Establishing compassionate immigration response, responsible use of artificial intelligence, inclusivity in sports, and a clear curriculum opt-out process are a stakeholder group's top recommendations to San Luis Coastal Unified School District.
At its May 5 meeting, the school district board received suggestions from the Common Ground Advisory Task Force about areas in focus for the 2025-26 school year.
A mix of parents, teachers, school principals, attorneys, religious leaders, and concerned residents formed the task force almost a decade ago following two discriminatory incidents at SLO High School.
Read the full story by clicking the link in our bio. Photo by Pieter Saayman @seasaltmud
Attend government meetings long enough and certain non-elected, non-official faces and voices become familiar.
However one feels about these residents, who often stand before the microphone during the public comment period, it’s hard to ignore them, and they keep conversations rolling.
New Times spoke with a handful of the county residents who dedicate their free time to monitoring local authorities. The topics they’re passionate about and their approaches diverge, but they’re all tuned in.
Read the full story by clicking the link in our bio. Photos by Pieter Saayman @seasaltmud
When Lumina Thrift opened toward the end of 2025 with a mission of helping fund an organization that supports locals facing intimate partner violence, survivors came into the store to donate items from their own homes.
“They were actually really joyful and so happy that they have an opportunity to give back based on the fact that they had gotten so much help from Lumina,” thrift store staff member Jeannie Carpenter said. “They were coming in and giving us everything that they didn’t need anymore and with such joy and such gratitude for everything, that it was just really lovely having the interactions with them.”
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Photo by Katy Clark
Groundwater concerns in the Paso Robles basin and questions over the durability of a decade-old environmental review stalled final approval of a proposed housing project near San Miguel, even as county supervisors rejected an appeal challenging the development.
On May 5, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted to deny an appeal of the River’s Edge project, a 43-acre development planned along the Salinas River that would add 190 residential, commercial, and open-space lots near San Miguel. While the appeal was turned down, supervisors delayed final approval until June 2, directing staff to revise parts of the environmental record related to water supply and add new project conditions.
Read the full story at the link in the bio.
Photo courtesy of Visit SLO CAL
Jessica Puccinelli remembers the moment she felt compelled to write a book about her autistic son, Maverick.
“Back in February, we were at the playground,” she explained. “My son just turned about 2 and a half, and he was just getting to that age where other kids were starting to take an interest in him because that’s a pretty typical age for kids to want to play together.”
A little girl was curious about Maverick and first asked about his Apple tablet, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device that allows the mostly nonverbal boy to express ideas such a yes, no, stop, more, all done, and go, among other things.
Read the full story at the link in the bio.
Photos courtesy of Jessica Puccinelli
Thirteen years ago, Steve Key decided to stop eating animal products. Before he flipped the switch, he’d call himself a “wannabe vegetarian,” refraining from meat most of the time but not going against the grain while out to eat with his buddies.
The musician read "The Tofu Tollbook," a traveler’s guide for vegan-friendly spots around the country. It helped him avoid confused looks from waiters when he explained he didn’t eat meat. Key remembered one experience with a waitress clear as day during a Texas road trip.
“She looked at me kind of strangely, and she said, ‘How about turkey?’” Key said. “So, I guess it’s kind of misunderstood by a lot of people.”
In 2026, he doesn’t have to deal with that sentiment nearly as often in part thanks to a club he founded. Earlier this year Key and his wife, Bonnie Nelson, started a Facebook group called Central Coast Meatless Meetup to gather like-minded and curious folks.
Once a month, they eat at a restaurant that provides a preset plant-based menu. Instead of having to explain veganism or ask wait staff about ingredients and cooking methods—à la, ‘How about turkey?’—these diners are relieved to know their meal has been vetted.
Read the full story by clicking the link in our bio. Photos by Pieter Saayman @seasaltmud
The California Energy Commission (CEC) is investigating a federal agreement with Golden State Wind that allows the developer to walk away from a major offshore wind project off the coast of Morro Bay.
