Voter guide mishap and a man sentenced for exploiting teens. Today’s top stories
San Luis Obispo County saw a mix of breaking news Thursday, from a federal sentencing in a child exploitation case to a new housing development approval. Here’s a rundown of the day’s top stories from The Tribune.
Here are key takeaways:
- Voter guide error: San Luis Obispo County’s printed voter information guide left out the American Independent Party’s endorsements due to an administrative error, and the Clerk-Recorder’s Office will mail corrective postcards by Friday. The cost will be covered by leftover funds from the November special election.
- 45-year federal sentence: Daniel Navarro, 42, of Victorville was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two teenage girls he met on Instagram by posing as a 15-year-old boy. A jury convicted him of six felonies, including transporting one victim from Nipomo to Tijuana in 2022 with “intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.”
- Challenger enters congressional race: Santa Cruz software engineer and anti-war activist Sean Dougherty is running as a Democrat to unseat Rep. Jimmy Panetta in California’s 19th Congressional District. Dougherty has pledged to reject corporate PAC donations and is campaigning on opposition to military aid for Israel and ICE.
- Search for missing man: The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to search for Gary Keihl, a 72-year-old Arroyo Grande man missing near Pirate’s Cove since Tuesday. His vehicle was found unoccupied at the Cave Landing parking lot, and a two-day multi-agency search has not located him.
- 46 new homes approved: The County Planning Commission voted 4-0 to approve a 46-home subdivision at Monarch Dunes in southern SLO County. The project includes 23 common-wall duplexes with accessory dwelling units on a quarter of the lots, plus 2.2 miles of perimeter trails.
- High surf advisory: The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory for SLO County from Friday at 3 p.m. through Sunday at 9 a.m., with breaking waves of 10 to 15 feet expected.
- New tattoo shop in Cambria: 3Left Tattoo, owned by Carlton Rodgers, is opening this weekend at 4070 West St. in Cambria and may be one of the village’s first permanent tattoo business.
- Prescribed burns cause smoke: Cal Fire is conducting prescribed training burns at Camp Roberts on May 13-15 and May 20-22 as part of wildfire suppression training. Smoke may be visible across North County areas including San Miguel, northwestern Paso Robles and Nacimiento Lake Drive.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.