Border Patrol agent fired 10 rounds into vehicle after being hit
A United States Border Patrol agent fired 10 rounds from his handgun killing the driver after being struck and carried by a car on Friday, September 28th. National and local news has covered the story of the agent who shot …
Foreclosure Filed Against SD-Operated Golf Course
General Electric Capital has filed a foreclosure lawsuit against Heritage Golf Eagle Trace LLC and San Diego-based Heritage Golf Group, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The troubled course is the TPC Eagle Trace golf club in Coral Springs, …
Another Ponzi Scheme Targets Seniors
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) late this week charged that Oregonian Bradley Holcom and San Diegan Jose Pinedo ran a fraudulent scheme selling $42 million of promissory notes to more than 150 investors, many of them seniors. Holcom lured …
Men sentenced for July 4 home invasion in Oceanside
Four men arrested after a home-invasion robbery attempt the afternoon of July 4 were sentenced this month, in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse. Oceanside Police said two men forcibly entered a home on Bliss Circle the afternoon of July …
Bridgepoint Won't Appeal Accreditation Denial
Ashford University, the overwhelmingly major part of San Diego's controversial for-profit Bridgepoint Education, said today (Sept. 28) that it will not appeal the decision by Western Association of Schools and Colleges to deny Ashford accreditation. The denial came in July. …
Writers at North County Times say their goodbyes before Lynch and Manchester takeover
Doug Manchester and John Lynch haven't even closed on their purchase of the North County Times and yet a number of writers are saying their goodbyes over concerns that the integrity of the paper will suffer from the new ownership. …
Sanders requests bids for Irwin Jacobs Balboa Park project under legal challenge
Qualcomm billionaire Irwin Jacobs, who has been making national news with his $2 million contribution to the re-election cause of President Barack Obama while simultaneously backing GOP city councilman Carl DeMaio's bid to become San Diego's mayor, has another reason …
Sheriff's Department collecting unused prescription meds
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has announced a push for residents to turn in their unused prescription medications, with a coordinated effort scheduled for 38 locations across the county scheduled this Saturday. Expired drugs left unattended run the risk …
Communication failure leads to cancellation of Bilbray-Peters radio debate
An apparent lack of communication yesterday morning led to the cancellation of an on-air debate between 52nd congressional district opponents Republican Brian Bilbray and Democrat Scott Peters on AM 760 KFMB radio. Judging from e-mails released by the Peters campaign …
Young Escondido gangster recommended to "fire camp"
A young man said to be a “documented” member of the “Esco Boys gang” was sentenced to 40 months custody today. The judge recommended “fire camp.” Alexander Pedro Cueva, 21, pleaded guilty to felony evade officer with reckless driving last …
Watchdog group questions the legality of maintenance assessment districts in a new lawsuit against the City of San Diego
Less than a year after fighting a losing battle over the legality of the Greater Golden Hill Maintenance Assessment District, the City of San Diego must now defend the legality of the City's 56 maintenance assessment districts as well as …
Liberal billionaire George Soros joins cell phone magnate and DeMaio backer in giving big to pro-Obama super PAC
On the heels of news that Qualcomm billionaire and La Jolla Democrat Irwin Jacobs has endorsed GOP city councilman Carl DeMaio for mayor comes word that fellow billionaire George Soros has joined Jacobs in backing the pro-Obama "Priorities USA Action" …
Qualcomm billionaire Democrat Irwin Jacobs will endorse GOP's DeMaio for Mayor
In yet another unusual twist to what probably is the city's strangest election season in history, the mayoral campaign of Republican Carl DeMaio has announced that he will be getting the endorsement of La Jolla Democratic billionaire and Qualcomm founder …
San Onofre still costing customers, Del Mar calls for public meetings on nuclear plant's woes
Turmoil continues surrounding the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in northern San Diego County. Earlier this week, the city of Del Mar passed a resolution calling for a public Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing on the plant’s licensing. The resolution …
Across the great divide: Conservative U-T San Diego partners with San Diego CityBeat
In today's paper, the U-T San Diego reported on the controversial decision by San Diego Superior Court to continue awarding monthly car allowances to Superior Court judges. The monthly stipends will cost the court nearly $1 million this year; quite …
Government Funded San Diego State University Foundation Gives Big to Jerry Brown's Tax Hike Campaign
The San Diego State University Research Foundation, the board of which is dominated by highly paid university officials, has given $6,125 to a campaign fund boosting Proposition 30, Governor Jerry Brown's measure to raise California taxes. The powerful tax-exempt non-profit …
U-T Not Trimming Much Staff at NC Times
