Good morning, San Luis Obispo.

Menderu, a beloved Malayan tiger at Central Coast Zoo, passed away this morning at age 17 after his health declined under expert care.

The zoo has cared for him since 2008—plans to expand the tiger habitat will continue in his honor.

United Way of San Luis Obispo County will host its 17th annual Stuff the Bus back-to-school fundraiser from Aug.

8 to Aug. 10 to collect new school supplies for local students in need. Donations will be accepted at drop-off spots in Atascadero, Cambria, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo—organizers are seeking volunteers for site leads, general tasks and adult supervision roles.

The Paso Robles Police Department is investigating over 40 cases of vandalism involving caltrops placed along Creston Road and Riverside/Black Oak that have damaged vehicle tires—an ambulance and a tow truck were disabled and a $1,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest.

Atascadero police are asking the public to help identify a young male suspect seen on a security camera at Staples on El Camino Real wearing a gold sweatshirt and black and white checkered sneakers — anyone with information should call 805 461-5051 and reference case number 25-1210.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo announced Tuesday that Robert Plastino is the new police chief and he will be sworn in on July 25.

He brings more than 27 years (experience from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s office) to lead the department as it supports campus safety.

The San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council in partnership with Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services is offering a free chipping program funded by the State of California to help residents clear the 100-foot defensible space required around homes—reservations must be made at least seven days in advance so that a licensed contractor can chip and remove or leave the wood chips on site.

911 service has been restored in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties after an outage caused by a severed fiber optic line started Tuesday morning—officials said that flights at the Santa Barbara Airport remained grounded as of Wednesday and SpaceX rescheduled its Falcon 9 launch to 11:13 a.m. on Wednesday.

Michael Erin Woody (a licensed civil engineer and Salinan tribal council member) announced his candidacy for the county supervisor seat on July 23 since Bruce Gibson will not run for reelection.

He said he will focus on protecting coastal communities, updating battery storage rules, and increasing government transparency.

The San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council is partnering with Paso Robles Fire & Emergency Services to offer a free chipping program that helps residents create and maintain a 100-foot defensible space for wildfire safety.

The program, funded by the State of California, requires reservations at least seven days in advance and is provided by a licensed contractor.