El Cajon Police are looking for two men suspected of stealing a pair of pit bulls late Thursday afternoon from the El Cajon Animal Shelter located at 1275 North Marshall. According to Lieutenant Mike Moulton, two individuals described only as …

Proposed decision would push up monthly rate by $6.55

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Administrative Law Judge John Wong yesterday (March 29) posted his tentative decision in the San Diego Gas & Electric general rate case, which has been dragging on since December of 2010. Fasten your seat belt: …

North Korea threatens to strike the United States - San Diego may be on the list.

On Friday March 29, national and international news agencies reported on North Korea's public threat to attack US cities as well as American military bases in Guam, Japan, and South Korea. North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, signed an order …

George Leno Orozco admitted meth sales

A 24-year-old Oceanside man admitted selling methamphetamine for benefit of a criminal street gang, in a plea deal he signed last month, February. In the deal, five other felony drug charges were dismissed, as well as a misdemeanor charge for …

Southwest Strategies, whose ex-employees include spokesman for city attorney Jan Goldsmith, seeks to cash in lobbying for medical marijuana law

As reported here two days ago, Southwest Strategies LLC, the influence peddling boutique founded by ex-San Diego Tribune reporter Alan Ziegaus, has been lobbying city hall of late on behalf of Fox Sports San Diego regarding Time Warner Cable's blackout …

A judge issued tentative ruling denying Troy Polamalu's motion for summary judgement against Harry Rady

Safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers and resident of La Jolla, Troy Polamalu, is far from snatching victory in his lawsuit against Harry Rady, son of billionaire philanthropist Ernest Rady, and the realtors who sold Rady's former La Jolla home to …

Man reportedly bloodied in the street, outside a house party

After a two-day jury trial, a Vista man was declared guilty of felony resisting-arrest, in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse. Eric Gregory Campbell, 46, was bloodied when his head hit the ground after a scuffle with a Sheriff’s deputy …

Representatives Scott Peters and Susan Davis are maintaining high profiles around town, appearing this morning with Rep. Juan Vargas in San Ysidro to advocate that funding be allocated to improving the border crossing and continuing to fully staff the existing …

Todd Gloria only the latest in a long line of pro-Evans council members to get campaign cash, tickets, food, and other blandishments from major city lessee.

Now that San Diego's GOP hotel moguls have reportedly decided to call off their lawsuit and cut a deal with Democratic mayor Bob Filner - in what the mayor's fellow Democrat, La Jolla city councilwoman Sherri Lightner called a "kumbaya" …

A group of 7 migrants discovered at Border Patrol checkpoint, large cocaine seizure days earlier

The El Centro Sector Border Patrol released a news brief on Thursday, March 28th, confirming the apprehension of 7 Mexican nationals who were hiding in a refrigerated truck. The truck, which was carrying watermelons, was stopped at the inspection point …

Jobs grew for month and also from year ago

The San Diego County unemployment rate was 8% in February, down from a revised 8.6% in January. The county gained 9,800 nonfarm jobs between January and February, and 31,400 jobs from February 2012 to February 2013, according to the Employment …

New report reveals large number of U.S. citizens involved in border drug trafficking

According to a recent analysis by the Center for Investigative Reporting, 4 out of 5 border drug smuggling busts involve United States citizens. The report detailed the large amount of U.S. citizens involved in bringing narcotics over the U.S.-Mexico border. …

La Mesa Police have arrested San Diegan Nikolas Aledam, 29, and his girlfriend, Destanie Trout, 28, as the result of a string of auto burglaries specifically targeting Ford Ranger pickups. Aledam was arrested at the East County Courthouse when he …

Seau had chronic traumatic encephalopathy prior to suicide

According to today's (March 28) New York Times, a government agency prepared a safety fact sheet on degenerative brain disease in retired National Football League (NFL) players. Several people were invited to comment on the fact sheet. "One response stood …

Local elected officials and residents gathered outside the La Jolla Post Office on Wall Street this afternoon (March 28), to protest the U.S. Postal Service’s continuation in its stated plan to relocate the post office and sell off the historical …

Eight-year-old case charged second-degree murder for death of toddler

On Monday of this week, a mistrial was declared when a jury could not come to unanimous decision in an 8-year-old fatal-child-abuse case against Efrain Cornejo. After a three-week trial which began on March 5, the jury deadlocked with the …

Spokesperson says Gloria served as a non-voting member and does not need to disclose his involvement.

Council President Todd Gloria is now at the center of the clash between Mayor Bob Filner and officials from the Tourism marketing District. During a public hearing on Tuesday, Filner accused Gloria of playing politics by not allowing more time …

Additional details on mixed-use development revealed at public meeting.

A consultant and land planner hired by Doug Manchester released additional details on his proposed development of UT San Diego's Mission Valley headquarters yesterday during an environmental scoping meeting. Plans for the site include the construction of 4 buildings on …

San Diego mayor not mentioned in invitation to county party's Paint the Town Blue May awards dinner

He's the first Democrat since 1988 to get elected mayor of America's eighth-largest city and currently engaged in an epic legal, political, and editorial war with the town's wealthy and powerful GOP hotel moguls - including UT San Diego publisher …

Escondido man denies DUI hit-and-run causing injury

Three young Latinas testified that they got on a “party bus” about 9 p.m. Friday night, March 8, and went downtown to the Belo nightclub in San Diego for an evening of drinking and dancing. It was a little before …

A group of regional, national, and global climate change experts has convened on campus at the University of San Diego, where they will be meeting through today (March 28) to discuss the expected impact on San Diego in the coming …

Event at Stingaree apparently didn't create New York-type revolution

Trojan, the venerable maker of condoms, gave away $30 and $40 vibrators -- for men and women -- this afternoon from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Stingaree, which is billed as San Diego's hottest night spot. "The pleasure …

