Lobbyists, past political friends, and a vanquished foe and his big contributor on list of V.I.P. invites.

An invitation list to Monday's inauguration of Bob Filner as mayor of San Diego - furnished by the office of outgoing Republican mayor Jerry Sanders after a request made under the California public records act - boasts the traditional Who's …

New Copley-Price Family YMCA unanimously approved by city council, but is funding available?

The San Diego city council this week unanimously approved the construction of a new Copley-Price Family YMCA in the Mid-City district bordered by Kensington, Talmadge, and City Heights. The 53,400 square foot facility is set to include an enclosed swimming …

Soon-to-be former congressman seeking money to finish San Ysidro border crossing

In one of his last acts in Congress before setting up shop in the mayor’s office, Bob Filner earlier this week asked the U.S. General Services Administration to push for funding on the U.S. side of the San Ysidro border …

County Supervisors look to tighten rooster ordinance

San Diego County Supervisors are looking to tighten up on the rooster ordinance. The ordinance they passed in August of last year aimed at eradicating cockfighting just isn't cutting it. The law currently allows residents to have one rooster for …

Seven repeat illegal border-crossers sentenced to prison time, then supervised release

Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector covering the Imperial Valley desert east of San Diego are touting a string of convictions resulting from arrests made by their agents of illegal border crossers who had already been ejected from …

Housing Commission agrees to take the place of former redevelopment agency to issue bonds for public improvement projects.

The City of San Diego has found a new partner to issue bonds to pay for public improvement projects. On Tuesday, city councilmembers approved adding the City's Housing Authority onto the joint powers agreement. That makes three entities that are …

Sanders office emails reveal stress of quick transition from GOP to new Democratic administration

Democratic congressman and San Diego mayor-elect Bob Filner hasn't been offering many details about his plans for the administration to come, but emails obtained from the office of departing GOP mayor Jerry Sanders following a request under the California public …

New electric vehicle chargers installed around San Diego's bayfront

Four more sites around town are offering charging access to owners of plug-in electric vehicles, the Port of San Diego announced yesterday. Charging stations have recently been installed at Spanish Landing near Lindbergh Field (two), at Shelter Island Shoreline Park …

A new report from Public Citizen shows the drag that construction accidents put on the state's economy and the need for more safety.

In a New York Times article published today, the paper paints a rosy picture of California's economy, one that's in stark contrast to what California residents have seen and heard in recent years. The article reported that the state's struggling …

Governor's wealthy appointees, family, and friends partook of free Turf Club hospitality during Del Mar's summer race meet, records show

Since it opened in 1937, the racetrack in Del Mar has been a playground for the rich, famous, and politically well connected. The most notable habitué is probably the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover, who in the 1950s partied at the …

Domestic disturbance call leads to discovery of cache of drugs

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a complaint of a woman screaming on the 800 block of Regal Road in Encinitas at around 3 a.m. yesterday morning, where they found a broken window and blood on the exterior of an apartment. They …

Crew of investigators arrive in Tijuana to search for remains of 75 dissolved victims

A crew of investigators and scientists has arrived in Tijuana to begin searching for the remains of a large group of people who were dissolved in acid by a cartel henchman. The team, which belongs to the Subprocuraduría Especializada en …

Group offers more reasons to delay vote on Carlsbad desalinization plant

Add the California Coastal Protection Network to the list of names including the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and various local water districts questioning the wisdom of pushing forth on a vote to approve a proposed desalinization plant …

Jack Goodball should pull down almost $10 million from Conagra purchase of Ralcorp

Conagra has iced a deal to buy Ralcorp (the former Ralston Purina) for $90 a share. Jack Goodall, long time board member of Ralcorp, had stock-based ownership of 111,069 shares of Ralcorp. as of January 13, 2012. If he held …

SD visitor industry improving, but still lags pre-recession levels

The hotel business is picking up in San Diego, according to Smith Travel Research. October occupancy was 70.2% vs 66.1% a year earlier. Year to date, occupancy was 73.2% vs. 70.6% for the same period a year ago. However, tourism …

Accused of frequenting Walmarts with a huge black handbag

June Reiko Cooper, 40, is back in custody, accused of more thefts in San Diego County. Her theft convictions listed in court records date back to early 2000, when she would have been 27 years old. There are eight separate …

University research foundation reaped millions in improper administrative fees from state taxpayers, audit finds

A deal between the San Diego University Research Foundation and two California agencies improperly used money that was supposed to be spent on prevention of childhood injury and abuse to fund a portion of the non-profit's massive overhead, according to …

13 year old Tijuana girl has vanished on way to school

Authorities are asking for help in locating a missing 13 year old Tijuana girl who has not been heard from in almost two weeks. Jennifer Guadalupe Vázquez Rodríguez left her home in Mariano Matamoros Sur, a gated community in southeast …

Tijuana scores 3 goals to advance to La Liga MX finals

The Club Tijuana Xolos pulled off a huge win Monday night, November 26th, by defeating Club León 3-0. The win toppled the La Liga MX futbol league semi-final foe and advanced Tijuana to the tournament finals. Tijuana had lost the …

Port seeking artists for "Connector" tidelands project

The Port of San Diego has issued an open call for artists to provide proposals for “Connector,” a temporary work being commissioned by the Port that will travel between member cities San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Coronado, and Imperial …

Weekend law enforcement targets public drunkenness, speeders

Local law enforcement agencies were out putting state and federal grant funds to use over the weekend. In Encinitas, San Diego Sheriff’s deputies conducted a “zero tolerance drunk in public sweep” using funds from a $100,000 California Department of Alcoholic …

Water pipe ruptures in Balboa Park, flooding building that houses two museums and the San Diego History Center.

