The Tribune (SLO)
Sierra Vista hospital in SLO to get a $220 million expansion
San Luis Obispo County’s largest hospital is about to get a whole lot bigger. On Saturday, Adventist Health announced plans for a $220 million capital expansion at Adventist Health Sierra Vista in San Luis Obispo, according to a news release from the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
At least 231 shark attacks occurred in state waters since 1950
When a Monterey County woman died in a shark attack off Pacific Grove in late December, it was the 17th such fatality in 75 years off the coast of California. Most of those incidents inan volved white sharks, and though bites and deaths from sharks...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Leading conservative voice Rep. LaMalfa dies at 65
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, one of California’s leading conservative voices in Washington, has died. LaMalfa, 65, had been a congressman since 2013, representing California’s 1st District. He was known as a strong, personable voice for rural and small...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How The Mountain Air became a 50-year-old SLO institution
Early-rising, ambitious Central Coast athletes with the right skills and some luck could conceivably go snow skiing in the morning, climb a mountain in midday and surf in the Pacific that night. Unlikely? Probably. But possible? Yes, according to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Economy surged in 3rd quarter of 2025, Commerce Dept. says
The U.S. economy grew at a vigorous pace through the end of September, despite the uncertainty created by tariffs and widespread concerns about affordability among households. Economic growth rose at a 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Monarch butterfly count low, ‘disheartening’ in Pismo Beach
The monarch butterfly migration is off to a tough start this season — with fewer butterflies than usual fluttering to the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. As of Wednesday, California State Parks had only counted 471 butterflies in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Flooded creek destroys home, jury to decide responsibility
A homeowner’s lawsuit against the city of Atascadero over 2023 storm damage that forced his family out of their home has finally gone to trial over two years later. San Luis Obispo County faced historic rains in 2023 that caused an estimated $40...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Iconic SLO County beach town motel starts major renovation
For going on a decade, a once-thriving tourist destination in the heart of Avila Beach has stood in varying states of disrepair and reconstruction — but after a slew of delays, the historic property finally has a plan to return to its former glory. As...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Trump wants more oil drilling in federal waters
For the first time in about 40 years, the Trump administration could offer federal waters off the Central Coast to new oil extraction projects. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Interior released a proposal to open about 1.48 billion acres of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Police identify 2 people in apparent murder-suicide
Editor’s note: This story mentions suicide. Police identified the two people who died by gunshot wounds in a suspected murdersuicide in Grover Beach on Saturday as 28-year-old Owen James Wesner and 24-year-old Emily Lourin Reilly. According to a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Parents launch campaign to secure millions from PG&E for schools
San Luis Obispo parents packed local school board meetings earlier this year, rallying to save school counselors and the transitional kindergarten program as the district deliberated millions of dollars in budget cuts — but as cuts were finalized and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SLO Classical Academy launches capital campaign for new campus
San Luis Obispo Classical Academy recently launched a $29 million capital campaign to fund the purchase and remodel of its new location on Broad Street — and it’s already halfway to that goal. The SLO private school got approval to move into a former...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SLO County 4-year-olds are going to TK: Take a look inside
In a portable building at the back of Hawthorne Elementary School sits a small classroom filled with books, building blocks, finger paints and games. Instead of desks, a colorful, alphabet-emblazoned rug occupies the center of the room, surrounded by...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Emergency cleaner helps SLO County clients at worst time
When Joseph Giambalvo returned to his Arroyo Grande home from a three-day hospitalization caused by a knife attack that left his wife dead, the house was clean. All that remained was a boarded-up window. The blood that once stained the walls and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SLO farm debuts massive ‘Sesame Street’-themed corn maze
Just off Los Osos Valley Road, a sweeping field of 10-foot-tall corn stalks depicts the outlines of “Sesame Street” characters. This fall, Brookshire Farms in San Luis Obispo is celebrating the 56th anniversary of the longtime children’s television...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
It’s whale migration season off SLO County: What we saw
