California Dolphin

Editor: Inefficient, ineffective, illegal and immoral. That describes the first month of the new administration (Mailbox, Feb. 13). It’s inefficient to have workers dismissed midday or on a Friday night and then oops, “not you, nuclear safeguards,” prison guards, firemen, park rangers, etc. If only we knew who they were and how to find them! That’s not getting rid of unnecessary staff, but simply last in, first out. Not a smart process and certainly not efficient. These layoffs are ineffective, because there is no guarantee they will make for a more effective program. On the contrary, it has every indication of a less effective process as holes are left in crucial positions and the chain of command is altered. Just who is in charge? Some employees promoted to a higher level were listed as new hires and dismissed. There goes years of experience, knowledge and competent service. Not a smart process and certainly not effective. The Civil Service Law was enacted because of abusive hiring practices: relatives, who you knew or who paid to play. The merit system was a vast improvement. Due notice of

Far North

‘The Scourge’

Editor: So, it turns out that the scourge of cats killing wildlife might now be as bad for cats as it is for wildlife. According to Tanya Schrum’s article in last week’s NCJ, “cats appear to be the first extra-host to suffer the most significant mortality” from avian influenza (grammatically nonsensical, but it sounds scary). Will it be enough to get cat owners to — finally — keep their cats confined? The threats of cars, dogs, coyotes, mountain lions, toxoplasmosis and catfights; cats’ impacts on wildlife, especially birds; and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act haven’t done it, so I’m not overly optimistic. One could not be blamed for thinking that people didn’t give a mouse’s ass about birds or their «beloved» cats. But it is heartening to know that this might just put a small dent in the number of cats wreaking havoc out there, one way or another. If you happen to be one of those cat owners for whom this news tips the scale, I invite you to explore the concept of catios, which allow cats to experience the outdoors with no risk to them or wildlife.

Sheriff releases description of suspect vehicle in deadly hit-and-run crash

ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Authorities are searching for a vehicle involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash last month in Encinitas. The collision occurred on Jan. 19 just before 7 p.m. in the 900 block of North Coast Highway 101, Sgt. Jeremy Collis with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Tuesday. A 66-year-old woman was hit by a vehicle described as a 2019-2023 gray Audi Q3, according to authorities. She died at the hospital. The suspect vehicle stopped briefly at the scene before driving off, per SDSO. “The car may have damage to the lower left area of the front grille or be missing parts from the grille,” Collis said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office at 858-868-3200. To remain anonymous, call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or by visiting www.sdcrimestoppers.org.

East County school district braces for staffing cuts

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Grossmont Union High School District could see some staff cuts soon. Acting Superintendent Sandra Huezo sent an internal email to employees warning of “difficult financial realities” and “necessary staffing reductions” she is planning to propose to the Governing Board during Thursday’s meeting. “Like many school districts across California, including those in San Diego County, GUHSD is facing long-term budget challenges due to declining enrollment and an uncertain state budget, exacerbated by recent events such as the Southern California wildfires,” said Huezo in the email. “They’re talking about cutting the librarians from high school, that sounds ridiculous. Every single student uses all those services to reach the best potential they possibly can,” said James Messina, a veteran district teacher and the President of the Grossmont Education Association. Messina says he already received information some librarians have been impacted. “Everyone is now instantly concerned if they are going to lose their job and this is not needed in the slightest,” he said. He said class sizes could increase as a result of staffing reductions as well. “My reaction is that the

Surveillance video shows thief taking funeral donation box in North County

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — North County residents are outraged after a thief stole a funeral donation box from a local liquor store in broad daylight. The crime, which was captured on surveillance video, has sparked a community-wide effort to help the grieving family. The stolen box contained hundreds of dollars intended to help cover funeral expenses for Alfredo Martinez, a longtime Fallbrook resident who passed away earlier this month, leaving behind a wife and three children. Security footage from Feb. 18 shows a man with a backpack walking into Happy Jug Liquor Store, pretending to be a customer. Moments later, he grabs the donation box near the register and quickly walks out. “This is something deplorable,” said store owner Rawia Elfarra. “I cannot believe that this man walked into my store and took that box.” Elfarra shared that the Martinez family had labeled the box in both English and Spanish, including a photo of Alfredo, hoping to collect donations from the community. “For 40 years, my family has held fundraisers for fallen service members and local families in need,” Elfarra said. “I’ve seen people

Measles death of unvaccinated child in Texas outbreak is 1st fatality in US in a decade