With just a few days remaining until Mayor Jerry Sanders leaves office, the lame duck mayor is still making waves. Unfortunately those waves can be found inside a building in Balboa Park after a water pipe ruptured last night. Less …

Lack of available classes causes UCSD to trim biology department by 1,500 students

Despite an 80 percent increase in the number of courses offered and moves to extend laboratory hours, the number of declared biology majors at UCSD has fallen by more than 1,500 in recent years, the campus’ Guardian is reporting. The …

Man allegedly stabbed for wallet while trying to buy Xanax pills from two Carlsbad youths

Drew Maxwell Davidson, 19, and Dylan Manley Maldonado, 20, are accused of assaulting and robbing a young man who hoped to buy Xanax pills from them, last month. It was after midnight, in the early morning minutes of October 2, …

Disbarred attorney released from custody again

This afternoon a San Diego County Superior Court judge granted probation to Michael Theodore Pines, who was captured as a fugitive in Mexico last month. “I’m gonna give Mister Pines an opportunity to prove himself on probation,” Honorable K. Michael …

Audit finds the City's purchasing of water and wastewater treatment chemicals should be enhanced

San Diego's Public Utilities Department and the purchasing department have gone rogue when buying the chemicals needed to treat water and wastewater. A new audit from City Auditor's office has found that the departments failed to get the City Attorney's …

Inmates transferred from Baja state prisons to Islas Marías federal penitentiary

Another group of inmates has been transferred from Baja California prisons in order to help alleviate overcrowding, according to the secretary of the state prison systems, Jesús Héctor Grijalva Tapia. A total of 117 prisoners were taken from four different …

Sheriff's deputies follow stabbing victim from Rancho Santa Fe party to hospital where he is subsequently pepper sprayed and arrested

A house party packed with underage drinkers met a rowdy end early Saturday morning, when San Diego Sheriff’s deputies from the Encinitas station responded to a call regarding a reported stabbing. Upon arriving shortly after midnight, deputies encountered more than …

Doug Manchester's Grand Del Mar applies for permits nearly ten years late.

'Build it and ask for permission later,' that seems to be the mantra at Doug Manchester's posh resort, The Grand Del Mar. On October 11 of this year representatives from Manchester Financial Group applied for a development site permit and …

Administration of lame duck mayor gets poor marks for massive failure to fix falling-apart city facilities

Lame duck Republican mayor and local craft beer booster Jerry Sanders has been on a series of nostalgic victory rounds of late, throwing a lavish downtown farewell party, and being celebrated as San Diego's greatest mayor in history by a …

Local water districts protesting projected costs of Carlsbad desalinization plant

The Padre Dam Municipal Water District has called a special meeting this morning to consider adding its name to a list of local water agencies protesting the city of San Diego’s prpoposed cost recovery methodology for a new desalinization plant …

I learned from a direct message on Facebook that Mark and Tatyana Remley, the organizers of Valitar, have allegedly "pulled up stakes in the middle of the night and ran away with the money," leaving both performers and horses stranded …

Repeat felon expects more than 17 years prison for latest

Torrence Andrew Williams, 36, admitted three felonies in connection with a robbery and then police chase, which occurred in Escondido last July, according to plea deal paperwork. A little before 11 a.m on July 5, 2012, a robber came into …

Was found making "medical marijuana" deliveries last June, prosecutor said

A Carlsbad man who was arrested on suspicion of making deliveries of “medical marijuana” to “patients” made a plea deal this month, in San Diego’s North County courthouse. Taylor Patrick Jensen, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of “a usable amount …

IRS report for 2011 reveals Copley charity, once worth mega-millions, down to its last $5.4 million

The Helen K. and James S. Copley Foundation has continued its years-long downward spiral, according to the non-profit's public accounting for 2011, filed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on August 23 of this year. The tax-free foundation, funded by …

The lobbying firm of Bob Filner's political guru Tom Shepard gets an alarming new client

Public Policy Strategies, the city hall lobbying firm of Republican political maven Tom Shepard, picked up a well-funded new client in the days leading up to the city's mayoral election earlier this month, a recent disclosure shows. Shepard, who long …

Customs and Border Protection agency wants to buy more drones from General Atomics - lack of Congressional funding an obstacle

Local aeronautical company General Atomics, manufacturer of the Predator and other unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, has signed a lucrative contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection that could be worth as much as $443 million, California Watch …

San Diego State ranked America's 7th most dangerous school

The publication Business Insider ranks "The 25 Most Dangerous Colleges in America." The data look at violent and property crimes from 2008-2011 in schools with more than 10,000 in enrollment. San Diego State is 7th with 29,187 enrollment, 27 violent …