Yesterday (Sept. 24), Peggy Chapman, regional human resources director for Lee Enterprises, which is selling the North County Times to the Union-Tribune, wrote to Times employees that the "UT intends to bring on all employees as of October 1 in …
Local Restaurants Dish out Cash to the Republican Party of San Diego County
The owners of Cafe Coyote, a popular Mexican restaurant in Old Town, may be looking to string up a donkey-shaped piñata in November. Campaign finance records show a contribution for $1,486 to the Republican Party of San Diego County on …
Longtime Kaiser employee claims wrongful termination
A 15 year employee of healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente has filed suit against the company for wrongful termination, discrimination, libel, and a host of other matters related to her firing in May. Antionette Abram claims that two other employees at …
Worker payroll deductions fuel Qualcomm's corporate PAC
While the battle rages on over the merits of California's Proposition 32, the so-called paycheck protection measure backed by La Jolla financier R.G. "Buzz" Woolley and other wealthy locals, one of the county's biggest and most powerful corporations is using …
SD Home Values Rise in July
Home prices nationwide rose impressively in July, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller data released today (Sept. 25). Values in all 20 major metro areas rose. San Diego values rose 1.1% in the month versus the composite 1.6% for the top …
Prostitute Left Duct-Taped by John in Hotel Room
The municipal police of Tijuana told the El-Mexicano News today, September 24th, that they arrested a man suspected of duct taping and leaving a prostitute in a hotel room. The man, 30 year old Ricardo Moreno, allegedly taped and bound …
Did You Buy Illicit Viagra Online?
Bay Area resident Ian Fischman was sentenced to serve six months in custody today (Sept. 24) and forfeit $100,000 for his role in an illicit Internet pharmaceuticals scheme. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Fischman admitted that between 2002 and …
Valley Center Man Denies Charges in Pit Bull Attack
A Valley Center man was in court today, pleading not guilty to charges that he failed to control two dogs which reportedly attacked joggers last November. The incident was called “a pit bull attack” in which “two young men fought …
Chula Vista City Council To Consider Meeting Time Change
On September 25 the Chula Vista city council will consider changing their 4:00 PM meetings to 10:00 AM. The staff report for the meeting time change suggests this would serve the city financially because overtime compensation for staff would be …
Man admits assault with shotgun
A 20-year-old Encinitas man pleaded guilty to two felony assault charges today, in connection with the alleged robberies of two men, just past midnight after July Fourth. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call from the alleged victims who said …
La Jolla’s "independent" super PAC is down to its last multi-millionaire donor
The political action committee formed by La Jolla mega-millionaire Ted Waitt to back the independent San Diego mayoral candidacy of ex-Republican Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher and a few other self-described independent hopefuls, appears to be down to its last donor: Waitt …
Solana Beach residents to battle over seawalls, coastal plan
A showdown between environmental activists and oceanfront property owners appears imminent as the Solana Beach city council prepares to discuss approval set to be granted by the California Coastal Commission to the city’s Local Coastal Plan, provided that the city …
Mortgage of U-T's Lynch in Default
Assessor/recorder/county clerk records show a mortgage of Union-Tribune Chief Executive John T. Lynch is in default. The document lists his wife Catherine and the Lynch Family Trust. (This blog is a collaboration of three Reader journalists: Dorian Hargrove exchanged three …
UCAN's Request for Relief Tentatively Turned Down
Financially troubled watchdog Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN) has been turned down in its request for interim relief by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). On Aug. 17, UCAN asked the CPUC to establish an emergency fund allowing UCAN to …
The months leading up to the purchase of UT San Diego were not easy on John Lynch, UT's CEO, involved in two costly lawsuits
For John Lynch, chief executive officer for the UT San Diego and soon to be head of the North County Times, the year leading up to purchase of the Union Tribune appeared to be a rough year, financially. During that …
Filner-backed Iranian paramilitary group to lose U.S. terrorist label, sources say
The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a paramilitary group of Iranian exiles based in Iraq, is about to be removed from the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist organizations, according to Washington sources. The Associated Press says in a dispatch this morning that Secretary …
Group to Ask for Full Disclosure on San Onofre
The DAB Safety Team, a group of San Diego and Orange County citizens with engineering backgrounds, will shortly ask Southern California Edison, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for all e-mails, letters, notes from meetings, phone calls, and …
SD August Unemployment Drops, Jobs Up
The San Diego County unemployment rate dropped to 9% in August from a revised 9.3% in July. The county gained 900 non-farm jobs in the month and 30,300 from August of 2011, when the unemployment rate was 10.3%.
