The Coast News INLAND EDITION
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VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO
VOL. 10, N0. 10
APRIL 28, 2023
Man charged with running illegal gun lab
O’side OKs project on Vista border
By City News Service
ESCONDIDO — A 20-year-old man accused of operating an illegal firearms manufacturing lab out of an RV in Escondido pleaded not guilty April 19 to more than two dozen felony counts. Jace Allan Tornio was arrested April 14 following a traffic stop in which he allegedly fled from a vehicle. Escondido police said he was arrested and found with a concealed, “loaded unserialized Glock-style firearm,” as well as two high-capacity magazines and about three dozen rounds of ammo. Police said he also had five auto sear/switch devices, which allow guns to be converted from semi-automatic into automatic firearms. Investigators searched his residence one day later and found an “illegal gun manufacturing operation” inside an RV on the property, where 3D printers, 3D printed gun parts and ammunition were allegedly found. Tornio faces around 10 years in state prison if convicted of all charges, which include possession of a machine gun, converting a firearm into a machine gun, and possession of an assault weapon.
Modera Melrose a mixed-use plan By Samantha Nelson
ries. But after making the video series, the group of cannabis enthusiasts felt there was more that needed to be told. Soon, Corley and his production team, A Different Day Radio, along with Star Fox Media and Guide Me Tours, expanded the short video series into a full-length documentary film. “I feel like the cannabis industry is another draw to the city of Vista,” Green said. “Since it’s been implemented, it’s been a great revenue generator, but we haven’t seen the focused impacts. It was eye-opening (producing the film). We’ve seen them really step up for the community.” The feature-length film includes footage and interviews with owners and employees from Hello Cannabis, Off The Charts, Coastal
OCEANSIDE — A 323-unit, mixed-use multifamily project is set to complete the buildout of a three-way intersection near the Vista city limits. The Oceanside Planning Commission on April 10 unanimously approved a development plan and final environmental impact report for the Modera Melrose mixed-use project at the intersection of Oceanside Boulevard and Melrose and West Bobier drives. Modera Melrose will take over 7.40 acres of hilly property where a shopping center was previously proposed and denied by the Planning Commission in 2008. The project’s 323 units will be divided between six buildings on site, including five 4-story buildings and a single 5-story structure. The units will consist of one, two and three-bedroom homes ranging in size from just under 700 square feet for the smallest one-bedroom units and more than 1,400 square feet for the largest three-bedroom units. Approximately 2,336 square feet of ground-level commercial space will be reserved for a restaurant or retail tenants. Proposed amenities on site include a recreation area with a club and fitness center, pool and spa with surrounding shaded, private lounge areas, a barbecue area with a shade structure and a television wall for residents. Dan Niebaum of The Lightfoot Planning Group represented the developer, Mill Creek Residential, at the project’s public hearing on April 10. “They’ve been working on this project for a fairly long time,” Niebaum said. “They vetted the site very
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A HISTORIC PHOTO OPPORTUNITY In this undated photo, family members embrace before troops are deployed from Camp Pendleton. The library at Cal State University San Marcos is asking longtime North County residents to help identify people, places and events featured in a collection of local images from the 1970s and ’80s taken by former Escondido Times-Advocate photographer Dan Rios. Story on Page 19. Photo by Dan Rios/CSUSM Special Collections
Documentary to highlight Vista cannabis industry By Steve Puterski
VISTA — A podcaster turned filmmaker is planning to release a full-length documentary film this summer showcasing the growth and impact of Vista’s budding cannabis industry since the city legalized recreational marijuana five years ago. “California Cannabis Corridor,” a film produced by Zeke Corley, takes a closer look at a variety of aspects related to the city’s legalized recreational cannabis industry, including law enforcement, business models, dispensaries, city revenue and dispelling myths long associated with marijuana. Corley, host of the Same Business Different Day podcast, previously worked on podcasts in conjunction with the city of Vista, including episodes about the city’s historic downtown (“Visiting Downtown Vista”) and local breweries (“Pioneer Beer Trail”).
‘CALIFORNIA CANNABIS CORRIDOR’ producer Zeke Corley, from left, Vista Councilman Joe Green, Hello Cannabis owner Sidl Hurmiz and his niece Shanna Hurmiz, the store’s general manager, and employee Geraleen Brown. Hello Cannabis is one of 11 dispensaries in Vista. Photo by Steve Puterski
Originally, Corley made a series of short videos offering a “behindthe-doors” look at five of the city’s successful cannabis dispensaries hosted by Councilman Joe Green, a proponent of legalized marijuana
who helped champion Measure Z, a 2018 citizens’ initiative legalizing recreational cannabis in Vista. Green said he jumped at the opportunity, hosting five short videos featuring local cannabis dispensa-