A bright yellow vessel cut through the Morro Bay Harbor like a sunbeam on Monday morning as the captain consulted his radar for clusters of birds and sea lions — clues for finding humpback whales. Whale watchers aboard a vessel called The Freedom...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SLO County James Dean memorial refurbished for anniversary
Almost 70 years ago to the date of the fatal car crash that took the life of old Hollywood legend James Dean, the actor’s San Luis Obispo County memorial is set to return with a new look. Since 1977, a memorial erected by Dean superfan Seita OhThat’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cal Poly student wins Lego contest with Italy-themed design
When Cal Poly student Alex Sahli was a young child playing with Legos, he never imagined that he’d someday see his own face on one of the brand’s characteristic plastic minifigures. Fast forward to this summer, when Sahli’s own “Italian Riviera” set...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Findings of Paso Robles harassment probe to be released
The city of Paso Robles will pay $277,000 and release the findings of the investigation into former city manager Ty Lewis’ claims of harassment by Councilman Chris Bausch. That’s according to a settlement The Tribune has reached with the city and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How SLO County is becoming a hub for tech innovation
When Ty and Trudie Safreno founded their design and manufacturing company Trust Automation over 30 years ago, most of their customers across the country had never heard of San Luis Obispo. “They think of it as grapes, tourism or a cool place to go in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Civic heart’ of SLO County beach town reopens
One-hundred-and-fifty years after it first opened its doors as the Cass Warehouse, the community building now known as Cayucos Landing officially has a new lease on life. On Monday, Cayucos resiaround dents were able to step inside of Cayucos Landing...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
In wake of Big Sur slide, Hwy. 1 businesses stretched thin
As the summer tourism season fades into back to school, fall and the holidays, some North Coast business owners fear they might be facing a third consecutive year with the crucial Highway 1 connection to Big Sur still cut off. That could spell bad...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New evacuations ordered as crews work to slow Gifford Fire
San Luis Obispo County issued new evacuation orders for the Gifford Fire on Monday morning, as crews planned a 36-hour burn operation to slow the massive blaze. By Tuesday morning, California’s largest wildfire of the year had burned 122,065 acres and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
2 injured leaping from second-story apartment fire
people were injured when they were forced to jump from the second story of an apartment complex to escape a fast-moving fire that destroyed four units in Grover Beach on Tuesday morning. Firefighters responded to the residential fire at around 9:27...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hwy. 1 closure to continue amid repair setbacks, debris
More than a year of Caltrans repair work on the massive slide blocking Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast has cleared more than 500,000 cubic yards of debris from the landslide — but officials say it’s still too early to say when the road will be clear...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
National parks brace for full scope of DOGE firings
Bill Wade did not begin to grasp the full weight of the Trump administration’s National Park Service firings until a copy of a young ranger’s termination letter landed in his email inbox late in the afternoon on Feb. 14. He had planned for a leisurely...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fire devastates historic Templeton Feed & Grain
A massive fire that sparked late on the Fourth of July devastated the historic Templeton Feed & Grain building, sending towering flames shooting into the sky for hours as residents gathered on street corners to watch. Firefighters were still dousing...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Downtown Atascadero has a new look
After a year of construction on the city’s main drag, downtown Atascadero has a whole new look. Just in time for summer, residents can now enjoy a fully renovated El Camino Real with added car and bike parking, lush greenery and trees, hanging street...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Co-founder of Coalesce Bookstore remembered with love
The front door to Coalesce Bookstore opens like the arms of a friend — ready to welcome anyone inside a cozy world of books curated by its late shopkeeper, Linna Thomas. “When I envisioned the store, I wanted a name that would mean bringing all kinds...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Thousands gather in SLO County cities to protest Trump
As thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C., for a lavish anniversary parade for the U.S. Army on Saturday — which also happened to be President Trump’s 79th birthday — thousands of others collected in the streets of San Luis Obispo to protest...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
45 luxury ‘eco-tents’ coming to SLO County golf course
A new luxury camping-style getaway is coming soon to a familiar San Luis Obispo County location. By next spring, 45 “ecotents” built by Nightsky camps will crop up at the Dairy Creek Golf course in San Luis Obispo, taking over land that used to be...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Will damaged end of Cayucos Pier be replaced after removal?
