January 2016

Thieves wigging out with Grand Avenue wig shop crime wave

A brazen young thief was caught by surveillance cameras in the act early Wednesday of robbing HQ Too Wigs on Grand Avenue. At least a half-dozen wigs valued at more than $300 were taken in the Wednesday robbery. (Surveillance video of early Wednesday wig shop theft. Break-in occurs just after 1:00 mark.) As shocking as that action was, it also represented the third break-in at…


Food for fines went fine, volunteering and more Escondido community news

Library ‘Holiday Food for Fines’ program deemed successful Escondido Public Library’s principal librarian Joanna Axelrod didn’t mince words. “Escondido Public Library’s annual Holiday Food for Fines program proved once again to be very successful,” Axelrod said. “During the collection drive, which ran from Monday, Nov. 30 through Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, the Library accumulated 50 crates of food weighing an estimated 1,500 pounds.” The program lets library…


State of the Union gun control proposals unlikely to affect local gun ownership

(As President Obama outlined new gun control executive orders in his final State of the Union speech tonight, the fact is these rules will have no affect on Escondido, San Marcos, Valley Center and San Diego County gun ownership. As inewsource investigator Joe Berardi found this week, local gun ownership and sales are among the lowest in the state and nation. His report follows…) Most…


Deadly driving week around Escondido

It was a deadly start of the driving week on Escondido roads with the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office late Tuesday identifying the latest local road victim as Galileo Esteban Diego, 21, of Temecula. Diego died immediately after he crashed his silver 2006 Dodge Caravan westbound on Country Club Lane near Broadway just before 7:30 p.m. Monday. His minivan was nearly torn in half when…


Living with dogs; Why I like monasteries

LIVING WITH DOGS Yes, yes, I’ve moved again. The last place didn’t work out even though it was incredibly beautiful. The tribe that lived there was, well, not my cup of tea (to the say the least.) Well-meaning, maybe but from another universe I think. Anyway, I’ve relocated and am living with two, and sometimes more, of the cutest dogs, both personality-wise and physically, the…


Powerball sugar plums danced in their heads

Californians led the nation in Powerball sales, spending $59.1 million by 7 p.m. Saturday, when sales closed. Powerball fans: It was a good day to be a local lottery retailer, maybe not so good to be a lottery ticket buyer. Don’t tell Powerball ticket buyers that, though, because every one of them Saturday, before 7 p.m. or so, forked over their $2 for tickets, sometimes…


California Center of the Arts, Escondido ’tis always the season (for hair) (updated)

Opening this weekend at The Museum at California Center for the Arts, Escondido is “The History and the Hair Story: 400 Years Without A Comb” exhibition running from Jan. 16 to March 6, 2016. Curated by Starla Lewis (Professor of Black History at San Diego Mesa College), “The History and the Hair Story: 400 Years Without A Comb” follows hair trends from Africa, into the…


Behold the tallest 22 buildings in all the land, or at least Escondido

Escondido features two high-rise buildings, 36 low-rise buildings, four open-air structures, two masts (poles) and one stadium, according to Emporis, a global provider of building information. The Emporis top 20 tallest buildings listing hasn’t been updated to include what now rules the skyscape roost, i.e. Palomar Medical Center at 2185 Citracado Parkway and didn’t list the Escondido Police & Fire Headquarters, 115,371-square-feet on 6.6. acres…


El Nino huffed and puffed and blew Goodwill Industries Thrift Store roof down

“Quite frankly, when I got the first phone call, it was there’s a problem with the roof. The second phone call was the roof collapsed and third phone call was thank goodness our staff got out safely.” — Beth Forsberg, Goodwill VP Retail & Operations, at the scene Thursday morning. Goodwill Industries Thrift Store workers spent Thursday mopping and moping. The group’s venerable thrift shop at…


Terrorism Alert: Cal State San Marcos held ‘active shooter drills’ Wednesday (Updated)

Don’t look now, but Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) was the scene of a terrorist attack on Wednesday. Good thing school doesn’t resume sessions until Jan. 25, so campus was fairly devoid of students. With terrorism and school shooting scenarios in mind, CSUSM staged an active shooter drill where fake became real for training purposes. About 100 North County police, fire and hospital personnel…