
Diane Bell
Diane Bell was a longtime columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune. She chronicled life in and around the city of San Diego for The San Diego Union-Tribune starting in1995. In prior years, Diane was opinion pages editor and an editorial writer, and served as president of the National Association of Opinion Page Editors. She received her masters in journalism from the University of Missouri, followed by stints as an editor and a reporter covering various news beats, including education, features, general news and consumer issues. She won the national Penney-Missouri award for consumer reporting. Before becoming opinion pages editor at the U-T, Diane was senior deputy editor of U.S. News & World Report in Washington, D.C.
All Stories

Can the AstroTwins help San Diego swimsuit model Phoebe Davis find cosmic love?Tomorrow, a new type of dating reality TV show debuts on Amazon Prime — if you thought there...

Can a San Diego model find a horoscope husband?
Can the AstroTwins help San Diego swimsuit model Phoebe Davis find cosmic love?Tomorrow, a new type of dating reality TV show debuts on Amazon Prime — if you thought there...

Chula Vista grandpa takes world stage in discus
Scott Young, a doting grandfather of four young kids, just returned from the World Police & Fire Games in the Netherlands with three gold medals in his age group —...

A San Diego link to ‘Purple Hearts’, Paul Rudd and Vin Scully
As actress Sofia Carson was being filmed here last fall in scenes for her newly released Netflix movie, "Purple Hearts," a festival happened to be taking place by the Oceanside...

Where are they now? San Diegans who beat the odds
Singer Rick Lyon fell on hard times after he lost his regular gig at the Imperial Steakhouse cocktail lounge as the pandemic shuttered the evening entertainment scene.Through the generosity of...

Freeway crash sidelines van of well-known dog rescuer, A Way Home for Dogs
As darkness fell across I-805 near the Palm Avenue exit, Babs Fry scanned the shadows to see if one could be the runaway black lab that had been spotted earlier...

Listeners will miss the morning voice of Jazz 88.3 radio
After 41 years as the voice of Jazz 88.3 morning wake-up music, drive-time show host Joe Kocherhans will miss being on the airwaves. But he won’t miss going to bed...

Freeway crash sidelines van of dog rescuer
As darkness fell across I-805 near the Palm Avenue exit, Babs Fry scanned the shadows to see if one could be the runaway black lab that had been spotted earlier...

Country star performs at homeless shelters
Country singer Steven Cade performed the national anthem for opening day of the races in Del Mar last Friday, and he'll sing it again to kick off the Padres game...

Fans get in on the action at Comic-Con
Six years ago, at Comic-Con International here, Legion M was just the enthusiastic launch of a dream to create a production entity owned and advised by everyday fans.Today it has...

The thoroughbreds are off and running at Del Mar
Opening day at Del Mar sold out days before fans arrived Friday, July 22 in their fashionable hats and heard country singer Steven Cade sing Bing Crosby's track anthem, "Where...

The thoroughbreds are off and running at Del Mar
Opening day at Del Mar sold out days before fans arrived Friday, July 22 in their fashionable hats and heard country singer Steven Cade sing Bing Crosby's track anthem, "Where...

The thoroughbreds are off and running at Del Mar
Opening day at Del Mar sold out days before fans arrived Friday, July 22 in their fashionable hats and heard country singer Steven Cade sing Bing Crosby's track anthem, "Where...

The thoroughbreds are off and running at Del Mar
Opening day at Del Mar sold out days before fans arrived Friday in their fashionable hats and heard country singer Steven Cade sing Bing Crosby's track anthem, "Where the Turf...

Los salvajes, los malolientes y los ‘Comic-Con shuffle’: Los mejores consejos de etiqueta de los fans
A medida que miles de fans de los superhéroes se adentran en los pasillos de la Comic-Con 2022, parece que hay una advertencia que supera a todas las demás: Lleva...

The wild, the smelly and the ‘Comic-Con shuffle’: Fans’ best etiquette advice
As thousands of superhero fans take to the halls and exhibit aisles of Comic-Con 2022, there seems to be one caveat that supersedes all others: Wear deodorant!In fact, pack an...

Surfside surprises: A lost license, a flying shark and a fine-china picnic
La Jolla physician Richard Greenfield got an unexpected call while he and his wife, Jennifer, were vacationing recently in .The caller — an acquaintance from the big island of Hawaii,...

Billboard s fight for Ukraine
Ukraine may not dominate front-page headlines these days, but its battle against Russian insurgents isn't forgotten in San Diego.A billboard suddenly appeared along Harbor Drive a few days ago bearing...

A slam dunk: Steve Fisher is a nice guy
Steve Fisher has earned enough accolades over his four-decade coaching career to decorate and wallpaper a locker room or two.The winner of more games than any other coach in Mountain...

Teen and his inspiring story to take mound at Padres game
Friday's Padres game against the Arizona Diamondbacks will start in an unusual way.The first pitch will be thrown by a 16-year-old boy — but not just any teen in love...

A ‘little red house’ creates big uproar in Mission Hills
Once again, residents of Mission Hills are armed with petitions in a battle to hold off development.Several years ago, they fought plans to replace shops lining the popular pedestrian walkway...

