Relocation notice!
Effective October 17, 2013, News Ticker has moved out of the blogs and into the News & Stories section.
You may also be interested in: City Lights | Neighborhood News from Stringers | News Under the Radar
Entries
Grand Jury transcripts--are there hidden costs to bond construction?
A window into proposition construction expenses for Sweetwater Union High School and Southwestern College
The grand jury's investigation into corruption in the South Bay resulted in 15 indictments of school district administrators, trustees and contractors. Some attorneys argue that the grand jury inquiry is one-sided as clients are not allowed to have counsel present. …
Medical Marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access sued over trademark infringement
Orange County businessman and former dispensary owner says he obtained rights to the name and wants the sites shut down.
As if accessing medicinal marijuana wasn't hard enough for some patients in San Diego County, now it appears that even advocates are having a hard time maintaining access to their name and website. Last week, an Anaheim-based businessman and former …
Predator drones and Qualcomm cash likely to finance Peters-DeMaio clash
Today's GOP announcement launches scramble for millions of special interest money from deep pockets of San Diego's high-tech and military contracting political bases
It's too soon to find any information posted online by the Federal Election Commission regarding the cash behind today's just-launched congressional campaign of Carl DeMaio, the Republican ex-city councilman who last year lost his mayoral election bid to Democrat Bob …
Nurses charged with misconduct, including sex assault
Controlled substances, alcohol also allegedly involved
The Board of Registered Nursing has filed accusations against six San Diego area nurses. Dale Edward Robinson is charged with sexually assaulting elderly women, one of whom was suffering dementia. Susan Haidvogel and Jaime Lynn Murray were charged with alcohol-related …
Psychologist gets 21 months for falsifying records
Roberto Velasquez said people disabled when they were not
Clinical psychologist Roberto Velasquez was sentenced today (May 29) to 21 months in federal prison for certifying that dozens of people were disabled when they are not. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, he fabricated patient histories and test results.
Grand Jury investigation transcripts for South Bay school districts released
As the wheel turns
Pictured: Bonifacio Garcia, Diane Russo and Lillian Leopold Transcripts of the grand jury's November-December investigation into alleged corruption between some South Bay trustees, administrators, and contractors were released May 28. There are 28 volumes of witness testimony; some of the …
Man denies abusing girlfriend's daughter
Daniel Roger Hood pleads not guilty to eleven felony charges
A pretty 11-year-old girl gave testimony today accompanied by Barry, her fluffy teddy bear, which she has had “ever since I was two-and-a-half,” the jury learned today. The bear was a gift from her dad when he came back from …
DEA official claims Arellano Félix Organization dead, despite current activity in Tijuana
U.S. authorities give contradicting statements, claiming AFO has been dismantled after conviction of Eduardo Arellano Félix
Eduardo Arellano Félix, the fourth Arellano Félix brother to be targeted by the DEA, has entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. The plea, which was approved at …
Sempra spends big, lobbies Rand Paul's anti-regulation bill
San Diego-based utility giant lists Kentucky GOP senator's "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act" as a top lobbying topic, employs ex-Feinstein aide as lobbyist for Mexico wind farm
Federal lobbying disclosure reports for the first quarter of this year posted online by the U.S. Congress reveal that lobbyists for San Diego's Sempra Energy have been busy as usual in Washington, D.C., tackling a host of controversial issues, many …
Council to consider placing a cap on party campaign contributions
Council to hear ordinance on June 4, one day after election-cycle begins.
Political parties in San Diego might have to look for other ways to funnel cash to candidates. On June 4 city councilmembers will discuss whether to adopt an ordinance that would cap the amount that political parties can donate at …
Man's cell phone video is used against him
Daniel Hood is accused of videoing himself abusing a 9-year-old girl
A 13-year-old boy who saw disturbing pictures on a man’s cell phone secretly took the phone and brought it to his father. The father said his son told him, “You got to see what’s on this guy’s phone.” The father …
Downtown San Diego Partnership to spend $110,000 of PBID funds on Director of Homeless Outreach
Position will be the eighth salaried position for the PBID.
The Downtown San Diego Partnership is willing to spend any amount of money, taxpayer money that is, to cut down on panhandlers in downtown and to end homelessness. The agency is looking for a person to fill a newly created …
More layoffs at Union-Tribune
News people get the axe in North County restructuring
The Union-Tribune laid off 4 or 5 news people in a restructuring in North County today (May 28), according to good sources. I don't have more details at this time but will add them as I get more. As previously …
Department of Homeland Security to continue border crossing fee study
Despite getting cut out of immigration reform bill, DHS will continue to analyze possibility of crossing fee
A proposal to implement mandatory fees, for crossing into the United States from Canada or Mexico, was cut out of the Senate immigration reform bill but is still being analyzed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to Fox …
Shacknai case polygrapher a focus of news service investigation
McClatchy News Service investigates national circuit of lie detector experts, including one in San Diego
Washington-based McClatchy News Service is out with an investigative report targeting what it says is a national network of lie detector experts who work part time for a major polygraph manufacturer, creating what the expose characterizes as a potential for …
County home values continue soaring
Up 10.2% on yearly basis, beating U.S.
San Diego County home values shot up 2.2% in March from February, topping the increase of 1.2% among the 20 largest metro areas, according to Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller data released this morning (May 28). Over the last 12 months, …
Memorial Day celebration in San Diego County
Timely ceremony at Mount Soledad veterans' memorial
If you have not yet been to the Mt. Soledad veterans’ memorial, this is the perfect weekend to visit. It is a pleasant drive while you rise more than 800 feet above the landscape, with wonderful views all around San …
Judge to release grand jury transcripts in alleged corruption cases
Judge Ana Espana, who is presiding over the corruption investigations begun in December 2010 will release grand jury transcripts May 29/30
In the South County Superior Court on May 25, Judge Ana Espana inclined toward making 99.9 % of the transcripts available from the grand jury investigation into South County corruption in three school districts: Southwestern College, Sweetwater Union High School …