Credit card thieves head to Walmart
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department is seeking help in identifying two suspects wanted for using credit cards stolen from a car in Rancho Santa Fe on August 6. The suspects, described as a white female and male between 20-25 years …
Wealthy GOP insider and border baron backs Democrat Scott Peters against Brian Bilbray
Malin Burnham, one of San Diego's most ubiquitous Republican insiders, city hall wheeler-dealers, and border barons, has joined the congressional campaign bandwagon of Democrat Scott Peters, the ex-San Diego city councilman battling GOP incumbent Brian Bilbray in the new 52nd …
SD Households Lose Spending Power
On average, San Diego County households lost $2,337 in purchasing power from 2010 to 2011, according to the Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI). The CPI culled the data from U.S. Census Bureau figures released today (Sept. 20). Median earnings of …
Surfrider targets Point Loma homes for rain runoff reduction
The San Diego County chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is gearing up for a three-part program directed at Point Loma residents with the aim to convince locals to redesign their landscaping to prevent runoff from rainfall that the group says …
O'Rourke Sanctioned for Lying to Clients
Kevin James O'Rourke and his firm, Del Mar's Western Pacific Capital Management, were sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday (Sept. 19). O'Rourke raised $4.8 million for a San Diego software firm, Ameranth, and took 10% in success …
New polling shows support slim for Brown's tax plan, stronger for ending death penalty
A new study released last night by the Public Policy Institute of California shows weak support for the Proposition 30 tax initiative and a split vote on the competing Proposition 38 tax, strong support for repealing the death penalty, and …
New study finds San Diego residents are more willing to plan for retirement
Fewer and fewer Americans living in big cities across the county are stockpiling cash in preparation for retirement, finds a new index from Ameriprise Financial. The study shows that only 70 percent of consumers, the lowest percentage in the past …
SD Home Values Rise in August
San Diego metro area home values rose 0.9 in August from July, according to Zillow.com -- better than the slight decline of 0.1% of the collective 30 largest markets. San Diego's median home value is now $351,300 -- bettered only …
Prison grads
A gathering of 268 inmates at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and their families celebrated a joint graduation last week, as inmates at the prison near San Diego’s southern border were awarded various educational certificates. 155 inmates received vocation certificates, …
Court finds sex offender residency law unreasonable
California’s Fourth Appellate District Court has ruled that provisions of Proposition 83, the 2006 ballot measure that places numerous restrictions on convicted of sex offenders, are “unreasonable” and “oppressive,” Courthouse News Service reports. One provision of the law that the …
"Zombie Apocalypse" on Mission Bay
A thousand military personnel, law enforcement officials, medical experts and government workers are expected to attend a five-day "Zombie Apocalypse" at Paradise Point Resort & Spa Oct. 29-Nov. 2, according to Business Insider. The sponsoring company, HALO Corp., is using …
San Onofre restart plan forthcoming, says plant operator Edison
Edison International, the parent company of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station operator Southern California Edison, says it will move forward next month with a plan to resume operations at the plant’s two troubled reactors, which have been shut down since …
Nathan Fletcher returns to congressional battleground, endorses Peters against Bilbray
In a round trip of sorts, ex-Republican Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who left the GOP and became a self-proclaimed independent during this spring's San Diego mayoral campaign, has re-entered the realm of congressional politics. Fletcher, a one-time Republican state operative who …
He Plunked $550,000 from Client's Account
