Author: Karen Velie

Sewage release closes Oceano Beach

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 13, 2010 | Daily Briefs | 0 |

Public health officials closed Oceano Beach today as the result of a sewage release of between 160,000 and 180,000 gallons.

The flow of partially treated sewage effluent was released into the Pacific Ocean from a pipe located some 4,000 feet off shore and 60 feet below the oceans surface between 4 and 7:30 a.m. today. A malfunctioning chlorinating system, blamed for the contaminated release, has since been restored.

Samplings of ocean water will be used to determine if there is a health risk because of elevated bacteria levels.

Dog busts Atascadero State Hospital pot party

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 13, 2010 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

By KAREN VELIE A canine police officer is being credited with busting a group of patients at Atascadero State Hospital for allegedly smoking marijuana on Jan. 5. After the canine officer discovered...

Man charged with injuring pedestrian and DUI

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 7, 2010 | Daily Briefs | 0 |

A 39-year-old San Luis Obispo man is behind bars after police say he drove his Toyota 4Runner into a parked sedan that lurched forward and trapped a pedestrian sitting on the rear of a van parked on Augusta, at 10:05 on Thursday.

Several people helped free 39-year-old Brenner Harris from between the sedan and the van. Fire Department personnel treated Harris prior to his transport to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

San Luis Obispo Police arrested Gabriel Payne on charges of felony DUI and booked him into San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $100,000.

Sheriff’s destruction of medical marijuana leads to lawsuit

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 6, 2010 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

A Los Osos woman filed a lawsuit seeking $36,000 to replace six pounds of medical marijuana the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department seized from her home and then destroyed.

Before 1988, Kimberly Marshall worked in the foreclosure industry. Her life changed after she was given a blood transfusion contaminated with hepatitis.

Following a liver cancer diagnosis, doctors informed Marshall she had less than a year to live. Though currently in remission, daily nausea, a side of effect of the cancer treatment, has caused her weight to drop to as low as 98 pounds.

Computer snafu temporarily halts birth control prescriptions program

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 5, 2010 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

A computer glitch with California Department of Health Services Computers prohibited low income patients from filling birth control prescriptions during that past few days.

Pharmacists throughout the state, who attempted to fill certain birth control prescriptions for patients covered by the departments Family Planning Access Care Treatment program, were informed that their eligibly for the prescription had been denied.

Employees at Health Works in San Luis Obispo said they had at least 20 patients came in yesterday asking why they were no longer eligible to receive birth control.

County agency accused of misuse of state funds

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 5, 2010 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has accused San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) of the inappropriate expenditure of more than $1 million in taxpayer funds, claiming the county agency transferred funds slated for road maintenance to purchase new office space.

In an August letter demanding SLOCOG return misused funds, Caltrans officials contend that SLOCOG used tax revenues ear marked for the maintenance and construction of public streets to purchase a building at 1114 Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo and asked what actions SLOCOG will take to “resolve the issue in a timely manner.”

CalCoastNews’ top stories of 2009

Posted by Karen Velie | Jan 1, 2010 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

From government employees abusing the public trust to lending schemes that devastating investors, CalCoastNews readers were the first to get the news about many of the prominent local events of 2009.

Lending schemes devastate investors

In March, we broke the news that Heritage Oaks Bank filed foreclosure notices against developer Kelly Gearhart’s Vista Del Hombre project, as well as Karen Guth and Joshua Yaguda’s Pasolivio Olive Ranch starting a battle with investors for first place in the quest for financial compensation.

Sheriff deputy accused of shaking down Roman Catholic priest

Posted by Karen Velie | Dec 29, 2009 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

A San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s deputy has filed a civil claim seeking an unspecified amount of money against a Roman Catholic priest whom he said emotionally traumatized him during an undercover sting operation.

Claiming personal injuries, Sheriff’s Deputy John Franklin filed a civil claim against a Roman Catholic priest he arrested in 2007 for lewd conduct in a public place near Avila Beach. Franklin claims he suffers “mental and emotional distress including feelings of anger, rage, disgust, revulsion and embarrassment as a result of the despicable and oppressive behavior” of the former assistant pastor of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Nipomo.

Horse sanctuary foreman fined for killing wild pigs

Posted by Karen Velie | Dec 23, 2009 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

By KAREN VELIE Dancing Star Foundation reportedly levied fines against its foreman for illegal poaching at the sanctuary, situated south of Harmony on 700 rolling acres along U.S. Highway 1, sources...

Schwarzenegger awards Nipomo man Medal of Valor

Posted by Karen Velie | Dec 21, 2009 | Daily Briefs | 0 |

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger presented a Nipomo man with the Silver Medal of Valor on Dec. 10 for his heroic acts in protecting fellow motorists and helping to save the life of a Fish and Game...

Man runs into traffic and is killed

Posted by Karen Velie | Dec 20, 2009 | Daily Briefs | 0 |

A pedestrian who ran into traffic was hit and killed by an SUV on U.S. Highway 101 near Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. [KSBY] Reacting to a verbal altercation among passengers riding in...

San Luis Obispo slated to pay $195,000 for alleged police brutality

Posted by Karen Velie | Dec 18, 2009 | Uncovered SLO | 0 |

San Luis Obispo taxpayers are in line to pay $195,000 to a local business owner for alleged excessive force by police officers during a case of mistaken identity.

Attorneys for both the city and Jeff Milne, the owner of Babbo’s Pizzeria, have agreed to accept mediator Dave Peterson’s settlement suggestion. City council members are expected to approve the proposed settlement.

“Both sides have reached what they believe to be a fair resolution,” said attorney for the city, Jay Hieatt, of Hall Hieatt and Connely Attorneys at Law.