Has the Ghost of Jerry Dominelli Returned?
Within the last week, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has charged two San Diego County speculators with plundering funds from commodity pools they professed to be running. Jeffrey Gustaveson of Carlsbad raised $2.5 million from investors to put their money …
Investor Says NextWave Price Too Low
An investor sued NextWave Wireless in Delaware Chancery Court today (Aug. 31), stating that the $600 million that AT&T has agreed to pay for NextWave is too low. According to the suit, the troubled company agreed to sell itself for …
More MEK money fallout: Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein paid $12,000 for speech
The Mujahadin-e Khalq - an Iranian exile group opposed to the current regime there and backed by Democratic congressman and San Diego mayoral candidate Bob Filner - has returned to the news, this time with a report that ex-Washington Post …
San Diego County's Last Legal Marijuana Dispensary Forced Out of Business
It's the final countdown for the Mother Earth Dispensary, the only legal-- according to county and state laws-- medical marijuana dispensary in San Diego County. If no action is taken and no one comes to the defense of the co-op, …
Escondido Man Admits He Seduced a 12-Yr-Old Girl
Christopher Bradley Nutt, 24, admitted sexual intercourse and taking photographs of a 12-year-old girl in a plea deal he signed this past week. Nutt has been in a San Diego County jail since he was arrested last May and charged …
Chargers 16th Biggest Political Donor
Alex Spanos, severely ailing owner of the San Diego Chargers, has given $37,800 to this year's political campaign. That makes the Chargers 16th in donations among all pro teams, according to Business Insider. Spanos gave all his money to the …
Book Criticizing San Diego Wins Top Award
The American Political Science Association has given its Best Book of 2011 award to "Paradise Plundered: Fiscal Crisis and Governance Failures in San Diego." It was published by Stanford University Press. Authors are Steve Erie, professor of political science at …
San Diego and soft money: County residents donate more than $4 million to Obama and Romney Super PACs
Doug Manchester isn't the only resident of San Diego County digging deep into their pocket book in support of Mitt Romney. Dozens of other wealthy residents in the area are doing the same, at times making donations for $100,000 to …
UT owner Doug Manchester gives $63,816 to Romney Super PAC bringing total donations to $118,816
When Doug Manchester, hotel magnate turned media mogul, backs a candidate he doesn't mess around. Manchester, owner of San Diego's sole daily newspaper, the U-T San Diego, has upped the ante on his bet for who will be the next …
State Sends "Warning Letter" to Conservative Judicial Candidate After Audit
Craig Candelore, who was part of a failed conservative charge against San Diego's judicial establishment two years ago, has been sent a "warning letter" by the California Fair Political Practices Commission regarding the results of a state enforcement audit of …
Items Seized During Killgore Murder Investigation
A judge has released lists of items found during the investigation of the death of a young woman who was married to a Marine deployed overseas when she went missing last April. The cars and home and hotel room of …
Woman Accused of Attempted Murder Bailed Out
A woman accused of trying to suffocate a 92-year-old man had her bail lowered and got out of jail last weekend. Records show that Superior Court Judge Richard Mills lowered the defendant’s bail from $500,000 to $100,000 last Friday, and …
Thieving Bookkeeper Ordered to Pay Taxes
A dishonest bookkeeper was sent to prison for 5 years and 8 months for stealing more than a million dollars from her employer. Her sentencing was last month. Five days ago a judge ordered the felon to pay $77,224 to …
Mitt Romney's brother-in-law, a GOP convention delegate, named in San Diego medical malpractice case
Carlsbad eye surgeon James A. Davies, the younger brother of Ann Romney, tonight's main speaker at the Republican convention that is set to nominate her husband Mitt for the presidency, has been sued for medical malpractice in San Diego Superior …
Hilton management uses assault, intimidation in attempt to silence protesters
The non-profit Employee Rights Center this afternoon attempted to stage a press conference near the Hilton hotel in Mission Valley to accuse the hotel’s operator, Conneticut-based HEI Hospitality, of wage theft totaling approximately $250,000. Those arriving to cover the event, …
10News says message prohibiting comments is inaccurate
10News is not banning comments from their website despite the message that says otherwise, says station general manager, Jeff Block. Posted at the end of each news story appears a message in red which reads: "This commenting widget will be …
