So much for the fire extinguisher
Mercedes on fire on I-5 near Manchester
Ken Harrison 2:30 p.m., April 23
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Stories by Dave Rice
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C.W. Kim's Sundial House
Local architect's home is his "finest and most personal work of art."
From its perch on Mount Soledad above La Jolla Country Club, the Sundial House, as the estate at 7191 Encelia Drive is monikered, enjoys “brilliant design and panoramic views” of the San Diego coastline. The ...
Solana Beach nexus for border resistance
Catholic church meeting of responders
A little over three months after launching a volunteer-driven campaign to shield undocumented San Diegans from immigration action and assist those caught up in raids, the San Diego Rapid Response Network held its second official ...
Pot — savior of opioid users
San Diego doctors say marijuana is part of the answer
While Californians as a whole have shifted their marijuana consciousness in recent months to freshly-legalized recreational pot, a pair of local doctors are among those continuing to explore the plant's medicinal properties. On Wednesday evening ...
Rough road ahead for solar adopters
Bad news among the good
The Solar Energy Industries Association was in town last week, hosting an annual conference for more than 800 solar-related businesses. "The market has continued along going into this year — we may see a slowdown ...
Coveted in the Covenant
Six beds, 10 baths for $21 million in Rancho Santa Fe
This week we visit Buena Vista Farms, an estate set “on a raised plot of land” comprising more than 15 acres of coveted land within the Rancho Santa Fe Covenant. The property at 6025 El ...
Candidates square off for Alvarez's council seat
Split on future development, rent control, and maybe lead in paint
Ramping up campaigns for the June primary, three candidates to replace David Alvarez in the San Diego City Council's District 8 met before a packed house in Sherman Heights on Thursday night (March 15) in ...
Del Mar's "moving meditation"
Brazilian cherry wood floors, Calcutta marble, lava-stone steps, custom glass accordion stack doors
Listing materials bill the Del Mar estate at 507 Van Dyke Avenue as “a moving meditation.” Originally built in 1985, the four-bedroom, five-bath home underwent an extensive three-year renovation that was completed in 2017 that ...
Your new mansion has a disco with mirrored ceilings
“The Ultimate La Jolla Family Estate property”
Listing materials for the massive 14,000-square-foot estate at 2681 Idle Hour Lane, one of a small handful of cul-de-sacs tucked away west of the UC San Diego campus between the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and ...
Racial disparities alleged in aerospace hiring
Lawsuit aimed at General Atomics
Increased federal spending in the defense industry over the coming years could lead to a sizable production boost for San Diego's aerospace industry. But a group of activists organized by the local chapter of Al ...
There goes the affordable neighborhood
Bulldozers ready to obliterate Peñasquitos Village apartments
It took three years of planning, hours of contentious debate before the city council, and a last-minute deal with opposition forces that left some tenants feeling blindsided, but Lennar Homes ultimately got approval March 5 ...
Pot delivery services optimistic in Chula Vista
"We're kind of 'out of sight, out of mind."
After being rebuffed by San Diego's city council, marijuana delivery businesses seeking legitimacy may have found a savior to the south in Chula Vista. "Local permitting provides a path to a state license, which is ...
Seller is willing to accept Bitcoin
The value is in the land, 290 acres of it
“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 ...
Good intentions behind paving of Scripps Trail
"When it rains, we'll have chunks of asphalt that come loose."
More than a decade deep in a battle with San Diego city government to get their deteriorating road repaved, residents along the northern stretch of Scripps Trail seem no closer to getting answers than when ...
Hamptons style in La Jolla
"Guests will be marveled"
You’ll find the newly constructed estate home at 921 Muirlands Drive in La Jolla “beautifully perched atop one of La Jolla’s preeminent view streets” and less than a mile from the coast. The 8612-square-foot “Hamptons ...
Cannabis for critters
"When an animal is stressed out from fireworks, it helps."
Adult marijuana use restrictions across the state were loosened this month, but one company launched in San Diego this week is offering cannabis products targeted toward animals. Phyto Animal Health, a subsidiary of Medical Marijuana ...
Near-doubling of Bahia Resort approved
Increase of 285 rooms puts squeeze on local watercraft users
Mission Bay water-sport enthusiasts fighting a hotel expansion they say would eliminate public access to a prime vessel-launch site were dealt another blow from the San Diego Park and Recreation Board on Thursday (January 18). ...
An eight-million dollar view on Lookout Drive
Construction money built this one
The newly constructed estate at 7750 Lookout Drive sits at the northern foot of La Jolla’s Mt. Soledad, privately tucked into the hillside yet still affording ocean views toward La Jolla Shores. “Enter this elegantly ...
