The historically large Dana Reserve housing development in Nipomo continues to grind through San Luis Obispo County’s planning process—albeit six months behind schedule. SLO County has yet to release a final environmental impact report (EIR) for the 1,289-unit project between Tefft Street and Willow Road, causing community activists to wonder when that’ll happen and what’s […]
PETER JOHNSON
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Locals celebrate Nipomo Skate Park’s long-awaited grand opening
Typically the first to roll out their boards at any skate park, childhood friends Wyatt Russell and Owen Slater took a step back on May 6 to admire the joyous scene at the Nipomo Skate Park. Dozens of locals of all ages zipped around the 10,000 square feet of concrete peppered with quarter pipes, stairs, […]
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A Bridge of Hope aspires to keep local seniors in their homes through care coordination, subsidies
Nipomo resident Janice LaMere found her life’s calling through an all-too-relatable personal ordeal. When her father was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2011, he moved into her house for long-term care. There was no better option—at least not one they could afford. “My parents lived in Paso Robles and I lived in Nipomo,” LaMere […]
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PG&E grant enables State Parks to pay for class field trips to coastal landmarks
For thousands of school-age kids, the San Luis Obispo County coastline is a premier destination for epic field trips. The Central Coast State Parks Association plays an important role in that. The nonprofit arm of State Parks routinely offers educational field trip tours at local landmarks like the Oceano Dunes, the Morro Bay Museum of […]
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Voters pass abortion, arts education, anti-tobacco propositions
California and Santa Barbara County voters both said “yes” to abortion protections, arts education funding, and a flavored tobacco ban, but soured on the remaining statewide propositions, according to Nov. 8 election results. With 98 percent of the statewide vote counted as of press time, the seven proposition contests are all but decided. Of the […]
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Oso Flaco Lake remediation project will target ‘persistent and pernicious’ DDT pollution
Nearly a decade after researchers found more DDT pesticides in Oso Flaco Lake than in any other water body in the state, local stakeholders are finally zeroing in on a project they say will help fix it. The Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (RCD) is partnering with Teixeira Farms on a remediation project to […]
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Twitchell Dam operators must release water for steelhead trout, court rules
The local water district that controls the Twitchell Dam reservoir will be required to consider the health of the steelhead trout population when it determines its water release schedule, according to a recent court ruling. Environmental groups have long argued that Twitchell Dam operators are ignoring state and federal endangered species laws by not releasing […]
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‘Your Own Backyard’ creator Chris Lambert shares impressions of the Kristin Smart murder trial and podcast updates
More than 25 years after Kristin Smart’s disappearance, the murder trial for her alleged killer, Paul Flores, and his father, an alleged accessory, finally started in July. In opening arguments, SLO County prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle laid out the case to two Monterey County juries: that Paul raped and killed Smart in his Cal Poly dorm […]
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Dana Reserve environmental impact report details project’s footprint on Nipomo oak-studded ranchland
The largest proposed housing development in San Luis Obispo County in 25 years would cut down close to 4,000 oak trees, disrupt protected plant and wildlife species, and strain local traffic, among other impacts, according to a draft environmental impact report (EIR) released last month for the Dana Reserve in Nipomo. The 1,289 single- and […]
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California ‘whale tail’ grants benefit local projects that connect people with the ocean and its ecosystems
Ever wonder what the California “whale tail” license plate is all about? Drivers who pay a little extra for the ocean-themed plate are contributing to a statewide fund that the California Coastal Commission uses each year to fund grassroots projects that protect or educate about the coast. On Feb. 9, in a record-breaking year of […]
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Nine new state laws to pay attention to in 2022
New Year’s Day brought a slew of new laws for Californians to follow. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 770 bills in 2021, which officially became laws on Jan. 1, 2022. This week, the Sun sorted through the pile to highlight nine key laws that locals should look out for in 2022. From attempts to relieve the […]
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Cunningham’s district removed from Santa Barbara County in final redistricting map
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission wrapped up its work on Dec. 20—finalizing a set of new boundaries for state Senate, state Assembly, and congressional districts that will be in effect for the next decade. The new maps—which account for population changes and the loss of a congressional district in California for the first time in […]