February 2019

Only track crews could get anywhere by rail

Coaster and Amtrak riders this weekend found they could ride all they wanted, but it best had been by plane or automobile, not train. That is, if they wanted to get there. Rail service along the 351-mile Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo, or LOSSAN, rail corridor, was suspended in both directions on Saturday through 5 a.m. Monday from Oceanside to San Diego for track and…


Think football season ended with Super Bowl. Think again.

(Spoiler alert: The results are in from the “big” game. However, they, along with a game highlights video, are at the end of the story…) You thought football was done for a while what with the Super Bowl and all last week. You were wrong. Get set for something called the Alliance of American Football, an eight-team league that kicks off (but without kickoffs, those have…


Escondido fish poop helping feed the world

Today, surrounded by freezing temperatures, thousands of heads of lettuce grow, nestled in a cozy greenhouse fed by nutrient-rich nitrates. Or you could call it what it is: fish poop. The process, called aquaponics, allows farmers to grow local, organic produce anywhere at any time of year. Aquaponics is a sustainable method of farming that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water)….


Chelsea Clinton talks child welfare, justice

The Strong Families, Thriving Communities Coalition, an ongoing partnership of the County of San Diego, the Clinton Foundation and the San Diego Foundation, hosted a roundtable discussion Thursday on improving child welfare and juvenile justice. The Balboa Park event featured Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, and was designed to foster a community conversation about equity in the child welfare and juvenile justice…


Meet the new mayor, same as the old mayor

Escondido Mayor Paul McNamara had his office this week announce a monthly meet-and-greet event called “Meet the Mayor.” Just don’t ask McNamara about whether it’s appropriate for Escondido Assistant Manager Jay Petrek also to hold a second job as a San Marcos city councilman. Apparently, that’s where McNamara draws the line. Just as former Mayor Sam Abed was renowned for not answering legitimate questions and shunning public…


‘Luann’ fans, musical theater lovers unite

Patio Playhouse Greg Evans Repertory “Quibbling Siblings” & “A Boy and a Girl” When: Runs in rotating repertory through Feb. 17. Showtimes, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 2 p.m. Sundays. Where: Patio Playhouse, 116 S. Kalmia St., Escondido Tickets: $20, adults. $17, seniors, military, students. $12 for youth 16 and under. Phone: (760) 746-6669 Online: patioplayhouse.com Lovers of the comic strip ‘Luann,’ musical theater aficionados…


California Pacific Airlines takes a nose dive

It’s all over except the shouting, and lawsuits, for North County’s only airlines, or at least the 2-month version of one, as California Pacific Airlines blew up this week in the darkened skies of a reported debt of at least $6 million and apparent mismanagement. California Pacific Airlines, launched flights on Nov. 1 last year from Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport to San Jose, only to halt service in…


Security gaps continue at local shipyard

HII San Diego Shipyard continues to ignore federal rules designed to protect billion-dollar Navy warships it repairs, despite an inewsource investigation last month that revealed shipyard security lapses and drew the interest of a local congressman. San Diego is the principal homeport of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, and waterborne security threats have been a top priority for the Navy since the deadly terrorist bombing of…


CSUSM Congress intern gets insider view

If Tyler Burch had preconceived notions about life as a congressional staffer, they quickly dissipated last fall. Tyler, who will graduate from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s in economics in May, spent the fall semester as a participant in the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program, giving him firsthand experience in the inner workings of Washington, D.C. “I don’t think people who don’t work…