GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXIII, NO. VI
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
AGRICULTURE
KRISTIN SMART TRIAL
The Extinction of the American Farmer Elements, natural and political, that are leading to the end of farmers and ranchers in California By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
Defense Attorney Robert Sanger makes an opening statement on the first day of Paul Flores’ trial in a Monterey County courtroom. Pool Photo Daniel Dreifuss / MC Weekly
Kristin Smart Murder Trial Starts at the Case’s Beginning Day 2 of the trial has been postponed until Thursday due to health concerns By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Opening statements for the Kristin Smart murder trial began on Monday, with the prosecution starting at the case’s beginning — the Sunday night Stan and Denise Smart did not hear from their daughter. Paul Flores, 45, is charged in connection to the 1996 disappearance and murder of 19-year-old Cal Poly
student Kristin Smart. Paul was arrested in April 2021 — on the same day, his father, Ruben Flores, was arrested as an accessory after the fact — accused of helping his son hide Smart’s remains. Smart was declared dead in 2002, but her remains have yet to be recovered. While Paul and Ruben will be tried at the same time, they will have two different juries. On Monday, Paul’s jury heard opening statements from San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Christoper Peuvrelle and Attorney Robert Sanger, Paul’s defense attorney. The courtroom later switched over to Ruben’s jury, which
heard opening statements from Peuvrelle and Sanger. Court adjourned with plans to continue on Tuesday with opening statements from Ruben’s defense attorney Harold Mesick. According to reports, Mesick said he was unaware counsel was going to try Ruben’s case today and requested more time for his response. However, due to health concerns, the court on Tuesday morning was unexpectedly scheduled to resume on Thursday. Peurvelle started his opening statement to the jury by retelling the timeline of the case from the beginning —
May 26, 1996. The jury was shown a video of Paul at a graduation party two weeks after Smart was reported missing. The woman filming asked Paul what he did with the missing girl. Paul said “nothing” and hung his head. Peurvelle then told of witnesses the jury will hear from throughout the trial, including three women who will testify they met Paul at Los Angeles County bars only to wake up in his bed with no memory of how they got there and actively being raped by Paul. One of those women went directly to the hospital and was swabbed for DNA which was
GOVERNMENT
Council delays decision to rescind sale of Pioneer Park to California MidState Fair Board By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — An update on the city’s cannabis policies was given at the Paso Robles City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 19. The update was provided by the HdL Company, which will also help the city hold a public workshop to possibly reconsider
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COMMUNITY
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ATHLETICS
Paso Robles City to Reconsider Cannabis Policies their current policies. After the passage of Proposition 64 — the legalization of cannabis for cultivation and personal use for adults over the age of 21 — Paso Robles approved an ordinance to establish a tax on cannabis-related activities as a general tax. The city currently only authorizes medical cannabis delivery businesses in the Riverside Corridor and the C-3 district. All other commercial cannabis businesses, including storefront cannabis retail dispensaries, are prohibited within the city. However, delivery services based outside the city can legally deliver within the city once obtaining and holding a state license and a Paso Robles business license. Currently, two businesses are authorized to operate medical cannabis delivery services within the city. Both business locations are within the Riverside Corridor. No other cannabis business types are authorized
matched to Paul. The prosecutor outlined his theory for what happened to Smart. He told the jury he believed Paul walked Smart back to his dorm on the Cal Poly campus and murdered her before moving the body to his father’s home with Ruben’s help. His evidence to back up the claim included several photos of Paul’s dorm room, and four different cadaver dogs who alerted to the smell of decomposing human remains in Paul’s room during a blind search of the dorm building. Additional evidence included the search of Ruben’s home in
CALIFORNIA — The small family farm was once the cover story of the American dream. But today, American farms are dying left and right, and American farmers are on their way to extinction — and arguably at a faster rate here in California. According to the United States Department of Agriculture 2020 data, 1.4 percent of the nation’s population is responsible for farming. That equates to 2.6 million farming jobs providing for the 329.5 million people living in the United States. To put that statistic into historical perspective, in 1840, nearly 70 percent of the American labor force worked in agriculture, and in 1935, the number of farms peaked at 7 million. A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study found that in just five years (2007 to 2012), the nation experienced a net loss of 90,000 farms. The loss of farmers and farms
Kids hold up their ribbons from Atascadero All Comers Track Meet. The event runs in three parts, with the third happening on Wednesday, July 27. Contributed Photo
The All Comers Track Meet Returns to SLO County The meet raises money for the Atascadero Greyhound Foundation By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@pasoroblespress.com
ATASCADERO — Since the summer of 2000, the All Comers Track Meet has been a family favorite in San Luis Obispo County. This year the event started on Wednesday, July 13, with the following
SPORTS
meet on Wednesday, July 20, and concluding with its final meet on Wednesday, July 27. The All Comers track meet is held at Atascadero Memorial Stadium at Atascadero High School. “Most years, we have 4-5 weeks of competition,” said All Comers Meet Director Robyn Schmidt. “This year, due to track repairs, we are only having three weeks. But, they are always consecutive weeks unless the 4th of July inter-
EVENTS
feres.” Though All Comers took a break in 2020, it was back in 2021, with the community ready to join in the family-friendly fun once again. This year is no different. “Atascadero All Comers meets are geared toward the participant who wants to be active, healthy, and have some fun,” continued Schmidt. “That could mean they are trying one or more events for the very first time, or they are
experienced track athletes just wanting to participate without high-intensity competition to hone their skills in the off-season. Occasionally we get an athlete participating as a part of their training leading up to a big summer competition.” The All Comers style of track meet is just that, a place to compete and have fun for participants of all skill levels, ages, and abilities. The meet includes track favorites such CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
WEATHER
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