Happy Monday Central Coast! I hope you enjoyed your weekend and kept dry. Here are some of the top stories from Daybreak!
Righetti Ranch lawsuit: In early April, the City of San Luis Obispo issued a lawsuit alleging the Righetti Ranch housing development was responsible for the 2019 and 2023 mudslides that occurred on city-owned Open Space on Righetti Hill. One day later, the development filed an opposing claim stating the city was responsible for the mitigation efforts and failed. Both sides are seeking monetary damages for the remediation that both sides did on the hill.
May Day rally: Community reporter Sophia Villalba was out in Santa Maria over the weekend covering a rally by farmworkers demanding better compensation. Currently, farmworkers are paid $16.50 per hour and are wanting that number to increase to $26.00. The May Day rally took place at this weekend's Strawberry. According to CAUSE, an organization that claims to work for social, economic, and environmental justice, Santa Barbara County is home to more than 12,000 farmworkers.
Dream come true: Over the weekend, former Cal Poly defensive standout Elijah Ponder signed as an undrafted free agent with the 6-time Super Bowl champions New England Patriots. Over the course of the seven round NFL Draft, Ponder didn't hear name called but the Pomona-native signed the dotted line and becomes the third former Mustang to go undrafted into the NFL since 2020. Ponder ends his career as a two-time All-Big Sky First Team Selection and first in program history in quarterback hurries, third in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss.