When work starts soon to remove the damaged end of the iconic Cayucos Pier, will the county actually replace it? Or will it just shorten the historic pier by 15 feet? That’s a lingering question hanging over the current effort to get repair bids in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fallen military honored on Memorial Day in Paso Robles
flags fluttered softly in the breeze at the Paso Robles District Cemetery on Monday, where more than 250 people gathered to honor fallen servicemembers at a Memorial Day Ceremony. The audience was filled with people of all ages, from grayhaired...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How trans student became a voice for access in county
For the past two years, 16year-old Lily has fought to have her identity as a transgender girl recognized by her peers and teachers. And for the most part, even as she suffered daily insults and slurs from her classmates at Arroyo Grande High School,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Huge great white shark spotted near surfers in Pismo Beach
After surfing for 34 years, David Steiner knows he’s not alone in the ocean. The idea of creatures lurking beneath the waves used to freak him out. But now, the Arroyo Grande resident is a bit of a shark enthusiast — and he captures drone footage of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
15 guide puppies learn how to navigate SLO airport for training
The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport was filled with the patter of paws on Saturday as 15 guide dogs in training got a lesson in social interaction and airport etiquette. The Guide Dogs for the Blind puppies and their volunteer raisers from all...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cal Poly canyon transformed for building design competition
an overcast afternoon in late April, fourth-year Cal Poly students Eli Clifford and Rory Bruton were busy building geometric plywood huts to serve as their shelter. Using nuts and bolts and custom-made brackets, they focused on fastening sheet metal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SLO Mission to honor life of Pope Francis by ringing bells
sion will ring its bells 88 times on Monday afternoon — a papal tribute to his 88 years of life, Cain said. The mission will also hang a banner of black fabric from the bell tower in mourning. After months of medical complications, the pope...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Homeless man wins $1 million on a Lottery scratcher
A “loyal customer” of a downtown San Luis Obispo liquor store recently won a $1 million prize on a California Lottery scratcher, the business announced last week. And according to another local business, the man was homeless and had been living here...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Thousands rally to protest Trump’s policies
Around 5,000 people gathered in front of San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Saturday with a message for President Donald Trump: “Hands off!” “’Hands off’ is about respecting the rule of law, that’s really the main gist,” protest organizer and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Founder’s essence lives on at Linnaea’s Cafe, 41 years later
Take a decades-old, funkycasual coffee shop filled with conversations. Add new owners who are a local musician and event producer and a MichelinGuide-recognized pastry chef with different menu ideas. Then toss in a carrot cake that’s been the stuff of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Congressman Panetta slams Musk at SLO County town hall
Hundreds of people squeezed into the Cambria Veterans Hall on Thursday afternoon to hear Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta speak at a town hall, addressing his constituents’ questions and concerns about what has been going on in Congress during the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
6,000 St. Fratty’s Day revelers turn out for music festival
a chaotic start, Cal Poly’s on-campus music festival was the place to be on St. Fratty’s Day, as 6,000 students turned out to dance the early morning away, safely and off the streets. The “Morning on the Green” event, which started at 4 a.m. with...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Atascadero candymaker lost thousands in winery bankruptcy
Erin Holden was thrilled when she made a deal to sell $18,700 worth of her homemade candies to Laetitia Vineyard and Winery last year. But when the owner of Queen Bee Caramels in Atascadero still hadn’t been paid months after she delivered the order...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Chevron land near Morro Bay purchased for SLO County park
San Luis Obispo County conservation leaders are one step closer to converting a former oil storage and pipeline terminal into a massive coastal park. On Feb. 6, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County bought a 750acre stretch of coastal hills...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Los Padres forest biologist loses job amid Trump purge
Ben Vizzachero boarded a whale-watching boat on Saturday with his girlfriend, setting aside rumors that his U.S. Forest Service job was at risk so he could enjoy Valentine’s Day weekend. Then he got a call from his supervisor. “When I heard my...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hundreds protest Trump, Musk across SLO County
Hundreds of San Luis Obispo County residents turned out to show their opposition to the policies of the second Trump administration in multiple demonstrations Monday afternoon. Standing along Los Osos Valley Road near Highway 101, demonstrators waved...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Some SLO County doctors offer alternative care model
Family medicine practitioner Dr. Farnaz Pirayesh has lived on the Central Coast for more than a decade. Most recently, she opened up a membership care practice in San Luis Obispo that relies on fixed fees — rather than taking patients’ insurance....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cannabis business owners speak out on conspiracy saga
The Paso Robles cannabis business owners who found themselves swept into a maelstrom of political controversy amid former city manager Ty Lewis’ conspiracy allegations have come forward to defend themselves, their business and their city. Ernest and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cal Poly says diversity and inclusion office isn’t closing
