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Stories by Dave Rice

Seller is willing to accept Bitcoin

“Welcome to Rancho Escondido Groves, your very own private 290.95-acre luxury mountain top estate.” So begins the sales pitch for the property at 1830 Rincon Avenue, in equal parts a development opportunity and potential paradise …

February 14, 2018
Good intentions behind paving of Scripps Trail

More than a decade deep in a battle with San Diego city government to get their deteriorating road repaved, residents along the northern stretch of Scripps Trail seem no closer to getting answers than when …

February 6, 2018
Hamptons style in La Jolla

You’ll find the newly constructed estate home at 921 Muirlands Drive in La Jolla “beautifully perched atop one of La Jolla’s preeminent view streets” and less than a mile from the coast. The 8612-square-foot “Hamptons …

January 31, 2018
Cannabis for critters

Adult marijuana use restrictions across the state were loosened this month, but one company launched in San Diego this week is offering cannabis products targeted toward animals. Phyto Animal Health, a subsidiary of Medical Marijuana …

January 28, 2018
Near-doubling of Bahia Resort approved

Mission Bay water-sport enthusiasts fighting a hotel expansion they say would eliminate public access to a prime vessel-launch site were dealt another blow from the San Diego Park and Recreation Board on Thursday (January 18). …

January 19, 2018
An eight-million dollar view on Lookout Drive

The newly constructed estate at 7750 Lookout Drive sits at the northern foot of La Jolla’s Mt. Soledad, privately tucked into the hillside yet still affording ocean views toward La Jolla Shores. “Enter this elegantly …

January 17, 2018
Burglary victim leads cops to crooks

Computer theft tracked to Mission Valley hovel.

Highest asking price for attached housing in San Diego County

Listing materials for a pair of Del Mar condos at 1750 Ocean Front promise prospective buyers a “Once in a lifetime opportunity for this stunning architectural masterpiece” on the sand just north of Powerhouse Park. …

January 3, 2018
State utilities commission holiday sneak

Proponents of community-choice energy programs are rallying opposition to a proposal from the California Public Utilities Commission that they say would kill or seriously hamper efforts to expand community-choice programs throughout the state. Community choice …

December 31, 2017
Rapid Response Network to fight la migra

After nearly ten months in the planning stages and contributions from more than 40 faith and community groups, Tuesday (December 19) saw the launch of the San Diego Rapid Response Network, a system designed to …

December 21, 2017
Come up with $8 mil and change, and the second floor is yours

Marketing copy for the three-bedroom condo at 202 Coast Boulevard (#3) says this “spectacular oceanfront property is ready for you.” Situated on a single level (the building’s second floor), the unit features direct elevator access …

December 20, 2017
Local human rights groups fight each other

Two activist groups in San Diego that ostensibly hold similar views have found themselves at odds over what one charges is the other's racially motivated refusal to seat people of color on its board of …

December 9, 2017
270 degrees of unobstructed views with no neighbor in sight

“Welcome to the ‘King of the Hill,’” beckons the listing pitch for 5160 Rancho Del Mar Trail, a five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath home boasting more than 9500 square feet of living space situated “within the prestigious, private …

December 6, 2017
King tide bird count on Mission Bay

Volunteers with San Diego Audubon used exceptionally high tides Tuesday morning (December 5) as an aid in counting threatened light-footed Ridgway's rails that reside in Kendall-Frost Marsh along the northeast shores of Mission Bay. "We …

December 5, 2017
Go solar, get screwed by SDG&E starting today

Solar power system owners connecting to the grid for the first time are in for a shock as power bills begin arriving, as are existing customers who failed to lock in a temporary reprieve. Effective …

December 1, 2017
Protest at alleged slumlord's house in Point Loma

Thanksgiving weekend found plenty of San Diegans less than thankful for housing conditions in their communities. Saturday (November 25th) saw Ocean Beach play host to a short-term vacation rental "walk of shame" sponsored by the …

How about Coronado’s “Zee Huis”?

