February 2019

Duncan Hunter investigations, Politics February 28, 2019

Rep. Duncan Hunter tries to remain relevant

Indicted for campaign finance fraud and awaiting a September federal court trial, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-50th District, CA.) does what he can to remain relevant. Although he has been banished from congressional committees, and doesn’t respond to non-conservative media outlets, Hunter has continued to make controversial comments and stands, take questionable donations and make suspect re-election campaign expenditures. Hunter is scheduled to make a rare…

Business, North County, Tourism, Travel February 28, 2019

Flower Fields blooming business through May

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch opened Friday The final day? It’s always Mother’s Day, which is May 12 in 2019. El Nino rain in February should mean magnificent Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch blooms now in session through May 12. Mellano & Company of San Luis Rey is the production arm and onsite grower. The Ecke family owns the land. Over 50 acres are devoted to…

Books, Education, San Marcos February 28, 2019

It’s on for new Palomar $1M presidential suite

Construction of Palomar College President Joi Lin Blake’s $1 million office suite is moving forward after she defended the project on Friday to the school’s committee that oversees bond spending. Committee member Michael Hunsaker asked the group to consider cheaper options for Blake’s office after inewsource reported that the college is spending bond money to remodel its new $67 million library to build a top-floor…

Education, North County, Vista February 28, 2019

CSUSM sponsors go big and give more

Barbara Mannino and Syd Harris were no strangers to Cal State San Marcos when they attended the ACE Scholars Services scholarship donor reception in 2015. Mannino had been on the advisory council to President Karen Haynes for more than five years, dating back to her decades-long role as the CEO of the Vista Community Clinic. Harris, Mannino’s husband of almost 30 years, had loaned a piece of…

Breaking News, Business, California, News, North County, Tourism, Transportation February 26, 2019

California Pacific Airlines says it will rise again

Like the Black Knight in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” who kept on fighting despite being torn apart limb by limb, California Pacific Airlines chief Ted Vallas said Tuesday his troubled 10-year airline project would fly again “within three months.” California Pacific Airlines flew for one month last year, incurred large debts, grounded its airplane, left employees without payments, got kicked out of the…

Entertainment, Music, Theater, Vista February 26, 2019

Dr. Bronners goes from soap to Moonlight

Whether it’s Lil Debbie shilling out relationship advice or Sunny D igniting a conversation about depression, contemporary brand Twitter can be a depressing and dark place. Nothing feels more cynical than when a brand appropriates the standardized millennial voice — ironic, detached, dejected — and uses it to hock their emulsified meat products and drinkable corn syrups. There’s no commitment to justice here, there’s just…

Arts, Escondido, Media, North County, Police, San Diego February 26, 2019

That happened. News you may have missed

This week promises a new overload. Michael Cohen testifies for three days before Congress, including a public Wednesday slam-fest. Donald Trump goes on formerly busted heel spurs to Hanoi to hold another fake summit with the evil murderous North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Congress will pass a resolution blocking Trump’s fake national emergency. It goes to the Senate. Former national security advisors from across…

Escondido February 25, 2019

Escondido Creek runs through it

Escondido Creek Conservancy wants the city of Escondido to restore creeks. No surprise perhaps, yet still newsworthy, the Escondido Creek Conservancy Board asked Escondido officials to consider creek restoration priorities in 2019. Here were the priorities submitted for consideration: Restoration of Escondido Creek The Conservancy has received a grant to create a 30 percent restoration design for the portion of Escondido Creek in Grape Day…

Breaking News, Featured, Immigration, News, San Diego, The World February 21, 2019

Meet the new San Diego border barrier, just behind the old San Diego border barrier

It’s kind of like a bait-and-switch along 14 miles of San Diego border barrier, or maybe similar to the new and improved status sometimes awarded to reconstituted cereal brands. Or call it peaches, as President Trump said for all he cared in early January. You know how some people double wrap leftover food. Using previously allocated border funds, the Trump Administration was double-wrapping the border…

Education, North County, San Marcos February 21, 2019

New library suite deal for Palomar president

As officials prepared for the Friday grand opening of a $67 million library at Palomar College, crews already had begun demolishing part of the building’s top floor to build President Joi Lin Blake an office suite. Design of the nearly $1 million remodel started more than a year ago when architectural plans were ordered. The college’s governing board later approved a $797,000 contract to build…