Good morning, Central Coast. Take a look at our top stories from Daybreak:
- Highway 1 mostly reopens: Highway 1 is mostly back open after crews cleared debris from the roadway. Caltrans says a 6.8-mile stretch remains closed from one mile south of the Esalen Institute to two miles north of Lucia, with mud still being cleared at Regent’s Slide.
- Woman found dead identified: San Luis Obispo Police have identified the woman found dead in a homeless encampment near San Luis Obispo Creek as 50-year-old Veronica Beatrice Baro. Investigators say her body was discovered behind the Chevron at Calle Joaquin and Los Osos Valley Road in an advanced stage of decomposition, and while the cause of death is pending autopsy results, the case is being treated as a possible homicide.
- Zuckerberg to testify in social media addiction lawsuit: Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify in Los Angeles in a lawsuit claiming social media platforms were designed to addict young users. The now 20-year-old plaintiff alleges Instagram and YouTube harmed her mental health.
Local farmers and produce suppliers say strategic planning has helped keep grocery store shelves stocked with fresh produce despite ongoing rain across the Central Coast. At shops like the Avocado Shack in Morro Bay, owners are bringing in produce picked before storms because heavy rain makes harvesting difficult and can drive up prices. Growers say rain is beneficial in moderation, but too much can saturate fields and slow harvests, so they focus on soil resilience and stay on top of forecasts.
San Luis Obispo County District 4 Supervisor Jimmy Paulding filed a complaint against his opponent, Adam Verdin, alleging campaign finance violations for accepting two donations of $5,900 from a single developer. Paulding says that totals $11,800, double the per-business limit set by a county ordinance, while Verdin insists the donations were legal because they were allocated to separate elections. County officials note that if only two candidates remain, the race could be decided in the June primary without a November election, and the filing period is still open.
The San Luis Obispo City Council held a public session on the Higuera Complete Streets Project, aimed at improving safety for bicyclists by reducing lanes on South Higuera Street. Officials say construction is planned for this summer, with input from the community helping refine the design before final approval. The council is also considering a related widening project that would add a center turn lane in parts of the same corridor.
