https://calcoastnews.com San Luis Obispo County’s on-line independent news source producing in-depth investigative news in the public interest. Wed, 06 May 2026 18:46:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://calcoastnews.com/images/2022/10/cropped-largetile-32x32.jpg https://calcoastnews.com 32 32 59345941 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/uncovering-san-luis-obispo-countys-campaign-finance-coverups/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/uncovering-san-luis-obispo-countys-campaign-finance-coverups/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 18:46:34 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=133032 OPINION by GREG HASKIN Campaign season is shifting into high gear. With less than a month to go, and mail-in ballots already out, the pressure is on. One tool that has become quite prevalent late in political campaigns is the independent expenditure committee (IE). This is a scheme for getting around campaign finance limits and […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/uncovering-san-luis-obispo-countys-campaign-finance-coverups/feed/ 0 133032 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/investigators-search-susan-flores-arroyo-grande-home-for-kristin-smart-evidence/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/investigators-search-susan-flores-arroyo-grande-home-for-kristin-smart-evidence/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 18:05:05 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=133025 By JOSH FRIEDMAN Investigators are currently serving a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores as part of an ongoing investigation in the Kristin Smart murder case, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. Early Wednesday morning, investigators arrived at Susan Flores’ home on the 500 block of East Branch […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/investigators-search-susan-flores-arroyo-grande-home-for-kristin-smart-evidence/feed/ 0 133025 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/sheriffs-deputies-searching-for-templeton-burglary-suspect/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/sheriffs-deputies-searching-for-templeton-burglary-suspect/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 16:33:54 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=133020 By JOSH FRIEDMAN The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help locating a suspect who burglarized a consignment boutique in Templeton last week. On April 30, sheriff’s deputies responded to an audible alarm call at the Upscale Resale store located at 590 S. Main Street. When deputies arrived, they noticed […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/sheriffs-deputies-searching-for-templeton-burglary-suspect/feed/ 0 133020 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/felon-terrorizes-san-luis-obispo-neighborhood/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/felon-terrorizes-san-luis-obispo-neighborhood/#comments Wed, 06 May 2026 00:43:49 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132915 By KAREN VELIE Neighbors near the airport in San Luis Obispo are living in fear of an alleged delusional felon who was arrested three times in less than three months for charges that include a naked burglary. Even so, less than two months after his latest arrest he is slated to be released. Neighbors are […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/felon-terrorizes-san-luis-obispo-neighborhood/feed/ 9 132915 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/paso-robles-man-sentenced-to-four-years-in-prison-for-embezzlement/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/paso-robles-man-sentenced-to-four-years-in-prison-for-embezzlement/#comments Wed, 06 May 2026 00:39:13 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=133002 By JOSH FRIEDMAN A San Luis Obispo County judge on Tuesday sentenced a Paso Robles man to four years and four months in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from an Atascadero business. In May 2024, the owner of Scott O’Brien Fire and Safety contacted the Atascadero Police Department to report a suspected […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/paso-robles-man-sentenced-to-four-years-in-prison-for-embezzlement/feed/ 2 133002 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/drunk-driver-crashes-into-parked-car-in-san-luis-obispo/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/drunk-driver-crashes-into-parked-car-in-san-luis-obispo/#comments Tue, 05 May 2026 15:08:14 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132991 By KAREN VELIE A drunk driver landed in jail after he crashed into a parked car in San Luis Obispo over the weekend. Late Friday night, a caller reported a crash on the 1700 block of Garden Street. Officers arrived to find the driver of a white sedan had crashed into an unoccupied parked car. […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/drunk-driver-crashes-into-parked-car-in-san-luis-obispo/feed/ 3 132991 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/arroyo-grande-drowning-victim-identified/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/arroyo-grande-drowning-victim-identified/#respond Tue, 05 May 2026 01:38:51 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132988 By KAREN VELIE Authorities identified the Arroyo Grande man who drowned while kayaking off the coast of Montana de Oro State Park on Saturday morning as 78-year-old Ralph Sutter. Shortly after 10 a.m., a caller reported waves flipped over a kayaker. It appeared Sutter’s life vest somehow slipped off his body. The San Luis Obispo […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/arroyo-grande-drowning-victim-identified/feed/ 0 132988 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/chp-searching-for-central-coast-driver-who-hit-and-killed-pedestrian/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/chp-searching-for-central-coast-driver-who-hit-and-killed-pedestrian/#comments Mon, 