LUBBOCK, Texas — An unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas has died of measles, the first death associated with an outbreak in the western part of the state that has infected more than 100 people. Lubbock city spokesperson Lauren Adams confirmed the death to ABC News on Wednesday. In a press release, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said the child was hospitalized in the northwestern city of Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles. As of Wednesday, 124 cases of measles have been confirmed associated with the outbreak, according to data from DSHS. Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, and 18 people have been hospitalized so far, DSHS said. Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases with 62, followed by 39 cases among children ages 4 and under. The outbreak began in Gaines County, which has become the epicenter, with 80 cases confirmed among residents, according to DSHS. The outbreak has since spread to several counties in the region and is “suspected” to have spread

Woman found dead inside central Fresno home, police say

Thursday, February 27, 2025 7:23AM An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead in a central Fresno home on Wednesday. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead in a central Fresno home on Wednesday. The woman’s body was discovered around 3:15 p.m. in a home near Olive Avenue and 11th Street. The Fresno Police Department says the woman in her 40s was found with injuries. Investigators are working to determine her exact cause of death. Copyright © 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Host Conan O’Brien plans to set right tone on Oscar Sunday

Thursday, February 27, 2025 6:16AM Host Conan O’Brien plans to set right tone on Oscar Sunday, using humor while addressing LA fires LOS ANGELES — The Eaton and Palisades fires will be acknowledged during the Oscar ceremony on Sunday. It’s personal to host Conan O’Brien, whose assistant lost her home in Altadena. “The Oscars is a show that is very much a hometown show. It’s a Los Angeles show, so what’s happened here needs to be addressed,” O’Brien said while wearing a shirt that read Altadena. “It’s a celebration of hard work that’s been done by many people.” O’Brien thinks the Oscars should lift people up and get people back to work. “There’s a needle to thread, there’s a line to walk, and I’m determined to do that correctly,” he said. “But I want to make sure there’s humor, that we have some fun, and that we have some joy.” O’Brien was asked about a promotional poster that sees him transformed into an Oscar statue. “Isn’t it cool? I can say that because it wasn’t my idea,” laughed O’Brien. “All I’ve ever wanted to do

Oscars 2025: See the full list of Academy Awards nominees

LOS ANGELES — Ahead of Sunday’s big show, refresh your memory on the 2025 Oscar nominations. OSCARS 2025: Here’s how to and where to watch the 97th Academy Awards “Emilia Pérez” leads the field of nominations this year with 13 in total. Following close behind with 10 each are “The Brutalist” and “Wicked,” while “A Complete Unknown” and “Conclave” scored eight each. Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang announced the nominees in all 23 categories for the 97th Academy Awards on Jan. 23 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. OSCARS 2025: How to watch all 10 films nominated for best picture The nominations ceremony was shared via global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, and the academy’s digital platforms. They were also announced on “Good Morning America,” ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. Nominees were initially set to be announced Friday, Jan. 17, but were delayed to Jan. 19 due to the Southern California wildfires, which left at least 29 dead and destroyed thousands of homes across the region. Nominations were then moved for a second time to

Eaton fire victims targeted by bandit tow truck scammers

Authorities are searching for the scammers who targeted Eaton fire victims by fraudulently towing their cars and demanding excessive fees to reclaim them. In the initial days of the Eaton fire, between Jan. 7-10, fake tow companies claiming to be contracted by the city of Altadena would tow the vehicles of evacuated victims under false pretenses before forcing them to pay high fees to retrieve their cars. Some of the stolen cars were stored in Riverside or San Bernardino County. David Gueringer, an Altadena resident, lost his garage and guest home to the Eaton fire that ignited on Jan. 7. “I went to sleep thinking we had really dodged the worst of the fire and been fortunate in that way,” Gueringer said. While his home was evacuated, Gueringer received a call from a towing company claiming to be working with the city. They had offered to tow away vehicles left in the fire zone for safety reasons, including Gueringer’s Chevy Tahoe SUV and Prius sedan. David Gueringer, an Altadena resident, was targeted by tow truck scammers who towed his vehicles and demanded excessive fees to

Woman wanted for ransacking Target store in Orange County

Police are searching for a woman who escaped with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store in Orange County. The theft occurred earlier in February at a Target at 3300 S. Bristol St. in Santa Ana, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. Surveillance video captured the suspect browsing store shelves as she grabbed a large amount of beauty products and clothing before placing them into a shopping cart. Police are searching for a woman who escaped with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store in Santa Ana in February 2025. (Santa Ana Police Department) Police are searching for a woman who escaped with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store in Santa Ana in February 2025. (Santa Ana Police Department) Police are searching for a woman who escaped with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store in Santa Ana in February 2025. (Santa Ana Police Department) Police are searching for a woman who escaped with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store in Santa Ana in February 2025. (Santa

