Escondido Stories
When Charlie Jancic thinks about wildfire in the San Pasqual Valley, it’s from real life. In 2007, the Witch Fire and Guejito Fire took his house. “The roads aren’t great — they’re mostly two lanes, …
“This is not a whodunnit,” the defense attorney told the jury yesterday, May 10. “This was in fact a killing that was done by David McGee.” David Noel McGee Jr., 26, is facing one charge …
It looks like I've missed many opportunities to visit Rock n' Jenny's Italian Subs. The East Coast style Italian deli has been dishing up sandwiches and pasta since 1989, and I've always driven right past …
In 2004 Escondido passed an ordinance to charge an annual fee to register burglar alarms. When the program rolled out, affecting both homes and businesses, alarm owners were confused and frustrated by questions about their …
Something for everyone in Escondido (especially on weekends and holidays).
“Welcome to Rancho Escondido Groves, your very own private 290.95-acre luxury mountain top estate.” So begins the sales pitch for the property at 1830 Rincon Avenue, in equal parts a development opportunity and potential paradise …
The battle between San Diego independent breweries and Big Beer continues, and this time the fight is going to federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Escondido-based Stone Brewing, long one of the most …
Look near the top of any Thai restaurant menu in America, and you're sure to find one Thai dish in particular: Pad Thai. However, as chef Nattapon "Nat" Thitathan explained to me in a recent …
Donald Paul Jones, an Escondido accountant, has been put on probation for three years and suspended from practice for 45 days. The California Board of Accountancy announced the decision December 28 of last year. Jones …
Back in June, Copenhagen brewery Mikkeller introduced a new hire for its 12-foeder, wild-ale brewhouse, Baghaven: "This is Ehren Schmidt, our new Master Blender," the announcement read, "A man that knows his shit." Schmidt had …
Frontman Dave Wakeling is the only original member of the two-tone British ska band that moved from England to Southern California over 25 years ago. He calls all the shots. “The rest of us are …
Noe Colimas Valladares, 28, was sentenced to 180 days in local jail on Monday, December 11th. He was arrested in August after he reportedly entered a home in Escondido and was shot by the man …
Fifty years ago yesterday, on December 13, 1967, from Borrego Springs to downtown to Oceanside, snow fell in San Diego County. Perhaps the most dramatic scene was a blanket of snow on the beaches of …
It's one of those fuzzy numbers on a utility bill; in this case, a water-sevice fee charged by Carefree Ranch Mobile Home Park in Escondido, where 77 of its 185 spaces fall under the city's …
Membership: 400 Pastor: Tim Spivey Age: 41 Born: Long Beach Formation: Pepperdine University, Malibu; Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX Years in ministry: 20 San Diego Reader: What is your main concern as a member of …
The City of Escondido’s 39th annual Trout Derby at Dixon Lake attracted hundreds of anglers from around Southern California on December 1–3. Even without the planting of huge Nebraska tailwalkers at this year’s opener, stringers …
It won’t be a record-breaking trout season at Escondido’s lakes this winter, but the number of fish available for angler’s stringers will multiply greatly. Over the summer, the city received three bids from hatcheries to …
For years the Eagles Point apartment complex, a collection of suburban four-story buildings comprising 519 units along East Grand Avenue in eastern Escondido, has drawn harsh criticism from residents and neighbors. Negative reviews, some dating …
Dixon Lake, one of the smaller lakes in San Diego County, has proven itself mighty in the bass fishing realm. From April 2001 until May 2003, the little lake within the Escondido city limits produced …
On October 18th, dozens of Escondido residents rallied one last time to keep their public library from being outsourced to an East Coast company. The library belongs to the community, they told the city council; …
Mike Dolbow has grand plans to bring meals to the food-insecure, including not just the residents of his trailer park in rural Escondido but throughout the state. But first, he needs a truck. I meet …
Bridal-show planner Joel Jones wanted to host an event for local geeks who didn’t make it to Comic-Con. His first one-day Nerd-Con mixed fantasy nerd culture with live bands and drew 3000 to the California …
A man who allegedly invaded a home in the remote eastern edges of Escondido, and was reportedly shot multiple times by the homeowner, is due in court on Wednesday, September 13. Noe Colimas Valladares, 28 …
Local gas prices jumped around 10 cents a gallon overnight on August 30, in response to the destruction and flooding from Hurricane Harvey. San Diego gas prices started rising slightly on August 25, the day …
On July 30, 2017, LeDarral Shakouriel Hollingsworth went to the Allied Gardens tow yard in Escondido to get some paperwork from his car, which had been impounded, according to his attorney. It was there, at …
If you’re interested in trying the sweetest, coldest treat you can get your hands on this summer, turn your attention to Escondido and a small shack called Baltimore Snowball. As its name suggests, the snowball …
