Entries
Hedgecock Dropped by Los Angeles Station
Last September, radio station KFWB/980 AM in Los Angeles flipped from a news to a news-talk format. Former San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock's talk show was slotted in and hyped for the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m important drive time. …
Wal-Mart's Sam's Club to Close Vista Store
Sam's Club, the membership/warehouse operation of Wal-Mart, is closing its Vista store, the parent company announced on its website today (Jan. 11). Nine other Sam's Club locations will be shut down in the U.S., including La Quinta and Irvine and …
San Diegans Leading Push for AIG Full Disclosure
It looks now like American International Group (AIG), the big insurance concern that is 80% owned by the federal government, will dwarf Enron and the Madoff Ponzi scheme in corruption, particularly since the Treasury and Federal Reserve appear to be …
U-T Owner Takes Loss on Industrial Building
Private equity group Platinum Equity, which bought the Union-Tribune in the spring of 2009, has taken a loss on a property it took over in the deal. Basically, Copley Press paid Platinum to take the U-T by selling it $100 …
SD's Drinking Water 9th Worst of Major Cities
San Diego's drinking water is 9th worst among the 100 largest cities, according to the Environmental Working Group. In compiling the list, the group used water quality testing data from state health and environmental departments that compute records for water …
Two Borrego Clubs Close Amid Bond Default
The Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa and the clubhouse at the adjoining Montesoro Golf & Social Club in Borrego Springs have closed down as of today (Jan. 8), confirmed spokesperson Sasha Itzikman. As reported on these blogs earlier, the two …
U.S. Job Figures Actually Worse. Here's Why.
The Labor Department surprised economists by reporting this morning (Jan. 8) that the nation lost 85,000 jobs in December. Some economists had been predicting a rise in jobs, although November was revised upward to a gain of 4,000 -- the …
San Diego Lead Indicators Flat in November
The lead indicators of the San Diego economy were 103.7 in November, unchanged from October and barely up from the 103.5 of September. The indicators are compiled by economist Alan Gin of the University of San Diego. After hitting 105.7 …
Census Bureau Interviewing for Spring Jobs in East County
The U.S. Census Bureau will be interviewing for spring 2010 positions Jan. 7, 12, 21, and 26 at the East County Career Center, a division of San Diego Workforce Partnership, 924 E. Main Street, El Cajon, 92021. The interviews begin …
Roski Wants to Buy Bills or Jags Outright, or Parts of Other Teams Such as Chargers
Los Angeles billionaire Ed Roski Jr., who says he will build a 75,000 seat, $800 million stadium in City of Industry, wants to buy the Buffalo Bills or Jacksonville Jaguars, one of his executives said yesterday (Jan. 5). Both of …
Google's New Smartphone Uses Qualcomm Processor
Stock of Qualcomm shot up 2.39% to $48.06 today (Jan. 5) as Google introduced its new smartphone, called Nexus One. The new phone, which will compete with Apple's iPhone, as well as entries from Palm, Nokia, and Research in Motion, …
Ranch Near Gilroy, La Jolla Owned, Files Bankruptcy
Sargent Ranch LLC, a large plot of land near Gilroy, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy this week in San Diego Bankruptcy court. It is 85 percent owned by Wayne and Marci Pierce of La Jolla. Sargent has long had …
Blackwater One of 15 Most Hated U.S. Companies
Blackwater Worldwide, the mercenary firm now named Xe Services LLC, has been named one of the 15 most hated companies in America by 24/7 Wall Street, the online column on MarketWatch. Blackwater was unsuccessful in its bid to place a …
SD Ex-Con Can't Get Lawyer for His Alleged Colorado Scam
In 1985, Philip Rand Lochmiller of Vista was sentenced to three years in prison for selling unregistered securities in a real estate scam. He and family members (who also went to the pokey) had promised returns of up to 24% …
Local Home Values Down 37.9% from Peak
San Diego home values are now down 37.9% from the peak of November, 2005, according to data from Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller that came out this morning (Dec. 29). The improvement in home values is slowing down in San Diego, as …
Breen Told Syndicate His U-T Job "Definitely Threatened" If He Went Ahead with Kelley Strip
In the summer of 2007, John Matthews, vice president of Universal Press Syndicate, received a call from Steve Breen, Union-Tribune editorial cartoonist. Breen said he felt his job at the Union-Tribune was "definitely threatened" if he went ahead with a …
Taxpayer-Financed Stadiums Bring "Municipal Woes," says NY Times
The New York Times has an excellent story this morning (Christmas Day, Dec. 25) on how more and more cities are getting into deep trouble because of ridiculous deals on subsidized stadiums given sports team owners. The piece focuses mainly …
Republicans File Suit to Knock Out Political Giving Restrictions
On December 21, the Republican Party, its Lincoln Club, a political action committee of the Associated Builders and Contractors, and others filed suit in federal court to eliminate certain long-time election donation restrictions in San Diego. Defendants include the City, …
Feds Close Imperial Capital Bank of La Jolla
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. today (Dec. 18) shut down Imperial Capital Bank of La Jolla. The bank was sold to Los Angeles-based City National Corp., which will assume all Imperial deposits. No depositors should lose money, the FDIC said. …
In '07, U-T Owner's Law Firm Helped Shield Tiger, Says Journal
Lavely & Singer, the law firm for Union-Tribune owner Platinum Equity, as well as for Hollywood celebrities, helped bargain a deal that kept embarrassing details about Tiger Woods out of the media back in 2007, according to a story in …