Motorcycle rider who evaded Pismo officer convicted

A San Luis Obispo County jury found Lario Garcia Tugas guilty of evading a peace officer with reckless disregard for the safety of others, driving a stolen motorcycle, and driving on a suspended license. The jury also found true that Tugas had been released from custody on bail when he drove the stolen motorcycle.

The convictions stem from two separate incidents where Tugas (42) fled after being stopped by officers for driving violations. The first incident occurred on Highway 101 shortly before 2:30 a.m. on February 11, 2020, when a Pismo Beach Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on Tugas for speeding and weaving.

Applications open to fund pandemic recovery health improvement projects

The COVID-19 public health emergency in SLO County has prompted the county's Public Health Department to issue a Call for Proposals for funding initiatives that address the effects or deteriorating metrics on public health.

For up to 12 projects, $5.9 million is available. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2008 granted this one-time sum (ARPA). Applicants may be non-profits, government entities, companies, or coalitions. The application date is 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2022. Project submissions must address at least one of the following:

• Access to Care: SLO County has long faced healthcare workforce challenges and disparities in access to care. The pandemic has made these challenges even more extreme. Building a robust healthcare workforce and ensuring equitable access to care will be key to a healthy future for our community.

SLO County voters slow to return ballots

As of last week, slightly less than 10% of the primary election ballots from San Luis Obispo County voters had been returned, according to a report by CalCoast News.

Only 18,360 of the 186,626 ballots mailed to registered voters have been returned, with 9,262 Democrats and 5,467 Republicans voting.

Three supervisor elections in SLO County will be decided in the primary on June 7: District 2, District 3, and District 4. In District 4, there are 4,681 returning ballots out of 40,981 registered voters.

Only 3,493 of the 7,760 votes sent to District 2 voters have been returned. Only 2,979 of the 30,907 ballots mailed to voters in District 3 have been returned.

During midterm elections, voters tend to come out in smaller numbers. In the 2018 primary election, 53 percent of voters in SLO County cast votes, a significant increase over the 2014 primary, when just 41% of ballots were tallied.

To be counted, your vote must be dropped in or mailed on or by June 7th, election day.

District Attorney: Officer-involved shooting in Nipomo was justified

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office found that when law enforcement officials used fatal force against Scott Cameron Huffman (42) of Bakersfield, they did not break the law, so no charges will be filed against them.

District Attorney Dan Dow said today that his office has concluded an independent investigation into the officer-involved gunshot that resulted in Scott Huffman's death (42). After firing multiple bullets at the Vons Gas convenience store, Huffman then fired toward traffic and bystanders on Tefft Street, before returning to Vons Gas and firing many more shots inside the business. When officers arrived to the Vons Gas shop in Nipomo at 11:31 a.m. on August 21, 2020, Huffman did not comply with their orders to drop the fire and turn around.