She is indignant about claims of gay-bashing, political sniping

Caitlin Rother, crime author and former U-T investigative reporter, tonight (March 27) issued a longer statement on her role in an investigation that was done of Carl DeMaio prior to the November mayoralty election. On Sunday, the U-T printed a …

But it may be premature to tie decline to advertising spat

New data from Smith Travel Research show that occupancy in San Diego hotels dropped 4.3% for the four weeks ended March 23, according to Jerry Morrison, Encinitas-based hotel guru. This was the sharpest decline among the 25 largest markets in …

Invoices show John Lambeth and Civitas Advisors has collected over a half million dollars from San Diego's tourism district

At the March 26 council hearing nearly one hundred hotel and tourism employees urged, sometimes yelled, at Mayor Bob Filner to sign the Tourism Marketing District agreement. The 39 and one-half-year agreement, they said, was vital not only to the …

Low-buckled pants reach felony level, according to prosecutor

Molly said, “I work at a tanning salon.” The salon is located near the intersection of Highway 101 and Encinitas Boulevard, in Encinitas. Two weeks ago, on March 12, Molly was behind the counter a little after 9 a.m. when …

State official claims rise in female murders is related to rise in female criminals

The head Baja California state prosecutor, Rommel Moreno Manjarrez, stated that the rise in female homicides in the state is due to the increase in women criminals on Tuesday, March 26th. Moreno Manjarrez went on to say that the number …

Padres 18th in Major League Baseball valuation, says Forbes

Forbes magazine today (March 27) published its annual compilation of the valuation of Major League Baseball teams. The top four teams were the NY Yankees, $2.3 billion; LA Dodgers $1.62 billion; Boston Red Sox $1.3 billion and Chicago Cubs $1 …

The city of Del Mar sent out a notice March 26 reminding citizens that National Tsunami Awareness Week (March 24-30) is underway, urging residents to take action to ensure preparedness should the California coast suddenly find itself facing a massive …

Southwest Strategies reveals new lobbying client late the same day city council passes resolution in baseball cable dispute

As reported here yesterday, Time Warner Cable has retained the services of San Diego super lobbyist Paul Robinson in the seemingly forever battle over whether Padres games should be aired on all cable TV operations here. Now another local big …

City ready to allow breweries to attach tasting rooms and other dining areas greater than 3,000 square feet.

Craft beer is big in San Diego. New craft brews are hopping up throughout the City and County. In recent years, San Diego's burgeoning craft beer scene has been featured by the New York Times and Esquire Magazine. Now, even …

The Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego has enlisted the help of a robot skateboard to promote the idea that “science is cool,” at last week’s San Diego Science and Engineering Festival held on the university’s campus. The …

Accused of hiring out girl and keeping her as a servant

An Oceanside couple accused of sexually assaulting their 12-year-old niece more than ten years ago made a plea deal in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse yesterday, according to a prosecutor. Marcial Garcia Hernandez, 45, and Inez Martinez Garcia, 44, …

Labor-backed candidate Myrtle Cole and San Diego Pride executive director Dwayne Crenshaw, recently disputing a local paper’s insinuation that his sexual orientation would be a deterrent to voters in San Diego’s 4th City Council district (he appears to have been …

Instruction on avoiding MLB detection accompanied purchases, league claims

Major League Baseball has filed suit against Biogenesis of America, an “anti-aging” clinic in southern Florida that the league claims provided suspended San Diego Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal and others not only with banned performance-enhancing drugs but with instructions on …

Growing intrigue over possible ties between "Padres to the People" bid and Time Warner Cable trench cut fee deal

As first reported here last July, U-T San Diego columnist Matt Hall kicked off his "Padres to the People" campaign - an effort to get San Diego cable operators to carry the team's baseball games - with a sidewalk rally …

American working for cartel killed a man and woman, seriously injured another woman

A United States citizen, working as a hitman in Mexico, was sentenced to over 43 years in prison on Monday, March 25th. Daniel Sánchez Núñez, the 29 year old criminal from Los Angeles, killed a man and woman in June …

Report shows that occupancy rates so far this year actually rose by 2 percent compared to the same time last year.

Hotel occupancy is down in San Diego. In a March 25 article in the UT San Diego, Joe Terzi from San Diego's Tourism Authority placed most of the blame on Mayor Bob Filner and his decision to hold off on …

San Diego values up 9.8% year over year

Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price values for January, released this morning (March 26), show San Diego County values rising 9.8% over the last year, topping the average of 8.1% for the 20 largest metro areas. However, from December to January, …

Rising values mean more borrowers avoid short sales

The total number of existing homes under contract to be sold rose last month as compared to January, but sales numbers still lag behind 2012 averages, according to a new report from the industry trade group California Association of Realtors, …

“Murder is justice” written on the first page

Investigators found a composition notebook labeled “personal journal of Kevin Coset” and on the first handwritten page the writer specifically admitted killing Alvin Bulaoro, according to evidence presented in San Diego’s North County Courthouse today. NCIS special agent Jason Keller …

Mistrial declared today in 8-year-old case charged as fatal child abuse

The jury was deadlocked with the vote at 9 to 3 favoring acquittal, for a 29-year-old Fallbrook man charged with murder in the death of a toddler, 8 years ago. Public defenders are predicting that all charges will be dropped …

Five dogs were destroyed and three dogs from the Fallbrook home were adopted out

There will be no charges brought against the owners of eight dogs that reportedly caused the death of a housecleaner in Fallbrook last year, according to a spokesman with the San Diego County Department of Animal Services. “After a thorough …

Options include a pilot program as well as a citywide ordinance.