Government Bans Self-Proclaimed "Visionary Tax Attorney"
A federal court judge has permanently banned Scott A. Waage, San Diego attorney, and his law firm, from preparing federal tax returns for others. The injunction, in which Waage did not have to admit the allegations, requires him to give …
Baja resort developers resubmit plan
Developers of a potential mega-resort north of Los Cabos have resubmitted their plans to construct the controversial tourist destination. President Felipe Calderon said the original plans were scrapped in June because of threats to the natural eco-system. According to the …
San Diego Home Values Nudge Up
San Diego County home values rose 1.1% from May to June, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller data released this morning (Aug. 28). However, that lagged the 2.3% rise for the index of the top 20 markets. On a year-over-year basis, …
Co-Defendants in Murder Case Have Baby
A woman charged in a high-profile murder case has reportedly given birth to the child of one of her co-defendants, according to a well-placed source. Dorothy Maraglino, 37, has given birth to a baby fathered by Louis Perez, 46; both …
San Diego has third best job growth rate in the Country
Are the number of jobs in San Diego on the rise? Research professor, Lee McPheters of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, says job growth in San Diego is on the up and up. Using …
Man Guilty of Escondido Crime Spree Gets 74 Years
He was 18-years-old the night he committed rape and robbery and seven other felonies, in May of 2011. This morning, Hugo Elmer Garcia, now 20, was sentenced to 74 years and 8 months to life in prison, for his own …
Four San Diego lawyers give $40,000 to anti-death penalty measure
The big San Diego cash just keeps on coming for Proposition 34, the measure on November's ballot to overturn California's death penalty and replace it with life in prison without parole. Patrick Coughlin, an attorney with downtown's Robbins Geller Rudman …
San Diego Among "Distressed" Metro Areas
The CredAbility consumer distress index tracks the financial condition of American households, says the publication Business Insider. There are five categories in the index: employment, housing, credit, household budgets and net worth. Overall, U.S. households scored 71.3%. A score below …
Busy weekend for DUI crackdowns
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department kept busy over the weekend by posting various checkpoints around the county, with “DUI/Driver License checkpoints” in Imperial Beach, Poway, San Marcos, and Vista. Another roadblock identified solely as a “DUI checkpoint” was erected in …
Might Murderer Holmes Have Had "Dysphoric Mania?"
The New York Times tomorrow (Aug. 27) features a long story by four reporters on James Holmes, who murdered 12 people and injured 58 in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting July 20. Holmes was raised in Rancho Penasquitos. He …
Minor Fender Bender in Imperial Beach Sends Woman to Hospital
A woman claims she was dragged and thrown to the ground by a car after she tried to stop the driver from fleeing a minor fender bender. San Diego Sheriff Deputies responded to North Island Credit Union 1101 Palm Avenue, …
Internal Revenue Service suspends Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith's nonprofit Great Friends Foundation
Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith's non-profit, Great Friends Foundation, won't be granting scholarships to any children of military families this year; the non-profit has been placed on suspension by the Internal Revenue Service for failing to file necessary tax …
Romney/Ryan and the New Padres Owners
"Oh what a tangled web we weave..." You know the rest of the classic sentence. Right now, it appears the new Padres owners are on the periphery of a spider-infested web, but you never know if they will be found …
Cyclist Landis Will Repay His Defrauded Donors
Former professional cyclist Floyd Landis appeared in federal court today (Aug. 24) and admitted he had defrauded 1,765 individuals who donated money to the Floyd Fairness Fund. Landis agreed to repay $478,354 of these funds, as he admitted falsely claiming …
Another San Diegan jumps on anti union political withholding bandwagon
La Jolla financier R. B. "Buzz" Woolley is not the only well-heeled San Diego county resident to give big bucks to the measure on November's ballot that would ban withholding of union political dues from employees' paychecks. As previously reported, …
Supporters of genetically modified food labeling make their case
Tom Newmark and Jeffrey Smith made the last San Diego stop on their Speaking Out for Healthier Food lecture tour yesterday afternoon at the San Diego Central Library. The lecture series is organized in support of, though not officially backed …
