California’s avocado season kicked off this month — it runs through September — but prices for growers continued to stay depressed. Sad, but true, this was the case despite a 50 percent rise in per capita U.S. consumption since 2010 from 4 pounds per person to 6 pounds, and decreasing production due to water-challenged groves going out of business. Many blame imports from Mexico, and…
DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint deja vu March 11 When exactly one alleged DUI driver is stopped out of 1,393 vehicles at the last Escondido DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint, but you have a $309,726 grant to set up DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, what do you do? Obviously, set up another DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint. That’s going to be the case on Friday, March 11. The checkpoint will be set up…
Knocked down, but not out, the Escondido Goodwill Industries Thrift Shop re-opened for business at 550 W Washington Ave. on Friday, March 4. That’s no mean feat considering the extent of damage engendered when El Nino huffed, puffed and blew the Escondido Goodwill roof down on Jan. 6. Goodwill officials said the damage was such that the store was closed longer than any of their…
Rising big bass star Greg Springer of Vista has caught and released the largest bass in San Diego in almost two years, a truly massive 16.3 pounder. Springer landed the fish on Friday at Escondido’s Lake Wohlford near the South Shore Rockpile, while fishing from the shoreline with a 3:16 Lure Company Kokanee Glide Bait (pictured in one of those photos below). Springer had been on a mission to…
An early 2014 breach at Escondido-based Palomar Health affected about 5,500 patients. The public health care district declined to comment, citing “pending legal matters surrounding this breach.” Graybill Medical Group at Escondido had a breach affecting about 1,800 patients. Officials didn’t respond to repeated calls for comment. Experts put the cost of a medical data breach at between $100 to over $360 per record compromised — more…
Every homeless person counts It happens every year. Interfaith Community Services gets a handle on the extent of homelessness in Escondido with its annual count of homeless people. The count is scheduled for 4 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 29 in the streets and shelters of Escondido. Volunteers are needed, according to agency officials. Called We All Count, the annual single-day event that provides…
Forget about basketball courts, the Escondido Union School District (EUSD) is playing its games this month at Vista Superior Court. Judge Richard Whitney in Department 21 may make his ruling at any time, but clearly nobody truly will be called a winner. In any event, without a settlement, the court dispute could last past Valentine’s Day, fittingly enough. With Whitney more like a school yard…
Teachers practically in full revolt over low salaries. Allegations of violations of state public meeting laws. One board trustee sent to exile miles away. Discordant discussions of steep school enrollment declines. Another board trustee bursting into tears. Deeply divided and torn asunder, the dysfunction that is the Escondido Union School District (EUSD) was in full public display on Thursday. It wasn’t a pretty sight and…
Chito’s Taco Shop at Del Lago Boulevard and Interstate 15 near Westfield North County in the early morning hours of Dec. 17 was the latest in a new type of brazen crime wave striking San Diego County since June. The same thing happened Nov. 6 at a Tierrasanta Chase Bank branch. And Oct. 6 at an Otay Mesa CVS Pharmacy and nearby check cashing store….
Escondido led San Diego County jurisdictions this fiscal year in the percentage of overall public safety funding allocated in the city budget. The city allocated 43 percent of its budget to law enforcement, a similar percentage as El Cajon. Otherwise, the nine incorporated cities in the county spent an average of 33 percent of budgets on law enforcement. Not all the Escondido funding came from…