Councilmember Kevin Faulconer is back in the driver's seat, hoping to steer San Diego closer to an ordinance that would regulate parking RV's, boats, and trailers on city streets. Faulconer has tried for years to get oversized vehicles off the …

Executive director turns down public records act request for emails and other material, saying, "Commission could decide to re-open a closed matter"

It's without a doubt San Diego's most sensational political story so far this year: yesterday's UT San Diego exclusive about developer Fred Maas and his efforts to dig up and publicize alleged dirt about then-GOP city councilman Carl DeMaio in …

Free vibrators to be given out at Stingaree hot spot

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pimps and prostitutes prowled San Diego's Stingaree district south of Broadway, roughly bounded by 1st and 5th Streets, and Market and K. This Wednesday, March 27, more modern forms of pleasures of …

5 tons of crystal meth and 5 tons of marijuana confiscated near San Ignacio

More than ten tons of narcotics were seized over the weekend near the remote Baja California Sur town of San Ignacio. The Ministry of National Defense released information regarding the seizure on Sunday, March 24th, but did not disclose the …

City spent $20,000 advocating for two ballot measures in November 2012 election

Former Escondido Mayor Jerry Harmon is suing the city, its sitting mayor Sam Abed, the city council, and a handful of other officials, claiming the group illegally used public funds to promote two ballot propositions last November. Prior to the …

The committee received more than $6,000 from Bridgepoint Education, Republic Services, and SDG&E

Mayor Bob Filner's State of the City address and inauguration event were brought to you, in part, by Bridgepoint Education, waste-management company Republic Services, and San Diego Gas and Electric, according to a new disclosure filed by Mayor Bob Filner …

A man was arrested in Encinitas late Saturday night (March 23) after threatening and attempting to rob the same victim twice at a Union 76 gas station on the 3000 block of Manchester Avenue. The victim was first approached by …

Added $2.9 billion to stash last year -- 22nd among U.S. companies

Qualcomm in the past year added $2.9 billion to its stash of profits shifted to foreign tax havens, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, which points out that in most cases, companies earn the money in the United States but …

No salary set for key management position; document says San Diego mayor is "similar to the Governor or the President"

San Diego's Democratic mayor Bob Filner has been busy lately handling everything from seal kicking to a lawsuit filed by the city's GOP hotel moguls in an attempt to get him to sign a funding contract negotiated by Republican ex-mayor …

Most recently admitted kidnap while out on probation

Late last month, an admitted kidnapper was sent to State prison for three years. This sentence included time for four other cases the busy felon had accumulated since 2010. Most recently, Gregory Leon Spatcher, 32, admitted felony kidnap in a …

John de Miranda, former CEO of Stepping Stone San Diego, an organization founded in 1976 and based in City Heights that provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, says in a recently filed …

Austin real estate executive and African safari goer who handles luxury San Diego holdings becomes third major donor to Williams' cause

It's not quite the Rick Perry campaign, but a big-time Texas real estate maven has just kicked in $6750 to that well-heeled independent expenditure committee backing Republican-turned-Democrat Bruce Williams for the fourth district city council seat. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/22/42413/ Brenda Tworoger of …

Not surprisingly, retail jobs account for one-third of job loss

The San Diego County unemployment rate was 8.6% in January, up from a revised 8.2% in December and below the 9.5% of a year earlier. The county lost 22,000 jobs between December and January, 7,500 of which were in retailing, …

New proposal is included in a bill from the Judicial Branch

A recent proposal from California's Judicial Branch gives a whole new meaning to the term 'trials and tribulations'. In this case, the tribulations do not come at the expense of defendants or the accused but on journalists and members of …

Annual tourists expected to continue in large numbers for Semana Santa

The state of Baja California expects up to a quarter million travelers to visit tourists destinations during Easter week, which is known as Semana Santa in Mexico. According to Juan Tintos Funcke, head of the Ministry of Tourism, the state …

Southern California Edison’s plan to restart one of the two shuttered nuclear reactors at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station could be as much as three times as costly as keeping the plant inactive and purchasing power from elsewhere, according to …

Brokerage sells high-commission non-traded REITs, among other things

San Diego-based LPL Financial has grown into the nation's fourth largest brokerage firm with 13,300 brokers, 6,500 offices and 4.3 million customers -- but "a growing list of problems with regulators," notes the New York Times in a story this …

Says his father now regrets the funds he provided to Prop. 8

The Austin Chronicle, in an article that was picked up here, confused Douglas F. "Papa Doug" Manchester, founder of Manchester Financial Group, with his son, Douglas W. Manchester, president of the Manchester Texas Financial Group. The young Manchester emailed the …

Door seems to open for SDGE to try again for new plants

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), meeting today (March 21), turned down Quail Brush and Pio Pico power plants that San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) has been pushing for. San Diegans have expressed strong opposition to both plants, and …

Oral arguments to be heard Friday

Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor today (March 21) turned down the request of the Tourism Marketing District (TMD) to force Mayor Bob Filner to sign an operating agreement that would provide $30 million annually for tourism promotion from a 2% …

Daughters 7 and 9 gagged then hung

Playas de Rosarito police discovered two young girls murdered in their home in the evening of Wednesday, March 20th. The victims, 7 and 9 year old sisters, were found gagged with tape and hung by rope. The 45 year old …

Two off-duty agents survived a public fight and then trial for battery

This morning, March 21, 2013, the United States Border Patrol stated: “Agent Helwig and Agent Torello are on administrative duties pending an internal investigation.” This appears to be the same status they have had since June of 2012. Ten months …

Campaign committee run by San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council lays out more than $75,000 for cause of Myrtle Cole, according to filing

With the special election for city council in San Diego's fourth city council district already shaping up as a classic money battle between labor unions and the city's well-heeled real estate and development interests, San Diego Works!, an independent expenditure …

County rents 4th highest among major metro areas

Is the housing bubble reinflating? With the Federal Reserve continuing to create money at a frenetic pace, one has to wonder. In February, U.S. home values rose 5.8%. Among the largest 30 markets, San Diego was 8th in year-over-year advance, …

The Port of San Diego yesterday (March 19) released an 18-page set of restrictions governing the use and placement of news racks along bay front property under its jurisdiction. The ordinance was first proposed last October, in order to “continue …

Construction impacts caused many businesses to lose major cash and even forced some to close.