Club Tijuana fútbol loses first game in La Liga MX semi-finals

The Club Tijuana Xolos lost their first game of the semi-finals in La Liga MX play to Club León Thursday evening, November 22nd. Club León won the match 2-0, shutting out Club Tijuana. The Xolos still have a chance to …

Assemblyman denies reports that he is cuddling up to the ferret lobby

Just weeks after the election and newly minted Assemblyman Brian Maienschein has been said to be cozying up to lobbyists, hard at work to get their pet projects through the state assembly. Well, at least, that's what Pat Wright, founder …

When police arrived, there were three pans simmering on the stovetop

A 73-year-old woman was cut into pieces, her head was found in the freezer and other parts were being cooked in the kitchen, when Oceanside police entered her home last Friday, a prosecutor said today. “The officers saw clear evidence …

New host for NRC meeting on San Onofre announced, but new space will only accommodate 400

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found a new spot to host its public meeting regarding the restart proposal on the table from San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station plant operator Southern California Edion, originally scheduled to take place last Friday. The …

The U.S. Dept of State warns to take caution when traveling to parts of Baja

The U.S. Department of State released an updated travel warning, state by state, for the nation of Mexico on November 20th, 2012. While the travel warning for Baja California is not as stern as the previous one, caution is still …

Defeated candidate seen at movie theater, pizza joint, gas station

Amateur paparazzi seem to be tailing Mitt Romney as he and wife Ann move around San Diego County. One of their homes is in La Jolla. According to Yahoo!, Romney and Ann were seen at a movie in Del Mar …

Groups complain Water Authority is rushing a vote on proposed Carlsbad desalinization plant

Surfrider San Diego and the watchdog group Independent Rates Oversight Committee are calling foul on what they see as a push by the San Diego County Water Authority to force a premature vote on approval of a water purchase agreement …

Wealthy sole heir to a once-powerful newspaper chain, he presided over its dismantling

David Copley, the sole heir to the Copley newspaper chain of his adoptive father, has died in a La Jolla car crash, the newspaper formerly known as the San Diego Union-Tribune reported tonight. Copley, 60, apparently was the victim of …

A 15-year-old Vista boy is accused of a fatal gang stabbing

A 15-year-old Vista boy has been charged with murder, as an adult, in San Diego’s North County Superior Court. A prosecutor said the boy was one in a group of ten to 15 persons who had a fatal confrontation after …

Man driving Honda was said to be drag-racing on freeway

A 21-year-old man who investigators say drove in speeds exceeding 100 mph, and crashed his car killing the passenger in his vehicle, has been charged with murder. Jorge Lopez was pursued by CHP officers after midnight, in the early morning …

The San Diego Police have confirmed that shots were fired during an attempted home invasion robbery in the Nestor neighborhood Tuesday morning November 20. The invasion occurred in the 1000 block of 15th St. at the city limits between Imperial …

A family from Tijuana along with their three businesses have been pinpointed by the U.S. Treasury Dept. as meth precursor suppliers

A Tijuana family and their businesses have been designated by the United States Treasury Department as major suppliers of methamphetamine precursors to the Sinaloa Cartel on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. The Office of Foreign Assets Control, of the U.S. Department …

Jack in the Box earnings drop sharply.

Fourth quarter earnings of Jack in the Box were 39 cents a share, down 44.9% from a year earlier, and below analysts' expectations. Revenue dropped 2.5%. The stock dropped 9 cents to $26.17 on the day.

San Marcos man walks in on burglary in progress

A resident on the 600 block of Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos was taken by surprise yesterday when he inadvertently walked in on a burglary in progress. The unidentified man entered his apartment and noticed his roommate’s shotgun …

Sea World planning to import female walrus for display, marine mammal experts say climate is less than ideal

Sea World Parks & Entertainment Inc. is in the process of obtaining permits to import a female walrus bred in captivity in Japan to its San Diego theme park for public display purposes, according to an October entry in the …

Labor boss Lorena Gonzalez and Chamber of Commerce insider Mel Katz will co-host post-campaign fundraising bash for Bob Filner

After a record-breaking political spending year, San Diego mayor-elect Bob Filner is still out looking for the big money, and as a newly sworn in incumbent, city hall observers say, he's likely to get at lot more of it. On …

Think tank publishes report exploring options for a San Onofre-free Southern California

A new paper out from the Rocky Mountain Institute, a non-profit think tank based in Colorado, provides a host of suggestions on how the region served by the long-idled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station might adapt to the increasingly possible …

New Jersey trader pleads guilty to manipulating SD penny stock

Mark Allen Lefkowitz has pleaded guilty to conspiring with an as yet unnamed chief executive of a San Diego company to manipulate the company's stock. The news release doesn't mention penny stocks, but this is almost certainly one -- probably …

Theta Chi fraternity return to SDSU with plans to build large frat house near campus.

Theta Chi, the fraternity banned for the past four years from San Diego State University after investigators found drugs and guns inside the Theta Chi house, is up and running again with plans to build a large 23-room frat house …

Sharp Grossmont Hospital housekeepers, food service workers cry foul over new contract offering

Dozens of workers at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa took to the street in front of the facility yesterday to protest a wage freeze coupled with a hike in their own health care costs, a deal they say is …

Judge found sufficient evidence of murder for financial gain and torture

The defense attorney seems to be angling for an insanity plea, while the prosecutor is charging the special circumstances of murder for financial gain and torture, in the case against Bryan Chenhua Chang. The 31-year-old Los Angeles man is accused …

“I tried to help them” but “things went terrible,” he told the judge.

