Classes start busily at Palomar College

SAN MARCOS ---- Swarming with thousands of students in a rush to find their classes, pay their enrollment fees and pick up text books, Palomar College began its fall semester on Monday.

Palomar prez: Verbal agreement reached in complaint

SAN MARCOS ---- A tentative settlement was reached late Monday afternoon that would avert four days of hearings set to begin today on a complaint from the state Public Employment Relations Board alleging that Palomar College violated the rights of two professors.

Man accused of groping young girls on trial

VISTA ---- Three teenage girls testified Monday that a man on trial for 19 sex-related counts groped them in separate attacks in the North County, part of a four-month series of such crimes.

Escondido

City spends $100K on bond-related mailers, consultant

ESCONDIDO --- The city has spent more than $100,000 in public funds so far this year to "inform" potential voters about the need to upgrade local police and fire infrastructure that would be paid for through a public bond.

Road closed after truck spills chemicals

Firefighters, Tony Sevilla, right, and Scott Pearson neutralize chemicals spilled on Valley Parkway in Escondido on Monday morning. A section of West Valley Parkway near Interstate 15 was closed Monday for nearly three hours after four jugs of chlorine and a one-gallon container of muriatic acid tumbled off the back of a pickup truck. A hazardous material response team from the San Diego Fire Rescue deposit neutralized the chemicals with a solution of soda ash and water, with a city of Escondido street sweeper cleaning up afterward.

Fallbrook

Appeals to Supervisor Horn for assistance

FALLBROOK ---- The San Luis Rey Watershed Council is appealing to county Supervisor Bill Horn to find the money to fund the group's watershed coordinator position. The post was cut when grant money ran out last month.

Boy hit by a vehicle

FALLBROOK ---- An 8-year-old boy suffered possible head injuries when he ran out into the street and hit the side of a moving vehicle Monday, authorities said.

Poway

Ramona

County meetings teach how to apply for $13.2 million

SAN DIEGO ---- The County of San Diego plans to hold meetings in Fallbrook, Ramona and Julian to tell people how they can apply for some of $13.2 million in federal funds used to build street improvements, community centers, parks and water and drainage improvements.

San Marcos

Council to decide on Highlands extension

SAN MARCOS ---- Developer KB Home is appealing to the City Council tonight to overturn the Planning Commission and allow the company an additional year to work on plans for the 230-home San Marcos Highland project in the Twin Oaks Valley area.

SMHS students appeal for swim, water polo coaches

SAN MARCOS ---- Athletes from San Marcos High School pressed the school board Monday night to get coaches hired for the Knights' water polo and swim teams.

Vista

Back to the books for Vista high schools

VISTA ---- Once again, the flood of students in the halls of Vista High School left little room to maneuver.

Vista cancer patient to be honored

VISTA ---- When Fred Gloor was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer he was told he had about 18 months to live. That was in 1995. Almost a decade later, Gloor is still fighting the disease known as myeloma.