A leaked grand jury report and a fatal bus crash. Today’s top stories

San Luis Obispo County readers woke up to a packed news day spanning politics, public safety, environment and local government.

Below is a quick digest of The Tribune’s top stories for June 26, 2026:

• Mayor’s grand jury leak: San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart forwarded a confidential grand jury report on fraternity activity to a Cal Poly official within three hours of receiving it on June 13, 2025, a misdemeanor under California law. District Attorney Dan Dow confirmed the leak violated state law, though prosecution appears unlikely with the one-year statute of limitations passed.
• Fatal Highway 101 crash: A wrong-way driver on Highway 101 north of Los Alamos collided head-on with a Chumash Casino bus around 3:15 a.m. Friday, killing at least one person and igniting a fire that spread to the bus and brush. Fourteen bus passengers sustained minor injuries and exited safely before flames reached the bus.
• Los Padres logging fight: The Trump administration’s plan to rescind the Roadless Rule would open 635,106 acres of Los Padres National Forest to industrial logging and road construction. Central Coast environmental groups held a town hall in San Luis Obispo to mobilize opposition, warning the repeal threatens endangered species habitat and recreation areas.
• California sues over wind lease: California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission filed notice of intent to sue the Trump administration over the cancellation of Golden State Wind’s offshore lease in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area. The state alleges the $120 million buyout violates the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act because no hearing was held and California’s governor wasn’t consulted.
• Primary election turnout: San Luis Obispo County posted 55.3% voter turnout in the June 2 primary, ranking 10th among California’s 58 counties and nearly 15 points above the statewide average of 40.8%. Turnout climbed nearly seven points compared with the 2022 gubernatorial primary, when participation was 48.6%.
• San Simeon water and sewer rates: San Simeon residents could see combined water and sewer bills quadruple to more than $800 a month within about five years under a worst-case scenario presented to the Community Services District. The district needs more than $40 million in infrastructure work on a roughly $1.6 million annual budget, and the state Coastal Commission requires the wastewater plant to be moved off the beach by 2028.

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.