I first met newscaster Loren Nancarrow in the early 1980s. I was a community activist in Encinitas, helping our unincorporated communities advance toward cityhood. When he would show up to one of our press conferences …

At 1:00 p.m., on December 26, one engine and a paramedic unit from the Vista Fire Deptartment responded to a report of a “man down.” The homeless-looking man was said to be lying on the …

Captain Robert Haley, head of the Encinitas sheriff’s station, held a “Coffee with the Captain” public meeting on December 9. The 8 a.m. session was held at the Chick-fil-A across the street from the sheriff’s …

In business for over ten years, CardifFit, a weight-training gym, has notified its hundreds of members that it will be closing on December 31. The announcement came five months early, according to some members, who …

On December 7, 1941, an Encinitas vegetable-farming family of Japanese descent had little idea how their lives would be impacted. In February of 1942, San Dieguito High School student Tak Sugimoto’s family received notice of …

The first Monday after Thanksgiving, December 2, was a big day above Moonlight Beach. That’s when Encinitas local Louie Ortiz with his volunteer crew, Bob Joval and Surfer Mike, came together, as Louie has for …

Neighborhood residents have been wondering what’s up with the empty Cardiff by the Sea Masonic Lodge at 1401Windsor Road. The large building from the 1950s was used for decades as a social gathering spot for …

On Saturday, August 3, Joy Lomax (not her real name) was at her rental property in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. She was doing a final cleaning of the home on Lake Drive, preparing to turn over the keys …

Late Sunday night, November 10, Solana Beach Presbyterian Church’s senior minister, Mike McClenahan, decided to check his email. He clicked on correspondence that claimed to be from the White House. It requested his presence at …

The largest custom-car show in Southern California, the Good Guys Fall Nationals, attracted thousands of car enthusiasts to the Del Mar Fairgrounds November 22–24. More than 1500 cars and trucks were on display, and the …

As Oceanside gets ready to welcome its fourth Walmart location, community opposition is growing over the chain’s application to sell alcohol. The new store, a smaller “Walmart Neighborhood Market” concept, will be located in the …

After years of planning, Oceanside has finally begun its long-planned streetscape program for its main entrance into downtown. Mission Avenue, between Horne Street and Coast Highway, was closed to two-way traffic on November 12. K-rail …

The United States Postal Service, in an effort to reduce continuing losses, has been looking to close, consolidate, or downsize several area post offices. While the possible closures of the La Jolla, Mission Valley, and …

On November 11, a motorist traveling northbound on I-5 through Solana Beach noticed smoke coming from the trailer of a semi truck. He reported it to the CHP at 3:45 p.m. When the truck finally …

Mercy Air, the longtime sole provider of emergency medical flights in San Diego, now has some competition. On the morning of November 6, Reach Air Medical Services debuted its new helicopter to Encinitas firefighters, lifeguards, …

When one sells a house on the two-block-long Sandcastle Drive in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, perhaps it should be required to disclose that the home is on a “Halloween street." Five years ago, KNSD Channel 7 news listed …

The northbound I-5 on-ramp at Encinitas Boulevard was closed for almost four hours on October 30. The driver of a semi-truck, accelerating up the ramp, reportedly had a heart attack. As the driver tried to …

“I knew someday I’d be the last person from my class,” said 92-year-old Del Mar resident Henry Knorr. “I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.” Knorr was a member of San Dieguito High …

A North County Transit District bus driver reported a medical emergency with a passenger aboard his bus at around 2:00 p.m. on October 4. Prior to the ambulance arriving, the driver pulled the bus into …

At around 1:00 p.m. on September 29, other drivers must have seen the car careen off the freeway near the west end of Hwy. 78 just before the transition ramp to northbound I-5. Otherwise, the …

Want to own your own gas station? If you have an extra $1.75 million, the real estate website Trulia lists the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Chevron station for sale. The site stated last week that the asking price …

Motorists in the South Carlsbad area, driving along the coast highway (Carlsbad Blvd.), may have wondered what’s up with the new 12-foot rotating blade at the south end of the South Carlsbad State Beach campground. …

Nothing brings out the best in a family than driving for days on a cross-country road trip. Traveling the Midwest’s highways and by-ways, I was reminded of my mom’s stories of driving back to Mississippi …

Wanting to be the first to have Apple’s new IPhone 5s, over 200 people stood in line during the pre-dawn hours of September 20. The Apple Store in Carlsbad’s Forum shopping Center, on El Camino …

Six years ago, after taking off from Palomar Airport, a private plane crashed into the ocean northwest of Ponto Beach at the South Carlsbad State Beach. The crash killed an Arizona volleyball coach, Alex Meekcoms, …

