Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
New Times · Paso Robles, CA
Nearby: Paso Robles, CANobody wants to need an ambulance, but when you do, you sure as hell expect it to be there for you. San Luis Ambulance (SLA) has enjoyed an 80-year monopoly as the SLO County service provider, but there’s been a cacophony of complaints about response times from fire chiefs, mayors, city managers, and community members. So, what’s the solution? The current idea on the table is a proposed “public-private partnership” model led by Paso Robles that “allows a county board of supervisors to contract with a fire agency, which then subcontracts with a qualified private ambulance provider to support the delivery of emergency medical services,” Paso Robles City Manager Chris Huot told New Times. “This is not based on a predetermined conclusion that one provider is best.
Pacific Coast Business Times · San Luis Obispo, CA
Nearby: San Luis Obispo, CABy Stephen Ellison Special to the Business Times Economic growth in San Luis Obispo County has slowed compared with growth in neighboring counties, as well as statewide, and lack of housing is a key reason, according to economists at the Central Coast Economic Forecast event Nov. 6 in San Luis Obispo. While there have been positives in recent years – rising household incomes, gains in tourism and continued operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant – SLO County’s gross domestic product (GDP) has lagged since around the mid-2010s, according to data presented at the event. Before that divergence, the county’s GDP was on the same gradual trajectory as California’s. Some of the bad news includes a shrinking labor force, stalled population growth and declining small businesses, according to Niree Kodaverdian, a research manager with Beacon Economics. Kodaverdian and her colleagues agreed there is potential for greater economic growth in the years to come if more housing is built.
New Times · Pismo Beach, CA
Nearby: Pismo Beach, CAPismo Beach City Councilmember Scott Newton is the frontrunner to be the city’s next mayor, according to the latest vote counts in San Luis Obispo County’s election. A supporter of the Central Coast Blue project, Newton’s served on the City Council since 2020. As of Nov. 10, he’d won almost 68 percent of the vote share, widening the margin between himself and his most vocal challenger, Cynthia Replogle. Replogle earned 27 percent of the votes, while the third candidate, Shelby Bowen, won 5 percent. Newton didn’t respond to New Times by press time. On Facebook, he celebrated his early lead hours after polls closed on Nov. 3. “Thank you to the voters of Pismo Beach, the early results are looking extremely promising,” his Nov. 4 post read. He’s endorsed by Mayor Ed Waage, fellow Councilmembers Mary Ann Reiss and Marcia Guthrie, and the Republican Party of SLO County.