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred Charles Duane Lewis from any association with FINRA members. Between 2007 and 2010, Lewis provided accounting and financial services through his Fletcher Hills Tax Service. In that period, he wrote 61 checks …
UT San Diego CEO, John Lynch, sued by American Express in 2010
Hotel developer Doug Manchester and former radio executive John Lynch are on a newspaper shopping spree as of late. First, the duo snatched up San Diego's only daily paper in November of last year and then last week they announced …
With Prop 30 tax hike battle looming, SDSU wants PR person to plant upbeat stories
While Governor Jerry Brown battles to convince California voters to raise their taxes by approving Proposition 30, state higher education officials keep coming up with new ways to spend the money. That appears to the take-home message of an online …
Women Occupy San Diego lead rally supporting Prop 37
Yesterday saw a handful of new developments in the push to align voters either in favor of or against Proposition 37, a measure that would require food producers who knowingly use genetically modified crops to label them as such, and …
Lobbyist for San Diego newspaper publisher to appear in U-T sponsored debate against labor chief
Downtown super-lobbyist and lawyer Paul Robinson - whose clients include the Grand del Mar, the ritzy resort owned by U-T San Diego publisher Doug Manchester - is set to debate Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer and CEO for the San Diego and …
SDGE Will Pay US $6.4 Million for 2007 Fire Damages
San Diego Gas & Electric will pay $6.4 million to the federal government for damages in the 2007 Witch Creek Fire. The payment covers damage to federal land and federal firefighting costs. The company has paid huge sums for fire-related …
Lynch Says Stadium Won't Cost City a Dime
John Lynch, chief executive officer of the Union-Tribune, addressed the Harvard Business School Club of San Diego Sept. 12. Whether the speech raised eyebrows among the Harvard crowd is not known. But a very reliable ex-U-T reporter heard a recording …
Complaint filed against Manchester Grand Resorts for violating Prop 65
A food safety advocate with a hunger for lawsuits now has her sights set on Doug Manchester. Dr. Whitney Leeman, an environmental engineer from Northern California, has filed a formal complaint against Manchester Grand Resorts and his flagship property The …
"Shadowy" conservative action group offers internship at University of San Diego
University of San Diego political science students are being solicited to join a conservative national grassroots campaign aimed at promoting center-right policies among voters here. According to a post on the university's website the group is seeking students with flexible …
Over 2,500 police fired in Baja California since 2007
The secretario de Seguridad Pública (secretary of Public Security) of Mexico recently released statistics on Baja California revealing that 2,591 police in the state have been removed from their positions since 2007. The statistics were released to El Universal newspaper …
San Diego extends red light camera search, new locations to be considered
The city of San Diego has extended for another four days its search for firms to install and run its so-called red light camera system, telling would-be vendors, "It should be anticipated that some of the existing photo enforced locations …
Mexico celebrating Independence Day
Mexico, which bears the official name of Estados Unidos Mexicanos, is celebrating its 201st year of independence from Spain today, September 16th. Events are occurring across the nation, highlighted by a speech President Felipe Calderon delivered in the rain in …
North County GOP Rep. Darrell Issa falls to third among Congress's richest members as liabilities jump
Roll Call is out with its annual analysis of congressional wealth and at the top of the heap is Texas Republican Michael McCaul, with a minimum net worth of more than $300 million, a new high for him, according to …
Suits Pile Up Against Local Sports Financial Adviser
Sports and financial media are increasingly reporting multiple lawsuits against San Diego sports financial adviser, William C. (Billy) Crafton. The suits note that Crafton put his clients' money in Westmoore Management, which the Securities and Exchange Commission last year identified …
Former Councilwoman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $3.5 Million
