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decision a “win” for the group. Powers said he was glad that the harvest could move forward this fall. “That was the important thing,” he said. County Counsel officials told New Times they are still pursuing a permanent injunction for cannabis grows on that property. How Megan’s and other cultivators will find their footing is unclear since the county has not adopted a permanent ordinance yet, and its current draft suggests capping available permits at 100. “We’d like to stay here,” Powers said. “This is where we’ve lived most of our lives. This is home.” —Peter Johnson
Residents fear fatalities on Buckley Road with looming Avila Ranch
After 32 years running The Equine Center veterinary clinic on Davenport Creek Road just south of San Luis Obispo city limits, Jim Waldsmith knows the area’s handful of rural roads like the back of his hand. The most frequently traversed of them is Buckley Road, a 3-mile-long, two-lane road that runs from Highway 227 at the SLO County Regional Airport to Vachell Lane near South Higuera Street, winding through mostly open space and ag or ranch land—including near Waldsmith’s clinic and home. Having taken countless car trips down it with horse trailers and other heavy equipment in tow, Waldsmith has one conclusion about Buckley Road. “This road is dangerous now,” Waldsmith told New Times. “People with trucks and trailers really have a difficult time getting through this road.” Buckley Road is relatively narrow— about 28 feet wide, according to SLO County officials—with some abrupt twists and turns, and gets hit with seasonal flooding at a creek crossover. Waldsmith and his neighbors say they have reason to believe traffic safety in the area is about to a get a lot worse before it gets better. On Sept. 19, the SLO City Council will make a final decision on Avila Ranch, a 720-unit housing project proposed along Buckley Road, near the street’s westerly end at Vachell Lane. SLO plans to annex the 150-acre site into the city from the county—though the majority of Buckley Road going east would remain unincorporated. Part of the Avila Ranch plans include extending Buckley Road out to South Higuera Street, effectively connecting two major streets: Highway 227 and South Higuera Street. Residents in the area fear the consequences. What’s historically been a relatively isolated country road peppered with trucks, tractors, and trailers could soon be a major east-to-west corridor for city residents, commuters, tourists, and shoppers. Locals like Waldsmith don’t believe the city and county are giving Buckley Road the attention it requires to prevent future car and bicycle collisions. “Traffic is often characterized as just a nuisance,” Waldsmith said. “Traffic as a nuisance is not as big a concern as traffic as a danger or a threat. That’s the situation we find ourselves in.” About 30 nearby residents recently
VIEWER DISCRETION met with city and county officials to express their concerns and talk solutions. Part of the problem from a logistical standpoint is the jurisdictional overlap between the city, county, and developer. Another is how to generate the funds. The Avila Ranch developer, Andy Mangano, is expected to fund the South Higuera Street connection, a new roundabout at Buckley and Highway 227, and the widening of Buckley along the frontage of the development and at the Davenport Creek Road intersection. But SLO County will need to “fill in the gaps” on the road, according to county Deputy Director of Public Works Dave Flynn. He said the first step is to do a “corridor study” of Buckley Road, which will chart the course of future improvements. “We need the big plan,” Flynn said. “It’s going to take time to be able to widen the road. Money comes in little chunks. It never comes all at once.” Area residents are worried that the fixes won’t come soon enough. They’re pushing the city to require that Buckley Road see thorough improvements before a single unit of Avila Ranch is occupied. While California Highway Patrol accident statistics on Buckley Road couldn’t be obtained by New Times before press time, Flynn said the road currently has a “below average collision rate.” Neighboring resident Paul Rys said relying on that metric given the future development is like playing Russian roulette. “They go by the number of fatalities before they make improvements,” Rys said. “We don’t want to be the first ones.” —Peter Johnson
Sheriff’s Office hires new medical examiner
After months of criticism over the performance of its contracted medical examiner, the SLO County Sheriff’s Office has hired its first full-time forensic pathologist. Dr. Joye M. Carter began her duties as the county’s new medical examiner Sept. 11, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. Carter, an Air Force veteran, is a triple board certified physician specializing in the field of forensic pathology. She will be responsible for performing autopsies and medical examinations for the Sheriff’s Office, consulting on suspicious deaths and homicide scene investigations, and testifying in court. Prior to her new job in SLO County, Carter worked as a deputy chief medical examiner for the Armed Forces Medical Examiner Department; chief medical examiner for the District of Columbia; chief medical examiner of Harris County, Texas; and chief forensic pathologist to the coroner of Indianapolis, Indiana. The Sheriff’s Office did not release specific information about Carter’s salary, but a job description posted on the county’s website placed the salary range for the position between $204,672 and $248,788 annually.