Bob Filner changes position on Balboa Park Plan, tells Voice of San Diego he will support Council's decision
For opponents of Irwin Jacob's Balboa Park makeover plan, the news came as a bombshell. Democratic Congressman Bob Filner, who they were counting on to lead the loyal opposition to the Jacobs parking and road project, had just changed his …
Defense Contractors Charged with North Island Bribery
The U.S. Attorney's office today (Aug. 23) announced the unsealing of an indictment charging two defense contractors and one company of conspiring with Navy officials to commit bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering at the Naval Air Station, North Island, …
House Democrat Susan Davis runs up big free travel tab
It's semi-official: San Diego Democratic Congresswoman Susan Davis is number 17 on the list of the House and Senate's biggest-spending free travelers, running up a total tab of $200,652 on 28 trips taken courtesy of private sponsors. That's according to …
San Diego had surplus power even during recent heat wave
Statements from the California Independent Systems Operator (CAISO) concerning the stress put on the region’s power grid by the heat wave of the last two weeks are “borderline irresponsible,” says electrical engineer Bill Powers. CAISO, which provides access to the …
Fiscal Cliff Could Hit San Diego Hard
If Congress can't reach a compromise on the 2012/2013 fiscal cliff -- rising taxes, falling spending -- San Diego could lose its expected economic growth in 2013, according to Erik Bruvold of the National University System Institute for Policy Research. …
New killer whale at Sea World has shown aggression toward trainers
Sea World San Diego has taken possession of a new killer whale, bringing the number of orcas in local captivity to nine. Shouka, a 19 year-old female, was born at an aquatic park in France and spent time at another …
Democratic political committees outspending GOP counterparts in TV ad buys in race for 52nd Congressional District
The race for the 52nd congressional district seat has been closely watched on both sides of the aisle. Democrats believe their candidate, Scott Peters, has a shot to beat conservative congressman Brian Bilbray and win a much needed seat in …
San Diego Wants to Extend Red Light Camera Ticketing, Bid Document Reveals
The city of San Diego intends to continue its controversial red light photo traffic ticketing system, but a decision on whether to expand the number of camera-covered intersections beyond the installations already in place seems likely to be left up …
Lawsuits loom if Prop 37 passes, say opponents of labeling genetically modified foods
Yesterday, we featured information on a series of lectures presented by supporters of Proposition 37, which would require the labeling of genetically modified foods sold in the state, with a host of exceptions. Today, the anti-37 crowd weighs in. They …
Auditor Confirms It: Convention Center Attendance Figures Misleading
City Auditor Eduardo Luna today (Aug. 21) confirmed what the nation's ranking expert on convention centers, Prof. Heywood Sanders, told the Reader in December: the San Diego Convention Center has been publishing phony figures. In my column published December 14, …
San Diego Home Value, Rent Growth Lag Other Metro Areas
Nationally, July home values in major metro markets rose 1.2% from a year ago, according to Zillow.com. But San Diego's values dropped 0.6% on a year-over-year basis. But San Diego home values are far more expensive: the median local value …
H-1B "Body Shop" Wins Whistleblower Suit
A federal judge in Alabama yesterday (Aug. 20) dismissed a lawsuit by an American employee of India's Infosys, a so-called "head shop," or placement firm that brings in talent to American companies under the controversial H-1B program. Jack B. Palmer …
New Charges and Details in Brittany Killgore Murder
A prosecutor filed new paperwork today, making new allegations against three persons charged in the death of Brittany Killgore, a 22-year-old woman who was married to a Marine deployed to Afghanistan when she was killed. Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza …
Fighting President Obama's eligibility is a lucrative venture: IRS forms reveals big revenues for United States Justice Foundation
On August 9, the United States Justice Foundation, a conservative legal advocacy group run by Superior Court Judge-elect and member of the birther movement, Gary Kreep, made a plea to potential contributors: donate money to the non-profit or the lawsuits …
DeMaio Already Out Buying TV Advertising Spots for Campaign
San Diego may still be in the dog days of summer, but GOP mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio is quietly ramping up an all-out fall television blitz against his rival, Democratic congressman Bob Filner. Commercial time sales contracts kept by local …
