Cal Poly admissions data and burglary arrests. Today’s top stories

The Tribune covered a range of news across San Luis Obispo County on June 11, 2026, from election updates to crime arrests and education decisions.

Here are key takeaways:

• Cal Poly applications: Cal Poly SLO actually received 79,400 applications in the 2025-26 cycle, not the 81,095 initially reported, with the discrepancy stemming from Cal Poly Maritime Academy applications counted after the November 2024 merger, a Tribune Reality Check investigation found. The corrected figure marks a larger decrease from 81,910 the previous year — the first decline after years of growth.
• New Dollar Tree: A new Dollar Tree is taking over a former Rite Aid location at 531 5 Cities Drive in Pismo Beach, with an opening expected in the next three to four weeks. It will be the 11th Dollar Tree location in SLO County, filling one of the storefronts left vacant after Rite Aid declared bankruptcy in May 2025.
• Jewelry theft arrest: Ryan Coats, 27, was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of four felony burglary charges and one count of attempted burglary connected to a string of gallery and jewelry store break-ins. Authorities linked him to burglaries beginning in April across Cambria, Cayucos, San Simeon and Templeton, with stolen goods totaling at least $18,000 to $20,000.
• Lucia Mar raises: The Lucia Mar Unified School District board voted 7-0 to approve pay raises for administrators despite objections from teachers who argued the increases were disproportionate. Superintendent Paul Fawcett received a retroactive 3% raise dating to July 1, 2025, and an annual salary of $309,947 for the upcoming school year.
• Election update: Jimmy Paulding and Jim Dantona expanded their leads in the SLO County supervisor races after Wednesday’s vote count update. Dantona leads District 2 by 1,076 votes with 53.5%, while Paulding leads District 4 by 1,656 votes with 55%, and Los Osos’s Measure B-26 was passing with 53.9%.
• Vineyard estate for sale: A 12-acre estate near Templeton featuring the first commercial planting of Nero di Troia grapevines in the United States is on the market for $2.675 million. The property at 705 Sequoia Lane includes a main home and guesthouse built in 2018.
• Democratic strategy: The SLO County Democratic Party hosted a two-hour town hall Saturday featuring five Central Coast legislative and congressional leaders to plan strategy ahead of the November General Election. More than 100 people attended the event at Odd Fellows’ Chorro Lodge to hear discussions on affordability, environmental regulations and limiting ICE deportation efforts.
• Garage burglary arrest: Corey Andrew Medina, a 36-year-old homeless resident of San Luis Obispo, was arrested Sunday after allegedly stealing items from an apartment and falling asleep in a nearby garage. Police said Medina fought officers and tried to flee when they attempted to detain him at a bus stop, and he was booked on suspicion of felony first degree burglary and felony resisting arrest.

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 June 11, 2026 at 6:01 PM.