San Luis Obispo County residents deserve consistent and transparent leadership. Yet, when it comes to the controversial Caballero battery storage project in Nipomo, the response from San Luis Obispo County 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding tells a different story. If this project were next to Trilogy, an area where Paulding has historically focused much of […]
Nipomo needed more info earlier for battery facility
Offshore wind ‘farms’ will create their own set of environmental issues
After more than two years of listening to virtue-signaling NGOs, climate apocalypse-shaming hipsters, politically driven energy opportunists, and just plain ignorant-of-the-facts state and local political “dignitaries,” I’ve just about had it up to here! I’m sick of digging myself out of the political mire on both sides and witnessing the shameful justification of a toxic […]
‘Lawfare’
There were no literal weapons in the recent skirmishes on battlefields at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing room and Superior Court. Just sharp words, pointed memos, unassailable lawsuits. This was “lawfare.” Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson used that term to describe what American Medical Response (AMR) “deployed” to get its new four-year […]
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center brings the classroom to nature for some local students
A little more than 70 students from Guadalupe go hiking somewhere in the local community every Wednesday. As part of its after-school program, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center takes up to 80 children from Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School and Mary Buren Elementary School on hikes each week. According to Joey Nichols, Dunes Center director of education, […]
Political Watch: February 13, 2025
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is spending a lot of time pushing back on the Trump administration’s policy pushes. Since President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January and began signing a flurry of executive orders, Carbajal’s office has put out several press releases about what the congressman is doing and saying about it, […]
Sierra Club appeals to protect buffer area amid Phillips 66 refinery demolition
The remnants of Phillips 66’s Santa Maria Refinery on the Nipomo Mesa will be removed from 218 acres, but a Sierra Club appeal to protect a large buffer area stands in the way of complete demolition. “Placing a conservation easement on this land would greatly enhance the restoration efforts contemplated in the [draft environmental impact […]
Santa Barbara County wine business improvement district gets greenlight
Four wineries protested to establishing a Santa Barbara County wine business improvement district, and one winemaker threatened a lawsuit over it—but that wasn’t enough to stop its approval. With at least 129 wineries in support of creating the district and approval from all eight cities, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to […]
AMR gets ambulance contract for Santa Barbara County after lawsuit settlement
Fire chiefs across Santa Barbara County are unhappy with the county’s decision to settle a lawsuit with American Medical Response (AMR) and renew the ambulance provider’s contract. “Fire chiefs have consistently called for an EMS system that emphasizes transparency, accountability, and increases units on the street. Unfortunately, it seems like these concerns have largely fallen […]
Central Coast Floats in SLO offers flotation therapy to naturally alleviate anxiety, depression, and chronic pain
Float on For more information about Central Coast Floats in San Luis Obispo, visit centralcoastfloats.com. Central Coast Floats is located at 4472 Broad St. Entering a white pod, I stepped into a foot of water. Blue and purple hues glowed, and crystal bowl-like music filled the enclosure as I sat down and nearly floated above […]
Family Counseling and Trauma Healing Center combines ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with EMDR to speed up recovery
Learn more To read more about eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, visit the EMDR international association’s website at emdria.org. For more information on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, head to ketamineresearchfoundation.org. Psychology Today’s website offers search function for local therapists—including EMDR and ketamine-assisted therapies—at psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ca. Some patients experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, or other mental health […]
Central Coast Art League members showcase still lifes at Los Olivos General Store
Still life is for the living The Los Olivos General Store debuted the Central Coast Art League’s current group show in November 2024. The exhibit is slated to remain on display through March 3. For more info, visit centralcoastartleague.com. The Los Olivos General Store is located at 2900 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. In a garage-sized […]
Safer wind farms for all
Whether you are for or against wind farms off our coast, or on land for that matter, we all want them safer for the planet. With the idea of minimizing bird mortality, I have a couple of suggestions. To minimize deaths during the day, the blades as well as their support structure could be painted […]