Prop 37 supporters to host lectures on genetically modified food
Supporters of Proposition 37, which would require the labeling of genetically modified food, are partnering with the Institute for Responsible Technology to present Speaking Out for Healthier Food, a series of lectures that will take place around San Diego today, …
James Cameron Hollywood In Court Today
A young man with an unusual name made a felony plea deal in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse today. James Cameron Hollywood, 28, admitted that he possessed marijuana for sale and that he had a “usable amount” of heroin, …
Sycamore Landfill may have more land to fill
On Thursday, San Diego planning commissioners will consider a proposal to add 26 acres of designated open space to the 491-acre Sycamore Landfill. The 26-acres located on the eastern border of San Diego County is needed, according to a draft …
Among Late Filers, Issa Discloses Huge Loans, Filner Reveals Mortgages and Free Trips
The deadline for annual personal financial disclosure statements filed each year by members of Congress is May 15, but extensions of up to 90 days may be obtained through mid-August. Among this year's dawdlers were San Diego county's Darrell Issa, …
Nuclear regulators consider nationwide study on health risks
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering an epidemiological study on the affect living near nuclear power plants has on cancer rates, particularly in the case of childhood leukemia, the Los Angeles Times reports. The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was …
Inmates killed, injured on freeway cleanup duty
Two inmates of Calipatria State Prison in Imperial Valley were injured, one of them fatally, while working as part of a CalTrans inmate work crew on the eastbound side of Interstate 8 yesterday in the late morning. Inmate Richard Warrick, …
Nephew To Former Sweetwater Superintendent Pleads Guilty
Willie Gandara Junior, pleaded guilty August 17 in a federal court in El Paso, Texas to drug trafficking conspiracy charges. Willie Gandara is nephew to Jesus Gandara, former superintendent of Sweetwater Union High School District. Jesus Gandara was indicted by …
Poway Commodities Peddler Nailed
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has revealed that federal court has instituted a consent order against Poway's Douglas Elsworth Wilson and three companies he controls, Elsworth Berg Capital Management, Elsworth Berg, and Elsworth Berg FX LLC. The court ordered …
"Nervous" Gangster Made a Deal
A young man known as “Nervous” to his homies in Fallbrook made a plea deal and was sentenced to one year custody, this week. “I did unlawfully assault with deadly weapon another with force likely to cause great bodily injury,” …
Four-Year-Old Shooting Incident Delayed Again
It was the evening of November 1, 2007 when police officers from Orange County reportedly fired on a man driving a car in Carlsbad and a female passenger in the car suffered fatal gunshot wounds to her head. Police officers …
SEC Chasing Alleged Mining Fraud Involving San Diegans
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against a group of penny stock players for setting up shell companies concealed as mining companies. Tom and Elizabeth Coldicutt, veterans of the wild Vancouver penny stock scene, raked in $5 …
Ailing UCAN Asks CPUC for Survival Help
Troubled watchdog Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN) today (Aug. 17) asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for creation of an emergency fund that will effectively forward intervenor fees UCAN would eventually get for its participation in the San Diego …
Assembly Committee Vice-Chaired by Diane Harkey Shelves Bill to Ban Special Interest Gifts to Legislators
Once again, a bill by GOP state Sen. Sam Blakeslee to ban gifts to California legislators by the state's special interests, known as "lobbyist employers," has died in committee without a hearing or public vote. As reported yesterday on the …
SD Unemployment Rate 9.2% in July
San Diego County lost 4,400 nonfarm jobs from June to July, as the unemployment rate dipped to 9.2% from a revised 9.3% in June, according to the California Employment Development Department. The month-over-month job loss was largely seasonal. Government lost …
2011 Tax Forms Show a Shortage of Revenues and Increased Expenses At Voice of San Diego
In recent years there's been no shortage of praise for online investigative news site Voice of San Diego. The non-profit news organization has been featured in papers such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. And while there …
DeMaio's Apartment Association Endorsement: Move Toward or Away From the Center?