SDG&E's newly built Sunrise Powerlink is the tie that binds the power grids in Imperial Valley and San Diego County. For businesses located on Alpine Boulevard in the unincorporated community of Alpine, the line also cut off access to local …

The Center on Policy Initiatives, a labor-friendly San Diego economic think tank, announced yesterday (March 19) that Dr. Peter Brownell is joining the organization’s staff as its research director. “Dr. Brownell comes to CPI from the RAND Corporation, an international …

Downtown's Sheppard Mullin, a major hotel developer lobbyist, amends filing four days after story on contributions of its lawyers to failed GOP mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, a city hall lobbying mainstay for members of San Diego's hotel development industry, La Jolla's tony Bishops' School, as well as San Diego Gas & Electric and a host of other major corporate and industrial …

Outside funding is running dry and the City must decide what to do about the fluoridation of the water supply.

The debate over adding fluoride to the City's water supply is back. After two years, the City of San Diego is forced to revisit the issue. State law requires large water suppliers to fluoridate its drinking water in hopes of …

A decision by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission on whether to allow Southern California Edison to partially bring its San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station back online has been pushed back again, in order to give the Commission more time to …

January 2012 beating death in Oceanside now confessed as second-degree-murder

Tyree Davon Paschall, 29, admitted killing a transgender prostitute more than a year ago, in Oceanside. In a plea deal yesterday in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse, the repeat felon admitted second-degree murder when he beat Crain Conaway to …

Utilities commission can go ahead with closed conclave tomorrow at Scripps Seaside Forum

The Fourth District Court of Appeal today (March 19) denied a bid by San Diegan Masada Disenhouse to block a meeting tomorrow of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) at Scripps Seaside Forum. The CPUC will be discussing cleantech. Disenhouse …

Suspect killed victim and attempted to dispose of body before being caught near border fence

A Tijuana man admitted to killing and dismembering a woman after being detained by municipal authorities on Monday, March 18th. The suspect, 25 year old Roberto Alejandro Cortez Chora, was arrested along with three family members in the death of …

Man admits to distributing 30-40 pounds of methamphetamine per month for Mexican Mafia prison gang

A prolific methamphetamine trafficker has been sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison following his guilty plea on racketeering charges. Silvano Hernandez Jr., a 40 year-old San Diegan and member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, was one of 36 …

Risk of tube risk greatly heightened after 11 months, utility still says it wants to test reactor under 70% load

Amid rumors that Southern California Edison’s plan to restart one of the two troubled reactors at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station under partial power could trigger a license amendment, the utility has released a report to federal regulators stating that …

California judge finds sufficient evidence of kidnap, torture and murder

Louis Ray Perez, 46, frowned at the judge while he was being ordered to stand trial for the killing of Brittany Dawn Killgore, a 22-year-old woman who was married to a Marine deployed to Afghanistan when she went missing almost …

One victim’s body dismembered, another strangled to death

Two women were found dead near the U.S. border in Tijuana within 48 hours, according to municipal and state authorities. The remains of one woman, who was reported missing last week, was found around 11:00am in a shanty home near …

Digital news audience surges, but news media not cashing in

The news industry is "more undermanned and unprepared to uncover stories, dig deep into emerging ones or to question information put into its hands," says Pew Research in its "State of the News Media 2013," published today (March 18). In …

Out-of-district developers heaping cash on Fourth District council race

Some of San Diego's richest and most controversial developers are pouring money into one of its poorest city council districts in a well-funded effort to elect a top aide of the man who quit the seat in the midst of …

One risk factor is presence of gene that often leads to Alzheimer's disease

The American Academy of Neurology, meeting today (March 18) in San Diego, issued new guidelines for dealing with athletes' concussions. More than one million athletes experience a concussion each year in the United States; the risks are greatest in football …

California DRE says perpetrators have hijacked the names of stateside licensees

In case selling a timeshare itself isn’t a hazardous enough proposition, the California Department of Real Estate has reported that a new scam is emerging surrounding popular resort properties in Baja California and elsewhere in Mexico, according to a recent …

Official report states lower drug crime in state and nation for start of year

The Attorney General’s Office of Mexico (Procuraduría General de la República or PGR) released positive statistics on drug related crime in the state of Baja California on Monday, March 18th. The report states that 141 crimes related to drug trafficking …

City to install seven backup generators at the two pump stations that sent 3.4 million gallons of sewage during massive outage

On March 4 San Diego city councilmembers agreed to pay a $600,000 fine for a massive sewage dump from two pump stations during the September 2011 blackout. Now, the City is shelling out an additional $6,795,534; this time to install …

Potential conflict of interest involving Pete Wilson’s ex-top political guru and high flying lobbying business detailed in L.A. Times

Today's Los Angeles Times is it out with a report on the rapidly growing amount of cash the state's cities and counties are spending on Sacramento lobbyists. According to the Times, lobbyist spending by local government topped $96 million during …

4,383 cars stopped, 47 non-DUI cites, 23 cars impounded

Area law enforcement coordinated another DUI crackdown over the weekend, posting “DUI/driver license checkpoints” throughout San Diego County in Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove and Poway, with additional Sheriff’s deputies patrolling Encinitas enforcing a zero tolerance policy on public intoxication. …

LA Times, U-T, Denver Post have different views on what Anschutz doing

Denver multi-billionaire Philip Anschutz on Thursday decided not to sell his Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). The bids were too low. Anschutz also fired AEG chief executive Tim Leiweke, who has been dealing with the National Football League, LA politicians, state …

Ordinance would enact a two-percent tax on all purchases while easing zoning restrictions for dispensary operators.