Minions inspire fashionable following, thanks to TikTok
What, in this era, could prompt a teenager to put on a suit and tie?A graduation? A prom? A bar mitzvah? A quinceañera?When my 14-year-old surfer son asked to dig...

Artist, 95, sells her paintings to help pay assisted living bill
It is a sad state of affairs when a 95-year-old woman is forced to turn to painting and selling her artwork to ward off discharge from an assisted living facility.Patricia...

California considers curbs on social media platforms
California is about to take a bold stand holding Facebook (Meta), Instagram, TikTok, Snap and other major social media platforms able for their actions if a ground-breaking bill targeting online...

Artist, 95, sells her paintings to help pay assisted living bill
It is a sad state of affairs when a 95-year-old woman is forced to turn to painting and selling her artwork to ward off discharge from an assisted living facility.Patricia...

Teen outreach is aided by Billy Joel, Elton John, Rolling Stones …
Twenty-one years ago, Jeffrey Sitcov began pursuing his ion of helping homeless youth in San Diego.He enlisted some unlikely celebrities to help him — Billy Joel, Elton John, Ella Fitzgerald,...

America’s Finest City called one of worst for raising a family
Is San Diego one of the best places to raise a family — or isn't it?It depends on which study you rely upon and which criteria are measured.An analysis released...

UC San Diego plans to sell the ‘storybook’ home of Dr. Seuss author Theodor Geisel
The sun-kissed home on Mount Soledad where the late Theodor Geisel gazed at the Pacific and composed most of his beloved series of Dr. Seuss children's books will soon be...

Severely burned sixth-grader has found a new cause
Three years after a school science experiment gone wrong left him with severe burns, student Priest James Rivera credits his recovery to his ion for golf."I don't know if I...

Severely burned sixth-grader has found a new cause
Three years after a school science experiment gone wrong left him with severe burns, student Priest James Rivera credits his recovery to his ion for golf."I don't know if I...

Sole Uyghur eatery in San Diego is going to sell
In late April, a GoFundMe appeal was set up for the preservation of an ethnic restaurant in Clairemont.The headline pleaded: "Help Save the Only Uyghur Cuisine in San Diego."A $300...

Local chefs battle in ‘Beachside Brawl’ and ‘Iron Chef’
Not just one, but two renowned San Diego chefs are competing on national cooking shows within days of one another.Claudette Zepeda appears in the latest incarnation of Netflix's popular Iron...

Local chefs battle in ‘Beachside Brawl’ and ‘Iron Chef’
Not just one, but two renowned San Diego chefs are competing on national cooking shows within days of one another.Claudette Zepeda appears in the latest incarnation of Netflix's popular Iron...

Grossmont College’s plea to staff and students: Report kindness
After Grossmont College’s commencement June 9, several students took off their caps and gowns and deposited them in a special box as a gift for of next year’s graduating...

‘Bachelorette’ star finds man of her dreams in San Diego
It's official. Season 14 "Bachelorette" Becca Kufrin is engaged to "Bachelor in Paradise" co-star Thomas Jacobs.The proposal, which took place in San Diego, turned heads because, contrary to tradition, it...

Introducing a San Diego ‘chaos navigator’
Health care workers, first responders, firefighters and other public safety personnel are at the head of the line when it comes to public thank yous for their service.But there is...

‘Family Camp’ film romp has San Diego connection
When Mark Christopher Lawrence was a kid, two evangelist preachers told him God was going to call him some day, and he needed to be ready.Little did he suspect that...

Hip replacement forces San Diego elite athlete to run his final mile
Paul Greer,who's been called the Pied Piper of San Diego runners, lived up to his reputation Tuesday evening when he ran his "final mile."About 300 San Diego Track Club ...

Jane Lynch’s party politics are more party than politics
Jane Lynchits that her high school grammar teacher, Mrs. Sumpter, would not have been happy with the latest title on her extensive résumé — mayor of Funner, California."I don't know...

Santee woman gets $10,000 on farewell week ‘Ellen Show’
Santee mom and school instructional aide Susie Conway got a final gift from Ellen DeGeneres as the popular TV talk show host emceed her farewell week. The last show was...

Congressional Award gold medals honor six area students
Imagine dedicating 10 40-hour work weeks to volunteer public service, then an additional 10 full work weeks to personal development and fitness — all while keeping up a full schedule...

Congressional Award gold medals honor six area students
Imagine dedicating 10 40-hour work weeks to volunteer public service, then an additional 10 full work weeks to personal development and fitness — all while keeping up a full schedule...

Congressional Award gold medals honor six area students
Imagine dedicating 10 40-hour work weeks to volunteer public service, then an additional 10 full work weeks to personal development and fitness — all while keeping up a full schedule...

Congressional Award gold medals honor six area students
Imagine dedicating 10 40-hour work weeks to volunteer public service, then an additional 10 full work weeks to personal development and fitness — all while keeping up a full schedule...

National City beekeeper is part of a global mission
It normally would never cross my mind to write about World Bee Day. But that was before I talked to Hilary Kearney, a beekeeper from National City.To clarify, she is...

