Today’s top Tribune stories: A DA’s warning, battery fire and a bear — oh my
From a bear sighting in Arroyo Grande to the district attorney’s warning about campaign finance, here are the top stories from The Tribune on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Here are key takeaways:
• DA warns political group: The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office sent a letter to the South County Coalition expressing “serious concern” that the group — which has spent more than $13,000 solely supporting supervisor candidate Jimmy Paulding — may be misclassified as a general purpose committee. DA Dan Dow threatened charges if corrective action is not taken, though the group says it has done nothing wrong.
• Temporary bridge completed: Three years after Cecchetti Road washed out during the 2023 storms, San Luis Obispo County has completed a temporary bridge there. Construction on a permanent bridge could start in the spring of 2027.
• Bear visits Arroyo Grande: A bear wandered into a yard in Arroyo Grande on Wednesday evening, surprising resident Gary Borsos, who initially mistook the animal for a dog. Police ordered a shelter in place, and the bear left on its own by 7:30 p.m.
• Garage fire sends person to hospital: A lithium ion battery fire in a San Luis Obispo garage Friday morning sent one person to the hospital. The fire was extinguished by 10:45 a.m., and a regional hazmat team responded to assess the batteries.
• Cambria gym under new ownership: The Favila family bought a Cambria fitness center, renaming it Coast Fitness Club from Gym One, with plans to upgrade the 8,000-square-foot facility. The gym currently serves just under 200 members, and the new owners aim to add 100 more by year’s end.
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.
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Today’s top Tribune stories: A DA’s warning, battery fire and a bear — oh my."