Mayor Bob Filner's goal to improve access for patients in need of "compassionate use of medical marijuana throughout San Diego" just may be achieved if city councilmembers agree to adopt the Mayor's draft medical marijuana ordinance at a council hearing …

A Better San Diego, a collection of community and faith groups largely backed by local labor unions, held the latest in its series of ongoing monthly breakfast forums on Friday (March 15), inviting three pro-immigration reform speakers to comprise a …

However, investors don't seem to be worried about $96 million judgment

On Thursday (March 14) a jury in Tacoma, Washington found that local biotech Illumina, maker of genetic analysis equipment, infringed the patent of Washington-based Syntrix Biosystems on synthetic matrix and array technology. The Washington company's law firm believes it could …

Investigators collected evidence from homes and cars of suspects

Shelley Webster, a forensic biologist, told a judge she found the DNA of Louis Perez on the strap and handle of a “stun baton” that was collected as evidence in the murder case of Brittany Killgore, who went missing almost …

Peltier to pay restitution, serve home incarceration and detention

Robert Peltier, one of two principal owners of Ranch Catering, was ordered to pay $222,822 in restitution today (March 15) for tax evasion in operation of his business. Federal Judge Janis L. Sammartino also sentenced him to serve six months …

Alleged second in command of Arellano Félix Organization arrested

The Mexican Army carried out an operation for over an hour in the Colonia Juárez in Tijuana, on Friday, March 15th. According to local authorities, the operation resulted in the apprehension of the alleged number two ranking member of the …

But big buyers pushing L.A., Vegas, Phoenix, Sacramento sales

Here's good news for the San Diego economy. For the year ended December of 2012, large institutional buyers accounted for only 9% of county home sales, according to Radar Logic Research. By contrast Phoenix (19%), Las Vegas (19%), Sacramento (14%) …

San Diego Veterans for Peace, a group which has been holding weekly protests outside General Atomics’ drone manufacturing facility at Scripps Poway Parkway and General Atomics Way in eastern Poway for six months, unveiled a new 1/5 scale model of …

Carrillo, Huettel fraudulently helped Canadian touts, says SEC

San Diego attorneys Luis J. Carrillo and Wade Huettel, along with their firm, Carrillo Huettel LLP, have been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with complicity in a pump and dump fraud scheme that allowed a group of …

Another teenage girl rescued after being held against her will

A 15 year old girl was rescued in Tijuana on Wednesday, March 13th, after police were notified she was being held against her will. According to authorities, a 33 year old male suspect was apprehended at the residence. The suspect, …

Sheppard Mullin lawyers heaped cash on failed mayoral campaign of local Republican stalwart against Democratic mayor now under fire in GOP hotelier's suit

Attorneys at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton - the big downtown law and lobbying firm where San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy B. Taylor worked for two decades before being appointed to the bench by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in …

Students for Justice in Palestine successful on fifth attempt to pass measure

Students for Justice in Palestine at the UC San Diego campus were successful in a bid on March 14 to pass a resolution through the Associated Students body calling for the divestment of the university from corporations including “Northrop Grumman, …

Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment says Wells Fargo is failing in offering borrowers loan modifications

The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) caused a chaotic scene this morning when sixty or more protesters stormed the Best Practices in Retail Financial Services Symposium being held from March 13-15 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in …

Tiny town of Potrero fought Blackwater and county bureaucracy -- and won

Back in 2007, the little town San Diego County town of Potrero, right near Tecate and 45 miles from the City of San Diego, took on mercenary firm Blackwater USA, which wanted to build an 824-acre training facility only three …

Evidence confirmed statements in handwritten note found with one suspect

Dr. Craig Nelson, a forensic pathologist, testified today that 22-year-old Brittany Killgore was killed by ligature strangulation. The doctor first observed the body where it was found, in the dirt alongside a road near Lake Skinner, in a remote area …

Capital of Baja California founded in 1903

Mexicali, the capital of Baja California, is celebrating 110 years as a city on Thursday, March 14th. The city, with an estimated municipal population of over 950,000, has been the capital of Baja California since 1914. The city began developing …

Owner of UT San Diego to start preparing environmental documents necessary for project to move forward

The uptick in the real estate market that Doug Manchester was waiting for appears to have arrived. Yesterday, the City of San Diego gave notice that the developer and owner of the UT San Diego is moving closer to building …

Dueling opinions regarding the necessity and wisdom behind continuing to charge ratepayers for the full operation costs of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station despite its failure to actually generate power for over a year played out on the pages of …

Timothy B. Taylor declines to remove himself from mayor's case after making disclosure to parties regarding facts first reported here

He's never returned our phone calls, but the judge in the San Diego hotel moguls' case against mayor Bob Filner has issued a statement regarding our report last week that his nominating petition was circulated by veteran city hall political …

Six arrested and teen rescued by Tijuana police

A municipal police officer from Playas de Rosarito was arrested, along with five other accomplices, for sexually exploiting a teenage girl on Wednesday, March 13th. An anonymous caller notified police, from the colonia Camino Verde, of cries for help coming …

The San Diego chapter of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund set a new donations record at its annual fundraising banquet, “Healing Hearts, Building Hope,” on the evening of Sunday, March 10. Money raised from the event goes toward the Fund’s …

Jorge Mario Bergoglio chooses name "Francis"

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has been named Pope. The white smoke appeared in Rome at 11:06 a.m. West Coast time, and the new Pope appeared a little more than an hour later.