Burglary victim leads cops to crooks
“I was kind of dragging the police along behind me.”
Computer theft tracked to Mission Valley hovel.
Highest asking price for attached housing in San Diego County
A smart home on Del Mar’s sand
Listing materials for a pair of Del Mar condos at 1750 Ocean Front promise prospective buyers a “Once in a lifetime opportunity for this stunning architectural masterpiece” on the sand just north of Powerhouse Park. ...
State utilities commission holiday sneak
Tack on two years to community-choice energy rollout?
Proponents of community-choice energy programs are rallying opposition to a proposal from the California Public Utilities Commission that they say would kill or seriously hamper efforts to expand community-choice programs throughout the state. Community choice ...
Rapid Response Network to fight la migra
"The first part is our hotline, where we have someone available 24/7."
After nearly ten months in the planning stages and contributions from more than 40 faith and community groups, Tuesday (December 19) saw the launch of the San Diego Rapid Response Network, a system designed to ...
Come up with $8 mil and change, and the second floor is yours
Numerous attempts over the course of a decade have yet to snare a buyer
Marketing copy for the three-bedroom condo at 202 Coast Boulevard (#3) says this “spectacular oceanfront property is ready for you.” Situated on a single level (the building’s second floor), the unit features direct elevator access ...
Local human rights groups fight each other
National Action Network vs. Peace Resource Center of San Diego
Two activist groups in San Diego that ostensibly hold similar views have found themselves at odds over what one charges is the other's racially motivated refusal to seat people of color on its board of ...
270 degrees of unobstructed views with no neighbor in sight
Balinese contemporary, next to the Del Mar fairgrounds
“Welcome to the ‘King of the Hill,’” beckons the listing pitch for 5160 Rancho Del Mar Trail, a five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath home boasting more than 9500 square feet of living space situated “within the prestigious, private ...
King tide bird count on Mission Bay
Kendall-Frost Marsh's light-footed Ridgway's rails on the ropes
Volunteers with San Diego Audubon used exceptionally high tides Tuesday morning (December 5) as an aid in counting threatened light-footed Ridgway's rails that reside in Kendall-Frost Marsh along the northeast shores of Mission Bay. "We ...
Go solar, get screwed by SDG&E starting today
But new rate structure's end result could mean less reliance on power co.
Solar power system owners connecting to the grid for the first time are in for a shock as power bills begin arriving, as are existing customers who failed to lock in a temporary reprieve. Effective ...
Protest at alleged slumlord's house in Point Loma
And a "Walk of shame" tour of short-term rentals in O.B.
Thanksgiving weekend found plenty of San Diegans less than thankful for housing conditions in their communities. Saturday (November 25th) saw Ocean Beach play host to a short-term vacation rental "walk of shame" sponsored by the ...
How about Coronado’s “Zee Huis”?
Dutch for “sea house with eight bedrooms and eleven bathrooms”
A trend of endowing mansions with fanciful and often foreign names seems to be emerging among San Diego’s mega-rich. Many may be familiar with La Jolla’s Foxhill estate, former home of the local publishing magnate ...
Protesters defy food-sharing ban in El Cajon
"If hep A was as big a concern as they're saying it is, they'd have bathrooms."
An act of civil disobedience ended peacefully on Sunday afternoon (November 19th), as dozens from across the county gathered at Wells Park in El Cajon to offer food to the homeless in defiance of a ...
Community Choice Energy clears hurdle in San Diego
Sempra/SDG&E will still make money, just not as much
San Diego on Thursday (November 16th) took another step in the lengthy process of establishing a community choice aggregation market for city residents and businesses, as the city's Sustainable Energy Advisory Board voted to send ...
Drones with frickin' lasers
They could be used for humanitarian missions, too
San Diego–based General Atomics, makers of the military's Predator and Reaper drones (“unmanned aerial vehicles,” as the industry prefers to call them), has landed a contract to begin experiments equipping the bombing and surveillance aircraft ...
Solar vision of a refugee
Mohamed Hauter's transition from Yemen teen to green-energy guy
Hauter grew up with his family in Yemen while his father, a U.S. citizen, spent six months of the year working in the States, first as a farmer in California's Central Valley and later as ...
Rent-control battle cry in Escondido
"We were supposed to have a meeting, but they locked up the tennis courts."
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 ...
See the Del Mar racetrack from the comfort of your home
Previous owner identified cells responsible for the five basic taste perceptions
Listing materials for the hillside estate at 2116 Balboa Avenue in Del Mar invite prospective buyers to “enjoy spectacular whitewater ocean, sunset & Del Mar racetrack views from this extraordinary seaside Villa in Olde Del ...