Jillian Hanson-Cox, former member of the El Cajon city council, pleaded guilty today (Sept. 14) to charges of mail fraud and filing a false income tax return from her employment at Century Design Inc. (CDI). She admitted to stealing $3.5 …
Missing Tijuana woman returns home
Magaly Salazar Bravo, who has received numerous local news headlines since she disappeared on September 1st, has returned home to Tijuana. Magaly was escorted by Tijuana municipal police after she landed at the Tijuana International Airport shortly after midnight, September …
Police say pharmacy burglar may be repeat offender
El Cajon Police are seeking help in identifying and locating a man suspected of burglarizing the Kaiser Pharmacy on the 200 block of Travelodge Boulevard at least once, possibly several times. In an announcement yesterday, police released video surveillance from …
Calexico Superintendent Resigns When Raise Denied
Calexico Unified School District and Sweetwater High School District have run on parallel paths for the last few years. Like Sweetwater, Calexico brought a superintendent out of retirement in 2011. Calexico Unified brought back Richard Fragale and Sweetwater brought back …
UCAN Looking for New Executive Director
Deeply troubled Utility Consumers' Action Network is looking for a new executive director, a source extremely knowledgeable about the watchdog's operations, confirmed to me today (Sept. 14). Kim Malcolm, who was brought in to replace Michael Shames as executive director, …
Boxer wants NRC to OK all safety measures before allowing San Onofre restart
Senator Barbara Boxer, chair of the Senate’s Committee on the Environment and Public Works, reiterated her request to members of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week that the troubled reactors at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station not be granted …
Republican endorsement slate: "no more debt, no more taxes"
The Republican Party of San Diego County has released its official endorsement slate for local, state, and national races and propositions. “After decades of out-of-control spending, massive debt and crushing feel-good regulations caused by government labor union bosses and unprincipled …
Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography is going on sabbatical; stand-in to make $223,200
Tony Haymet, the world-traveling head of the University of California's Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, is heading out again, this time on a nine-month sabbatical running from October 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013. Haymet will be temporarily …
UC Regents approve controversial $250,000 UCSD diversity job, hire University of Wisconsin law professor
University of California Regents have approved creation of a vice-chancellorship for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCSD, naming Linda S. Greene to the post at an annual base salary of $250,000, according to closed session documents released after today's meeting …
City council to approve $100,000 settlement for sexual abuse by former cop
The City of San Diego has now begun paying for Anthony Arevalos' improper conduct. Today city councilmembers will approve a $100,000 court settlement for Melissa Marin, one of the ten women the former San Diego Police Officer promised to trade …
Is Alan Bersin irreplaceable? Obama still hasn’t found anyone to be Customs commissioner
Seems like President Barack Obama just can't find anyone to replace San Diego's Alan Bersin as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. So reports the Washington Post, which revealed in a blog item yesterday that Bersin's acting successor, David Aguilar, …
Five tons of pot incinerated in Baja
The Attorney General’s office of Baja California and Ministry of National Defense held a ceremony Wednesday afternoon, September 12th, burning a large amount of narcotics seized over recent weeks. Representatives of local, state, and federal governments attended. Five tons of …
Coleman University to Close San Marcos Campus
Coleman University will close its San Marcos campus at 1284 San Marcos Boulevard. There has been no news release announcing the closing, but people on the inside said that the word was passed today (Sept. 12). I could not reach …
Tijuana Police: 389 Alleged drug dealers arrested in August
