway because the dialogue was so cheesy and melodramatic. It follows workaholic LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division Lt. Isaiah Stiles (Matthew Law), who’s haunted by the death of his brother, a fellow cop, and who’s…
The Crash asks, did a teen intentionally crash, killing her boyfriend?
Mackenzie and Dominic were high school sweethearts. He was a couple of years older, but they were tied at the hip from day one, according to those who knew them. Mackenzie was just finishing up high school, but the two were already living together. THE CRASHWhat’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2026Where’s it showing? Netflix One night…
Backrooms brings a YouTube sensation to the big screen
YouTuber Kane Parsons (aka Kane Pixels) directs his script co-written with Will Soodik (Ash vs Evil Dead) about Clark (Chiwetel Ejiolfor), a failed architect in therapy who owns a floundering furniture store. When Clark disappears into another dimension through a portal in the rear of his store’s basement, his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve)…
Meet Gallery at Marina Square’s featured artists June 13
For the month of June, Gallery at Marina Square is featuring two keen-eyed photographers, a colorful and whimsical acrylic painter, and a ceramicist who creates remarkable glazes. Streetscape and landscape photographer Cathy Russ has traveled the world to capture her images. Her dramatic equine photos and evocative landscapes capture the beauty and wonder of the…
Enjoy music, wine, and art at Studios on the Park June 6
Studios on the Park presents Ink Works ’26, an exhibition of fine art prints by members of Central Coast Printmakers, the organization founded more than four decades ago by Barbara and Rosey Rosenthal. The show hangs through June 28. “In this diverse collection of original prints by local artists, you will be wowed by detail,…
SLO-based YA author Emily Renk Hawthorne will sign copies of her new book at Barnes & Noble on June 14
Are you ready to slip into a hidden world of shapeshifters positioning for power, struggling with identity, and longing to belong? Welcome to YA novelist Emily Renk Hawthorne’s Of Mountains and Seas book series. The second book, From the Depths, will be released on June 9, and Hawthorne will attend a book launch party on…
Bluegrass act The Brothers Comatose headlines Day 2 of the Live Oak Music Fest
If you haven’t bought a festival pass or day ticket for the Live Oak Music Festival on Father’s Day weekend, June 19 through 21, at El Chorro Regional Park, time’s a-wastin’! If you just want to go for the day, Saturday, June 20, is the biggest bang for your buck ticket-wise because you’ve got music…
A Guadalupe butcher cuts up quality meats for barbecuers on the Central Coast
Ernesto Valle used to be known as the guy who cuts meat in the middle of nowhere. He opened Lobo Butcher Shop in Guadalupe four and a half years ago when the economy was still hurting from the pandemic. Craving a rack?Lobo Butcher Shop is located in Roy’s Liquor and Market at 770 Guadalupe St.…