Air Force drone fleet due for upgrade
General Atomics may use old ones for target practice
The U.S. military's fleet of Predator and Reaper drones, produced locally by San Diego's General Atomics, is preparing to enter their third decade of service. According to a new report, they're also due for some ...
Owned by philanthropists and racehorse owners
This one used to have the highest asking price in San Diego County
“Del Dios Ranch presents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the most expansive tracts in coveted Rancho Santa Fe,” listing materials boast of the sprawling 61-acre estate. Beds: 4 Baths: 9 Current Owner: Sahm ...
Tiny homes for the homeless and your backyard
Councilman backs plan to house "the next one million in San Diego."
Alternately referred to under terms such as "companion units," "accessory dwellings,” or, more colloquially, "granny flats" (Coronado prefers the unique term "carriage houses"), the practice of adding a second residence to a single-family lot has ...
Cops called over tenants' uprising
Linda Vista renters proceed with plan to stop paying
Tenants at a large Linda Vista apartment complex who last month threatened a rent strike are following through on their intentions. What that will eventually mean is still unclear. According to Rafael Bautista of San ...
She rode away from stage 3 breast cancer
The survivor behind Bikes for Boobs
Cancer wasn't about to slow Sandy Hanshaw's roll. In 2013, Hanshaw was a fairly new restaurateur, having opened The Wine Pub in Point Loma a couple of years prior. Already consumed with the long hours ...
Food-insecure in Escondido
"I know what the pain of not eating is like — it's incredibly painful."
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 ...
Golden Rule crashes Fleet Week, peacefully
"We're not being jerks and trying to force our message onto anyone."
On Saturday (October 14), Fleet Week was in full swing at San Diego Bay. Crowds lined the waterfront from Tuna Harbor north along the Embarcadero to watch Navy and Coast Guard vessels and helicopters performing ...
Navy nerd money built this La Jolla mansion
Completed in 2015, scenic property on La Jolla Scenic Drive has yet to welcome its first resident
This newly constructed home at 6045 La Jolla Scenic Drive South, listing materials boast, is a “spectacular Santa Barbara Coastal Classic custom estate” featuring “unparalleled quality and design” sited on nearly an acre backing open ...
Star bartender stops to talk flair, etc.
"The bendy girl was cool, she was down to earth."
”The bar will always have its place in society — it's that comfortable spot between work and home. Million-dollar deals aren't made over a cup at Starbucks, they happen in bars.” — Star "Flair bartending," ...
Panhandlers pushed back in El Cajon
"I've been lucky here. I don't talk to cops that much."
The City of El Cajon has begun installing street signs discouraging local motorists from giving money to panhandlers. Announced Monday (October 9), the "Real change, not spare change" campaign "encourages the public to contribute in ...
Linda Vista renters threaten strike
Tenants demand habitability improvements, protest 15 percent hike
As many as 50 tenants at the Village Apartments complex in Linda Vista are threatening a "rent strike" beginning next week if their demands for more modest rent increases and completion of repairs affecting the ...
Tow-truck carjacker failure
Alleged erratic behavior and circumstances suggest crime of opportunity
A tow-truck driver and a pair of motorists getting help after experiencing a breakdown were able to thwart a carjacking attempt Thursday night (September 29) near Valley Center. According to sheriff's deputy Shawn Silva, two ...
Wasted food in landfills is a separate problem
"Unless there is a financial incentive, most won't do it."
A new campaign aimed at eliminating food waste, Save the Food San Diego, kicked off on Tuesday (September 26). But some of the tools needed to achieve that goal, despite being mandated by changes to ...
Own one of the largest lots in “Olde Del Mar”
Featuring one of the oldest trees in San Diego County
The half-acre estate at 901 Highland Avenue offers prospective buyers a “rare opportunity to own one of the largest lots in Olde Del Mar.” The listing goes on to describe the space as “a private ...
California least terns cared for the most
Audubon Society nest site research and maintenance at Fiesta Island
The California least tern, a light-brown shorebird that nests along the state's coastline, is one of the smallest tern species in the world, growing to just nine inches in length at adulthood. It's also one ...
Hepatitis A outbreak: Month 11 looms
"A lot of people feel safer and cleaner having to crap on the street."
An outbreak of the fecal-contamination-borne liver disease hepatitis A has sickened more than 400 people in the San Diego area since November 2016, causing national media outlets to mock the "man-made disaster" that thus far ...