Arriving parents and the students they were dropping off in front of the San Dieguito High School Academy may have been concerned on the morning of September 11. From out in front of the campus …

Despite humid temperatures in the 90s, on August 30, hundreds of skateboarders and their families showed up for the opening of a new million-dollar skate park in Oceanside. The Alex Road Skate Park, located on …

Evidently the fast food restaurant workers in Encinitas are okay with their wages. A nationwide fast food workers strike was called for on the morning of August 29, in a effort to raise their industry’s …

Last March, the owner of Berry Happy Frozen Yogurt erected an ATM for his business on the busy corner of D Street and South Coast Hwy 101. But he didn’t put it inside his business. …

The biggest draw of Northern Michigan is Mackinac Island. Home to only 450 permanent residents, the island hosts over 1,000,000 visitors each season. Besides its natural beauty and history, Mackinac Island is well known for …

Starting on Monday, August 19, lovers of Happy Meals were probably jumping up and down when they saw construction finally going on at the old McDonalds site near the corner of Encinitas Boulevard at El …

Drivers on I-5 northbound may have been a little confused the morning of August 22. Caltrans’ electronic billboard mounted on the Tamarack Ave. overcrossing displayed the message, “I-90 BAY BRIDGE WILL BE CLOSED AUG 28 …

California Pacific Airlines, a new airline planned for operation out of Carlsbad’s Palomar-McClellan airport has suffered another set back. On August 7, the FAA denied CP Air’s application to begin flying. Additionally, an aviation industry …

Encinitas business owner Steve Amster is pissed again. Previously, he has fought with local governments and their code-enforcement regulations. But his July 2012 run-in with a sheriff’s motorcycle officer — when he asked the officer …

On July 22, the National Weather Serve activated San Diego County’s Emergency Alert System. Monsoonal moisture was causing large thunderstorms, running from Barstow south into Baja. The storm in San Diego was going to be …

In the early 1970s, Cardiff resident Rick Crocket met the love of his life in a physics class at Encinitas’ San Dieguito High School. The couple went to prom, dated for a year after his …

A July 10 rear-end collision on the northbound I-5 Birmingham Drive on-ramp caused one car to be pushed over the side of the freeway. At around 7:15 p.m., a navy-blue Toyota Prius stopped on the …

For years I had heard the song “Highway Patrol” used as bumper music on the Motor Man car-talk radio show on Sunday mornings on 790 KABC. I had no idea who Junior Brown was... Then …

With an extremely high voter turnout for a one-issue special election, over 40 percent of Encinitas’ voters turned out on June 18 to express their opinion on Proposition A — the Right to Vote Initiative. …

Hundreds of Encinitas residents turned out last week for the reopening of Moonlight Beach. The city finished $4.8 million in renovations on June 13. While the increased sand area, new concession stand, view deck, and …

Twenty-six-year-old Hassan Sheighei lost his leg in a gun battle ten years ago in Somalia. He was walking to the store when he heard gunfire. He saw someone running, and the Somali enemy mistook him …

For the 28th consecutive year, Escondido’s Margaret Austin, known as the “Pink Pig Lady,” was the first to walk through the front gates at the opening of the San Diego County Fair on June 8. …

For folks in southwestern Riverside County, it was the first Sunday without their local newspaper — The Californian. With the purchase of the North County Times in September 2012, the U-T San Diego also acquired …

Shoppers arriving at the Encinitas Home Depot over Memorial Day weekend were disappointed to see the Dog House Diner was gone. The popular 1950s-style food stand sat at the entrance to the store for over …

Fish on! That’s usually a term used by deep-sea fisherman when they get a big bite, but also best describes the fishing frenzy going on now in the Eastern Sierras. The 2013 season trout opener …

In April, coastal drivers on Carlsbad Boulevard (Coast Highway) may have wondered why the city sandblasted away all the pedestrian crosswalk markings, especially in light of the reported overkill by the city in pedestrian signage …

While on routine patrol along the coast of Carlsbad at around 4:30 p.m. on May 14, two state Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) game wardens came up behind a silver Lexus on Carlsbad Boulevard. …

Business owner Steve Amster is about to fight city hall — again. He says the City of Encinitas’ sign ordinance discriminates against small businesses such as his while it gives special privileges to corporate stores …

Just before 10:00 a.m. on May 8, the Rite Aid store at 439 Santa Fe Drive lost a $300 TV set to a shoplifter. The man, described as a tall Caucasian, inquired about the item, …

At their monthly meeting on May 7, members of the Oceanside Senior Anglers fishing club received an update on the Navy’s effort to increase recreational fishing and protect coastal resources. Mitch Perdue, senior biologist from …