Bob Filner’s mayoral campaign is on the offensive again, this time taking aim at Wednesday’s endorsement of opponent Carl DeMaio by the San Diego County Apartment Association. “Carl DeMaio will help make housing more affordable for San Diego’s middle-class families,” …
Man Charged With Hosting Alcohol Party For Minors
A man suspected of hosting a party at his employer’s warehouse last month and charging minors a fee to enter and consume alcohol, was in court this morning. Eduardo Hidalgo, 26, was charged with three misdemeanors today: failing to take …
Qualcomm's Jacobs Saved $1.58 Million from Bush Tax Cuts
Paul Jacobs, chief executive of Qualcomm, was among the major U.S. top executives saving the most last year because of the Bush tax cuts, according to the Institute for Policy Studies. Jacobs had $34.7 million in taxable compensation last year …
El Cajon Electrical Engineer Financed Son's Failed Judicial Bid with $141,230
Teenagers looking to borrow the car from good old dad can probably relate to Sacramento attorney Keven Star, who got his father, Jack Star of El Cajon, to lend him $140,000 in cash and pay for a $1230 website touting …
SDPD Detective's Role As Press-Pass Monitor Questioned in Lawsuit
Getting into a press conference should be a relatively simple task for members of the media. Well, not in San Diego County where one man, Detective Gary Hassen, a spokesperson for the San Diego Police Department, acts as the press-pass …
Sheriff: Encinitas Woman Walking Dog was Accosted
A woman identified as “Paulina” was walking her dog in Encinitas last week when a man jumped out of hiding and accosted her, according to a prosecutor in court last Monday. Prosecutor Aimee McLeod said the man spoke “in a …
Planning Commissioner and U-T San Diego Columnist Admits Income Disclosure Violations
Yet another member of the San Diego city planning commission has admitted that he failed to fully disclose his personal sources of income and has agreed to pay a fine to the city's ethics commission. According to a stipulated agreement …
Casino Scammers All Made Plea Deals
A scam in which cash was taken out of local casinos’ ATM machines using fake credit cards has ended with guilty pleas from multiple defendants. The roots of the scam were discovered when Cesar Dario, 33, was arrested in Harrah’s …
San Diego Mayor's Wife, Top Aide, and Irwin Jacobs Give Big to Barack Obama
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney may have a nice house on the beach in La Jolla, but a few of his wealthy and influential neighbors are backing Barack Obama. Lawyer Julie Dubick, currently chief of staff to Republican mayor …
Judge Orders Persistent Shoplifter Held
Court files suggest Nhu Quynh Truong is a persistent shoplifter. Most recently the young woman, only 23 years old, has been charged with fifteen felonies related to retail thefts. Criminal history for Truong is documented since she was a juvenile …
Survey Says 24% of Voters Switch Mayoral Allegiance After Balboa Park Water Fight
A new Survey USA poll commissioned by KGTV San Diego is being touted by Carl DeMaio campaign manager Ryan Clumpner as “damning evidence that Bob Filner's latest attempt to smear Carl DeMaio has backfired.” The statement was made in a …
Electric Rate Reductions Sought Over San Onofre Closure
Customers of San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison should have their utility bills cut, says California Public Utilities Commission’s independent Division of Ratepayer Advocates director, Joseph P. Como. In a letter sent to the agency’s commissioners Monday …
Locker Room Talk May Get Her Job — but Not With Padres
Job applicant Taylor Grey Meyer's earthy retort to the Padres has gone viral on the web, and been picked up by such publications as the New York Daily News. She reportedly has a Master's degree in sports management. According to …
After the Christmas Party, Fight w the Boss
Oscar and Miguel said they enjoyed a “Posada” or Christmas party last December which was hosted by their employer. They said the evening included beer, and that their boss Juan Rivas was also drinking. They all work together at a …
Bridgepoint's PAC Keeps up Political Pace, Contributes to Paul Ryan
Bridgepoint Education, Inc., the controversial San Diego-based for-profit education conglomerate, is one of the city's biggest donors of political cash and event freebies, spreading the campaign wealth to everyone from Republican-turned-independent Nathan Fletcher's mayoral bid to Democratic Assemblyman Marty Block, …
Atheists Say They're Locked Out, Doomsday Christian Preacher Welcomed at Camp Pendleton
Atheist groups American Atheists Inc. and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, along with religious freedom advocates Military Religious Freedom Foundation, have penned a letter of complaint to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus over what they say is unfairly restricted access to …
Tommy Lee Takes A Ride On The Whale-Side in Another Letter To SeaWorld
The killer whale wars between SeaWorld and drummer Tommy Lee continues. The feud has developed into an exchange of one angry letter after another between Lee and representatives from SeaWorld. Now Lee says he and representatives from the People for …
New SOHO Lawsuit Challenges Plaza de Panama Plan
