Couple share their passion for music

Jeff and Marlena Brown have been teaching piano in Rancho Santa Fe for more than 25 years, so long that they even have “grand-students.” With students ranging in age from 3 to 86, the couple finds a happy harmony, pairing their love of music with their love of teaching.

“We truly are as thrilled when the last student comes in the door as we are when the first student arrives,” Marlena said. “We have a real joy in what we do.”

Elite Fitness Kids camps inspire, boost confidence

Carmel Valley resident Lisa Ziemba has brought the popular boot camp-style workout to the younger set through her Elite Fitness Kids beach camps. Her camps aim to get kids excited about exercise, as well as boost confidence and promote an all-around healthy lifestyle.

Ziemba teaches beach boot camp classes at Torrey Pines State Beach after school throughout the year, but during the summer she holds her weeklong camps. The two remaining sessions begin July 26 and Aug. 9.

Nature center open house to be held

The San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority will be hosting a three-day design open house July 17 to 19 for their proposed San Dieguito Lagoon Nature Center.

The public is invited to attend any time during the three-day process to provide community input. A design team of architects, landscape architects and an interpretive designer will be on hand to listen to suggestions.

Smoking ban goes into effect in San Dieguito River Park

A new no-smoking policy is now in place for the San Dieguito River Park, which stretches from the gateway at the lagoon in Del Mar to the crest of Volcan Mountain.

The Board of Directors of the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority approved the policy, following the lead of 14 other cities in San Diego County. The authority is a multi-jurisdictional agency formed to plan, create, preserve and enhance the San Dieguito River Valley Regional Open Space Park.

CA Supreme Court upholds Prop 8

The California Supreme Court today upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the voter-approved measure that banned same-sex marriage in the state, but the court also ruled that the unions of roughly 18,000 same-sex couples who were wed last year will remain valid.

County roads relatively safe over holiday weekend

Drunken driving arrests this Memorial Day holiday weekend are about steady from last year in San Diego County and across the state, a California Highway Patrol official said Tuesday.

But no one has been killed on San Diego County roads or highways since the Memorial Day weekend count started at 6 p.m. Friday.

Mickelson pulls out of PGA tour to support wife

San Diegan Phil Mickelson pulled off the PGA tour indefinitely Wednesday to be at his wife’s side while she undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

Mickelson’s agents at Gaylord Sports Management made the announcement Wednesday, saying Amy Mickelson will likely have surgery in the next couple of weeks.

Area beaches earn good grades in ‘Beach Report Card’

San Diego County had near-perfect water quality during the summer months last year, according to the 19th annual “Beach Report Card” released Wednesday by an environmental group.

Ninety-seven percent of the 93 beaches along San Diego’s coast that were monitored for the annual statewide study received A grades over the summer months, according to Heal the Bay.

Carmel Valley’s “Fugitive Mom” released from prison

The Carmel Valley housewife who was returned to a Michigan prison last spring after spending three decades in hiding was greeted by her family Tuesday morning when she was released.

Susan LeFevre, 54, laughed and thanked her family for its support moments after she was released from Huron Valley Prison, just south of Ann Arbor, Mich., around 6 a.m. Tuesday

Special election: Low turn out expected

Only about a quarter of San Diego County residents are expected to turn out Tuesday to cast a ballot in the statewide special election.

“Our office hasn’t gotten a lot of interest from the public leading up to the election, so we are expecting a relatively low turnout, somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 to 30 percent,” San Diego County Registrar of Voters Deborah Seiler said.