North County Report: Your 2025 North County Wrapped

The countdown to 2026 has begun, and I’ve got a feeling next year is going to be a big one. 

But before that, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the biggest North County stories of 2025. Think of it as a Spotify Wrapped for local news. 

Also, this is the last North County Report of the year, so a huge thank you for reading and supporting.  

Without further ado, here’s your 2025 North County Wrapped. 

A Plan to Clear Homeless Encampments Is Actually Going Well 

In May, I wrote about a joint effort by Oceanside and Carlsbad to move hundreds of unsheltered people from large encampments into long-term housing. The two cities received a state grant — $11.4 million over three years — to house everyone living along state Route 78 and the Buena Vista Creek. 

I visited the first major encampment where city outreach teams, along with several nonprofit groups, were set up and watched as team members moved people and families into subsidized housing that includes supportive services. So far, the plan has exceeded expectations, with far more people accepting help and services than city officials initially anticipated. 

You can read that story here. 

Stay tuned for an update: I’m planning on checking in on this program again in 2026 to see if it’s still seeing a high success rate. I’m also curious to see what sort of trends are emerging as city officials collect data and document their outcomes. 

Trouble For a Homeless Serving Nonprofit in Encinitas 

This year also brought us the story of the Community Resource Center, a homeless services nonprofit based in Encinitas. 

Around April, an anonymous social media account called Save Encinitas Now shared an Instagram post that quickly spread throughout the city.  

It showed an animated video of a person, depicted only by a hand, throwing crumbs toward a cluster of rats on the street. In the background, stood a building branded with the letters “CRC,” which stands for Community Resource Center.  

“Fact: The CRC is the number one reason Encinitas has a growing, out of control homeless problem,” the post’s caption said. “The CRC attracts them into our city every day only to feed them and turn them loose on Encinitas.”  

It resonated with many residents, who believe the nonprofit was a magnet for homeless people. Leaders of Community Resource Center denounced the post, though, and said many of the account’s claims were false. A large portion of the community also spoke out in support of the nonprofit, commending the organization for its work and disputing claims that it was attracting homeless people to the city. 

The debate highlighted a harsh reality: The quiet, affluent beach town, like the rest of the region, is facing a growing homelessness problem that wasn’t nearly as visible just a few years ago.  

A Poway Councilmember Came… and Went 

2025 was the first year I started covering the city of Poway.  

As North County reporter, I didn’t think Poway was technically in my coverage area; I always thought of the city as more East County than North County. (Some people might disagree.) But after receiving some emails from a few Poway residents asking for more local coverage, I decided to take it on. 

I started with a story in January about how the Poway City Council had to fill a vacant City Council seat by either appointment or a special election. Many residents wanted a special election, but the Council majority ultimately voted to appoint. 

It seemed pretty straightforward. I thought it would be the perfect story to help me get my feet wet. I had no idea. 

That first meeting delivered a bombshell. Former District 2 Councilmember Tony Blain had emailed another councilmember with an attempt to engage in bribery and vote trading. Blain wanted Councilmember Peter De Hoff to vote for a special election. In exchange, Blain said he would drop his recall effort against him and vote for De Hoff to become deputy mayor. 

That was also the meeting where City Attorney Alan Fenstermacher publicly accused Blain of threats, harassment and bullying directed at him, other staff members and residents.   

From there, the situation escalated to a recall effort, an internal investigation, the city’s first-ever censure of an elected official, the city’s first-ever lawsuit against an elected official and, ultimately, criminal charges. 

The District Attorney’s office charged Blain in October with four felonies and one misdemeanor. A couple weeks later, Poway’s District 2 residents overwhelmingly voted to recall Blain in a special election and the next day, Blain resigned. 

You can read about the entire Blain saga here. It was a doozy. 

The Criminal Charges in Encinitas That Went Nowhere 

Speaking of elected officials facing charges, Encinitas Councilmember Luke Shaffer made headlines this year. 

In August, I broke the news that the District Attorney’s office had charged Shaffer with felony assault and two misdemeanors, hit-and-run driving and willful omission to perform duty. 

The charges stemmed from a July confrontation over trash bins between Shaffer and resident Declan Caulfield. A judge ended up reducing the felony assault charge to a misdemeanor and dismissing the willful omission to perform duty charge. Then later, another judge agreed to suspend Shaffer’s case on the condition that he do anger-management work and community service. 

Initially, news of the charges sent shockwaves throughout the community, especially the felony charge. Some people were calling on Shaffer to resign. Others were convinced the charges were baseless and politically motivated. 

After viewing videos of the incident and hearing witness testimonies at the preliminary hearing, Judge Saba Sheibani said the evidence didn’t meet the threshold for a felony assault. She also said the willful omission to perform duty charge failed to meet the probable cause standard, and the hit-and-run charge was “de minimus,” or so small as to be almost insignificant.  

Now that the case has been suspended, the contrast between the severity of the original charges and the way the case ultimately resolved in court has left many residents wondering why the District Attorney’s office elevated the case to a felony in the first place.  

Honorable Mention: From Homelessness to Housing 

This year also marked a full-circle moment for one North County family’s journey from homelessness to a home. José and Mercedes and their three kids spent more than a year moving between motels, cars, and rental vans after falling behind on rent. I wrote about their journey in 2024 when they were still living in Interfaith’s family homeless shelter in Escondido. 

After months of searching and working with local nonprofits, the family finally moved into a two-bedroom apartment in San Marcos, where I was able to interview them again. 

Their story highlighted just how quickly someone can go from housed to unhoused, and how difficult it can be to regain stability in a system that can take years to navigate, even for a family that’s doing everything right. 

Read their story here. 

In Other News: 

• County Supervisors approved a plan to research the potential of recycling hundreds of tons of spent fuel stored at the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. (Coast News) 
• Homelessness nonprofit Solutions for Change has appointed an interim CEO, Aaron Byzak. Former CEO and founder Chris Megison said he won’t comment on the leadership changes. (Coast News) 
• Tri-City Medical Center directors voted unanimously last week to pursue a 30-year affiliation with Sharp HealthCare, pending voter approval in 2026. (Union-Tribune) 
• That’s not the only healthcare partnership: We previously reported that Palomar Health and UC San Diego Health have finalized the creation of a joint powers authority. Read that story here. (Voice of San Diego)

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