“Tonight (April 5) I had a man [reporter] … actually come to my door from KNSD regarding my (drone flyover) comments on Nextdoor,” said Suzanne from Kensington, “completely uninvited and unannounced, and while he was …
April 6, 2017
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Stories by Mike Madriaga
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Drone flies low over Kensington and Channel 39 comes knocking
Dog search south of City Heights by social media
She was last seen on Sumac Drive and Laurel Street – next to Hollywood Park. She weighs about 12 lbs., and is black and brown in color and should be wearing a purple collar with …
April 6, 2017
The challenge of Highway 79 between I-8 and Julian
“The Caltrans guy said that they were fixing the edges of the freeway where the pavement ended on each side (by the shoulders).”
April 3, 2017
Lightsaber fighters spar at Balboa Park’s fountain — and cast wary eye on Disney
“I feel that if I ask Lucasfilm or Walt Disney [Company] for permission (to use the lightsaber word in the company name),” said Nick Murico, “that might be my Achilles heel.” When the sun set …
March 30, 2017
Kensington bicyclist ticketed for not stopping at Meade and 39th
“The policeman told me, ‘You are (riding) a bike and need to follow the rules of the road, and you did not stop at this four-way,'” said Anna Grace Carter. She received a ticket that …
March 27, 2017
Parking meters with eyes in Hillcrest
“I think it’s weird and foreign-looking,” said LeeAnn Donan. Donan, 49, from Mission Hills, was referring to the two grayish boxes that appeared to have cameras inside of them mounted on the pole underneath the …
March 24, 2017
Cherokee Point is no North Park
“How many neighbors have realtors cold-calling them and sending them mail asking if we are interested in selling,” said Cherokee Point resident Frederick Simson in a Nextdoor post recently. “I get about one letter a …
March 20, 2017
TGI open for another month
“This restaurant closes it doors on March 26,” Honorio Zarate said in an interview as he greeted patrons for happy hour this week. Zarate is the service manager for the TGI Fridays restaurant on 403 …
February 23, 2017
Where there's no smoke, there's no chicken
“We just lost their main flagship,” said Mr. Robinson, a resident who lives one block away from the Pancho Villa supermarket at 3245 El Cajon Boulevard. Robinson said he is “bummed out” by the pollos …
February 20, 2017
Car stars in Del Mar
“A lot has changed from the first time I attended these shows,” said Walter Manongdo on February 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. His yellow Nissan race car was posted at the entrance next to …
February 10, 2017
The unliking of the SD-LA Chargers
Many social-media users switched their profile picture yesterday (January 12) to the new LA Chargers logo that's been modified to read "LAME." This was in response to team owner Dean Spanos's breakup letter and updated …
January 13, 2017
Mid-project tour of City College
“Part of the project is to remove all of the concrete here and redo it,” said City College project manager Tom Fine last week during a construction-zone tour of the campus. “And I don’t know …
January 9, 2017
Southbound toy smugglers wanted
A group of smugglers huddled in a prayer circle a couple weeks ago to ask God for help crossing into Mexico. “We prayed for [aduanas, Mexican customs officials] to turn a blind eye when we …
December 24, 2016
Mustang hate
“Prepare for some repair bills to that Mustang bud … your s-its gonna be scratched the f-ck up, people know where you live,” read one of the instant message threats sent to Danny Diaz at …
September 27, 2016
Thunder or students jumping?
