••• The Independent reviews San Luis Creek Lodge in San Luis Obispo: “Set along a stretch of unremarkable chain hotels on Monterey Street, just outside of the downtown core, the lodge stands out for its thoughtful, understated style. L.A.-based designer Nina Freudenberger reimagined what was an ordinary roadside inn into a soulful urban farmhouse with a distinctly coastal vibe.”
••• Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t possibly have any more tricks up its sleeve: “An invasive mosquito species previously spotted in Ventura County has been caught for the first time in Santa Barbara. The non-native Aedes aegypti mosquito can be recognized by the white stripes found on its back and legs and is capable of spreading dangerous diseases including Zika, yellow fever, dengue and chikungunyaand. […] The Aedes mosquito bites during both day and night and has been dubbed the ‘ankle biter’ by many locals due to their tendency to bite around that part of the body.” —KEYT
••• A worthwhile read by Melinda Burns about the effort to take over the Montecito Sanitary District. —Independent
••• “One of the South Coast’s most venerable businesses, Bob’s Vacuum, has started again. Longtime service representative Gilbert Short, who says he has fixed 5,000 vacuums over the years, has purchased the business and reopened it on the other side of the highway.” —Noozhawk
••• Dirt dug up the buyer of that $23.75 million house on Padaro Lane: “Business magnate William P. ‘Bill’ Foley II has had a long and storied career. The Air Force veteran-turned-corporate attorney made a bundle by buying struggling title company Fidelity National Financial and turning into a Fortune 500 juggernaut with more than $8 billion in 2019 revenue. Decades later, the 75-year-old has made subsequent fortunes by becoming a major wine merchant, and eventually a prolific investor in real estate and various retail businesses. He’s also now the majority owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, the professional ice hockey team, through his Black Knight Sports & Entertainment holding company.”
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