San Diego County

People (and bodies of water) behaving badly — Valley of Discovery edition

Night time was not the right time to party early Thursday at the normally quiescent San Marcos cul-de-sac in the 600 block of Helmsdale Road, off Kirkwall Drive near Palomar College. An intimate gathering of about 10 people erupted in an argument that led to gun shots, injuring a 20-tear-old female bystander as two men grappled over a loaded pistol. One man pulled out the…


Juniper Terrace Apartments changes hands

Juniper Terrace Apartments, a 43-unit garden style building at 1580 S Juniper St., was sold last week for $7.7 million to The Bascom Group, an Irvine-based commercial real estate company with 270 multifamily properties nationwide. Built in 1973, the property features low density single-family home style living with oversized apartments and expansive views, according to Bascom officials who apparently got a good deal. The  apartment…


Escondido avocados plentiful, wholesale prices not so much

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…


Puhleeze: DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint, Sheriff’s drones, county homicide rate

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…


Escondido Goodwill Industries Thrift Shop rises phoenix-like on Friday, March 4

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…


MONSTER ALERT! 16.3-pound bass caught at Lake Wohlford

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…


5,500 Palomar Hospital; 1,800 Graybill patients affected by medical data theft

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…


Counting and aiding Escondido homeless

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…


Escondido Union School District under fire

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…


Escondido Union School District Board gets curiouser and curiouser

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…