Poly Royal Rodeo already sold 23.6K tickets

Author

Carly Heltzel
February 12, 2026

Good morning. It’s Thursday, and I’m reading early reviews of Steph Curry’s voice acting in his new animated movie “GOAT” that is released tomorrow. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Poly Royal Rodeo tickets went on sale this week, and attendees were relieved that there are close to four times the number of tickets available than last year. Compared to the 3,000 tickets available per day last year, 6,600 tickets sold for the Thursday student showcase in 24 hours. For the regular rodeo, 9,000 tickets sold in the first 15 minutes, with 11,400 sold by the first hour and 17,000 by the first day. 

2.

A reporter from the outlet Cal Coast News, who is being sued yet again for defamation, said it would be a danger for her to testify in person in court because of previous death threats she’s received. The former wife of a SLO County attorney is suing Karen Velie for reporting that she was using an “alias” when she moved to Arizona, but the woman had legally changed her surname to protect her reputation and evade a stalker. Velie was forced to pay $1.1 million after losing a defamation lawsuit in 2017.

3.

Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill that would have required data centers in California to report their water usage last year. A large data center can use the same amount of water per day as San Luis Obispo, and lawmakers said the bill was necessary to inform local governments about the water supplies they are sharing. Cal Poly is getting one of its own with the NVIDIA AI factory, but the center is so small they can use an air cooling system, and the impact is minimal. 

4.

A new state law bans people from charging money to help someone sign up for veterans’ benefits in response to predatory fees for the service. The so-called “claim sharks” would help a veteran sign up for monthly disability payments and then charge five times that amount in fees for the service. In one case, a veteran who received $1,100 a month was charged $5,500 for the help getting that payment. 

5.

A SLO juice company promises that there drinks will be RAD: raw and delicious. RAD’s cold-pressed juices use fresh produce from organic farmers and have a five-day shelf life. They sell at stores around town and farmers’ markets but are opening a brick and mortar kiosk at SLO Ranch Market come March. RAD is also developing a coconut-based protein shake that shakes the typical chemicals but still provides 26 grams. “You could pay the farmer now or the pharmacist later,” the owner said.