[Update: Cal Fire at 6 p.m. Wednesday said the Gopher Fire was 85 percent contained on what became 35 acres of torched earth. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, Cal Fire had said “With better mapping the IC (Incident Commander) reports the fire at 35 acres and 40 percent contained. Next update will be 6 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).” Cal Fire said 10 engine companies and six crews…
Del Dios vehicle plunge A woman was seriously injured after her SUV plunged nearly 300 feet down a canyon along Del Dios Highway near the Lake Hodges dam Wednesday night, authorities said. Del Dios Highway was closed in both directions between Camino de Estrellas and the dam for several hours while a tow truck retrieved the vehicle and CHP officers investigated the crash. Witnesses told…
A candlelight vigil in remembrance of victims of the shooting in Orlando is set for 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 16 at the Maple Street Plaza on Valley Parkway across from City Hall. The names of the departed will be read and prayers will be offered from various faith traditions including Christian and Muslim. The vigil is sponsored by Escondido Together, a project…
How did the brand spanking-new, 10-day-old, $10 million I-15 “Integrated Corridor Management System” work Tuesday in its first true test dealing with massive freeway traffic due to an unforeseen traffic event? Failed. Miserably. Escondido and North County commuters encountered a traffic jam-up of Biblical proportions following a series of collisions near Lake Hodges shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday. Most of the congestion didn’t clear until…
Highway 78 wasn’t a fun place to be during the early Tuesday morning commute. That’s when a tractor-trailer rig containing building supplies burst into flames sending up a big old smoke column on the eastbound right shoulder just past Nordahl Road on the Escondido side. The incident took place shortly before 6:30 a.m., just as commuter traffic was snarling, according to the California Highway Patrol….
Escondido Union School District (EUSD) administrators were rebuffed Friday in their attempt to get a permanent workplace violence restraining order against EUSD Trustee Jose Fragozo. Delivering a one-hour verdict, Vista Superior Court judge Richard Whitney said it was a tough call, but, in the end, he decided that granting a restraining order would effectively end Fragozo’s term as a school board member. While urging Fragozo…
Thursday nearly ended with a bang at Oak Hill Elementary School when a kindergarten student reportedly showed up with a pellet gun and threatened his teacher and possibly other students. The unidentified 5-year-old boy brought the pellet gun in his backpack, according to Escondido police. He became upset during class, took the gun out of his backpack and aimed it at the teacher, police said….
A five-month-old girl was safe, but the suspect remained at large at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in a bizarre carjacking beginning at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Rock Springs Road near Lincoln Avenue. An as-yet uncaught man took the Toyota Camry from the apartment complex around 3 p.m., according to Escondido police Lt. Ed Varso who said a neighbor reported the car sped…
Escondido Union School District’s circus came to Vista Superior Court Thursday, but it was no laughing matter as embattled school trustee Jose Fragozo pleaded not guilty to 13 election fraud felony counts. Subdued and wearing a dark coat, Fragozo stood in front of arraigning Judge James A. Mangione around 2 p.m. at Department 14, beginning a process that will see a readiness hearing on March…
Planning on going by the Escondido Police Department building at 1100 N Centre City Parkway through midnight tonight? Better have your driver’s license on hand and maintain your sobriety. Police have a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint set up in the southbound lanes, south of El Norte Parkway. Somewhat controversial, yet highly in your faces, Escondido police had promised to set up “a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint at an…