Mayor Bass takes questions for first time since firing LAFD Chief

For the first time since firing Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristen Crowley, Mayor Karen Bass took questions in a press conference Wednesday – pushing her to address the fallout. While the press conference was held to discuss the city’s rebuilding and recovery efforts following the Palisades and Eaton fires, the questions quickly steered right into the controversy over Crowley’s dismissal. Crowley was fired on Feb. 21 in a sudden announcement from Bass, who said Crowley’s removal after the Palisades Fire and other blazes in January was in the “best interests of Los Angeles‘ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department.” The mayor’s decision has since drawn criticism from the public as well as City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who accused Bass of “misrepresenting the facts” surrounding Crowley’s firing. For example, earlier this week, United Firefighters of L.A. President Freddy Escobar claimed there weren’t enough working engines on the morning of the fire. However, the mayor refuted that claim on Wednesday morning to KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos, saying that there were 40 fire engines in working order that were not used.

Nearly 60,000 University of California healthcare workers go on multi-day strike

Nearly 60,000 University of California workers walked off the job Wednesday as a multi-day strike began over wages, staffing shortages and working conditions. Two different labor unions are leading the strikes — around 37,000 UC service and patient care workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 (AFSCME) will hold a two-day strike, with picketing taking place at all 10 UC campuses and at UC medical facilities statewide. Nearly 20,000 UC healthcare, research and technical workers represented by the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 (UPTE-CWA) will hold a three-day strike. The overlapping strikes could have significant consequences for patients and affect operations at hospitals, clinics and research facilities. AFSCME’s contract with the university expired in 2024 and negotiations on a new deal have been ongoing for the past year. UPTE-CWA’s contract expired at the end of October 2024, and negotiations have been ongoing for eight months, according to the union. “We want a fair contract,” said Jesse Hernandez, a UC worker on strike. “That’s all we’re asking for — nothing more, nothing less.” Members of University Professional and

Balloon Release in IB marks three months of 12-year-old’ boy’s unsolved case

$1,000 reward for any tip that leads to the arrest of 12-year-old Elijah Smith’s killer IMPERIAL BEACH (KGTV) — Heartbroken family and friends gathered on Wednesday at the Imperial Beach Pier to honor 12-year-old Elijah Smith, who would have celebrated his 13th birthday. Smith’s mother, Sofia Alvarez Smith, said there were many good memories with her son Elijah at the pier. “We had a good time here,” Alvarez Smith said. “We took Elijah many times on the pier, and he’d fish and catch a lot of stingrays.” Smith’s older sister Oakley said, “We miss him every single day. There are times when we’re just sitting there, and we’ll start crying.” Elijah’s father, Eleazar Smith, said, “We want justice for Elijah, and we don’t want his case to go cold.” On his 13th birthday, Smith’s family and loved ones released balloons at the pier to keep his memory alive. However, they still wait for justice to see Smith’s case solved. Smith was shot and killed last November when he was at a party at an abandoned house in National City.Four others were injured out of hundreds

San Diego’s Weather Forecast for February 26, 2025: Hot, dry & windy Thursday then cooler & wet

Today Ramona tied a daily record high warming to 84 degrees. Tomorrow is going to be the warmest day for the coast and valleys with temperatures soaring 10 to 20 degrees above average! I’m forecasting record highs in Escondido, Vista, El Cajon and again in Ramona. It will be cooler in the mountains and deserts compared to the last couple of days but still 7 to 12 degrees above average. Patchy fog will be possible for the coast into Thursday morning. Winds will turn offshore overnight into tomorrow as high pressure is squeezed between two storm systems. A Wind Advisory will be in effect from the inland and mountains from midnight until 4pm Thursday for east and northeasterly sustained winds of 20 to 30mph and gusts of 40 to 55mph. While the wind builds, the humidity will plummet between 5 to 15%. These dry, gusty conditions and the heat will elevate fire danger before relief arrives on Friday. If you’re spending time outdoors, stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade, as we haven’t seen temperatures this high in some time. By Friday, a dramatic

Family shares history of mental illness in El Cajon man arrested for mother’s death