A trend of endowing mansions with fanciful and often foreign names seems to be emerging among San Diego’s mega-rich. Many may be familiar with La Jolla’s Foxhill estate, former home of the local publishing magnate …

November 22, 2017
Protesters defy food-sharing ban in El Cajon

An act of civil disobedience ended peacefully on Sunday afternoon (November 19th), as dozens from across the county gathered at Wells Park in El Cajon to offer food to the homeless in defiance of a …

November 20, 2017
Community Choice Energy clears hurdle in San Diego

San Diego on Thursday (November 16th) took another step in the lengthy process of establishing a community choice aggregation market for city residents and businesses, as the city's Sustainable Energy Advisory Board voted to send …

November 16, 2017
Drones with frickin' lasers

San Diego–based General Atomics, makers of the military's Predator and Reaper drones (“unmanned aerial vehicles,” as the industry prefers to call them), has landed a contract to begin experiments equipping the bombing and surveillance aircraft …

November 12, 2017
Solar vision of a refugee

Hauter grew up with his family in Yemen while his father, a U.S. citizen, spent six months of the year working in the States, first as a farmer in California's Central Valley and later as …

November 10, 2017
Rent-control battle cry in Escondido

For years the Eagles Point apartment complex, a collection of suburban four-story buildings comprising 519 units along East Grand Avenue in eastern Escondido, has drawn harsh criticism from residents and neighbors. Negative reviews, some dating …

November 9, 2017
See the Del Mar racetrack from the comfort of your home

Listing materials for the hillside estate at 2116 Balboa Avenue in Del Mar invite prospective buyers to “enjoy spectacular whitewater ocean, sunset & Del Mar racetrack views from this extraordinary seaside Villa in Olde Del …

November 8, 2017
Air Force drone fleet due for upgrade

The U.S. military's fleet of Predator and Reaper drones, produced locally by San Diego's General Atomics, is preparing to enter their third decade of service. According to a new report, they're also due for some …

November 2, 2017
Owned by philanthropists and racehorse owners

“Del Dios Ranch presents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the most expansive tracts in coveted Rancho Santa Fe,” listing materials boast of the sprawling 61-acre estate. Beds: 4 Baths: 9 Current Owner: Sahm …

November 1, 2017
Tiny homes for the homeless and your backyard

Alternately referred to under terms such as "companion units," "accessory dwellings,” or, more colloquially, "granny flats" (Coronado prefers the unique term "carriage houses"), the practice of adding a second residence to a single-family lot has …

October 27, 2017
Cops called over tenants' uprising

Tenants at a large Linda Vista apartment complex who last month threatened a rent strike are following through on their intentions. What that will eventually mean is still unclear. According to Rafael Bautista of San …

October 26, 2017
She rode away from stage 3 breast cancer

Cancer wasn't about to slow Sandy Hanshaw's roll. In 2013, Hanshaw was a fairly new restaurateur, having opened The Wine Pub in Point Loma a couple of years prior. Already consumed with the long hours …

Food-insecure in Escondido

Mike Dolbow has grand plans to bring meals to the food-insecure, including not just the residents of his trailer park in rural Escondido but throughout the state. But first, he needs a truck. I meet …

October 19, 2017
Golden Rule crashes Fleet Week, peacefully

On Saturday (October 14), Fleet Week was in full swing at San Diego Bay. Crowds lined the waterfront from Tuna Harbor north along the Embarcadero to watch Navy and Coast Guard vessels and helicopters performing …

October 15, 2017
Navy nerd money built this La Jolla mansion

This newly constructed home at 6045 La Jolla Scenic Drive South, listing materials boast, is a “spectacular Santa Barbara Coastal Classic custom estate” featuring “unparalleled quality and design” sited on nearly an acre backing open …

October 11, 2017
Star bartender stops to talk flair, etc.