04 May 2026 22:36:48 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132983 By JOSH FRIEDMAN The California Highway Patrol is asking the public for help identifying a hit-and-run suspect who struck and killed a pedestrian between Santa Maria and Guadalupe on Sunday evening. At about 8 p.m., an unknown vehicle hit a female pedestrian while traveling westbound from Santa Maria to Guadalupe on West Main Street. The […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/chp-searching-for-central-coast-driver-who-hit-and-killed-pedestrian/feed/ 2 132983 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/more-scrutiny-for-san-luis-obispo-county-political-committee/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/more-scrutiny-for-san-luis-obispo-county-political-committee/#comments Mon, 04 May 2026 20:49:19 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132957 By KAREN VELIE A political action committee that supports the reelection of San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding amended its disclosures to comply with election laws, an action that instead led to further scrutiny. Attorney Don Ernst and retired attorney Ray Mattison donated a total of $40,002 to seed the political action committee, though […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/more-scrutiny-for-san-luis-obispo-county-political-committee/feed/ 8 132957 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/underage-drinkers-with-false-identifications-busted-in-san-luis-obispo/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/underage-drinkers-with-false-identifications-busted-in-san-luis-obispo/#comments Mon, 04 May 2026 18:56:48 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132973 By KAREN VELIE Officers cited 29 people for having false or fraudulent identifications at a restaurant popular with college students on Sunday evening in San Luis Obispo. Shortly after 9 p.m., California Alcohol Beverage Control agents observed a large group of youthful individuals drinking alcohol at HaHa Sushi and Ramen on Olive Street. Agents discovered […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/underage-drinkers-with-false-identifications-busted-in-san-luis-obispo/feed/ 4 132973 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/grover-beach-police-warn-of-atm-scam/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/grover-beach-police-warn-of-atm-scam/#comments Mon, 04 May 2026 16:14:00 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132968 By JOSH FRIEDMAN Grover Beach police are warning Wells Fargo customers about a skimming device found inside an ATM at the bank in the South County city. The device was found Friday morning inside the drive-thru ATM at Wells Fargo in Grover Beach. The Grover Beach Police Department published a photo of the skimming device, […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/grover-beach-police-warn-of-atm-scam/feed/ 1 132968 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/san-luis-obispo-county-deals-on-dining-lodging-happy-hours-16/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/san-luis-obispo-county-deals-on-dining-lodging-happy-hours-16/#respond Sun, 03 May 2026 17:22:58 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132951 Find great local sales and deals on dining, happy hours, lodging, golf and more while supporting San Luis Obispo County businesses and the local economy. Cafe Roma Restaurant in San Luis Obispo Happy hour special Happy hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with half price glasses of wine in the bar from 5 p.m. to […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/san-luis-obispo-county-deals-on-dining-lodging-happy-hours-16/feed/ 0 132951 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/gas-prices-soar-in-san-luis-obispo-county-find-lowest-costs/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/gas-prices-soar-in-san-luis-obispo-county-find-lowest-costs/#comments Sun, 03 May 2026 17:07:29 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132943 By KAREN VELIE As the war in Iran continues, the average price for a gallon of gas in San Luis Obispo County soared 23 cents last week to $6.08 a gallon, according to AAA. In California, the average price for a gallon of gas increased 17 cents to $6.10 last week. Nationally, gas prices rose […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/gas-prices-soar-in-san-luis-obispo-county-find-lowest-costs/feed/ 8 132943 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/san-luis-obispo-mma-fighter-steven-sainsbury-at-table-mountain-casino-resort/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/san-luis-obispo-mma-fighter-steven-sainsbury-at-table-mountain-casino-resort/#comments Sat, 02 May 2026 23:00:53 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132937 By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo Mixed Martial Arts fighter Steven Sainsbury is competing in his seventh professional bout on May 2 – Valley Fight Series 25 at Table Mountain Casino Resort. Sainsbury will go toe-to-toe with Fresno native James Porter. Porter is 6 feet 2 inches tall with a 79 inch reach. Sainsbury is […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/san-luis-obispo-mma-fighter-steven-sainsbury-at-table-mountain-casino-resort/feed/ 1 132937 https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/kayaker-drowns-off-coast-of-san-luis-obispo-county/ https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/kayaker-drowns-off-coast-of-san-luis-obispo-county/#respond Sat, 02 May 2026 22:27:02 +0000 https://calcoastnews.com/?p=132931 By KAREN VELIE A male drowned while kayaking off the coast of Montana de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo County on Saturday morning. Shortly after 10:20 a.m., a caller reported a kayaker was flipped over by waves. It appeared the Kayaker’s life vest somehow slipped off his body. The SLO County Sheriff’s Office, […]]]> https://calcoastnews.com/2026/05/kayaker-drowns-off-coast-of-san-luis-obispo-county/feed/ 0 132931