EL CAJON (KGTV) — Family members say 51-year-old Jamison Webster had a big heart, especially when it came to those she loved. But it’s that kindness that may have cost her life. “Deal with the pain, the heartache, she was my best friend,” said Mike Webster, Jamison’s ex-husband. Police believe her son, 24-year-old Richard Leyva, killed her and put her body in the trunk of her car. Jamison’s ex-husband Mike Webster says Richard had a history of mental health issues and had been arrested several times in the past few years. “We had cops over to the house to arrest him because he was acting crazy, making threats,” Mike said. One of the officers told us: if you don’t get help, somebody’s going to die.” ABC10News obtained court documents revealing Richard’s behavior and attempts by his mother to help. According to court records, in July of 2021, Jamison brought Richard to a doctor who diagnosed him with acute psychosis and prescribed medication. The records say the medicine helped, but Richard decided to stop taking it a few weeks later. His symptoms of paranoia returned. “He

These play kitchens will keep any young cook entertained

What are the best play kitchens for kids? Play kitchens are popular with all kinds of children as an excellent vehicle for pretend play, whether playing solo, with other kids or adults. Young cooks will love the chance to play at making their own recipes, but kids are creative and can make all kinds of games from a play kitchen. With so many play kitchens on the market, picking the right one can seem baffling. It’s essential to choose one with all the features and accessories you want your child to have and look at some popular options to discover the best play kitchens. What do play kitchens include? What comes with your play kitchen varies depending on the model you choose. Focusing on the kitchen itself, some are more elaborate than others. The most extensive play kitchens may feature cabinets, an oven, a sink, a microwave, a washing machine, a recycling bin, a fridge and a dishwasher. More compact play kitchens will feature a smaller selection from this list. Then you get to accessories, such as pots, pans, utensils and play food. Some play

Gene Hackman was one of the 20th century’s greatest actors. Here’s a list of his notable films

LOS ANGELES — Gene Hackman, the two-time Oscar-winning actor, has been found dead in his New Mexico home. Authorities have opened an investigation into how Hackman, his wife and their dog died, though have said no foul play is suspected. One of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Hackman’s career spanned more than 40 years and a variety of roles, from tough-guy parts to comedic turns, playing heroes, villains and one iconic sports coach in ways that captivated audiences. Here’s a list of notable Hackman films: 1961 — “Mad Dog Coll” (debut) 1964 — “Lilith” 1966 — “Hawaii” 1967 —”Bonnie and Clyde” (Academy Award nomination, supporting actor) 1969 — “The Gypsy Moths,” “Downhill Racer,” “I Never Sang for My Father” (Academy nomination, supporting actor) 1971 — “The French Connection” (as “Popeye” Doyle, best actor Academy Award win) 1972 — “Prime Cut,” “Cisco Pike,” “The Poseidon Adventure” 1974 — “The Conversation,” “Young Frankenstein” (cameo) 1975 — “The French Connection II,” “Lucky Lady” 1978 — “Superman” (as Lex Luthor) 1980 — “Superman II” 1981 — “Reds” 1983 — “Superman III” 1986 — “Hoosiers” 1987 — “No Way Out,”

Word Game: Feb. 27, 2025

TODAY’S WORD — IMPROMPTU (IMPROMPTU: im-PROM-too: Made, done or formed on the spur of the moment.) Average mark 22 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 29 or more words in IMPROMPTU? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — SLITHER shier shire shirt silt sire site slier slit stile stir lest list lite liter lithe isle islet istle their this tier tile tire tries heir heist hers hilt hire relish relist relit rest rile rise rite To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

Horoscopes Feb. 27, 2025: Kate Mara, take the plunge

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kate Mara, 42; Josh Groban, 44; Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, 54; Donal Logue, 59.Happy Birthday: Take the plunge, follow your heart and use your imagination to devise the best combination to carry out your plans this year. Pull all your resources together and focus on what you want to achieve, and nothing will topple your plans or cause you to fall victim to someone trying to beat you at your own game. A passionate attitude will undermine any adversary you encounter. Your numbers are 9, 17, 23, 30, 34, 42, 45.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put anger aside and get things done. You have what it takes to reach your goal as long as you refrain from allowing anyone to push emotional buttons that throw you off guard. Tuck yourself away in a safe spot where you can accomplish the most with the least interference. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change will open your mind to a host of new ideas and people who can offer specific skills you can utilize. Participate in events that interest or concern you, and you’ll

Asking Eric: I just found out my baby is not my boyfriend’s