According to Tijuana municipal police officials 389 suspected drug dealers and smugglers were apprehended in the city during the month of August. Deputy police commander Alberto Licona Castellón spoke at a news conference on Tuesday, September 11th, discussing the results …
Biggest Prop 30 tax burden would fall on wealthiest 1%
A new report from the California Budget Project, a group that “works to improve public policies that affect low- and middle-income Californians,” suggests that the vast majority of the additional tax burden that would be placed on state residents should …
San Diego County residents put their money on Mitt Romney
If Mitt Romney decides to sell his beach house in La Jolla in favor of another community then Carlsbad should be at the top of his list. Residents there have given the former Governor and GOP nominee some serious financial …
High-profile Coronado plastic surgeon draws yet another complaint from California Medical Board
A Coronado plastic surgeon has accused state medical regulators of unfairly targeting his high-profile practice after the Medical Board of California filed another in a series of accusations against him. "They are after me," Dr. Jeffry Schafer said in a …
"Papa Doug" Wants Positive News, Business Cheerleading at NC Times
"Papa Doug" Manchester intends to continue his happy-talk U-T policies at the newly-purchased North County Times. Brandon Lowrey, a police and courts reporter for the Times, tweeted yesterday (Sept. 11) that U-T Chief Executive John Lynch gave instructions to NC …
Chargers Tied for First (In Price of a Beer)
The San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills charge the steepest price in pro football for a small draft beer -- a whopping $9 per beer, according to Business Insider. The cheapest beers are both in Ohio: the Cleveland Browns and …
San Marcos party host pleads guilty
A San Marcos man admitted two misdemeanors in connection with a reported minors-and-alcohol party at his employer’s warehouse last summer. Sheriff’s deputies accused Eduardo Hidalgo, 26, of charging minors a fee to enter the warehouse and consume alcohol the night …
Four-year-old cop shooting case delayed again
Ronald Jay Sisson, now 39, is facing trial for murder after police reportedly shot and killed a female passenger in his car, almost five years ago. It was the night of November 1 in 2007 when officers from Costa Mesa …
San Diego supermarket workers union makes big radio buy to counter Prop 32, backed by local Republicans
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 135 PAC, based in San Diego, has just spent $25,000 on a radio advertising campaign to begin tomorrow and end November 6, according to a filing posted online today by the California …
Fallbrook handyman accused of burglary
A Fallbrook handyman denied that he went into a 68-year-old woman’s apartment with theft in mind. Paul Singh, 40, pleaded not-guilty to one felony charge of first-degree burglary in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse yesterday. A neighbor named Nancy …
Baja State Attorney: Missing Tijuana woman is alive
La Procuraduría de Justicia del Estado (State Attorney’s Office) announced Tuesday morning, September 11th, that Magaly Salazar Bravo is alive. Magaly was reported missing September 1st after being dropped off at the Cesun University by her mother. Attorney General Rommel …
Presidential contributions split along urban and suburban zip codes
Whether it is the $2 million check that Irwin Jacobs wrote to Obama Super-PAC Priorities USA Action on June 11 or the $113,816 worth of donations that UT San Diego owner Doug Manchester gave to outside committees in support Mitt …
Officially, Papa Doug DOES Buy NC Times
The North County Times announced this morning (Sept. 11) that its parent, Lee Enterprises, has sold the North County Times to U-T San Diego for $11.95 million. The San Diego Business Journal announced yesterday that the deal was a fait …
Founder Beyster Opposes Split-Up of SAIC
J. Robert Beyster, retired founder of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), formerly of San Diego, opposes the company's plan to split into two entities. SAIC wants to split the company into two groups: 1. Research, science, and technology for health, …
Lack of oversight in San Onofre seismic studies?