Save Our Heritage Organisation, which has long been vocal in its opposition to the plan to transform Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama, yesterday filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego over what the group calls a “failure to …
Three Local Lawyers Disbarred
The State Bar of California has disbarred three local attorneys, primarily for misbehavior in loan modification cases. Kent C. Wilson was disbarred for 30 cases of misrepresentation in loan modification actions. He closed his office without notifying clients who had …
Carlsbad Woman Charged with Shooting Husband
Julie Elizabeth Harper, 39, was charged in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse today with murdering her husband with a gun, last week. She pleaded not guilty through a private defense attorney. Prosecutor Keith Watanabe said police found her husband …
DA Asks for Witnesses to Step Forward
The DA’s office has asked that anyone who may have witnessed lewd acts or a scuffle at the Del Mar fairgrounds two months ago to please contact investigators. Prosecutor Tracy Prior has charged two persons with lewd acts and battery, …
Fired U-T San Diego Columnist Hired by Influential GOP Lobbyists
Longtime Union-Tribune columnist Tom Blair, who served during the lengthy reign of late publisher Helen Copley, then later for Beverly Hills mega-investor Tom Gores, and briefly under the paper's latest owner, GOP kingpin and real estate mogul Doug Manchester, before …
Drummer Tommy Lee Sticks It To SeaWorld For Mistreating Whales
Drummer Tommy Lee is not feeling so good about SeaWorld these days. The former Motley Crue percussionist is shouting at SeaWorld president John Reilly to stop playing any Crue tracks for the Shamu Rocks show. In his note to Reilly, …
Puerto Rican Human Trafficker Nabbed in TJ
An alleged human trafficker who is originally from Puerto Rico was arrested in Tijuana on Friday, August 10th. Rafael Antonio Vélez Vargas, the alleged 41 year old human trafficker, was initially stopped for suspicious activity. State authorities displayed the suspect …
Disbarred Attorney in Court Again
The unusual, much-arrested, former-attorney Michael Theodore Pines was back in court August 9. Pines was charged last month with eleven new crimes, including five felonies for written threats and attempted extortion. At the time of his most recent arrest, Pines …
Chula Vista Celebrates Coastal Commission Approval of Bayfront Plan
The California Coastal Commission approved Chula Vista's Bayfront Master Plan at a Santa Cruz meeting on August 9. Collaboration between the city of Chula Vista, the Port, and various community stakeholders produced a plan that will include 1,500 condominiums, four …
DNA Evidence in Hearings Against Firefighter
In the second day of testimony, attorneys questioned friends and classmates and relations of a 17-year-old boy who has accused a 38-year-old man of abusing him since the boy was 14-years-old. Raul Licon Jr., a California firefighter, has pleaded not-guilty …
Carlsbad Woman Suspected of Killing Husband
Julie Elizabeth Harper, 39, who was arrested on suspicion of killing her husband this week, was brought into a courtroom yesterday but not yet formally charged. Her defense attorney, Paul Pfingst, said that he was the one who phoned police …
Did This Guy Prepare YOUR Taxes?
Steven Martinez of Ramona, a tax preparer and former agent with the Internal Revenue Service, pleaded guilty today (Aug. 10) in federal court to charges of murder-for-hire, witness tampering that involved attempted murder, mail fraud, filing false tax returns, Social …
Wealthy Romney Financial Backer and La Jolla Beachfront Neighbor Breaks Ground on Huge Remodel
Residents on Dunemere Drive in La Jolla's posh beachside Barber Tract have yet another high-profile residential renovation project to kick around. First it was Mitt Romney's plan to raze the 3,000-square-foot beach cottage that he and his family purchased in …
Blogger Still Unhappy about Voice's Handling of Muni Bond Scam
Joel Thurtell, a Michigan blogger on civic issues (joelontheroad.com), last May broke three excellent stories on a municipal bond outrage in Poway. In clearly-written blogs on May 1, May 10, and May 12, Thurtell described how Poway got seduced into …
Sweetwater's Bond Oversight Committee Calls Special Meeting
On August 8 the bond oversight committee for Sweetwater Union High School District's Proposition O convened a special meeting. The $644 million proposition was approved by South Bay voters in 2006. Nick Marinovich, chair of the Prop O committee, said …
Two Border Patrol Agents in Court
Kallie Lamb Helwig, 25, and Gerald Joseph Torello, 35, were summoned before a judge and ordered to stay away from three named persons, in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse today. Helwig and Torello, both said to be five-year veterans …
Petco Security Breach: Five Laptops with Social Security Numbers Reported Stolen
San Diego-based Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is reporting that unknown thieves have made off with sensitive information on computers heisted from the offices of an unnamed independent accountant. "On Tuesday, July 3, 2012, the outside auditor of Petco's 401(k) plan …
Three U.S. Gang Members Picked Up in Mexicali
A group of alleged United States gang members were arrested in Mexicali on Tuesday evening, August 7th. The municipal police spotted three suspicious men speeding in a vehicle, which led to the arrests. The men had no weapons or drugs …