A 14-year homebrewer, Ketchen Smith has long dreamed of leaving his job in the medical device industry to start a brewery. "I wanted to go 15-barrel," he says, "and retire to brewing." Doing so would …
It's a slow Tuesday for Michelle Silva, a recreational aide at the Pala Youth Center near the northern border of San Diego County. Most of the center's charges, which number as many as 70 during …
My husband came home on July 24, red-faced and on the verge of tears. "You aren't going to believe what happened," he said. "I was walking down the bike path near Auto Park Way and …
Customers Rage at Refugee Panhandlers in Front of Escondido Store A Syrian refugee family, panhandling in front of the Albertson's store at 1570 West Valley Parkway in Escondido, set off a firestorm of complaints from …
The rent hikes are small but steady. Escondido's mobilehome rent control ordinance protects seniors and disabled residents from steep monthly increases; not the $10 kind. However small, a routine bump in space rent can be …
A man who was released from custody because of a California law that sent certain criminals from state prison to local jails and then “post-release community supervision,” was recently re-arrested in Escondido. David Charles Escovedo …
A man accused of being the North County Creeper admitted there is enough evidence to send him to trial, and thereby skipped public disclosure of details of his alleged child molestation crimes that would have …
God bless, John Adams. You can thank him for all the firework displays around the Fourth of July. In Philadelphia, July 4, 1777, 13 fireworks were set off to commemorate the 13 colonies. The colors …
Like other cities, Escondido is planning for the mass deployment of fifth generation technology. As both officials and carriers see it, it's time to make the permit process for the "small cells" that can accommodate …
The Rancho La Costa Preserve, located in the cities of Carlsbad and San Marcos, is a popular destination for both hikers and mountain bikers. Situated between Batiquitos Lagoon and Lake Hodges, the preserve serves as …
Dixon Lake is a smallish, 70-acre reservoir outside of Escondido on the skirts of the Daley Ranch. Even though the lake doesn’t cover much surface area, the dam, completed in 1971, holds up to 80-feet-deep …
We didn’t know where we were going, not at first. All I knew was that it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I wanted to drive, ideally toward a field of flowers, as my news …
On rugged land north of San Diego Safari Zoo Park, developers want to build a less exotic version of the park; a rich habitat for upper-income humans. The vision statement for Safari Highlands Ranch describes …
Federal indictments unsealed yesterday (March 1) charge 55 drug dealers and gang members with crimes including money-laundering, robberies, vehicle thefts, burglaries, assaults, and trafficking in heroin, methamphetamine, and firearms. The gang members operated in North …
“I was always under age when I lived in San Diego, so venues were mainly Ché Café, Soma, WorldBeat Center, and the occasional DIY thing,” says Miguel Trost de Pedro, aka Kid606, a 37-year-old electronic …
Several south coast counties restrict wood burning fireplaces, but San Diego isn’t one of them. Not yet. “Although it is not prohibited, wood burning in the home is a growing source of air pollution in …
Unfortunately, this may be the last year for large, record-setting Nebraska Tailwalker trout at three local lakes. The three-year contract with the Chaulk Mound Trout Ranch hatchery in Bridgeport, Nebraska, ends April 19, the last …
Felicita Park provides a nice mix of easy-walking loop trails with negligible elevation conducive for young children in strollers and any fitness level. The ancient towering oaks provide shade, making this 53-acre fenced county park …
Escondido farms need affordable water. Though the city plans to build a recycled-water treatment plant, many residents drawn to a recent city-council meeting were not in favor of living near a “membrane filtration/ reverse osmosis …
Driving along the main drag through downtown Escondido this week, I spotted a sign I’d never seen before: Vegan Soup Bar. I’d been planning on a burger, but it was raining and my feet were …
A new brewery in Escondido is newly licensed and ready to brew. Guided by the motto "Brew drink relax repeat," Jacked Up Brewery (800 W Grand Ave.) has a conditional use permit to operate in …
The nation's largest battery storage for energy is being constructed in Escondido — part of the shift away from fuel-burning power plants to cleaner energy, which can't be switched on when needed. San Diego Gas …
Last week, the City of Escondido stocked Lake Wohlford with 6000 pounds of Nebraska Tailwalker rainbow trout for the annual trout opener on December 10. The lake had been closed since December 4, and the …
At the top of a steep, winding drive to the northeast of Escondido, you’ll find tiny Lake Wohlford. The dammed lake is routinely stocked with trout for recreational fisher folk, and a mobile home park …
North County is better off economically than the rest of San Diego County, according to a study released yesterday (December 7) by the Center on Policy Initiatives. It used data from the Census Bureau's 2015 …
December 2 was opening day for Dixon Lake’s 38th annual Trout Derby. With 6000 pounds of Nebraska Tailwalker rainbows stocked earlier in the week, derby and lake records were broken over the three-day event. Four …