Escondido close to spending all $38.8M in pandemic relief

ESCONDIDO — The city expects to spend all $38.8 million in pandemic relief funds it received more than five years ago. In March 2021, nearly a year after the COVID-19 pandemic first shut down schools and businesses and disrupted recreational activities and social events, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law to support the nation’s economic recovery.

San Diego County Fair invites you to ‘peel back the wrapper’ and learn its 2027 theme

The San Diego County Fair has announced its 2027 theme which will explore the agricultural origins and history of chocolate.

El Niño Just Pushed California’s Ocean to the Highest Levels Ever Recorded, and NOAA Says More Is Coming

Roads flooded, water pushed into homes and businesses, and tide gauges that have been recording for more than a century logged numbers they had never seen before. That was the California coast between Oct. 24 and 30, and NOAA has now explained what made it happen. The NOAA National Ocean...

San Marcos City Council Unanimously Tables San Elijo Hills Condo Proposal; Additional Studies Push Review Into 2027

The San Marcos City Council voted Tuesday evening unanimously to defer a decision on the controversial 31-unit condominium project proposed for San Elijo Hills Town Center, requesting additional studies addressing traffic safety, wildfire hazards, and environmental impacts. The environmental study cannot be conducted until spring 2027, meaning any potential return...

Community honors Army veteran killed after assault outside ‘Trump House’

More than 50 people gathered at Miramar National Cemetery on Veterans Day to remember 69-year-old Kerry Sheron, who died days after being attacked outside his Escondido home.

State Funding Prevents Major Metrolink Service Cuts in OC

Metrolink passengers traveling through San Clemente and other parts of Orange County will avoid significant service reductions after the state committed $20 million to help maintain the regional rail system’s operations. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced the funding on Thursday, Nov. 5, preventing service cuts that were...

Affordable housing coming to Hillcrest

Construction began Tuesday on a 97-unit development on the corner of University Avenue and Herbert Street. Known as Hillcrest Hall, it will remain affordable for 55 years for qualifying low-income San Diegans, which right now includes households earning between $47,250 and $110,200 for a family of three. The development is...

Oceanside sales tax measure now has San Diego County's closest election result

The fate of Oceanside’s sales tax measure may come down to the final vote count after Thursday night’s election results left it as the closest of any race in San Diego County. The 2,500 additional ballots counted show “no” on Measure S ahead by a mere 122 votes...

New city attorney talks about her new job

‘I never know what to expect when I come into the office’ Once an attorney for private parties in environmental cases against cities— Dare DeLano now wears a different hat. Giving her a unique perspective that she brings to the city of Escondido. She understands the other side! Last week I interviewed the recently installed Escondido City Attorney in her […] The post New city attorney talks about her new job first appeared on Escondido Times-Advocate .

Room additions in San Diego: how the process works, from permit to move-in

For many San Diego families, the house is in the right neighborhood, but the floor plan no longer fits. A growing household, a parent moving in, or a home office that has become permanent can all push the same question: move, or add space? With housing prices where they are, more homeowners are choosing to build onto what they already own.

Nonprofit steps in after Valley Center Veterans Day ceremony canceled

Roses for Veterans plans a community gathering to honor more than 400 veterans buried at Valley Center Cemetery.

Chief Napier urges residents to learn about, comment on Fire Hazard Severity Zone

Sacramento, CA — Cal Fire – Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) last week announced the opening of the public comment period for the regulatory adoption of the 2026 State Responsibility Area (SRA) Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ).  The comment period will run from November 9, 2026, through January 8, 2027, at 5 p.m.  Valley Center Fire Protection District […] The post Chief Napier urges residents to learn about, comment on Fire Hazard Severity Zone first appeared on Valley Roadrunner .

Letter to the Editor: SQUATTERS REMAIN ON JETT ESTATE DESPITE COURT DEFAULT

Editor, Roadrunner: While the criminal justice system prepares to face accused killers Cedric “Charles” von Ferdinand and accomplice Kimberley Anne Pifer in a Vista courtroom, a parallel crisis remains unresolved on the ground in Valley Center. Nadine Jett’s 20-acre ranch, the very site where the 65-year-old retired attorney was tragically found buried, continues to be occupied by unauthorized individuals. Despite […] The post Letter to the Editor: SQUATTERS REMAIN ON JETT ESTATE DESPITE COURT DEFAULT first appeared on Valley Roadrunner .

Can a jetty prevent sewage from Tijuana?

In the early 1900s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a massive jetty from the shore of North Island almost 1.5 miles into the mouth of San Diego Bay. The Zuniga Shoals Jetty Project was designed to create a deepwater port for vessels to enter and exit. But, it took over a decade to complete, cost far more than anticipated and, according to the San Diego History Center, was an epic failure: “…the rock structure did not solve the harbor’s problems.”

San Diego Customers Pack Hearings To Fight $270-A-Year Utility Hike

Fed-up San Diego customers packed back-to-back hearings Tuesday to fight a utility rate hike in a state with some of America's highest power prices.

After Flock came to Hillcrest, hate crimes dropped. The community is now divided on whether ALPRs should stay.

In the past decade, the historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood Hillcrest has recorded the highest number of total hate crimes of any neighborhood in the city. However, hate crimes in Hillcrest have dropped since 2025, with other neighborhoods recording more hate crimes than Hillcrest for the first time since 2016. Some Hillcrest residents, business owners and San Diego Police attribute the decline to the introduction of Automated License Plate Readers in July 2024.

San Diego case accusing USAA of overcharging enlisted clients bound for California Supreme Court

The California Supreme Court will take up a class action lawsuit originally filed in San Diego by a group of enlisted USAA policyholders who allege they were overcharged by the insurance company. The lawsuit alleges the firm, formally named the United Services Automobile Association, charged the plaintiffs higher auto insurance...

HOA boards often make decisions behind closed doors. California should require they meet in public

HOAs have become another form of local government, assessing fees and fines while providing its members services cities and counties can’t.

San Diego County could see several rounds of rain showers through next week

San Diego County is set to experience multiple rounds of rain, gusty winds, and cooler temperatures starting late Thursday night and continuing through next week.

Large fire engulfs abandoned ‘nuisance' building in San Diego's Mountain View area