Good morning, San Luis Obispo.

At the 26th annual Winemakers’ Cookoff on Aug 9 at the Paso Robles Event Center, Daou won the Peoples’ Choice award while Sextant won the Judges’ Award—proceeds benefited the Harlow Ford Scholarship Fund for local high school seniors.

Highway 166 reopened this morning, but drivers faced delays up to one hour as firefighters worked on the Gifford Fire while CenCal Health will invest more than $5.5 million to hire 34 new health professionals across the Central Coast.

In Paso Robles, officials unveiled the final design for the $17 million Niblick Road Corridor Improvement Project pending Sept 16 council approval, and Morro Bay High School football will begin its season on August 22 in Maui after raising $50,000—meanwhile, rising wildfire risks have forced homeowners onto the costly California Fair Plan.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company has released the 2025 Oaktoberfest Oak Aged Lager brewed with Weyermann malts and German hops and oak-aged in Napa Valley wine barrels.

The beer is available in six-packs and on draft — it has smooth notes of vanilla and toasted oak for a crisp, light body.

San Luis Obispo County law enforcement searched for Felipe Rodriguez, a 46-year-old man who escaped a Bakersfield reentry facility on Thursday morning while serving a four-year burglary sentence—he was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white undershirt, and a gray sweatshirt and measured 5 feet 10 inches tall and 215 pounds.

Authorities are searching for Felipe Rodriguez, a 46-year-old inmate convicted of burglary in San Luis Obispo County who walked away from a Male Community Reentry Program Facility in Bakersfield at 5:25 a.m. on Thursday—he was last seen near Brundage Lane and South Owens Street wearing blue jeans, a white undershirt and a gray sweatshirt.

A 3.6 magnitude earthquake shook far northwestern San Luis Obispo County on August 14 at 6:41 a.m. near San Simeon — residents reported light shaking as confirmed by the USGS.

The Gifford Fire burned 132,605 acres, destroyed five structures, and injured 12 people in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and was 51% contained as of Thursday.

Firefighters will work in the Garcia Wilderness to extinguish hotspots and manage road closures—evacuations have been partially lifted.

CenCal Health awarded over $5.5M to expand healthcare access across the Central Coast—$3.1M for San Luis Obispo providers and $2.4M for Santa Barbara providers—and the grants will help recruit 34 healthcare professionals to support primary care, pediatrics, behavioral health and specialty care.

Pelletiere Estate Winery will host its two-day Golf & Wine Experience on October 24 and October 25 for participants aged 21+ at the tasting room and the Paso Robles Golf Club.

Attendees can register for golfer or guest packages that include a welcome tasting, a chipping contest, on-course competitions and post-round cocktails & snacks.

Jenny Heinzen, founder of Vineyard Professional Real Estate, closed $64 million in vineyard sales in 2024 and was named California’s top broker for vineyard and luxury estate sales—she has over 25 years of experience and works with high-profile clients including winery owners and billionaire families. Her boutique team specializes in vineyard properties and luxury homes.