On May 4, the CEC issued an administrative investigative subpoena to Golden State Wind LLC seeking documents and communications related to the company’s agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior to relinquish its offshore wind lease. The deal allows the company to recover about $120 million in lease fees—after originally paying roughly $150 million—if it invests an equal amount in oil and gas assets, infrastructure, or projects along the Gulf Coast.
In a letter accompanying the subpoena, the CEC said it is examining the “premature relinquishment of the lease” and “potential violations of law in connection with offshore wind lease buyouts.”
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Photo by Jayson Mellom
The tribe—that’s you, dear readers—has made its final decision about the businesses, organizations, and people who make the community shine. Only those who have outserved, outshone, and outsmarted the rest to become the best are included in this issue. As part of the season 40 finale, take a gander through the sole survivors of our annual Best of SLO County readers poll.
Read the full issue at the link in the bio.
When she was little, Rebecca Biskaduros spent her days in the woods of Lancaster, Massachusetts, playing by the river and building forts.
“Just as a young child, I loved to be out in nature and getting dirty and climbing trees,” Biskaduros said. “I was never the little girl with the dress on; I was very much out with all the boys playing in the woods and whatnot or by myself.”
Biskaduros never let go of that passion for nature, channeling it into her store Sea + Green. Her sculptures in the store are embedded with crystals, fossils, stones and shells, combining her love for art and nature.
Read the full story at the link in the bio.
Photo by Katy Clark
Facing aging campuses and rising construction costs, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District board of trustees moved a potential $180 million general obligation bond one step closer to the November ballot.
The dollar amount presented by district staff on April 28 reflects an early estimate of total project costs outlined in a developing facilities master plan, which includes modernization of aging classrooms, infrastructure repairs, and expansion of career technical education facilities at Paso Robles and Liberty high schools.
Read the full story at the link in the bio.
File photo by Jayson Mellom
Money problems hang over San Luis Obispo County’s 4th District Supervisor race that’s hurtling toward a June 2 showdown between incumbent Supervisor Jimmy Paulding and Oceano business owner Adam Verdin.
Days after campaign finance disclosure forms revealed that Verdin returned controversial donations earmarked for the November general election to their respective donors, certain contributions to Paulding’s campaign are now under District Attorney scrutiny.
Dow alleged that the South County Coalition misclassified its committee and campaign reporting obligations as it was formed as a general purpose committee advocating for candidates in southern SLO County.
Coalition Treasurer Hines said the group responded to Dow’s warning letter by filing amended forms and reports reflecting new contributions and expenses.
“Our collective reporting provides support for our status as a general purpose committee,” she said. “Our committee is about one month into its existence, and it was formed to support multiple candidates for both the 2026 primary and general elections, and beyond.”
But the group’s response didn’t alleviate the issue for Dow. His April 28 response to Hines stated that the DA’s Office is now even more concerned that the group is using a California political committee to receive contributions and spend on local, state, and federal election activity.
The coalition’s amended campaign finance form shows similar kinds of service support for three other Democratic Party candidates—30th District Assemblymember Dawn Addis, 37th District Assemblymember Gregg Hart, and 24th District Rep. Salud Carbajal, who’s a candidate in a federal congressional race.
Read the full story by clicking the link in our bio. File photo.
Are you happy? A lot might be bringing you down, but at Casa Ramos Art Gallery in Los Osos, proprietor Elena Ramos-Peffly wants to turn your frown upside down with Happy, an art show and an opening party on May 2.
“Happy came to be when I was looking for ways to reinvigorate the spirit of our people,” Ramos-Peffly said. “There’s a lot of protest art, art that shows the scary, sad, graphic realities of what’s happening around the world, everything that’s so heavy right now. It’s needed."
Read the full story at the link in the bio.
Image courtesy of John Ramos and Casa Ramos Art Gallery