A con man accused of using the stolen identities of his parents to run up more than $3 million in debts was sentenced to 14 years prison, last week. Tyler Adams admitted 48 felony fraud counts on the day that …

Former Tijuana mayor will run for governor of Baja California if asked

Jorge Hank Rhon, the former mayor of Tijuana, stated after a Club Tijuana fútbol game that he would be interested in running for governor of Baja California if asked. While being interviewed by the press, Rhon stated that he would …

UCAN names USD law grad as director

Troubled Utility Consumers' Action Network has named Donald M. Kelly, a University of San Diego law graduate, as the new executive director. He is the third to take the post within a few months. It is not known now whether …

Predator maker and GOP financier Linden Blue reportedly to tie the knot with well-traveled ex-rear admiral

Republican mega-donor and fierce Barack Obama critic Linden Blue, whose closely-held La Jolla military contracting outfit General Atomics introduced the killer Predator drone to world warfare, is getting married to retired U.S. Navy rear admiral Veronica "Ronne" Froman. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/19/35684/ The …

From high-stakes California politics to corporate prince

A Reader News Ticker piece via Storify, a social media storytelling tool. A soon-to-be former California legislator assumes his positon in the halls of corporate California, but not before a few words on Twitter regarding the San Diego daily newspaper …

City looks to pay Menlo Park law firm an additional $100,000 to defend convention center expansion in court

The City of San Diego is beefing up its defense over the proposed expansion of the City's convention center paid for by an increased tax on hotel rooms. On Tuesday, city councilmembers will decide whether to give Northern California law …

Baja California arresting record number of international criminals in 2012

The state of Baja California has rounded up 107 international criminals in its state since the beginning of the year, according to Daniel de la Rosa Anaya the secretary of public security. Rosa Anaya applauded the coordination between United States …

Local scammers import $100 million in foreign goods without paying taxes

Gerardo Chavez, former president of the San Diego Customs Broker Association, pleaded guilty last week to a massive fraud ring that cost the U.S. $18 million in unpaid import taxes. The Spring Valley resident and co-defendant Carlos Medina of Chula …

3-day walkers raise $6.5 million for breast cancer research and public outreach

The annual Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-day walk, which wound its way through coastal neighborhoods over the weekend, announced Sunday night that it had raised over $6.5 million through pledges secured by 2,500 participants. “We are so thankful for …

For the second time in less than a month the Imperial Beach branch of Chase Bank at 1122 Palm Ave. was robbed. The first incident occurred at 11:15 a.m. Oct. 30, when a 6' Hispanic male wearing a gray hooded …

Local unemployment nudges up to 8.6%

San Diego County's unemployment rate rose to 8.6% in October from 8.5% in September. The county added 7,000 jobs in the month, 4,000 of them in local education, according to the California Employment Development Department. The county gained 23,500 jobs …

Eighteen-year-old left a fingerprint on the broken window

A youthful burglar expects to be released for time served at his sentencing next month, according to a plea deal in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse. Kamran Daniel Wilson was 18 years old when he was arrested for grand …

Seventy-three-year-old man created ruckus in hotel lobby

A 73-year-old man who describes himself as a “transient” admitted felony assault and resisting officers, in connection with a disturbance at a Cardiff hotel last August. It started when the cleaning lady at the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Lodge noticed a man standing …

Three U.S. fugitives rounded up in Baja California this week

A man, who allegedly committed a murder in Chula Vista in 2008, was among three United States fugitives who were arrested in Baja California during the week. Alexander Rodolfo Salazar, the murder suspect, was arrested after a dispute outside a …

Tijuana woman throws 4 year old child from car

A woman in Tijuana was arrested on Thursday, November 5th, after throwing her child out of her vehicle. Claudia Sedano González, the 33 year old suspect, was seen beating her four year old girl before throwing her to the pavement. …

Music festival takes place in Tijuana this weekend

A total of 41 bands will be performing this weekend at the All My Friends Music Festival taking place in Tijuana on Saturday, November 17th. Latin alternative indie bands from across the world will perform on three different stages at …

Rancho Santa Fe resident Robert Shillman's $25,000 fails to elect Tea Party conservative

What's $25,000 to a multi-millionaire? You can ask Rancho Santa Fe resident Robert Shillman, who just lost the $25,000 he gave to help elect Florida's Tea-Party congressman Allen West. Today, a judge in Florida denied West a recount of the …

New fisheries research vessel signs 10 year lease with Port of San Diego

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, described as “a federal agency focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere,” has signed a 10 year lease with a five year extension option beginning next September to home port the …

San Diego Port Commissioners to address rising sea level issues in Chula Vista

A KPBS story on November 15 focused on San Diego Port Authority draft maps which indicated the rising sea level might call into question the expansion of the San Diego Convention Center and the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan. According …

Last minute billionaire contributions tardily revealed in post-election campaign finance filings

Based on late campaign filings posted online this week by the county Registrar of Voters, La Jolla billionaire Irwin Jacobs had the last and winning word in this year's record-breaking San Diego campaign finance derby. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/16/35548/ The secretive Qualcomm founder …