Downtown San Diego Partnership Pushes For Renewal of Assessment District
Executives at the Downtown San Diego Partnership have been busy making their rounds, appearing at community group meetings in search of support for the renewal of downtown's Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID). On Thursday August 9, executives will make their …
Border Environmental Pact Signed
An environmental program between the United States and Mexico was signed into agreement between representatives of both nations in Tijuana today, August 8th. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, the U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program (Border 2012) will …
Prop 34, Anti-Death Penalty Measure, Continues to Pick Up Big La Jolla and L.A. Crime TV Money
Already backed by once-imprisoned La Jolla super-lawyer Bill Lerach and San Diego's ACLU, Proposition 34, the measure on the November ballot to substitute life in prison without parole for capital punishment, has landed even more financial support here. According to …
Caterer Nailed for Tax Evasion
Robert Peltier, one of two principal owners of Ranch Catering, pleaded guilty today (Aug. 8) to tax evasion. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, in 2003 Peltier deposited proceeds from the business in accounts at two separate banks. But Peltier …
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Halts All Licensing Decisions
The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced yesterday that it has suspended the issuance of any license approvals for nuclear plants, affecting both new construction projects and those, like California’s two operating facilities at San Onofre and Diablo Canyon, which are …
Strong-Arming Tactics Not New For U-T San Diego CEO John Lynch
John Lynch, CEO of the U-T San Diego is back in the news, this time over his decision to build a vintage auto museum inside the paper's Mission Valley headquarters without the proper permits. Voice of San Diego scribe Randy …
Attorney “Relieved” from Messy Case w Disbarred Attorney
Yet another attorney has asked to be “relieved” from involvement in a criminal case which includes the well-known, disbarred, former-Carlsbad attorney Michael Theodore Pines. Criminal defense attorney Ivan B. Schwartz represented Pines’ co-defendant, named Robert Otis Griffith, as recently as …
Booze, Money, Power and Influence: Inside Politics with New Padres Owner Ron Fowler
Beer distributor Ron Fowler, who just bought himself a piece of the Padres in an $800 million deal announced yesterday, is a major league local political player who has been a big cash backer of both Republican and Democratic causes. …
State Utilities Commission Delays San Onofre Probe Despite Community Calls for Action
A California Public Utilities Commission decision on whether to launch its own special investigation concerning the troubled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has been delayed once again. Originally scheduled for a vote in June and postponed once to a meeting …
SDGE Asking for Excessive Profits, Say Ratepayer Advocates
The Division of Ratepayer Advocates, a California Public Utilities Commission operation that represents consumers, says San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) is asking for a vastly excessive return on equity in the utility's current rate case. SDGE wants an 11% …
Lemon Grove To Consider Medical Marijuana Initiative
Tonight, Medical Marijuana activists will meet in Lemon Grove to urge the city council to either enact an ordinance allowing dispensaries to operate in Lemon Grove or pay to place the item on the November ballot. The issue first was …
Medical Marijuana Deliveries Prosecuted as "Sales"
The young man told cops “he was going to make four or five more deliveries that evening.” He obligingly showed officers where to find the 15 gram bag of marijuana and THC-infused candies and one rolled cigarette that were located …
Encinitas Man Charged With Felony Spitting-On-Cop
“The defendant said, ‘You better not say nothing you fucking bitch,” according to Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Esquer. The deputy testified today against a man accused of battery and felony attempt to dissuade witness and spitting on a cop. Farzad John …
Labor Index Dips in June, but Up for Year
The San Diego Workforce Index dipped slightly in June from May, to 86.0 from 86.3. Significant negative results in consumer confidence and the unemployment rate dropped the index, despite moderate improvements in total jobs available, the University of San Diego …
DeMaio Campaign Spent Big On Consultants In June
In terms of campaign fundraising, the month of June was a good month for councilmember Carl DeMaio. From June 1 to June 30 DeMaio's supporters gave the mayoral candidate nearly $97,000, almost three-times the amount that his opponent, Representative Bob …
State's Cop Unions, Big Labor Jointly Funded San Diego Police PAC Attack Against DeMaio
It's no secret that the San Diego Police Officers Association, the local cops' labor organization, doesn't like GOP city councilman and mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio, and neither does the San Diego and Imperial County Labor Council, the AFL-CIO affiliate that …
Two U.S. Fugitives Arrested in Baja