A family of science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts from Carmel Valley has launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking $4,500 to pay for illustration and publishing of Finstin, the second release from father Henry Herz in collaboration with his sons Josh and …

Owners of San Diego's biggest newspaper and Mission Valley's biggest hotel complex hatch plans for development of flood-prone San Diego River

U-T San Diego publisher Doug Manchester and Atlas Hotels president C. Terry Brown - who is leading a Manchester-backed legal war against mayor Bob Filner – can be said to have at least four things in common. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/13/41829/ Both are …

Lawsuit filed by Ramona citizens and Union over Sol Orchard

A group of Ramona residents and a labor union have joined forces to fight a 42.7-acre solar plant proposed for the southern portion of Ramona. The group, Concerned Ramona Citizens, and Laborers International Union of North America Number 89, along …

The Rancho Bernardo Planning Board is taking offense to what they see as threatening behavior from one of Mayor Bob Filner’s staffers and are demanding clarification on his statements, the RanchoBernardo-4SRanch Patch is reporting. At issue is the status of …

Rumors racing; Manchester, Kochs would probably return Times to bad old days

Today (March 12), rumors are flying on the web that the arch-conservative, multi-billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, may financially help Papa Doug Manchester buy the Los Angeles Times or its parent, the Tribune Co., which recently emerged from a …

The City of Carlsbad is progressing much quicker than expected in moving to replace its traditional water meters with electronic devices that can be read electronically by a laptop computer mounted in a city truck driving by. “We’ll have replaced …

But company's profits top Wall Street expectations; stock rises

Controversial Bridgepoint Education, the for-profit university operation that is being probed by government bodies and is having trouble with accreditors, suffered a fourth quarter drop of 30 percent in net income, as enrollment dropped about the same percentage. For the …

Slater-Price, who got major campaign cash from culture executives during county career, turns over remaining six-figure re-election stash to arts and other groups

During her many years as a member of the San Diego county board of supervisors, Pam Slater-Price generated her share of controversy for taking free trips and tickets from local cultural groups to which she helped direct taxpayer subsidies. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/12/41652/ …

New bill to lower costs and weaken monopolies

Mexico plans to go through with a bill that would allow more competition in markets that are dominated by one company. The nation’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto, presented the plan Monday, March 11th, which is intended to help prices and …

A group organized by the Committee Against Police Brutality filled the World Beat Center in Balboa Park on Saturday, March 9 for a San Diego People’s Power Assembly, modeled after a national format that came to life through the Occupy …

Marine corporal pleads not guilty to murder of Army reservist

The family of Alvin Bulaoro said he left home about 9 p.m. December 21, 2012. Alvin’s brother reported him missing December 23; he told investigators that Alvin was homosexual and “under financial stress.” On January 3, the family reported they …

Court testimony of strange goings-on at home in Fallbrook

Brittany Killgore was a lonely young woman, packing up her things to move back home to Pennsylvania, when she got talked into going out with a man who soon killed her, according to a prosecutor who is calling witnesses this …

17 year old allegedly killed 9 victims in less than a year

A suspected teenage hitman was apprehended in Tijuana on Saturday, March 9th, after pulling off a brazen attack which killed a man at La Ruta de la 6 bar in la Zona Centro. The attack occurred around 7:30pm, which also …

Qualcomm billionaire wanted mammoth parking garage to be "almost human-free," spurned idea his money could be used to fix potholes

San Diego's richest man, Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, always said that since he was putting up the money for his now-defunct Balboa Park traffic and parking makeover plan, there should be no arguments about how he wanted to spend it. …

Ruling tentative; San Diego's plan was based on one used in San Jose

Judge Ronald Prager of Superior Court ruled today (March 11) that the scheme concocted to evade a citizen vote on the tax assessment for the $520 million Convention Center expansion meets legal requirements. San Diego voters had twice turned down …

March 20 meeting breaks open meeting law, says her lawyer

Masada Disenhouse today (March 11) filed suit in superior court after she was not permitted to attend a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) meeting March 20 meeting at Scripps Seaside Forum. The subject will be cleantech. So-called "stakeholders" will be …

Active-lifestyle event company wants over $1.6 million for alleged breach of contract

The collaboration between the American Cancer Society and Competitor Group Inc, the owner and operator of the Rock-n-Roll Marathon, has run its course. The San Diego-based company, recently purchased by private equity firm Calera Capital, filed a lawsuit in federal …

Nearly one in six nuclear reactors faced safety breaches last year, according to a report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists on Thursday, March 7. The organization says lax oversight by federal authorities is at least partly to blame, …

The El Cajon Police Department says it will be cracking down on careless motorcyclists and automobile drivers who engage in behavior that put motorcyclists at risk. Funded by state and federal grant money, the police force will spend March 11 …

Gun assault, child pornography, cheating of client involved

Three San Diego lawyers have been disbarred by the State Bar of California, according to the California Bar Journal. Jac Francois Pouliot was disbarred January 9. He was convicted in 2011 of assault with a deadly weapon, but failed to …

Ex Parte hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 12.

The City of San Diego wants to take another shot at convincing a jury that they should not be held responsible for the palm tree that fell on Michael Burke's legs during a in January 2010 storm. Last December, a …

Seventeen organizations informed of the hold today

According to Business Wire, the San Diego Tourism Marketing District put its 2014 funding requests on indefinite hold today (March 8). Terry Brown of Atlas Hotels, chairman of TMD, said the marketing promotion group does not have a contract -- …

Trouble is, experience says they don't work out

A judge begins hearing a case next week on the legality of hotel room rate surcharges to pay for the proposed expansion of the convention center. Later, the Coastal Commission will decide if the expansion should go ahead. Mark Fabiani, …

The World Resources Simulation Center on the evening of March 7 played host to a discussion of what Center director Peter Meisen termed “an oncoming collision” of projections – one from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) on the …

Troy Teague headed La Posta commission; casino now closed

Troy Teague, former executive director of the La Posta Gaming Commission, pleaded guilty today (March 8) to embezzling $57,000 from the La Posta Band of Mission Indians. The La Posta casino in Boulevard was the smallest of the 11 Native …

Aide says lawman's office didn't know of law and learned of possible penalties from news reports of $37,500 fine levied against Sacramento mayor

