Articles by Special to The Grapevine

Encinitas residents v. hemp farmers a draw

For months, residents of a suburban Encinitas neighborhood have clashed with the hemp farm next door, blaming the farm for the nausea, dizziness and respiratory problems that they say have bothered them since October. Bob Echter, owner of Fox Point Farms which is home to the hemp operation, and Josh Schneider, CEO of Cultivaris Hemp which has been operating the hemp farm on Echter’s property,…


RSF man dealt $337 million fraud, DOJ says

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California this week unsealed an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in San Francisco charging Rancho Santa Fe resident Racho Jordanov with conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and wire fraud, international money laundering, and related charges including obstruction of justice. Jordanov was the co-founder and former Chief Executive Office of JHL Biotech. He was charged…


Palomar Health under fire for secret meeting

A citizens group is accusing Escondido, Calif.-based Palomar Health of violating an open meetings law when approving a controversial physician contract change, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.  An attorney hired by the group, which calls itself “Citizens to Save Palomar Health,” sent a letter to the public healthcare district’s seven elected directors. The group alleges that Palomar and its leaders lacked transparency when changing…


79 acres and what do you get? LeoMar Preserve for the missing Lynx at Olivenhain

“The LeoMar preserve is important as is every part of our beautiful planet. We must always do our best to protect and preserve our precious earth.” — Martha Blane, namesake of the newly created LeoMar Preserve at Olivenhain In a day that will live in conservation, Escondido Creek Conservancy officials said the group closed escrow Monday, June 7, 2021 on 79 Olivenhain acres representing the…


Bear Abuse: Animal rights group sues Cox

A local animal rights nonprofit is suing gubernatorial candidate and Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox for his use of a 1,000-pound Kodiak bear on the campaign trail. The Animal Rights and Protection League alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday in San Diego Superior Court that the bear, Tag, has been “drugged and abused” for use promoting Cox’s run for California governor. Tag has been…


San Diego tribes fight to close digital divide

A recent House Subcommittee on Natural Resources on infrastructure on tribal lands found an enormous physical and digital divide. The White House and tribes nationwide are counting on the America’s Jobs Plan to close that divide. And while the plan moves through Congress, one man continues his work to make sure tribes within the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) have access to broadband. “We’re…


Climate change uncertainty hurts everyone

Tarik Benmarhnia didn’t plan on ending up here, in an office overlooking the pier at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As a young student in France, he started out studying environmental engineering, with an interest in soil decontamination. During his schooling, he developed an interest in environmental justice. That eventually drove him to pursue a Ph.D. in epidemiology. Most stories about climate change…


Rise for Easter at Rise Church San Marcos

Passionate Worship. In-depth Bible Teaching. Unleashing Compassion. Everyone’s Welcome. Nobody’s Perfect. Anything’s Possible Because Jesus is Alive. Rise Church, 1915 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, is hosting a series of Easter weekend events starting 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Good Friday, April 2. The Gospel Exhibit features a walk-through timeline exhibit that begins with the fall of man and concludes with the second…


COVID-19 vaccine distribution in California

As of Jan. 7, more than 528,000 Californians had received a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. Both vaccines received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late December. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California’s initial batch of vaccines is available to health care workers and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities….


Olivenhain housing project comes under fire

The Encinitas Boulevard Apartments, a proposed housing development in Olivenhain, has sparked controversy among Encinitas residents. Some fear that the new housing will change the neighborhood’s character and cause traffic issues. The project would add a 283-unit, seven-story apartment complex near Encinitas Boulevard and Rancho Santa Fe Road. Developer Randy Goodson has submitted several similar proposals since at least 2005. In 2019, Goodson submitted another…