6 • New Times • September 14 - September 21, 2017 • www.newtimesslo.com
Carter replaces the county’s former contracted medical examiner Dr. Gary Walter, who came under fire for his conduct outside the office as well as his handling of recent high-profile death investigations. Walter’s troubles began in March of 2016, when he was arrested for drunk driving by SLO police. Walter, who was working on contract for the Sheriff’s Office at the time, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge and received three years probation. Walter later came under fire for his report on the death of SLO County Jail inmate Andrew Holland, who died of a blood clot in one of his lungs in January after being strapped in a restraint chair for 46 hours. In his autopsy report, Walter classified Holland’s death as “natural” and declined to specify whether his lengthy time in the chair caused it, drawing harsh criticism from Holland’s family and their attorney. Walter’s work again came under scrutiny over his determination that Baylee Gatlin, a 20-year-old Ventura resident, died from “acute LSD poisoning” after attending the Lightning in a Bottle music festival in May. In an article by The Tribune, one expert said Walter’s determination “defied logic,” stating that an LSD overdose was “not possible” According to court documents, Walter is currently facing possible disciplinary action from the California Medical Board in connection with his DUI arrest. Walter could lose his medical license as a result of the ongoing disciplinary proceedings. —Chris McGuinness
Woman found in car with corpse takes plea deal
One of two people found traveling in a car with a teenage child and a decomposing body has taken a plea deal, and will likely be sentenced to probation. On Aug. 31, Sherrie Lynn Boggess, 50, pleaded “no contest” to one misdemeanor count of willful cruelty to a child in connection with the bizarre case. Boggess and her husband, 59-year-old Darwin Keith Alaskari, were arrested on
by Jayson Mellom
Aug. 15 after SLO County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered the decomposing body of 83-year-old Donald Eugene Cunningham in the back of an SUV the couple had been occupying in Cayucos. According to sheriff’s officials, deputies approached the vehicle because it was parked on the street facing the wrong direction and was emanating a “strong odor.” Inside, they found Cunningham’s body, Alaskari, and Boggess. Boggess and Alaskari’s 13-year-old daughter was also in vehicle. Investigators said that Cunningham had been a longtime acquaintance of the couple, described as transients from the Bakersfield area, and indicated that they had been transporting his body to Big Sur or an out-of-state location for a burial. Both Boggess and Alaskari were charged with misdemeanor methamphetamine possession, as well as a felony count of willful harm or injury to a child and one misdemeanor count of willful cruelty to a child. Sheriff’s officials indicated that the child endangerment charges were brought against the two because they allowed a minor to be in close proximity to a decomposing body, and because there were narcotics and paraphernalia in the vehicle as well. The 13-year-old was taken into protective custody after Boggess and Alaskari’s arrest. In exchange for her plea, Boggess will likely be sentenced to four years of probation and mandatory parenting class. The two remaining charges against her will be dropped, according to court records. Boggess will be formally sentenced in SLO County Superior Court on Sept. 26. As Boggess’ court case comes to a close, her husband’s remains ongoing. Court records showed that Alaskari has been referred for a mental health evaluation to determine whether he is mentally competent to stand trial. As of Sept. 13, the cause of Cunningham’s death remains unknown. A sheriff’s spokesman said that the department is still waiting for a final autopsy and toxicology report. Δ —Chris McGuinness