The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility yesterday released an open letter sent to California Public Utilities Commission president Michael Peevey, critical of the agency for what the Alliance calls “failure of the agency to assert any regulatory oversight” related to seismic …
Neil Morgan: Great Writer, Shrewd Operator
Sunday's Union-Tribune had an excellent column by Logan Jenkins honoring Neil Morgan, longtime columnist, editor, book author, and oft-times gadfly who has played a major role in San Diego history. My only quibble with Jenkins's column is that he said …
"Documented skin-head" denies four new felonies
A young man described as a “documented skin-head” was in court today charged with four felonies. Police Officer Mario Sainz said he was called to a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in Escondido because a man and woman went into the men’s bathroom …
Bilbray's Congressional leadership PAC lags, Issa's parties, and Filner's is semi-dormant
So-called Leadership PACS, by which members of Congress can collect sizable contributions from special interests and their lobbyists, and then spend the cash on political gifts to other politicos, as well as on office expenses, fundraising bashes, travel, and meals, …
Business Journal Says Manchester Has Purchased North County Times
The San Diego Business Journal is reporting on its website that "Papa Doug" Manchester and the Union-Tribune have purchased the North County Times and Daily Californian. The rumor cropped up in the U-T newsroom last week but I could not …
Natural products trade group announces opposition to Prop 37
The Natural Products Association, a trade group representing “over 1,900 members accounting for more than 10,000 locations of retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products,” sent a mixed message last week, issuing a statement in favor of consumers’ right …
$28.5 Million Sand Replenishment Project For San Diego County Starts In Imperial Beach
Saturday San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Chair and Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks and Second Vice Chair and Imperial Beach Mayor Jim Janney kicked off the start of a $28.5 million project to dredge 1.4 million cubic yards of sand …
County Medical Examiner releases report on murder victim
The San Diego County Medical Examiner has released their report on Kathleen Cary Scharbarth, a woman found murdered around Thanksgiving time last year. The 34-year-old Carlsbad woman had become fearful of her ex-boyfriend, Michael David Robles, 43, and asked for …
Politico.com Knocks U-T's Republican Helpfest
On Tuesday, the Union-Tribune will sponsor a "One-Stop Shop" for political candidates. "The Republican Party of San Diego County sent out the invite to the event," says the Los Angeles Times. The county Republican Chairman will be on hand for …
March in Tijuana to raise awareness on missing women
An organization in Tijuana called Conciencia Juvenil will be having a march to raise awareness on the disappearances of women in the area today, September 8th. The march is the result of multiple young women being killed or disappearing in …
Western Financial Planning Accused of Running Real Estate Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced yesterday (Sept. 7) that a federal judge has granted its request for a restraining order and asset freeze against Louis V. Schooler and Western Financial Planning Corporation. The company raised about $50 million …
Safety tests of long-haul Mexican truckers in U.S. criticized by federal audit
A pilot program to test the safety of allowing Mexican truckers to carry cargo long-haul across the United States has major faults and is seriously behind schedule, having enlisted only four out of the 46 carriers needed for an accurate …
Peters campaign gets national help in ad funding
Scott Peters, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Brian Bilbray in the newly-drawn 52nd Congressional district, is poised to benefit big from party dollars outside the district rolling in to back his campaign. Late last month, Peters won the state …
Mitt Romney lags on paying La Jolla beach house building fees to city
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose La Jolla beach house construction project has been attacked by his political foes as grossly extravagant, has lagged on paying city fees for the mega-million dollar endeavor, city building records show. According to an …
Filner releases education plan
Mayoral hopeful Bob Filner yesterday released a multi-point education plan that focuses on increasing the city’s involvement in the lives of children and families away from school, as well as developing closer connections to various local agencies that have responsibility …
Nation Adds Only 96,000 Jobs in August
Jobs growth slowed to 96,000 in August. Economists had expected 125,000. June and July were revised lower by a total of 41,000 jobs, the government reported this morning (Sept. 7). The unemployment rate dropped to 8.1% from 8.3% in July, …
City Attorney Jan Goldsmith endorses Carl DeMaio for mayor
Just four months ago San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmtih told local conservative website, San Diego Rostra, that he didn't plan on endorsing any candidate for mayor. The City Attorney, however, did say that he planned to be a "bit …