”The bar will always have its place in society — it's that comfortable spot between work and home. Million-dollar deals aren't made over a cup at Starbucks, they happen in bars.” — Star "Flair bartending," …

October 10, 2017
Panhandlers pushed back in El Cajon

The City of El Cajon has begun installing street signs discouraging local motorists from giving money to panhandlers. Announced Monday (October 9), the "Real change, not spare change" campaign "encourages the public to contribute in …

October 10, 2017
Linda Vista renters threaten strike

As many as 50 tenants at the Village Apartments complex in Linda Vista are threatening a "rent strike" beginning next week if their demands for more modest rent increases and completion of repairs affecting the …

September 30, 2017
Tow-truck carjacker failure

A tow-truck driver and a pair of motorists getting help after experiencing a breakdown were able to thwart a carjacking attempt Thursday night (September 29) near Valley Center. According to sheriff's deputy Shawn Silva, two …

September 29, 2017
Wasted food in landfills is a separate problem

A new campaign aimed at eliminating food waste, Save the Food San Diego, kicked off on Tuesday (September 26). But some of the tools needed to achieve that goal, despite being mandated by changes to …

September 28, 2017
Own one of the largest lots in “Olde Del Mar”

The half-acre estate at 901 Highland Avenue offers prospective buyers a “rare opportunity to own one of the largest lots in Olde Del Mar.” The listing goes on to describe the space as “a private …

September 27, 2017
California least terns cared for the most

The California least tern, a light-brown shorebird that nests along the state's coastline, is one of the smallest tern species in the world, growing to just nine inches in length at adulthood. It's also one …

Hepatitis A outbreak: Month 11 looms

An outbreak of the fecal-contamination-borne liver disease hepatitis A has sickened more than 400 people in the San Diego area since November 2016, causing national media outlets to mock the "man-made disaster" that thus far …

September 21, 2017
Man breaches San Onofre perimeter

A man driving a stolen delivery van he claimed was loaded with explosives was apprehended in a restricted area at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating station on Tuesday afternoon (September 12). According to sheriff's …

September 14, 2017
Unobstructed ocean views from the moment you walk in

“Situated in a private gated community on the sand & intimately adjacent to the Del Mar Racetrack,” listing materials promise, lies a “spectacular oceanfront estate” at 3002 Sandy Lane. The four-bedroom, five-bath home, constructed in …

September 13, 2017
Short-term rentals thrive in East Village

Is the demand for housing suitable to fill the thousands of rental units that have sprung up in downtown's East Village since the mid-2000s, and enough to sustain even more units currently under construction or …

September 12, 2017
Marijuana delivery providers seek council motion

Legal marijuana consumption for purely recreational purposes will debut next January, following the passage of last year's Proposition 64. But a group of established providers of medical cannabis worry that the City of San Diego …

September 8, 2017
San Diego medical marijuana product for Mexico

Since early 2016, the San Diego–based Medical Marijuana Inc., doing business as HempMeds Mexico, has been exporting a version of its cannabidol (CBD) oil across the border. Last week, the company announced its first major …

August 31, 2017
Live just north of Bird Rock for special price: $14,888,000

“This astounding La Jolla estate exemplifies the best of modern luxury,” promise listing materials for the newly constructed blufftop home at 5910 Camino de la Costa. Located just north of Bird Rock, the luxury residence …

August 30, 2017
24 years of martians, murder, magic, and mayhem

Eat. Sleep. Read. Local. For years these edicts have presented themselves in the form of a bold red-and-white poster gracing the entryway of Mysterious Galaxy, an independent bookshop specializing in science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and …

August 27, 2017
NFL blamed for sleepy trash-truck drivers

The Chargers' extended farewell to San Diego may be complete, but a local company claims in a study released this week the NFL poses an unlikely threat to Americans everywhere in the form of sleepy …

August 24, 2017
Miramar Air Show protesters get Japanese bump

A group of local anti-war protesters got a boost Thursday afternoon (August 17) when their freeway overpass picket in opposition to the annual Miramar Air Show received an approving visit from members of the Japanese …

August 18, 2017
The most ocean frontage of any Coronado home

“Seashore,” as the waterfront Coronado estate located at 519 Ocean Boulevard is dubbed, lays claim to “the most ocean frontage of any Coronado home,” roughly 250 feet along the peninsula’s southern edge midway between Sunset …

August 16, 2017
SDG&E shocks solar users with rate change

A letter sent by San Diego Gas & Electric to customers with home solar systems has left some subscribers confused and even worried about the future of their ratepayer agreements with the utility. "Basically, I …

August 15, 2017

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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