“Tower of Terror” is what some City College students are calling the elevators in the MS building on their campus. Since early morning on Sept. 19, three of the five elevators in the MS building …
September 24, 2016
Unsafe Encanto intersection has predictable results
“They put these new stop signs up yesterday [Sunday, September 4] and within a half an hour while I was there, there were two fender-benders,” said David Abbott, who lives in the Encanto area by …
September 6, 2016
Pot dispensary draws stars to Point Loma
"We gave Snoop Dogg some Tokyo OG [a marijuana strain] and he enjoyed it,” says Heidi Rising, the general manager of the Point Loma Patient Consumer Co-Op. On August 27, the Grammy-nominated rap star dropped …
September 1, 2016
Urban Assault via VW
“Ultimately [the police] caught me by my name being on the side of the car, not blurring out my license plate, and I didn’t expect the video to go that viral.” Blake Wilkey, 27, was …
Vietnam veterans honored in Logan Heights
Fifty years ago, many American servicemen who fought in Vietnam returned home to a country of discontent; some were spat at, others tormented, and many advised not to wear their uniforms in public. Unlike World …
May 3, 2016
Homeless and confused in Chula Vista
There’s a buzz on the streets of Chula Vista among those who live out of their vehicles. Some think that they can go to city hall and obtain a “Special Parking Permit,” as it seems …
January 21, 2016
San Diego’s cauliflower luck
"Act of God,” is what Produce Alliance recently posted about cauliflower, “DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY. We are seeing high prices and NON-EXISTENT supply. The crops in Yuma are very slow and the cauliflower growth rate is …
January 14, 2016
Water wrecked my race car
“That vehicle is built for speed, that is something you would not use in this kind of water,” said Emilio Ramirez of the San Diego Police Department. Ramirez was referring to the white Lamborghini on …
January 8, 2016
Drop the gun and skate, fool
“About 250 guns, including shotguns — sawed-off and non-modified — a Tech 9, an AR15, assault weapons, a .380 handgun, a 9mm, a .30-06, an Uzi, small handguns, single shots, and many others were traded …
December 31, 2015
Drought relief suggestion shot down
“So, we are in a drought,” ranted Lisa Hudson Barth as she snapped photos of water flowing down Mount Acadia Boulevard in Clairemont on April 10. “And the mayor requested that we cut our water …
April 16, 2015
This booze was saved to drink
Johnny and Wilfred were posted up by the side of the house chopping it up about their commonalities both being first-generation Filipino-Americans (naturalized in the 1970s and 1980s). Both lolos (“grandfathers” in Tagalog) were in …
December 9, 2014
Only looks illegal
"Last week we posted up right there at the Tapioca Express by the golf course [in Bonita], and there were a couple [of] five-o scopin' out my whip with flashlights," explains Warren Manongdo as he …
November 23, 2014
Red balloon sent up in Bay Park
Driving down the streets of Bay Park from Clairemont Drive, all the way down to Linda Vista, one might wonder about particular signage posted on properties throughout the neighborhood. In three months' time, the aesthetics …
November 13, 2014
Enemies of the estate sale
“Dollar-store owners have been stealing our bright orange signs that we spent all night working on,” says Jill K, a retired teacher. “We don’t have them printed like our competitors do.” Jill says the act …
October 17, 2014
Hot Wheels mafia
Last week at 6:30 in the morning there were already a few shoppers waiting in the parking lot of the Walmart at Dennery Road, by Palm Avenue and the 805. Some of the patrons were …
October 11, 2014
Raider Nation invades Mission Valley
Soon after exiting the 8 freeway off Hotel Circle on August 23, you could hear, “Raaaiiiiiiiders, Raaaiiiiiiiders.” Oakland Raiders flags, banners, and decals were plastered over the majority of the cars in the lot. The …
August 27, 2014
Temporary trailer-park market
“STOP, Poppa, and look!” Our four-year old daughter yelled from the backseat of our SUV. Saturdays are usually a family day, when we take our daughter for a cruise to the park or beach and …
August 21, 2014
Bikers for Christ roll up to Mt. Soledad
The American flag barely moved on August 2. The sound of thunder wasn’t from the gloomy skies above, but from a caravan of motorcycles here in town for national Bikers for Christ weekend. “Close to …
August 7, 2014
Too Short in your whip?
I've been following Too Short since I was hella young, and tonight, after listening to his raps about bosses, biatches, and Oakland, his music never gets dated. Even his newer music (2012) is reminiscent of …
July 25, 2014
Lowriders at Chicano Park Day
The old-school sirens were blaring as I drove through the cement pillars holding up the Coronado bridge on April 19. I pulled out my camera gear, and one of the members of the Klique car …
April 23, 2014