In an apparent case of better late than never, a top aide to San Diego county Sheriff Bill Gore says two so-called behesting disclosure statements were filed months late by the sheriff because his office wasn't aware of the California …

Councilmember David Alvarez will present the resolution at a council committee hearing on March 13

Councilmember David Alvarez is calling on federal and state lawmakers to reinstate the ban on military-style assault weapons, such as those used in mass shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut and a movie theatre outside of Denver, Colorado. Alvarez …

A preliminary artist rendering for a gateway sign to the Barrio Logan neighborhood proposed last August was recently made public. The sign, set to span Cesar E. Chavez Parkway between Main Street and Newton Avenue, was designed by local architect …

At 7.7%, February jobless rate lowest in five years

The U.S. economy added 236,000 jobs in February as the unemployment rate dropped to 7.7%, lowest since December of 2008, during the Great Recession. Economists had expected 160,000 jobs with the rate staying at 7.9%. Government shed 10,000 jobs, but …

Dumb dance fascinates millions. Hijinks ensue.

Watching the potentially utopian vehicle of cyber-memes get twisted into unabashed marketing ploys may leave you a little cynical (like when you discovered that just about anything is liable to contain horse meat or that Ann Wilson got fat), but …

Elisabeth Masters expects nine years prison for "white collar crime"

A 45-year-old woman accused of embezzling more than $5 million dollars made a plea deal in San Diego’s North County courthouse yesterday morning, March 6, 2013. Elizabeth Ann Masters pleaded guilty to grand theft, forgery, theft by false pretenses, and …

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging & Independence Services is on a push to expand its Legacy Corps program that provides temporary volunteer care for veterans and active duty disabled military members who rely on family …

Subsidized stadium champion and rich ex-city manager and a variety of well-heeled San Diegans and La Jollans place bets in Los Angeles political derby, disclosures show

Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti, who got through that city's mayoral primary this week, are already back on the campaign trail, duking it out in advance of the May general election. Garcetti got 33 …

Other California cities drop sharply, too

The number of San Diego County homes listed for sale on Zillow plummeted by 39.4% for the year ended late February, the company reported today (March 7). Among the 30 largest metro areas, the contraction in California was dominant: Sacramento's …

U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted another load of marijuana on March 5, shortly after it crossed the border on the backs of four men near the Imperial Valley town of Calexico. Shortly before 8 p.m., agents observed five men, four …

Municipal police working diligently to apprehend local criminals

The Tijuana municipal police rounded up 14 alleged drug dealers in the late hours of Tuesday, March 5th, and into the early hours of Wednesday. According to local authorities, the most significant arrest was that of 20 year old Raúl …

His bankrolling of California's Proposition 8 hangs over his Austin hotel

The AustinChronicle.com today (March 6) tweaked San Diego's Papa Doug Manchester over the same-sex marriage issue. The new Fairmont Austin hotel is being financed by Manchester Texas Financial Group. The Chronicle reminded its readers that Manchester helped pay for California's …

Taylor backers with stake in hotel moguls' legal attack on San Diego mayor include Evans Hotels’ chief financial officer Robert H. Gleason and spouse

Superior Court Judge Timothy B. Taylor - who yesterday ruled that GOP hotel magnates could expedite their lawsuit against Bob Filner - has benefited from key political backing by several of the major players arrayed against the Democratic San Diego …

Board has access to a so-called catastrophe fund.

The feud between Mayor Bob Filner and Jan Goldsmith spilled over in a San Diego Superior court room during a March 5 hearing. "For the record, your honor I do not have an attorney," Mayor Filner told Judge Timothy Taylor …

Those planning to move seek lower cost of living

According to a survey of 200 San Diegans by discount brokerage Charles Schwab & Co., 73% of the so-called affluent plan to retire in the county, while 24% plan to move -- almost half to achieve lower living costs. For …

A San Diego man was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Monday, March 4 for pimping out underage girls. The 20 year-old Garcia, who pleaded guilty last August, “made thousands of dollars pimping out underage girls using Internet ads,” …

The Republican Party of San Diego County has vowed to wage an intense and likely high-dollar value battle against Scott Peters in the 2014 election cycle, just two months after Peters took office. In a release bearing the headline “Democrats …

Man who called for help 8 years ago now charged with murder

A 29-year-old Fallbrook man is on trial for murder, accused in the death of a toddler 8 years ago. Efrain Cornejo, then 21, phoned paramedics when a 14-month-old baby in his care stopped breathing. The five-minute 911 call was played …

By representing himself in court, Democrat Filner steps into a clubby world of Republican judicial cash and big business ties

San Diego mayor Bob Filner - who appeared before San Diego Superior Court judge Timothy B. Taylor today to unsuccessfully argue against an expedited hearing of the lawsuit brought against him by hotel moguls - is more familiar with the …

The Port of San Diego on February 28 announced that Minneapolis-based sculpture artist Randy Walker has been awarded a $110,000 budget to develop a “temporary, multi-site artwork” for the Port’s Tenth Avenue and National City Marine Terminals. As the winner …

Number of those caught attempting to cross border illegally dropping

The number of people caught trying to cross into California illegally has dropped to its lowest number in over 10 years, according to Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officials. CBP officials recently stated that the lower number in apprehensions is …

Suit related to 2009 suffocation death, Wal Mart, Kmart and retail store managers also named in suit

A Pennsylvania woman has been cleared by a federal judge to pursue a lawsuit against Wal Mart, Kmart, and San Diego-based baby products manufacturer Infantino LLC over the death of her son. Anthoinette Medley was walking in a Philadelphia mall …

Jury says bribery and money laundering part of scheme

A federal jury today (March 4) found two persons and one company guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering in connection with military contracting. Found guilty were Robert Ehnow, president of Poway's L&N Industrial Tool & …

Ed Miller battled and finally nailed C. Arnholt Smith

In all but a few daily newspapers, such as the New York Times, obituaries tend to gloss over or not even mention news that a community doesn't want to recall. So it is with the Union-Tribune's report today (March 4) …

Trial for man accused in head-on collision in Valley Center almost one year ago

A San Diego County prosecutor asked the jury to find an Escondido man guilty of second-degree murder, after he allegedly caused a fatal head-on-collision in Valley Center almost a year ago, on April 25, 2012. Jose Raul Najera, 34, is …

Order to stay from U.S. judge holds transfer until outside panel can weigh in on case.

