LOCAL

February 19

The Central Coast Men’s 65 & Over tennis team competes for a national championship in the USTA National Invitational in Surprise, Arizona, and finishes in sixth place out of fifteen sections. The Central Coast team had defeated San Diego North County, Orange County, and Ventura at sectionals in November to advance—the first time in SLO County tennis history that a team made the national finals. The players include Don Blessen, Jeff Rowan, David Rennick, David Johns, Bruce Freeberg, Howard Nicholson, Mike Stanton, Stephen Lakowske (captain), Dan Lambert, and Scott Cleere (co-captain).

February 24

February 10

The California Natural Resources Agency holds a public meeting in the SLO County Board of Supervisors chambers to discuss the future of the 11,000-acre property on which the Diablo Canyon Power Plant sits. A $160 million land conservation and economic development plan for the site— supporting environmental enhancement, access, and local economic development “in a manner that is consistent with existing decommissioning efforts”—was due to the California State Legislature in March. Some community groups propose conserving the land forever to keep it from being developed. One proposal includes the suggestion that 9,000 acres of the PG&E-owned land be returned to the yak titu titu yak tiłhini (ytt) Northern Chumash tribe, which first occupied the site.

February 17

USA Today readers place San Luis Obispo’s Mission Plaza on the Top Ten list of best public squares to visit in the United States, ranking it fifth in the nation after community spaces in Detroit, Michigan; Corning, New York; Burlington, Vermont; and Decatur, Georgia. “Mission Plaza has been a community gathering spot since 1971,” according to the paper. “With grassy lawns, a roomy plaza with seating, and a fountain, it’s a great place to chill and enjoy one of the many special events hosted here throughout the year.” Other public squares making the list are in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Cincinnati, Ohio; Key West, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Savannah, Georgia.

SLO Police Department officers arrest Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio on two felony charges of vehicular manslaughter after a three-month investigation. He is suspected of hitting and killing San Luis Obispo residents Matthew Chachere and Jennifer Besser on November 22 while the couple was walking their dog near the intersection of Sacramento Drive and Basil Lane. Police say Saligan Patricio lost control of his vehicle and fatally struck the couple and their dog. His vehicle hit a curb, street sign, and bridge that spans a creek, with speed likely contributing to the crash, according to police.

February 26

A 36-year-old half-dressed man allegedly threatens a Cambria Community Services District employee, steals a pickup truck from the district’s utility yard, and after a high-speed chase up Highway 1 crashes through two Hearst Castle entrance gates and eventually barricades himself in one of the San Simeon estate’s guest houses. A State Parks officer, with the help of his K-9 partner, a German shepherd, captures the man, who is arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, receiving stolen property, and vandalism of $10,000 or more, plus some misdemeanor charges according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office.

February 27

SLO County Administrator Wade Horton announces that in the coming months the county will wind down the Kansas Avenue Safe Parking Site, a pilot program that opened in 2021 to temporarily house homeless families living in vehicles. County officials acknowledge that the program failed in its objective to help residents transition into other temporary or permanent housing because the county is not a homeless services provider. CAPSLO, 5Cities Homeless Coalition, El Camino Homeless Organization, and Transitions-Mental Health Services will provide support as the county attempts to transition the program’s current residents into long-term housing. No new families are being accepted at the site, which is on Highway 1 just north of San Luis Obispo.