Plaskett Fire grows as crews make progress on Timber Fire
After rapidly expanding in southern Monterey County at the end of August, the Plaskett Fire is proving difficult to contain while firefighters farther north are gaining ground on the weeks-old Timber Fire. The two wildfires have burned more than 50,000 acres along the Big Sur coast, closing Highway 1 and prompting evacuation orders and warnings…
Cayucos residents block proposed water rate increase
Cayucos residents successfully blocked a proposed water rate increase Sept. 1 after more than enough property owners protested the county’s plan to raise rates for customers in South Cayucos. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously recognized the majority protest after the county clerk reported receiving 525 valid written protests—more than the 441…
Judge refutes Gaea Powell’s reason for missing fraud trial start date
Former Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate Gaea Powell was set to begin her fraud trial on Aug. 31, but her claims of sudden illness delayed the process. Powell’s absence that day prompted Judge Timothy Covello to issue an arrest warrant to be held until 1:30 p.m. on Sep. 1, contingent on her appearing in court. Powell…
Flaw & disorder
She who represents herself has a fool for a client. Judge Timothy Covello warned Gaea Powell about the foolishness of being her own lawyer in her election fraud trial, but did she listen? Nope. And now that her trial was supposed to start on Monday, Aug. 31, she wants the court to appoint her a…
If you’re reading this, you might be able to thank Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library
Last week we lost Dolly Parton, the undisputed queen of country music. Over nearly seven decades, Dolly swept us away with her outsized personality, her ostentatious outfits, and her immense talent. Dolly grew up in a one-room shack in rural Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children in a dirt-poor but love-rich family. Her father was…
Cal Poly’s prime ag land also has prime creek habitat
Cal Poly is “exploring” a “mixed-use development” of prime agricultural land at the western entrance near Highland Drive. The Aug. 20 article “A plan to develop Cal Poly’s west campus puts agricultural land at risk,” says: “The land could become something very different.” In this regard, I would like to support retired plant science professor…
Dawn Addis, AB 715, and the growing fear of speaking about Palestine
Assemblymember Dawn Addis supports Assembly Bill 715, California’s 2025 law addressing discrimination and antisemitism in public schools. The law establishes a state Office of Civil Rights, creates an antisemitism prevention coordinator, strengthens procedures for addressing discrimination, and requires schools to address discriminatory content and bias. I agree with protecting Jewish students. They should never face…
The Haven takes over Fred and Betty’s
Fred and Betty’s isn’t closing, but the quirky San Luis Obispo thrift store known for its eclectic mix of secondhand finds is about to get a makeover. The Haven, an Arroyo Grande secondhand clothing store with a penchant for vintage finds and Pinterest-worthy pieces, took over management of Fred and Betty’s on Aug. 14 from…
Slow renovation at Arroyo Grande Library leaves locals concerned about the wait
Arroyo Grande resident Kathleen Minck credits her local library with keeping her mind sharp long after retirement, but its prolonged closure means the next generation is losing out on that mental enrichment. “I have a great-grandson who just started second grade, … and he doesn’t know anything about going to the library and getting a…
Tribal co-management proposal could reshape fishing in Morro Bay
A proposal to create a new tribally co-managed marine protected area off of Morro Bay could change where commercial and recreational fishermen can cast their lines while giving the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians a role in managing a stretch of Central Coast waters. But before state regulators decide the proposal’s fate, Morro Bay City…
The Bunker SLO reopens after a remodel to continue its arts programming
Some spaces feel immediately welcoming. The Bunker SLO—an art gallery, performance space, and café—has always had that vibe, and after a short hiatus for remodeling and expansion, it feels doubly so. The former warehouse on Orcutt Road now has more usable interior space, a new café called The Undergrounds (replacing Nautical Bean), and eventually an…
Cal Poly Arts presents Ballets Jazz Montréal Sept. 22
“Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin. Dance me through the panic ’til I’m gathered safely in. Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove. Dance me to the end of love.” So sang Leonard Cohen on his 1984 song “Dance me to the end of love.” Cohen’s deeply spiritual…
May Pang presents her Lennon photos at Edna Sept. 18 through 20
If you’re a fan of John Lennon, photography, documentary film, and a love story for the ages, you’re going to love The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang, on display at Edna Contemporary for three days only—Friday, Sept. 18 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.); Saturday, Sept. 19 (noon to 5 p.m.); and Sunday, Sept.…
The Dog Stars follows survivors navigating dystopia
Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Martian) directs Mark L. Smith’s adaptation of Peter Heller’s celebrated 2012 sci-fi novel about survivors living in a dystopian America after a flu pandemic wiped out most of humanity. Jacob Elordi is Hig, a civilian pilot; Josh Brolin is Bangley, a former…
Lucky follows a con artist who must save her criminal father
Unfortunately for Lucky (Anya Taylor-Joy), what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas. After celebrating a particularly lucrative heist with her husband, Cary (Drew Starkey), Lucky wakes to discover that both the cash and her husband are MIA. Full of nonstop action and on-the-run adventure, this seven-part series is based on a novel of the…
The Sting (1973) screens at Park Cinemas on Sept. 6
The Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association is hosting a screening of director George Roy Hill’s (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Slaughterhouse-Five, The World According to Garp) classic 1973 crime comedy The Sting, from a script by David S. Ward (The Milagro Beanfield War, Major League, Sleepless in Seattle) about two grifters—Henry Gondorff (Paul…
The Live Oak Music Festival’s future is in doubt
I was late to the Live Oak Music Festival game. Sure, I previewed the festival over the years in this column, but I didn’t attend in person until 2010, long after its 1989 start. After my first year, I was hooked. I haven’t missed a year since. Sadly, I learned that the festival organizer—local public radio…
Kor Kitchen brings the taste of Afghanistan to SLO County
Kor means “home” in Pashto, one of the official languages of Afghanistan. That’s exactly what San Luis Obispo is to Sophia Zekria, an Afghan immigrant and founder of Kor Kitchen, serving the first Afghan cuisine in SLO County. Since she was a little girl in Kabul, Zekria has loved cooking. Today, Zekria hopes to expand…
