Cover Story
The world according to Lois
Lois Capps entered the world of politics in March 1998, serving the 22nd Congressional District following the death of her husband Walter in October 1997. She was again elected to what is now the newly redrawn 23rd District in 2003. She plans to run again in 2006. This interview was conducted while she was on…
Groups file appeal to halt Los Padres Forest oil drilling
In two separate actions, three Central California conservation groups and the state attorney general’s office filed appeals to challenge the U.S. Forest Service’s recent decision to expand oil drilling in the Los Padres National Forest. The Forest Service in July approved oil drilling for more than 52,000 acres in the Central Coast forest, mostly near…
SLO loses an important watchdog
With the War on Terror and the Patriot Act raising concerns about the erosion of civil liberties, now could be a relatively inopportune time for satellite chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to start closing their doors. But that’s exactly what the SLO chapter informally announced last week it would be doing. One…
Couple sentenced for downtown SLO meth lab
A San Luis Obispo woman and her boyfriend were sentenced to separate jail sentences this week for running a meth lab in the bathroom of a Buchon Street home earlier this year. At a sentencing hearing this week, 23-year-old Kenda Cooke stood in front of Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall and described how “severely sorry…
Well fed for well being
When you buy locally grown food, you’re doing something proactive to preserve the agricultural landscape of the county, and when you buy fruits, plants, and veggies from Growing Grounds, you are reinvesting in the community. The people at Growing Grounds who produce all this tasty produce for SLO County will be brushing off the dust…
Unsettling allegations Allen Settle argues conflict of interest allegations
This week, City Councilman Allen Settle defended himself against conflict of interest allegations brought on by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). The FPPC responded to complaints that Settle voted on issues regarding the proposed Marketplace project , even though there was a conflict of interest because he owns a rental property adjacent to…
SLO loses an important watchdog
With the War on Terror and the Patriot Act raising concerns about the erosion of civil liberties, now could be a relatively inopportune time for satellite chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to start closing their doors. But that’s exactly what the SLO chapter informally announced last week it would be doing. One…
Why the Los Osos vote matters
Anyone in SLO County who still wonders why the natives in Los Osos are loud and restless, please read on. Of course you are tired of hearing about us and our problems with our waste, so no details about the merits of “this-or-that” plan will be found here. So what gives, what the heck is…
Santa Maria’s Judge Diana Hall may not face trial
The state attorney general’s office, which is handling the prosecution of Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Diana Hall for alleged campaign-finance violations, reportedly continued crafting an agreement that may allow the judge to avoid a trial. The agreement between Hall’s defense and the attorney general’s office is expected to be finalized during an Oct.…
Your highway junk costs big bucks
On Sept. 20, Caltrans wrapped up its “Don’t Trash California” campaign, which sought to rub motorists’ noses in their messes. Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 20, Caltrans workers and other volunteers collected and displayed more than 5,000 bags of trash from along state highways between Watsonville and Santa Barbara. In Santa Maria, orange and white…
Probation for ASH employee
Jacqueline Lucille Collins, a former psychiatric technician at Atascadero State Hospital (ASH), was sentenced to 250 days of community service and a $500 fine for engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient. On Sept. 20, a judge also sentenced Collins, who has been on administrative leave since April 7, to three years of informal…
Shop till you drop
I’m going to say it again. You’re all a bunch of hypocrites. A brood of vipers. A field of whitewashed sepulchers, whatever that means. You whined for years that you didn’t want a Costco in town. You stormed and fumed. You cried like babies with wet diapers. Then the new big-box corporate-chain discount store flung…
County’s fiber optics deal goes sour
A deal between San Luis Obispo County and a major telecommunications company has fallen apart, leaving the county without an expected link between various county-wide centers. In a lawsuit, the county accuses Colorado-based Level 3 Communications of reneging on an agreement signed in 2001, which allowed Level 3 to install fiber optic cable from one…
Group unveils Nipomo watershed plan
Two conservation groups invite locals to comment on a draft management plan for the Nipomo Creek watershed. During a meeting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 22, residents will learn about proposals to promote resource conservation, flood management, and agricultural viability within the watershed. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has worked with Central…
Letters
Cell tower had nothing to do with aesthetics The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors to deny the building of a cell tower at the corner of South Bay Boulevard and Los Osos Valley Road was an affront to the democratic process and to common sensibilities. Our Board, sworn to represent the interest of…