Two more women dead in Baja
Two more women have been reported killed in Baja California this week. Details on the possible murders have been scarce, but authorities stated that one woman was killed in Tecate and another in Rosarito. The reports of these deaths follow …
Local Employment Index Inches Up
The San Diego Workforce Index edged up 0.3% in July from June, according to the San Diego Workforce Partnership. The index at 86.24 is well ahead of its levels below 80 in late 2009 and early 2010. Moving in a …
Seventy-three-year-old man accused of hotel fracas
The hotel’s cleaning lady went to tell her manager that the man in room 104 was standing at the window overlooking the courtyard “without any clothes on.” The hotel manager reportedly went to room 104 and asked the man to …
La Jolla billionaire homeowner's unreported six-figure gift comes back to haunt "No on 8" forces
A campaign contribution of $142,000 to a committee battling 2008's Proposition 8 - the state's same sex marriage ban - by La Jolla billionaire homeowner Ron Burkle plays a featured role in a stipulated agreement made public today between the …
Disinherited Sefton Son Wins Lawsuit, Will Share in Grandfather's Estate
The California Supreme court has declined to review an appeals court ruling that Thomas W. Sefton Jr., the oldest son of the late San Diego Trust & Savings head Thomas W. Sefton Sr., is entitled to part of his grandfather's …
La Jolla Lawyer Disbarred
Paul Conrad Ward Jr., La Jolla attorney, was disbarred on Aug. 11, 2012. In March of last year, he was sentenced in New Mexico to 21 months in prison for taking $500,000 from an investor and promising to put the …
Man charged after Valley Center pit bull attack
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis this afternoon announced the filing of charges against 40 year-old Jose Ledesma in connection with a Valley Center pit bull attack that resulted in the mauling of two young joggers. The dogs belonged to a friend …
Future of Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s director may be up for grabs at UC Regents meeting
Two potentially costly and controversial decisions about the University of California San Diego's future may be decided by UC Regents next week, according to an agenda posted online this morning by U.C.’s Office of the President. First up on the …
Tijuana woman missing, social-media users express concerns for safety of young women
A 23 year old woman in Tijuana who vanished on Saturday, September 1st, is still missing, according to family members. Magaly Salazar Bravo was dropped off by her mother near the Cesun University early Saturday afternoon, but has not been …
SEC Says Radio's Ray Lucia Spread Misleading Information
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today (Sept. 5) charged San Diego-based financial radio personality Ray Lucia Sr. with spreading misleading information about his "Buckets of Money" strategy. In this strategy, which Lucia touts on the radio, and about which …
Republicans have slim voter registration edge in county
Local Republicans are celebrating a slim advantage over Democrats in voter rolls, after new registration data was released by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters showing 510,792 registered Republicans in the county. The Registrar reports Democrats trailing by 100 …
Oceanside man arraigned on murder charges.
A 20-year-old man was charged this afternoon with pre-meditated attempted murder on 49-year-old Lisa Badgett and first degree murder on 47-year-old Robert Riggins. The two victims were shot “at point blank range with a rifle” according to prosecutor David Bost, …
Fellmeth Joins UCAN Board
Robert Fellmeth, professor of public interest law at the University of San Diego, and local ethics expert, has joined the board of deeply troubled Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN), according to Kim Malcolm, UCAN executive director. Fellmeth's appointment is a …
Qualcomm-backed bill would be "cataclysmic" for cost and quality of California Internet service, critics claim
It's one of the most controversial bills passed this year by the California legislature, Senate Bill 1161, a measure that would prohibit the state's Public Utilities Commission from regulating key aspects of the Internet. Now it's up to Democratic Gov. …
Navy forms special council to oversee problematic Littoral Combat Ship program
A council of high-ranking officers have been asked to oversee testing on the new littoral combat ship program after major issues were found with the first batch of ships. The littoral combat ships are quick, broad-hulled vessels designed to operate …
Firefighters PAC and anti-Filner group both shopping for TV time in mayor's race
In yet another sign that local airwaves will soon be saturated with TV commercials about the candidates for San Diego mayor, two more big-money political committees have put down markers for time on local NBC affiliate KNSD. As previously reported, …
Disbarred Attorney Released from Custody Again
The much-arrested and disbarred attorney Michael Theodore Pines, 60, was released from custody last week after he made another felony plea deal. In his most recent case, Michael Theodore Pines admitted making a written extortion attempt and practicing law while …