Congressman Brian Bilbray concedes house race to Scott Peters

More than a week after election day, now former-congressman Brian Bilbray announced that he was throwing in the towel, conceding to his Democratic opponent Scott Peters. The margin of victory was thin, a few-thousand votes thin, and was one of …

Man severely beats elderly couple in Lemon Grove alley, fails in attempt to steal their car

Twenty-four year-old Wyatt Kirk Bradley of San Diego faces charges of elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon following a confrontation in a Lemon Grove alley. An elderly couple identified only as John, age 63, and his wife Mary, …

Labor announces project labor agreement struck between unions and convention center developer, drops opposition to expansion

The San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents a number of labor unions tied to the construction industry, announced yesterday that it had entered into a project labor agreement with the general contractor handling the $520 million convention …

Arbitration filed against media investment personality Ray Lucia's former firm

White Law Group has filed a $250,000 arbitration claim against First Allied Securities, the former firm of radio/TV investment personality Ray Lucia. The complaint alleges that First Allied put an investor in non-traded real estate investment trusts, controversial vehicles that …

Termed-out Democratic State Senator Christine Kehoe gets lucrative electric car promotion gig

Ex-GOP Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher - who turned independent after failing to get the county Republican party's endorsement during his failed mayoral primary bid this spring - isn't the only departing local legislator to walk straight into the arms of corporate …

Customs broker pleads guilty to avoiding payments

Gerardo Chavez of International Trade Consultants, president of the San Diego Customs Brokers Association, pleaded guilty today (November 15) in federal court to importing goods into the United States without paying import taxes. According to court documents, Chavez would import …

Independent pol leaves public life for Director position at tech giant

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher's been known to make some major announcements. One such announcement came earlier this year during his run for mayor when he made national headlines for quitting the GOP party and becoming an independent. His announcement garnered an …

Willie Gandara, Jr is nephew to former Sweetwater superintendent Jesus Gandara scheduled to go to trial in January

Former El Paso County Commissioner, Willie Gandara Jr., was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in a federal prison for drug smuggling. According to the El Paso Times, "In August Gandara pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, …

Percent SD homes underwater declines

In this year's third quarter, the percentage of San Diego County homeowners underwater (more debt on the property than it is worth on the market) dropped to 30.6 from 33.9 in the second quarter, according to Zillow.com. San Diego was …

Knife-wielding man suspected of domestic violence causes 6 hour SWAT standoff in Encanto

A standoff between a suicidal Encanto man and the San Diego Police SWAT team ended peacefully earlier this morning. Police were originally called to an apartment on the 6900 block of Imperial Avenue around 11:30 last night, responding to reports …

Homeowners Bill of Rights showing an effect before its official implementation, downward trends may make new foreclosure fee less than revenue neutral

California is seeing an unprecedented number of scheduled foreclosure sales being canceled, ForeclosureRadar is reporting in its October report, released this week. The proportion of lenders pulling properties from foreclosure auctions rose 62 percent compared to a month ago, and …

Took a baseball bat to his sister and then burned down the family home.

A San Marcos man who attacked his sister with a baseball bat and then set the family home afire, last August, pleaded guilty this week. Edward Louis Nickols, 48, admitted two felonies: assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily …

Pro basketball player says San Diegan put him in Ponzi schemes.

Longtime San Diego money manager William "Billy" Crafton Jr. is among those sued in Philadelphia for putting Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry in dubious investments, some of which were Ponzi schemes. According to Courthouse News Service, Terry says that Crafton …

Incoming chancellor requests pay cut

In October the California State University board of trustees appointed Timothy P. White chancellor to the 23 campus CSU system. White, currently University of Riverside's chancellor, will assume his new position in December. The Sacramento Bee reported today that White …

Theta Chi, one of six fraternities busted in Operation Sudden Fall, proposes new frat house near SDSU

For college fraternity Theta Chi, it is a new kind of rush; a rush to bring Theta Chi back to SDSU. On October 15, nearly five years after the university placed the former-Theta Chi chapter on probation for possession of …

Does U-T San Diego's new $27.5 million mortgage mean publisher "Papa" Doug Manchester is losing interest?

An outfit related to U-T San Diego publisher Doug Manchester has recently mortgaged the newspaper's Mission Valley headquarters to the tune of $27.5 million, raising questions among some over the staying power of the controversial real estate and hotel mogul …

Baja continues huge seizures of narcotics, Mexico questioning U.S. states legalizing marijuana

The Baja California Attorney General’s Office (La Delegación de la Procuraduría General de la República or PGR) released results from police and military seizures that occurred during the month of October on Wednesday, November 14th. The announcement comes on the …

Hotel operator forces NRC to cancel scheduled public meeting on San Onofre

A public meeting scheduled to take place this Friday by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding the proposal by Southern California Edison, operator of the long-idled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, to resume operations has been canceled due to concerns …

Fallbrook resident, former Marine general tapped to head state parks department

Fallbrook resident and retired Marine Corps general Anthony L. Jackson has been tapped by Governor Jerry Brown to oversee the California Parks and Recreation Department. The head job at the Department has been vacant since a scandal unearthed last July …

City council passes Property Value Protection Ordinance in front of packed house evening session

San Diego’s City Council, after hearing nearly two hours’ worth of comments, voted 5-3 in an evening session last night in favor of implementing the proposed Property Value Protection Ordinance. Under the new law, which was amended to take effect …

"If I go to hell, I'll take you guys with me."

