Sharks dangling off Pismo Pier and a weekend heat wave. Today’s top stories
From a surprise skate-park funding announcement to an extreme heat forecast, San Luis Obispo County saw a busy news day. Here’s a rundown of what happened across the region.
Here are key takeaways:
- Skate-park funding gap filled: The Cambria Community Council announced it will provide $175,000 to close the construction-bid gap for the long-delayed Skate Cambria Initiative, plus hold $206,000 in reserve for contingencies, clearing the way for a final contract award to Newton Construction & Management on its $1.344 million low bid.
- ‘Heat dome’ heading to SLO County: A heat dome forming over the western and central U.S. will push temperatures into the mid-80s in San Luis Obispo this weekend and above 100 degrees inland, with an extreme heat watch expected Tuesday through Thursday as monsoon moisture moves in.
- Head-on crash delays Highway 227 traffic: A three-vehicle rush-hour crash near the intersection of Highway 227 and Corbett Canyon Road blocked southbound traffic Friday afternoon, with two vehicles sustaining major front-end damage in a head-on collision around 3:42 p.m.
- Dead sharks on Pismo Pier are legal: Fishermen dangling thresher shark carcasses in the water off Pismo Beach Pier are following the law, as thresher shark fishing is permitted year-round in California with a limit of two per day, and investigations by police and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife found no violations.
- Law enforcement impersonation scam resurfaces: The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about scammers posing as law enforcement and demanding payment through apps like Zelle or Venmo to clear fake warrants. The agency said it will never call and demand payment over the phone and urged victims to hang up immediately.
- SLO waterline replacement starts this month: San Luis Obispo will begin replacing a 1960s-era cast iron pipeline along California Boulevard and Taft Street as early as July 20, bringing weeks of lane closures, potholing and intermittent water shutoffs as crews swap out 1,660 feet of pipe.
- Cambria affordable housing set to break ground: Cambria Pines Apartments received its final $1 million in funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, clearing the way for the 33-unit complex to break ground this winter after roughly 20 years in development. It will be Cambria’s first new affordable housing since 1997.
- Grover Beach eyes four-story mixed-use project: Gorman Post, LLC introduced a pre-application this week for a four-story mixed-use building at 501 and 502 West Grand Ave. featuring 30 residential condominiums and 2,392 square feet of commercial space, including four deed-restricted affordable units and a 30% density bonus under state law.
- Paso Robles hotel courts locals: Nearly a year after opening on the former Hayward Lumber property, The Ava Hotel has become a destination for local residents as well as overnight guests, with three restaurants and lounges designed to encourage movement throughout the property, from Pine Street Bistro to EMRÉ to the Esperanza rooftop bar.
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 July 10, 2026 at 5:23 PM.