Detectives focus on three-day trip to find missing girl
By KAREN VELIE Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives are focusing on a three-day trip as they work to find missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard of Vandenberg Village. After school administrator reported Melodee’s absences, in mid-October investigators contacted Melodee’s mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard. Melodee’s mother gave no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts....
San Luis Obispo man makes bomb threat, arrested for hate crime
By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo man who threatened to bomb every synagogue in a 20-mile radius is in jail, charged with a hate crime. SLO police officers arrested 36-year-old Elijah King on Friday. In late August, King made an antisemitic post on X. “I’m going to blow up...
Is the Central Coast Still Blue?
OPINION by KIMBERLY CALDWELL On Aug. 20,the New York Times published a noteworthy report entitled “The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis.” The opening paragraph quickly gained attention in numerous media outlets: “Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in...
Paul Flores, convicted of murdering Kristin Smart, loses appeal
By KAREN VELIE Paul Flores, the man convicted of murdering Kristin Smart, lost his appeal on Friday. A jury in 2022 found that Flores murdered Smart during an attempted rape following a 1996 frat party held near the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus. Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer...
Atascadero officer rescues infant, parents thankful
By KAREN VELIE An Atascadero police officers saved an infant who was discolored and not breathing on Wednesday evening. The parents brought the 10-day-old baby to the police department to thank officer Alan Hurst on Thursday. Shortly after 5 p.m., the parents called 911 to report their infant was not...
SLO County student test scores increase, still below pre-pandemic levels
By KAREN VELIE In San Luis Obispo and in California student test scores increased during the 2024-2025 school year, but still lag behind pre-pandemic levels, according to the California Assessment of Student performance and Progress. In San Luis Obispo County, 54.2% of students met or exceeded English standards, which exceeds...
San Luis Obispo doubling fines for Halloween festivities
By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo Police Department is doubling fines for rowdy parties and alcohol offenses associated with Halloween festivities. The city’s safety enhancement zone begins Oct. 24 and extends until Oct. 27 and also from Oct. 30 through Nov. 3. Fines are doubled for open container, peeing...