Sherry and Anthony Chang drove to their son’s apartment in Los Angeles for Thanksgiving 2008, but found he was not there when they arrived. They waited, and when he came home, then-27-year-old Bryan Chang told them they should not have …

Rising home prices mean fewer households can afford to buy, despite low interest rates

A report out yesterday from the California Association of Realtors trade group announced that the state’s housing affordability index dipped below 50 percent in the third quarter of 2012. Rising home prices across the state contributed to affordability, which the …

Dead woman found dumped in Tijuana street, male suspect found an hour later

An unidentified woman was found beaten to death in Tijuana Sunday evening, November 11th, in the colony Hacienda Santa Cecilia. The woman, only identified as slim figured, wearing a purple shirt, pink and blue pajama pants, and no socks, was …

Diesel backup generators, missing reports among latest problem areas at San Onofre

More safety concerns have come to light at the beleaguered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, including a coolant leak into one of the emergency backup generators at the site and a failure to keep proper records of radioactive waste dating …

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that UCSD is closing down its Nevada Cancer Institute by December 31, leaving an unknown number of employees out of work for the holidays and raising a host of unanswered questions about the university's …

Mexico begins shipping pork from Ensenada to Singapore

The Mexican government recently announced that it has begun exporting pork to the nation of Singapore. The first shipment of 22 tons was shipped from Ensenada, Baja California across the Pacific Ocean at the end of October. The Spanish News …

Manchester's Grand Del Mar applies for necessary permits for helipad one-year late

Roads? Who needs roads to get to the Grand Del Mar when you can land your helicopter just steps from the front entrance? And permits? Why get the necessary permits from the City for said helipad when your name is …

Bob Filner, Shirley Weber, Dave Roberts, Proposition 30 and 32 — these winners have Democrats in San Diego celebrating and Republicans regrouping. San Diego Democratic Party chairman, Jeff Durfee, attributes the party's success to a number of factors. In a …

The international unit of the Baja State Police successfully captured another United States fugitive in the capital of Baja California on Saturday, November 10th. Hector Humberto, the 32 year old gang member from Los Angeles, is wanted in the U.S. …

A California man has been charged with murder after he allegedly drove the wrong way on a San Diego County freeway and caused a fatal collision. Brian Joseph Webb II is also accused of driving with a suspended license, and …

It's now strictly a rumor that Sanders got top chamber post as payoff for DeMaio endorsement

Eyebrows are arching and tongues wagging over Mayor Jerry Sanders's belated endorsement of Carl DeMaio for mayor, followed by Sanders being named head of the Chamber of Commerce. Remember, at this point this is only rumor, although I have reliable …

The bicycle corral installed at the corner of 5th Avenue and University in Hillcrest this week added a perk for users of the dedicated parking area and the community in general, BikeSD.org reports. The Uptown Community Parking District recently completed …

The North American Development Bank (NADB) announced on Thursday, November 8th, that it has approved $158 million in loans and grants for projects along the United States-Mexico border. The largest project, set at $110 million, will finance a wind energy …

A few weeks ago, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, who will turn the reins of city government over to mayor-elect Bob Filner on December 2, backed away from his plan to expand the city's red light traffic enforcement camera operation. …

The City continues to pay the female victims assaulted by former San Diego police officer Anthony Arrevalos. The newest payout will come Tuesday, when city councilmembers will be asked to authorize the city comptroller to issue a check to a …

Sheriff’s deputies at the Vista station’s Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Unit (COPPS) have arrested a 15 year-old juvenile and charged him with 268 counts of felony graffiti vandalism. The suspect is currently in Juvenile Hall. Deputies also executed …

Con man inflicted losses on AZ bank large enough to close it down

San Diego mortgage originator Thomas Gregory Alexander has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay over $5.4 million in restitution for running a scam that caused an Arizona bank to lose tens of millions of …

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday morning shot down a request by environmental group Friends of the Earth to require a public hearing before deciding whether to allow Southern California Edison to resume operations at its troubled San Onofre Nuclear …

Soaring fuel prices for police and fire department helicopters. City to spend $5.48 million over 5 years.

On Tuesday, city councilmembers will consider entering into a contract with Crownair Aviation to provide fuel for the City of San Diego's four police helicopters and two fire helicopters. If approved the City will pay at least $5.48 million to …

San Diego Sheriff’s deputies apprehended two suspects related to a car theft in Vista yesterday, but not before multiple traffic collisions occurred. A traffic deputy on Hacienda Drive observed the stolen vehicle at the intersection of South Melrose Drive and …

Two days after suffering a defeat to Bob Filner in the race to become the next mayor, Carl DeMaio issued a statement, one intended to "unify" San Diegans. But that's not all, while saying he is willing to help the …

Democratic congressman Bob Filner announced at his first news conference as San Diego's mayor-elect yesterday that Allen Jones, longtime lobbyist for real estate and development company H.G. Fenton, would oversee his transition team. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/08/35158/ Jones is a Fenton vice president, …

