North County

North County legal news: Mt. Soledad Cross upheld, Escondido lawyer scolded

Judge ends legal fight against Mt. Soledad Cross Denying a discovery-related motion, a federal judge has put to rest once and for all a decades-long legal battle over the display of a 43-foot-tall Latin cross that will remain at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego. In what U.S. District Judge John D. Bates called a “last gasp,” Republican U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa, Brian…


Don’t expect Lake Hodges Dam overflow

In a rainy season, Lake Hodges Dam last overflowed in February-March 2011 — it also overflowed in February 2005 — but despite the record rains this season, it looks to be standing tall and holding firm. The lake was at 75 percent capacity as of last week, according to the  City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department that has owned and operated the reservoir and dam…


Issa pulls an Indivisible surprise party (Updated with evening town hall)

(UPDATED 11 p.m. Thursday: Several hundred people turned out at an emergency health care town hall designed to meet with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-49th District) while he was in the district for congressional recess. However, despite staging a surprise morning appearance to meet with Indivisible protestors with his own supporters in tow, Issa was nowhere to be found on an even playing field.) Rep. Darrell Issa (R-49th District)…


Constituents flood Issa, Hunter offices

Nearly 400 people braved some nasty weather Tuesday to rally at five separate San Diego County and area events, asking for political accountability and preservation of the Affordable Care Act known popularly as Obamacare. They also asked for in-person town hall meetings and pledges to oppose President Trump’s proposed Muslim ban. Close to 140 people were caught in the rain outside of Rep. Darrell Issa’s Vista…


Closed door policy at Issa’s Vista office?

(Note: Updated 2 p.m. Thursday with quotes, information.) It was a case of meet — sorta —  and definitely no greet on Inauguration Day at the Vista office of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-49th District), according to representatives of 26 constituents in a group calling itself Courageous Resistance Encinitas who tried to deliver a letter protesting Donald Trump’s installation to staff there. Newfound public political action met a…


10,000 join San Marcos Women’s March

Ten thousand came when only 2,500 were expected. Women’s March North County San Diego quadrupled its expected number Saturday as an excited, and determined group marched from San Marcos Civic Center to Palomar College. A few early sprinkles and the unexpected numbers did nothing to dampen the mood at the free-wheeling people’s parade. Far exceeding expectations, the thousands of marchers overflowed Mission Avenue sidewalks spilling into…


Seaside Courier (of Encinitas) bites the dust

Another attempt to bring local independent news in the form of a print newspaper failed at Encinitas as the 2-year-old Seaside Courier announced that’s all folks, quietly fading into the dust bin of history last month. Thomas K. Arnold, who also has contributed stories to The Escondido Grapevine reported the news to another Grapevine friend Roman Koenig, who worked with us at North County Times…


Scott Peters, helped and hindered by Citizens United, decries its impact

At a Clairemont community park Congressman Scott Peters marked the sixth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling by speaking plainly about the deleterious effects it’s had on politics. “There’s way too much attention on this big money, secret money and raising money for this government to work very well,” Peters said, flanked by a handful of UC San Diego students. It’s something the San…


Issa on the ropes in once-safe 49th District

SOLANA BEACH, CA. — One by one, Doug Applegate’s fellow veterans stepped up to the microphone and named the threat to America: Donald Trump. One of them shook with rage, discussing Trump’s joke about the “captured” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Others asked how Applegate’s opponent, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), could support Trump and claim to be a friend of veterans. “You have a presidential candidate insult…


‘Mini-Trump’ Issa in trouble in 49th District

In this upside-down year, Issa finds himself suddenly in danger of defeat, a prognosis worsened by his decision to embrace Donald J. Trump. VISTA, CA. — For more than 15 years, Representative Darrell Issa has not so much as put out a yard sign. A Republican comfortably ensconced in his Southern California seat, he has blown by one challenger after another since being elected in 2000. The days…