A tip shared with The Tribune on Friday stated that Cal Poly was closing its Office of University Diversity and Inclusion following President Trump’s executive orders targeting federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The Tribune looked into...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Trump inaugurated as 47th US president
Donald J. Trump was inaugurated Monday for a second term as president. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the 35-word oath of office to Trump in the Rotunda of the Capitol in a ceremony that was moved indoors because of cold weather. James David...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cal Fire SLO preps for wildfire threat every year
While firefighters in Los Angeles battle a trio of wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people, other emergency responders stand ready to defend San Luis Obispo County from a potential blaze. Cal Fire SLO is as prepared as it...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Heather Moreno sworn in as new SLO County supervisor
The San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors gained a new face Tuesday as Heather Moreno was sworn in to her new seat. Moreno, 57, replaced former District 5 Supervisor Debbie Arnold, who recently retired after 12 years on the board. A longtime...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Arnold retires after 12 years as District 5 supervisor
Debbie Arnold cast her last vote as a San Luis Obispo County supervisor on Tuesday, saying a bittersweet goodbye to the county role she has held for over a decade. Arnold will officially retire and leave her long-time supervisorial role after the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Families of SLO couple killed by driver angered by sentence
This year marked the third Thanksgiving Jennifer Besser’s and Matthew Chachere’s family will be spending the holidays without them. On Nov. 22, 2022, two days before Thanksgiving, the two were supposed to arrive at Chachere’s parent’s house in Modesto...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Defiance in South Korea forces president to back down
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea said he would lift the emergency declaration of martial law he imposed late Tuesday as soon as he could convene his Cabinet, bowing to pressure after the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding it end. By...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Massive storm soaks county, leads to vehicle crashes
As they say, when it rains, it pours — and it sure is pouring in San Luis Obispo County. A new flash of rainfall Tuesday morning caused multiple car crashes that backed up traffic in areas throughout the county. As the atmospheric river continues to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
County programs can help save seniors from the streets
Before Mark DenDekker’s life was hit by a series of “four torpedoes” over the past decade, life was moving along as planned for the Southern California native. But then, a divorce, a layoff and two costly injuries sent his life into a spiral that...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘‘
It became part of his daily routine to say hello to the woman, though she was rarely social, Cross said, leading him to start a Nextdoor thread with other neighbors
Read Full Story (Page 1)
County sees ‘impressive’ voter turnout, top official says
Luis Obispo County voters flocked to local polling places and ballot drop-off boxes on Election Day. As of midday Tuesday, voter turnout in SLO County had already far surpassed that of the March primary election, according to San Luis Obispo County...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Voting machine protocols given
With Election Day a week away, a national resurgence of voting conspiracy theories and misinformation is fanning local concerns about election integrity across the country — including in San Luis Obispo County. Concerned community members have spoken...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Our hearts are broken’: Family mourns teen killed in crash
Sixteen-year-old Eric Aguilar was on his way to buy flowers for a girl late at night when his car veered off of Highway 1 near Cambria and crashed down an embankment in SepSpanish tember. His family found his lifeless body on the side of the road...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
1 dead in possible arson at Arroyo Grande home
One person died and another was arrested after emergency crews responded to a reportedly intentionally set house fire in Arroyo Grande on Monday evening. In a post on X, Five Cites Fire Authority said it and law enforcement were at the the scene of a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Paso Robles city manager files $2M claim alleging harassment
Paso Robles’ city manager filed a $2 million claim against the city, alleging a councilmember has created such a hostile work environment that he had to take medical leave due to stress. City Manager Ty Lewis has been on leave since early August,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fan spearheads effort to repair James Dean memorial site
seven decades ago, actor James Dean died in a fateful crash in a quiet part of San Luis Obispo County where Highways 41 and 46 meet. The short-lived movie star’s legacy on and off the silver screen has endured since the Sept. 30, 1955, crash, forever...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Neighbors fight new home planned near Pismo Preserve
On a warm late July morning in Pismo Beach, a collection of residents of the Longview Avenue neighborhood that sits atop the highest hill in the city gathered in the spacious home of Roger Emmons and Elizabeth Burkhead. The residents and their lawyer,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Thomas Jodry family holds vigil for SLO parking garage death
It’s been five years since 21-year-old Thomas Jodry fell to his death off the third floor of a downtown San Luis Obispo parking garage. Today, his parents Mary Jane and Bill Jodry are left wonderJodry ing where their son would be. He would be 26 —...
Read Full Story (Page 1)