Good morning. It’s Friday, and I’m watching footage of Pismo Beach’s first ever sand art festival happening until tomorrow. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

A new roundabout and several crosswalks are in the works at the intersection near California and Taft (think 7-Eleven, Boba Stop, Ziggy’s, freeway entrance). The city began looking to the intersection in 2017, and it has seen 34 crashes and 18 injuries, including two severe injuries in the past 10 years. Models for the roundabout plan showed 82% of crashes would be prevented, the highest of all the proposals. But the city is still working to get a piece of private land needed that the owner won’t give up.

Dylan Foreman / KSBY

2.

Applications are open for two Cal Poly bachelor’s degrees offered at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. The sociology degree is in its second year while Cal Poly announced its business administration degree in March. Cal Poly professors teach the classes at the Santa Maria campus to accommodate students who can't afford the cost of living in SLO or the commute, mitigating Central Coast students’ disadvantages from of Cal Poly’s price tag and low transfer rates.

Sadie Dittenber / The Tribune

3.

Kristin Smart’s convicted killer is trying everything to get out of prison, where he’s serving 25 years to life in a state facility. Less than two weeks after a judge denied an appeal to Paul Flores’ conviction, Flores’ lawyer asked for yet another hearing due to facts of the case that were omitted in judge’s written opinion that upheld the jury’s original guilty verdict. He says expert and personal testimony were misconstrued and the judge didn’t write about where dogs alerted police to smells that were incorrect.

Chloe Jones / The Tribune

4.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will cut 10% of air traffic at 40 airports due to the ongoing government shutdown, including five from California. San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Ontario and San Diego airports will account for 10% of the predicted 1,800 canceled flights per day nationwide. Several airlines said they will stop charging cancelation fees, and officials at SLO’s airport said the move will have “ripple effects” locally.

Chloe Shrager / The Tribune

5.

It’s been 15 years since SLO began its utility box art program, the oldest of its kind in California. This fall, the city unveiled 20 new pieces from local artists that used vinyl wraps to display media other than painting, bringing the total number of decorated boxes up to 72. The most recent boxes honored cultural districts around the city such as Old Town and Chinatown and their artists ranged from 15 years old to 80. 

Ashley Strain / Mustang News