Health care provider Kaiser Permanente’s San Diego operations are the subject of another lawsuit this week, as Courthouse News Service reports that a patient has filed a complaint against the organization’s audiology lab after repeated misdiagnoses caused him to suffer …

SDG&E revenues up over 50%

San Diego-based Sempra Energy, parent of local utility San Diego Gas & Electric, announced yesterday that earnings were down slightly for the third quarter of 2012, coming in at $268 million as compared to $289 million for the same period …

A large amount of cash was found in a home in Tijuana Tuesday evening, November 6th, after an explosion drew authorities to investigate. The explosion occurred in the Residencial Mi Entorno El Lago neighborhood, where an estimated 1.8 million U.S. …

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa, Republican of North County, made a one-minute video unfairly slamming President Obama, according to publicintegrity.org. The video criticized Obama for the cost of state dinners. It went on …

Three defendants in a notorious murder case were in court today, one defendant got a new attorney and the date for a preliminary hearing for all three was reset for the end of January. Dorothy Maraglino is reportedly considering acting …

Democrats appear to be the big winners in this year's election. The scope of the rout was seen in the morning after election night, with councilmember Carl DeMaio giving his concession speech at 10am inside the lobby of the U.S. …

On a day in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2.36%, stock of telecom superstar Qualcomm is soaring 7.71% in after-hour trading. (The stock was down 3.72% during the day.) The wireless chip maker reported fourth quarter revenue and …

Chula Vista changed in a significant way November 6--not at the ballot box but at the city council meeting. The council voted 3-2 on language that implements Proposition C, an ordinance approved by voters last June. Proposition C limits the …

As police forces across Mexico are given mandatory vetting procedures many who fail the tests are being allowed to remain active. The testing procedures were implemented and began in 2010 for all municipal, state, and federal police. InsightCrime.org reported today, …

Sheriff’s investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual(s) responsible for a string of copper thefts in Poway. Over the last year, copper thieves have struck between 15 and 20 times, pulling from as little as 50 …

It turns out that La Jolla hotel mogul and U-T San Diego owner Doug Manchester wasn't the only local media owner to back what turned out to be the largely forlorn cause of San Diego county Republicans this year. According …

The Mexican Army, working on an anonymous tip, seized 7.4 tons of marijuana in Tijuana on Monday, November 5th. A home was raided where 1,303 individual packages ready for shipment were found. The home was located in the colonia Arboledas …

Contributions went through 4 PACs, were used to fight Prop 30 and promote Prop 32

On the eve of the election, an Arizona group that provided $11 million in funding for an in-state organization backing the Proposition 32 measure to limit unions’ ability to collect political contributions through member payroll deductions and opposing Governor Jerry …

A purse-snatching victim in La Mesa is recovering this morning after being dragged by a car for a short distance outside the Fuddrucker’s restaurant in La Mesa. At around 6:30 yesterday evening, a woman walking through the Grossmont Center parking …

Rancho Santa Fe is among the nation's 10 most expensive neighborhoods, according to MarketWatch.com. "The Ranch," as it is called, "boosts some of the highest earning families in the nation," says MarketWatch, and that makes it attractive to such people …

John Lynch, chief executive of U-T San Diego, says that today (Nov. 6) he is paying a penalty amount to clear up a default on property taxes. San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector records show that the Lynch Family Trust has …

Regardless who is elected mayor tonight, San Diego will confront a virtually unprecedented situation. No need to go into details here. Suffice it to say GOP councilman Carl DeMaio and Democratic congressman Bob Filner, vying for the job, are both …

The first ever Baja International Film Festival will take place in Los Cabos this month from November 14th to the 17th. The festival will showcase 80 films from 15 countries, highlighted by Mexican and Spanish language films. The festival will …

It wouldn't be an election in San Diego, it seems, without a sizable last minute campaign contribution to the cause of Democratic congressman Bob Filner from Meuchadim of California, LP., based in Hollywood, Florida. State records show the outfit is …

The Port of San Diego is advising Downtown travelers to expect some traffic snags in the coming week as work continues on the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. The ongoing effort to expand the area’s bayfront to include a strip of …

Dallas-based A.H. Belo, which publishes the Dallas Morning News, Riverside Press-Enterprise and other papers, says it is pursuing multiple remedies against U-T San Diego after it pulled out of a printing contract, according to newsandtech.com. The move on Oct 15 …

Multiple reports released, as the year is nearing end, have stated that violent crime is dropping in both Mexico and United States border cities. Tim Johnson with the McClatchy Newspapers reported today, November 5th, that the murder tally in Mexico …

Even though Chula Vista is still reeling from the default/closure crisis, residential development continues to be the city's economic engine. McMillin's east side Mellenia development includes 2,983 condos. Now that the bay front plan has passed, west side development by …

John Lynch to speak to the Association of Corporate Growth on buying the San Diego Union-Tribune

On November 13, John Lynch, CEO of the U-T San Diego and the revamped North County Times will be giving a presentation to members of the Association for Corporate Growth San Diego, a membership-based network for "professionals involved in corporate …

Long-time Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson has quit his job and is heading to San Diego to become CEO of 3D Robotics, a bi-national outfit billed as do-it-yourself drone builder. Anderson has partnered with 26-year-old Jordi Muñoz, who was born in …

