Spartans pick up first football win of 2026 season

The Star-News offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. Everyone associated with the Chula Vista High School football team knew it was coming. It seemed only a matter of time. The Spartans, after a 0-4 start, won their first game of the new 2026 season...

Mold concerns keep U.S.'s only school for homeless youth at temporary campuses

San Diego University Offers Clinic After Mumps Outbreak

Public health officials have confirmed a mumps outbreak at San Diego State University (SDSU). Five confirmed and/or probable cases have been identified as of September 18, and all the cases are among student athletes on a single team. The students are no longer considered contagious. In response, the San Diego County Public Health Services hosted a clinic for students to screen for mumps symptoms and also to provide a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine boosters to students who have been identified as a close contact of any of the cases. SDSU is also cautioning students to watch for swelling near the neck or jaw and to avoid risky behaviors, such as sharing food or beverages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average incubation period for mumps is 16–18 days, with a range of 12–25 days, so more cases could come to light on the campus.

Eagles gathering momentum at season midpoint

The Granite Hills High School football team is entering the meat of its 2026 schedule. The No. 5-ranked Eagles (3-1) host No. 4-ranked Cathedral Catholic (2-2) this Friday in a non-league game then jump right into Grossmont Hills League play with home games against the Grossmont Foothillers (Oct. 2) and Steele Canyon Cougars (Oct. 9).

Prep talk: Corona del Mar's unbeaten football team relies on multiple-sport athletes

Nolan Scott, Tucker Murray are JJ Haley are two-sport standouts for the unbeaten Sea Kings.

National University opens new center at Escondido YMCA

National University has opened its second Nest Healthy Learning Center in Escondido, located within the Escondido YMCA’s Campus for Community Well-Being.  The hub gives students co-working space, technology access, and academic advising alongside on-site childcare through NU’s Kids Club plus dedicated support for military-connected students and their families. The center reflects a broader shift in higher education toward serving adult […] The post National University opens new center at Escondido YMCA first appeared on Escondido Times-Advocate .

Crisis-tested principal brings steady leadership to Twin Oaks

SAN MARCOS — Twin Oaks High School principal Nathan Baker never set out to teach a master class on crisis management in a school setting. Baker simply agreed to step up and serve when asked and played the hand he was dealt: a suspended predecessor, an on-campus stabbing and the suspension and subsequent resignation of a popular football coach — all in a span of four years.

Excessed Teacher of the Year Has New Role at San Diego Unified

There’s good news in the works for a San Diego Unified teacher reporter Jakob McWhinney profiled last week. For nearly two decades, Stacy Williams worked at TRACE, a school that helps adult students with disabilities learn the skills they need to transition to life after high school. Her work with those students was celebrated, earning her the designation as a San Diego County Teacher of the Year in 2025.

Granite Hills, Helix remain in ‘W’ column with big wins

Watch out, the East County’s big guns have started to fire salvos! That means trouble. The Helix Highlanders recorded their third consecutive win and the Granite Hills Eagles won for the second consecutive week in downing a pair of highly regarded adversaries in non-league play last Friday. Granite Hills...

Mumps outbreak at California college linked to student athletes

An outbreak of jaw-swelling mumps at Southern California’s San Diego State University has been linked to several students athletes -- but it seems to be contained for now. Three cases of the contagious disease were confirmed, and two other probable cases were reported, though the university did not identify the patients or the sport that had been affected. “Importantly, the students are no longer considered contagious,” Dr. Tanushree Ghosh, the medical director for the school’s student health services, wrote in a letter published online Friday. She said the school was working with the county to respond to the outbreak. Mumps is caused by a virus that affects the salivary glands and is often characterized by puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw — but severe cases can lead to brain, testicle and ovary inflammation that causes sterility. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine protects against the harsh disease, but people who have been vaccinated may still be infected. An outbreak of mumps has been reported at San Diego State University this month (AFP via Getty Images) The school said it was hosting a clinic to screen for mumps and provide booster shots to people who may have been in close

12 people charged for running fraud home daycares in San Diego

The 12 people were arrested Thursday morning and executed 12 search warrants at the homes. Officials said it was a coordinated takedown with more than 250 federal, state and local law enforcement.

I checked South Bay Union’s test scores before and after Espinoza took over

I heard from a reader after my story on South Bay Union Superintendent Jose Espinoza dropped last week, and it got me curious: What do the district’s academic outcomes look like before and after he took the top administrative job?. I looked into it. Here’s what I found:

Hovis leads surging San Marcos flag football team

Before San Marcos High’s flag football quarterback Finlee Hovis had ever taken a snap, she was an eighth grader throwing a football in physical education class at San Elijo Middle School. Her PE teacher, Joey Neptune, took notice and told Knights coach Gary Keeton about a “phenomenal, mature athlete”...

Football Recap: Carlsbad Skates Past Valley Center with Ease + How To Watch

Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Carlsbad). They breezed past the Valley Center Jaguars to the tune of 49-12 on Friday. The victory was just business as usual for the Lancers, who after five games remain undefeated this season. Carlsbad's...

San Diego State Lands $5M to Build Nationwide Data-Privacy Testbed

San Diego State University has received $5 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure to help build a national system that lets researchers compute on sensitive data without ever exposing it. The award funds a five-year project called PARAPET, short for Prototype Architecture for Research Advances using Privacy Enhancing Technologies, which will give scientists in healthcare, finance, internet security and the social sciences a shared testbed for working with medical records, financial information and census statistics while keeping that data locked down.

Metro Conference Hall of Fame to expand with 2026 class

The Star-News offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. The Metro Conference Hall of Fame is set to welcome 16 new members during ceremonies on Sunday, Sept. 20, at Olympian High School. The newest inductees include former standout athletes and coaches, administrators and distinguished service...

Epic win leaves Sultans with undefeated 4-0 record

Four weeks into the 2026 high school football season, four East County teams remain among the San Diego Section’s 11 undefeated 11-player teams. It’s becoming a select group: the Santana Sultans, West Hills Wolf Pack, Valhalla Norsemen and Christian Patriots. Santana and West Hills are both 4-0 while...

Students left frustrated by new Academic Tutor rule

Your heart beating out of your chest, your hands getting sweaty, you feel the anxiety walking into a class you have just been thrown into, not only a week late but 30 minutes late into the period. You walk in, and everyone is already accustomed to each other, with a seating chart made and assignments already done. Your anxiety is through the roof, and you just want to walk out.

Wolf Pack, Patriots, Norsemen all remain perfect

The last time the West Hills High School football team was 4-0 was in 2021. It took an overtime touchdown run to the left pylon by junior Evan Dorris to get the Wolf Pack back there five years later following last Friday’s 27-20 win at Hilltop. West Hills is...