The National Football League wants that the case filed by relatives of Junior Seau to be heard by the federal courts, not the San Diego Superior Court where Seau's surviving relatives originally filed the lawsuit. The case, filed, on January …

UC San Diego announced on March 2 that the campus will be adding 784,000 watts of solar power generating capability. The move will increase solar generation by nearly a third, bringing the total capacity of solar arrays installed there to …

San Diego's Bridgepoint Education down 3.43%

For-profit education stocks got walloped today (March 4) after Senate Democrats proposed a bill that would strengthen the Department of Education's oversight of these controversial entities. According to Yahoo, the legislation would require the department to conduct reviews of colleges …

Family seeking girl who has not been seen in 8 days

A Tijuana family is seeking help in locating their high school age daughter, as she has been missing since February 24th. Angélica Camacho Campos was last seen in Zona Centro with friends, yet failed to return home. Angélica is around …

Cost of care, feeding, and travel for Assembly Democrat by big gift givers in 2012 may top San Diego delegation

Who was the biggest gift recipient of all among California legislators from San Diego in 2012? http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/04/41054/ All filings aren't in yet, but according to a spreadsheet analysis of the delegation's personal financial disclosure statements recently posted online by the …

Mitt Romney wasted little time getting project back on track

Sunday former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney emerged from hiding for his first interview since losing the election in November. According to a report from Reuters, the GOP contender and his wife Ann have been holed up in their beach …

Authorities are still looking for a man suspected of numerous incidents of indecent exposure in the Cardiff by the Sea area dating back to November 2012. The suspect is described as a white male, age 25-30, last seen on the …

Koch brothers-backed ALEC picks up tab for GOP's Anderson; Democrat Atkins books trip to Russia, thanks to Moscow's Duma

Some fine times on the road were no doubt had last year by the members of San Diego's state legislative delegation, judging from their personal financial disclosure reports just posted online by California's Fair Political Practices Commission. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/03/41011/ Perhaps not …

Baja California city officially records zero homicides

The city of Ensenada, which lies 103km (64.2 miles) south of Tijuana, recorded its first month without a homicide since May of 2005. According to statistics released by the state’s attorney general, the Baja California coastal city recorded zero homicides …

Long-running Hilton Mission Valley fight could portend more labor discord

Twenty hotel workers were arrested last night (March 1) at the Hilton Mission Valley. By one account, 250 workers, community activists, and clergy members were there to protest low wages and job insecurity. The workers represent Local 30 of the …

Hearing in San Diego North County Superior Court to continue next week

An Oceanside couple were in court last week, accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old niece, and arranging for the girl to be paid for sex acts with another man. The alleged victim also claimed the pair kept her as a …

Alleged drug dealers gunned down in street violence

During the late hours of Thursday, February 28th, and into Friday morning, three homicides occurred across Tijuana. According to authorities, all three are tied to local drug sales. The first victim, 27 year old Jorge Luis Ramírez Cisneros, was shot …

Simmone Ballinger admits to Arizona tryst

The state's Board of Psychology, Department of Consumer Affairs, has entered into a stipulated surrender of license and disciplinary order with Simmone Ballinger, PhD, who admitted that she had sex with a patient during a trip to Arizona. This is …

Henry Amigable, program manager for bond construction at Southwestern College and Sweetwater Union High School sentenced with misdemeanor

Henry Amigable was sentenced March 1 with a misdemeanor in a South bay corruption case. The case is related to Southwestern's proposition R and Sweetwater Union's proposition O bond construction monies. Amigable will be on probation for three years, spend …

Brandon Johnson took bribes, gamblers cleaned up in Vegas

Brandon Johnson, former University of San Diego basketball hero, today (March 1) was sentenced to serve six months in custody for conspiracy to commit sports bribery. He had pleaded guilty last November. He influenced the outcome of USD games during …

The board of directors of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District decided in a closed session meeting on March 1 to apply for intervenor status in the lawsuit filed last week by Brigitte Browning against the San Diego City Council. …

Prosecutor will not retry either defendant on two misdemeanor counts

Three weeks ago, on February 11, a jury declared a female Border Patrol agent guilty of misdemeanor battery for slugging another woman in the head, three times. Today, Kallie Lamb Helwig was sentenced to three years unsupervised or “summary” probation, …

Report to Congress by Government Accountability Office speculates on possibility drug war in Mexico may escalate and cross the Southwest border into U.S.

Heads are rolling and bullets flying in the United States-assisted drug war south of the border, but - so far at least - stateside collateral damage has been minimal, if "highly underreported." http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/01/40938/ And getting drug war soldiers and victims …

Vote results from the City Clerk's Office shows support for hotel tax came from smaller hotels.

The Tourism Marketing District isn't very popular these days. And judging by the official vote, the two percent tax on hotel guests isn't considered all that important to District board members either. The five board members who voted to file …

The Howard Johnson hotel on Hotel Circle in Mission Valley has been ordered by City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s office to pay $10,000 in fines and over $21,000 in investigative costs to the City of San Diego as a result of …

Maria Carmen Nater ordered to repay thousands to libraries

A Vista woman accused of stealing thousands of books from San Diego County libraries in 2011, was in court yesterday asking permission to travel to Mexico. Maria Carmen Nater, 46, was granted her probation modification appeal yesterday, February 28, 2013, …