North County

Hang on to your fruit – invasive Mexfly back

This is one unwanted visitor from Mexico that even Donald Trump’s fabled wall could never stop. And it’s a dire threat to local, state and national fruit growers and consumers. A portion of San Diego County has been placed under quarantine for the Mexican fruit fly following the detection of seven Mexflies within the City of Encinitas. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the…


Del Mar racetrack back to normal after Lilac Fire horse rescues head home to Bonsall

Thoroughbreds jogged on the main racetrack at Del Mar this week as life after the horrific training track fire in nearby Bonsall began to settle for horses and horsemen involved with the events at San Luis Rey Downs last Thursday. Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and 22nd District Agricultural Association officials reported that there were currently 260 Thoroughbreds and approximately 500 other-breed horses stabled on the…


Through Pulitzer photog Don Bartletti’s lens

California State University Bakersfield’s Walter Stiern Library Presents Program is exploring issues in immigration with a series of events through December. The series includes a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, a documentary screening, and a poetry reading. The prize-winning photographer, Don Bartlett of the Los Angeles Times, spent a lot of time visiting migrant camps around North County San Diego, including Oceanside, Carlsbad, Fallbrook, Valley Center and Escondido….


Wasted days and wasted nights on SR 78

And maybe someday we will find, that it wasn’t really Wasted time Mm,hm Oh hoo, ooh, ohh, Ohh, ooh, mm. — Eagles “Wasted Time” With great fanfare, SANDAG in 2012 broke ground for a $41 million road widening project on State Route 78 near Interstate 15 as well as around Nordahl Road “to ease traffic congestions during morning and afternoon commuting hours.” Guess what? It…


Ousting Hunter: Dem challengers debate

One way or another, to paraphrase Blondie, we’re gonna to find ya’, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-50th District), and we’re gonna get ya’, get ya’, get ya’, get ya’… Either you’re going to prison for campaign finance and bank fraud, or going to go, end of political story, period, courtesy of one of these Democratic challengers at the ballot box. Indivisible North County hosted a Democratic…


Local bus drivers say show us the money

Bus drivers and mechanics for San Diego’s North County Transit District allege they are owed thousands of dollars in accrued vacation, sick and personal time from First Transit, a national company that operated NCTD’s bus service for the past seven years under a $178 million contract. It’s unclear how many people are affected and how much money is at stake, though interviews with drivers and…


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…