La Policía Estatal Preventiva (PEP or The State Preventive Police) arrested two men wanted in the United States on various charges over the weekend. The arrests occurred separately in Playas de Rosarito and Tijuana. The two alleged criminals are not …
San Diego Top-Ten Most Eco-Friendly City In Nation
I know these top-ten surveys can get a bit old. Remember the one from the cheese-filled pretzel company, Combos, that ranked San Diego as the "least manly city" in the nation? Or, how about the one from Marketwatch which placed …
Chicano Park Artists Remember Michael Schnorr
Tragedy struck the artist community of Chicano Park June 29th, when one of the painters of its world-famous art installation, Michael Schnorr, took his own life by jumping off the Coronado bridge. His murals are prominent among the 72 which …
Pro-Footballer Entangled with Disbarred Attorney
It appears that an otherwise upstanding citizen in San Diego County has somehow become connected with disbarred attorney Michael Theodore Pines. Robert Otis Griffith, 41, is named as a co-defendant on a criminal complaint with notorious and much-arrested former-Carlsbad attorney …
CPUC Head Wants Delay of San Onofre Investigation
Michael Peevey, head of the California Public Utilities Commission, recommended yesterday (Aug. 2) that the agency delay for several months an investigation into billowing costs tied to damage at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, according to the Associated Press. …
Nation Adds 163,000 Jobs in July
President Obama got unexpected good news this morning (Aug. 3): the Labor Department said the nation added 163,000 nonfarm jobs in July, the highest monthly growth since February. Economists had expected 100,000. However, the unemployment rate rose to 8.3% from …
NextWave, Manchester Investment, to be Sold to AT&T
AT&T announced today (Aug. 2) that it will acquire NextWave Wireless for about $600 million. The deal is subject to approval of the Federal Communications Commission and possibly the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission, AT&T said. "Papa Doug" Manchester, …
General Atomics Predator Drones Collide on El Mirage Runway, Investigation Continuing
The Victorville Daily Press is reporting that U.S. Army officials are investigating the collision of two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator drones on the runway at the government's El Mirage Flight Test Facility on July 25. "There was some damage …
Psychologist, Defense Contractor Face the Music
Clinical psychologist Roberto J. Velasquez pleaded guilty today (Aug. 2) to falsifying medical reports to the federal government. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Velasquez falsely certified that dozens of patients were disabled when they were not. He made up …
Voters Prefer Obama on Environmental Issues
The Public Policy Institute of California has released a new study on the opinions of Californians relating to global warming and energy policy in the coming years. Most voters, the Institute reports, favor President Obama’s environmental stewardship over what they …
State Cuts Funding To AVID College Readiness System -- Schools Now Forced To Pay
Seems as if a new spending cut to education is discovered every day. While administrators and school board members across the state have grown accustomed to handing out pink slips, increasing class size, and selling off valuable school assets in …
Clerk Bloodied for Bag O' Peanuts
Carlsbad police officer Jamie Meroniuk said he was near the end of his shift, patrolling about 3 a.m. on a Thursday morning, when he saw two men on the sidewalk. “One of the males frantically waved at me,” officer Meroniuk …
Connected Top Cop Union Lobbyist Signs on with Bob Filner
This spring's topsy-turvy San Diego mayoral race - featuring a conservative gay Republican councilman, an ex-GOP Assemblyman turned independent, a tough-on-crime lesbian district attorney, and an old-line liberal Democratic congressman - promised to shake the city's traditionally hide-bound politics to …
Prosecutor: Repeat DUI Offender Killed Motorcyclist
Brian Joseph Webb II, 34, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse today. Webb is accused of causing a fatal collision on the I-15 freeway in the Escondido area last Saturday, driving his truck …
Bill Would Remove Voter Consent Requirement From Establishment of "Infrastructure Financing Districts"
Proposed legislation from state Assembly member Ben Hueso regarding the establishment of renewable energy “infrastructure financing districts” is drawing fire from the Protect Our Communities Foundation, a group “dedicated to protecting San Diego County backcountry from ill-conceived energy development and …
Reported Fox Sports Lobbyists Max Out to GOP's DeMaio
Executives with one of the city's biggest and most influential lobbying and public affairs outfits have thrown their financial muscle behind the San Diego mayoral candidacy of Republican city councilman Carl DeMaio, according to the firm's second-quarter lobbyist disclosure filing, …
Will San Onofre Return to Service This November?
Amid continued debate over the wisdom and appropriate time line for resuming power generating activities at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, now shuttered for over 6 months, plant operator Southern California Edison has set tentative “return to service” dates late …