What is the happiest place on earth? If you guessed San Luis Obispo, give yourself a gold star. In a new book called “Thrive,” best-selling author Dan Buettner attempts to discover what the happiest places have in common and what secrets we can learn from them.

With behind-the-scenes help from San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director Lindsey Miller, Buettner learned some lessons from the town we love to call home – and he’s sharing it with the world.

Insiders leaked some important details about the state budget agreement that was reached yesterday after a record-setting 100-day delay.

The budget compromise between California's legislative leaders and the governor includes a two-tier pension system that would change the pension for public safety new hires from the current three percent of salary for every year worked at age 50 to three percent at age 55, still incredibly generous by private-sector standards.

NASA has signed a $5 million contract designating Cal Poly as the provider for a broad range of mini-satellite services for NASA’s CubeSat program.

The contract will ensure out-of-this-world, hands-on opportunities for Cal Poly students, who will be involved in actual launch campaigns working with launch providers, the NASA launch team and all other universities developing CubeSats.

Cal Poly has pioneered research, development and launches of the mini-satellites, used in science missions.

The new bike and walking path that connects the Madonna Road area with downtown San Luis Obispo is only about three weeks from completion.

The 3,000-foot path cost about $500,000 and was privately funded by Madonna Enterprises as part of its air pollution mitigation for the Irish Hills Plaza development.

The path had been part of the City’s Bike Plan for years, but had no obvious way of funding it. It greatly enhances SLO’s bike friendliness, especially for tourists.

Although unconfirmed by company officials, insiders report that Level-Rosetta, the new digital agency formed by the merger of SLO’s Level Studio and Princeton-based Rosetta will likely result in Level-Rosetta’s employment going from 150 to about 400 jobs in SLO, probably the largest single inflow of high-tech jobs in SLO history.

These are the head-of-household, future-oriented jobs that the Chamber and others have been working so hard to attract.

Adding 250 high-salary and high-tech jobs will have a positive impact on the local economy and practically every local business, and the branding impacts of having the West Coast headquarters of the largest digital agency in the nation will also be significant.

Congratulations to the SLO County Visitors and Conference Bureau and Sunset Magazine for the very successful food and wine festival they brought to our county.

Thousands of locals and tourists enjoyed the high-class and well-promoted life-style fair.

The Sunset brand is one of the strongest in the food and wine field, and this event further strengthens our up-scale tourism branding regionally and nationally.

Four years of speculation about who was really behind the 2006 “No on J” anti-Dalidio project campaign will soon be over.

In a story first reported by Calcoastnews.com, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) will on Oct. 14 release the names of those who funded Responsible Community Development, LLC, a limited liability partnership that the FPPC found was formed just to fund the anti-Measure J activities. Until now, the LLC had fought hard to keep the names of its funders secret.

Cal Poly business grad and local entrepreneur James Whitaker is set to open Nov. 1 with a European style used book store and coffee shop in the old Muzio’s location on Monterey Street.

Kreuzberg Book Bar and Coffee Lounge’s concept is one that Whitaker discovered while living in small neighborhoods throughout Berlin for two years.

The shop highlights the fun and funky spirit that Whitaker enjoyed while running his SLO businesses from abroad. Along with coffee and books Kreuzberg will also offer food options, lounge-style seating, and entertainment.