December 11, 2007 by Gary Warth, North County Times

When we began out series on methamphetamine use in the summer of 2007, I hoped to stress two things.

First, meth affects everybody in our county. You may live in a neighborhood where you never see addicts, and you may have never been a victim of a crime committed by someone desperate for another hit, but the drug probably still has affected your life in some way.

The new standards for mail boxes in the county are a result of officials trying to find a way of stopping identity thief, a crime that is believed to be committed mostly by meth users. To read what the District Attorney's Office says about the problem, go here. 

October 17, 2007 by Ed Joyce

Any time of year you can find it here. Perhaps we can “drink champagne on ice” as The Eagles sing in “Hotel California.” But it takes water – fresh water – to turn the wheel of California’s trillion-dollar economy. California is estimated to be the world’s fifth-largest economy. The state also ranks in the top-five when it comes to supplying the world with food and other agricultural products. At least until the water runs out. But will that happen? At stake is not only California’s economy but a major source of the world’s food.