Editorial: Commute relief on the way, finally
Speaking of cars (see accompanying editorial), there are entirely too many of them traveling Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura every morning and evening. Estimates have put the number of daily commuters as high as 20,000, and the hours they spend stuck in traffic are a significant drain on the region’s economy and quality Read More →
Editorial: Ventura on right road to revive auto mall
Apart from a half-abandoned exurban subdivision, there’s no clearer physical symbol of the Great Recession than the American auto mall. Carmakers both foreign and domestic have shut dealerships from coast to coast, leaving acres of empty concrete. The effects in the Tri-Counties have been relatively mild, but there are still plenty of vacant auto mall Read More →
Downtown’s starring role: Atascadero will get new movie theater, retail center
Atascadero’s small-town days may be numbered. The city of 28,000 people has several large developments in the pipeline, including its $13 million Colony Square project, which would bring 14,000 square feet of retail space and 10 movie screens to the currently theater-less city. Plans for a 130,000-square-foot Wal-Mart are about halfway through the environmental review Read More →
Betting on a windfall: A new kind of project for Paso Robles
Windfall Farms may one day be to Paso Robles what Montecito is to Santa Barbara — an enclave for millionaire retirees and the weekend wealthy. But the San Luis Obispo County version has a few extra country charms thrown in, like alfalfa fields, grazing cattle, wine grapes and Kentucky-style horse facilities. The 724-acre Windfall Farms Read More →
Mozilo will pay $67.5 million to settle fraud case
Angelo Mozilo, the founder and former CEO of Countrywide Financial, will pay $67.5 million to settle civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the largest such settlement in SEC history, the agency said. In a settlement approved in federal court on Oct. 15, Mozilo agreed to pay $22.5 million in penalties and Read More →
