San Diego Area News (BETA)

SAN DIEGO – So there was John Anderson, by himself for a moment among thousands of others on University Avenue Saturday, taking inventory of the extravagance rolling past and pondering all of the changes he's seen over his 50 years.

A kitchen fire at a packed Mission Beach nightspot late Friday night caused an estimated $2 million in damage but injured no one, San Diego fire officials said. Authorities said grease in an exhaust vent caught fire about 11:15 p.m. at Canes Bar & Grill on Ocean Front Walk as an estimated 650 customers were inside listening to live music and drinking on the rooftop lounge.

CITY HEIGHTS — Twelve-year-old Rufino Zapata was a fifth-grader among fifth-graders Tuesday at Rosa Parks Elementary School. And he was feeling pretty special about it. Rufino was among 600 City Heights students who marched in an annual parade that celebrates the passage of elementary students to middle school.

For the first time since the early 1980s, San Diego County's unemployment rate surged above the 10 percent mark last month, according to state data released yesterday.

SAN PASQUAL VALLEY — Although it is known that the Battle of San Pasqual was fought in December 1846 between U.S. and Mexican soldiers, the exact site eludes present-day historians and archaeologists.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom marched in Saturday's gay pride parade, and the outspoken gay rights supporter will hold a town-hall meeting here Saturday night.

Two banks with branches in San Diego County have been shut down by federal regulators.

Though more than 150,000 were expected to celebrate gay pride this weekend in Hillcrest and Balboa Park, the celebration was bittersweet because of the passage of Proposition 8 banning gay marriage in the state.

Fire officials said Saturday that a kitchen fire at a popular waterfront Mission Beach bar caused about $2 million in damage, but no one was injured.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pack Balboa Park and the streets of Hillcrest this weekend for Gay Pride.

Some unexpected faces made an appearance at this years 35th annual San Diego Pride Parade, which kicked off Saturday.

SAN DIEGO -- The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County fell Saturday for the 28th time in the past 29 days, declining 1.1 cents to $2.819.

SAN DIEGO -- Three boys were in custody Saturday on suspicion of burglarizing a Logan Heights middle school, police said.

SAN DIEGO -- A kitchen fire at a popular waterfront Mission Beach bar caused about $2 million in damage, but no one was injured, a fire official said Saturday.

SAN DIEGO -- San Francisco Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom will conduct the 18th in a series of what his campaign is calling "conversations about California's future" Saturday night at Clairemont High School.

Firefighters are battling a brush fire in intense heat. Sponsored Topics: Ramona Quimby - United States - Art - Jane Yolen - Selena Gomez

Thousands are expected to descend on Downtown Saturday for the San Diego Pride Parade. Sponsored Topics: San Diego - California - United States - Counties - Business and Economy

Americans have lost two trillion dollars in retirement savings during the economic meltdown. So how can you create a new life after debt? Sponsored Topics: Debt - Personal Finance - Business - Financial Services - Meltdown

A man accused of killing his wife on a Mexican cruise, made an emotional outburst at his first court appearance as family members sobbed loudly in the gallery. Sponsored Topics: Mexico - Travel - Recreation - United States - Specialty Travel

Whether it was throwing out the first pitch at Padres playoff game, or receiving an award, Walter Cronkite certainly wasn't a stranger to San Diego. Sponsored Topics: San Diego Padres - Sport - Walter Cronkite - Baseball - San Diego

TEMECULA ---- In a time that many consider the dog days of summer, Saturday in Temecula was certainly a day for dogs.

WILDOMAR ---- Nicolas Gideon was only 20 years old when he died two weeks ago, but friends and family said he lived life to the fullest.

TEMECULA ---- Four days of hard work ended in about 20 seconds, but that didn't bother participants in the Champions Science Adventures Summer Camps at Hillcrest Academy.

FALLBROOK ---- Fallbrook High School will replace about 700 feet of leaky gas lines before school starts Aug. 31.

FALLBROOK ---- Pass the junction of Interstate 15 and Highway 76 any day of the week and you're likely to spot tiny airplanes streaking above your head.

Mission Beach establishment suffers major damage in late night fire.

Firefighters are working to contain a three-acre brush fire burning north of Ramona.

Holding event "Conversations for California's Future" at Clairemont High School.

Firefighters are working to contain a two-acre brush fire burning north of Ramona.

Courtroom outburst from man who admitted murdering his wife on a cruise ship shocks sobbing family members. 7/17/09

We were all educated over these past few days in the ways of budget politics. Pun fully intended, of course. On this week's Capital Notes Podcast, we examine the status of sputtering budget talks (at least, as of our taping on late Thursday afternoon). Most notably, the battle over Proposition 98 -- Test 1, maintenance [...]

A pretty good jab at the folks in the state Capitol came in today from Treasurer Bill Lockyer, a written statement on the deficit negotiations that now seem slower, not faster. Lockyer says, in part: "With every passing day, the State's credit rating moves closer and closer to the junk pile. If the Governor and Legislature dump [...]

If you took out a calculator, added up some numbers, and hit "equals," you'd expect an answer that was indisputable, right? Now imagine there were certain buttons on the calculator that would make the math turn out differently. Or suppose you and a friend just agreed the calculator's result was flawed and from now [...]

That was the assessment of Assembly Speaker Karen Bass as negotiations over the state's massive budget deficit ended tonight with no deal, a major change in tone from earlier in the day when a deal seemed imminent. The 'Big Five' meeting of legislative leaders and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ended just before 10:00 p.m., with Democrats saying [...]

The buzz around the state Capitol grows louder this afternoon that a deal is close at hand on a $26.3 billion solution to California's gaping budget deficit. Of course, it ain't over 'til it's over... which means a likely long day for negotiators and those of us left in the Capitol press corps. The details [...]