Voting opens now for ASI elections

Author

Carly Heltzel
April 21, 2026

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m reading about SLO County Earth day events to attend tomorrow. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Voting for ASI president and Board of Directors opens now and closes Thursday at 8 a.m. The board of directors is a 24-person governing committee with representatives from each college whose largest roles are to approve funding and pass resolutions to take stances on issues. This year, BCSM has two people running, CAFES has five, CENG has four, OCOB has five, CLA has five and CAED has three. I can’t summarize all their platforms in 80 words, so just read the article section for your college.

2.

Gorjana, a popular jewelry store opened its first SLO County location in downtown SLO yesterday. One employee, who is also a Cal Poly student, describes the jewelry’s aesthetic as “laid-back elegance,” matching the white marble, light wood and gold trimmings now in the storefront that used to be occupied by Bluemercury. She also said: “We have something for everything.”

3.

SLO County sheriff deputies shot and killed a man in Nipomo who was aiming a gun at them and also fired it around the same time. The sheriff is still investigating who fired first. No officers were injured. Deputies responded to a call saying a man was threatening to kill his mother at the residence, which the man did not live at but was known to stay in town sometimes. The officers were placed on administrative leave per department policy.

4.

California paid for the top three UCs — LA, Berkeley and San Diego — to enroll 900 more Californians total each year since 2022. The state says it costs $31 million annually to make up for what out of state students would pay, but an independent analysis shows that figure is more like $276 million total, roughly double. In a tight budget year, a few people in the Capitol are looking to axe the program and gain back money from the out-of-staters. 

5.

There is $20,000 of unspendable money pinned to the ceiling of the Maverick Saloon in the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara. Just ask the guy who tried to rob the place in the 1980s only to discover that money that’s been written on is no longer valid and highly traceable. The money is from a tradition where people pay for someone else’s drink, write their name on the cash and pin it to the ceiling. And if the writing wasn’t enough desecration, the fire department also has to spray it with fire retardant once a year.