Shares of controversial Bridgepoint Education are down 4.36% this morning (Nov. 5) following the for-profit university company's release of weak third quarter earnings. Third quarter net income dropped to $31.4 million from $43.8 million in the same period of 2011. …

San Diego leads 7 county meeting with $5.3 million to be slashed from budget

San Diego County accounted for the lion’s share of $7.5 million in California court spending reductions proposed during closed-door meetings of the state’s Judicial Council courthouse cost reduction committee last week, proposing a total $5.3 million in cuts, Courthouse News …

Grand Del Mar loan OK and no receivership, says Papa Doug attorney

An ad has shown up on Craigslist seeking a partner or buyer for "Papa Doug" Manchester's $300 million Grand Del Mar luxury hotel. Experts in the hotel industry wondered why such an ad would show up on Craigslist, of all …

Brian Pat Bilbray, an Imperial Beach city councilmember and the son of 52nd Congressional district candidate Brian Bilbray, came out in favor of medical marijuana on Friday, officially endorsing Proposition S, one of four measures aimed at relaxing medical marijuana …

San Diego's Proposition Z, a measure to raise property taxes for school bonds, is billed by its backers as a way of enabling the "San Diego Unified School District to maintain safe and productive learning environments for students during the …

Jim Holman, owner and publisher of the San Diego Reader, has contributed advertising valued at $2,831 to Citizens for Patient Rights, sponsored by the "Patient Care Association, an association of medicinal cannabis patients and patient organizations," according to the group's …

Football fans and political junkies alike can puzzle over the latest "Where will the Chargers move next?" tea leaves provided by a pair of campaign reports made public late yesterday. The San Diego Chargers Football Company, LLC, run by the …

A Tijuana man who worked out of an office in San Ysidro has been arrested for collecting fees on phony immigration services. According to the Latin American Herald Tribune, Alberto Rodrigo Garcia was apprehended at the Otay Mesa port of …

Solana Beach home had been valued over $1 million

Bryan C Chang was the owner of a Solana Beach home that sold for $875,000 last August, according to public records. He has been held in custody, accused of killing his mother in that same home, since January 2010. A …

Evidence of further financial irregularities proving worrisome at ailing watchdog.

Further disquieting emails have surfaced internally in the case of nonprofit watchdog Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN), whose financial missteps are under investigation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to documents recently unearthed, Michael Shames, UCAN's co-founder who was …

Costs associated with the emergency shutdown of long-idled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station have surpassed the $300 million mark. Edison International, parent company of plant operator Southern California Edison, reported yesterday afternoon that inspection and repair costs at the facility …

Apple was set to release the iPhone 5 in Mexico today, November 2nd, but a Mexican court has ruled against Apple in a trademark dispute which will not allow the company to market its popular phone under the name iPhone. …

An Escondido man who admitted sex with a 12-year-old-girl has been released from custody in San Diego County, and has requested transfer to Los Angeles County. Christopher Bradley Nutt, 24, admitted sexual intercourse and possessing photographs of the 12-year-old girl …

There is the Independent Voter Project and then there is the Independent Voter PAC. The Independent Voter Project is a high profile, non-profit corporation created by ex-Democratic state Sen. Steve Peace to promote his agenda of demoting the role of …

Mitt Romney's favorite meatpacking mogul, John R. Miller, is proceeding with a million dollar renovation of his La Jolla estate on Dunemere Drive, just one door down from Romney's own beach house. As we reported in August of this year, …

City says laws aren't meant as retaliation to surprise opening of nude bar on bayfront

The Chula Vista City Council yesterday hastily moved to enact several local law changes, mostly concerning the operation of strip clubs within city limits. The Reader reported last month on the controversial opening of Eyecandy Showgirls along Chula Vista’s section …

The nation gained 171,000 jobs in October, beating economists' estimates of 120,000, but the unemployment rate rose to 7.9% from September's 7.8%. The report will probably be politically neutral: Republicans can point to the rise in the unemployment rate, Democrats …

San Diego Sheriff's Department say a man robbed the Imperial Beach Chase Bank branch, 1100 Palm Avenue on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 shortly after 11:00 am. A Sheriff spokesperson said the robber presented a demand note for cash to a …

Jin Hyuk Byun, 19, admitted he was the driver who killed a teenager that was walking his bicycle alongside a road last July. Byun signed a felony plea agreement yesterday, October 31, in which he admitted a single count of …

On April 2012, Scott Lewis CEO for the non-profit investigative news organization Voice of San Diego announced the non-profit's shift to a membership-based business model. "Over the past 12 months, more than 1,000 different people donated to Voice of San …

Romney charged with failing to report massive profits in deal tied to auto bailout. Platinum Equity failed in attempt to be workers' savior, according to press reports.

A coalition of good-government and labor groups called today (Nov.1) for the United States Office of Government Ethics to investigate presidential candidate Mitt Romney's alleged failure to disclose the massive profits he raked in from the auto bailout, which he …

American Crossroads, the pro-Republican super PAC run by former Bush White House political operative Karl Rove, has picked up $130,000 from a donor by the name of the "Papa Doug Trust," with an address at 5300 Grand del Mar Court …