Retired Cox executive crosses the country the hard way – on a bicycle
They are doing it again.Five years after a grueling West Coast to East Coast bike ride to draw attention to the successes of challenged athletes, Bill Geppert, accompanied by his...

Italian adventurer travels from Italy to San Diego in an inflatable boat
On Dec. 15, 2021, Sergio Davì motored away from his home port of Palermo, Sicily, on an inflatable boat.On May 20, a group of Italian Americans is spearheading a greeting...

How to take a nap while you’re awake
In 2006, sleep specialist Sara Mednick wrote an award-winning book, "Take a Nap! Change Your life."Now, 16 years later, she is following it with a how-to guide for re-charging your...

Encinitas woman claims a world Ironman title
If you ask Julie Dunkle, of Encinitas, what she did to celebrate winning a world championship May 7, she's quick to respond, "Nothing" — at least not immediately.That's because the...

Encinitas woman claims a world Ironman title
If you ask Julie Dunkle, of Encinitas, what she did to celebrate winning a world championship May 7, she's quick to respond, "Nothing" — at least not immediately.That's because the...

Revolutionary service starts at two S.D. commissaries – delivery
At last, some military commissaries are trying their own version of Instacart. Welcome to the modern world.Two San Diego bases are among eight nationwide taking part in a pilot test...

Historical crash site artifact lands in San Diego
In December 1927, Charles Lindbergh made a goodwill flight from Washington, D.C., to Mexico City and on to nations in Central and South America.In June 1928, Capt. Emilio Carranza, a...

Acting family’s feature film wraps up its San Diego shoot
A small Mexican restaurant on Morena Boulevard plays a key behind-the-scenes role in an independent movie filmed in San Diego.On the wall of JV's Taco Shop are the smiling publicity...

Deborah Szekely publica un libro en su centenario
Es asombroso llegar a los 100 años.Es aún más alucinante haber fundado un legendario balneario, haber creado un museo en honor de los "nuevos americanos", haber desarrollado una comunidad residencial...

Deborah Szekely publishes a book on her 100th birthday
It is amazing to reach 100 years old.It is even more mindboggling to have founded a legendary health spa, created a museum honoring "new Americans," developed a residential community and...

At last! ‘Top Gun’ sequel premiere lands in San Diego
The USS Midway aircraft carrier is an ideal venue for a red carpet fan event promoting the long-delayed "Top Gun" sequel: "Top Gun: Maverick."Rumor has it that Tom Cruise himself...

Ashes to awards six months after deadly Santee plane crash
At 12:15 p.m. last Oct. 11 in Santee, Amanda Nelson had just returned home from the gym. County juvenile probation officer Michael Keeley was on a call with the parent...

Local kids’ charity gives cash to Ukrainian refugees
When Asia Moore started volunteering for a charity based in Carlsbad eight years ago, she had no idea she would be in the organization's pilot seat for aiding Ukrainian refugees...

Elegant dinner is served in a Carlsbad flower field
There aren't many dinners in which every guest leaves with a bouquet of fresh flowers.Then again, there aren't many where a multicourse gourmet dinner is served at sunset in a...

Temecula wine industry to try world record-breaking toast
Breaking a Guinness world record by taking a sip of wine sounds like a win-win. But it has its downside.Close to 2,000 volunteer sippers are gathering April 26 from 9...

It’s been five years since hiker David O’Sullivan disappeared
On the evening of April 6, 2017, David O’Sullivan, 25, sent an email to his family in Ireland from the mountain town of Idyllwild in Riverside County. The next morning,...

Coronado Girl Scout receives Scouting rare Medal of Honor
This was a week of celebrations for Coronado High School senior Nevaeh Henrich. On Tuesday, she turned 17. On Wednesday, she received one of the Girl Scouts of America's highest...

Teen singer releases ‘Sunflower’ song to aid Ukraine
After Ukrainians abandoned their nuclear weapon arsenal inherited during the collapse of the Soviet Union, sunflowers were ceremoniously planted in 1996 at Ukraine's Pervomaisk missile base as a symbol of...

Teen singer releases ‘Sunflower’ song to aid Ukraine
After Ukrainians abandoned their nuclear weapon arsenal inherited during the collapse of the Soviet Union, sunflowers were ceremoniously planted in 1996 at Ukraine's Pervomaisk missile base as a symbol of...

Teen singer releases ‘Sunflower’ song to aid Ukraine
After Ukrainians abandoned their nuclear weapon arsenal inherited during the collapse of the Soviet Union, sunflowers were ceremoniously planted in 1996 at Ukraine's Pervomaisk missile base as a symbol of...

Teen singer releases ‘Sunflower’ song to aid Ukraine
After Ukrainians abandoned their nuclear weapon arsenal inherited during the collapse of the Soviet Union, sunflowers were ceremoniously planted in 1996 at Ukraine's Pervomaisk missile base as a symbol of...

Navy recognizes Irish citizen on 55th anniversary of his death in Vietnam
The recent keel laying of a Navy guided-missile destroyer being built by General Dynamics' facility in Bath, Me., was a momentous event for retired Marine Corps Brigadier Gen. Michael Neil,...

Forecast is sunny for retiring KUSI TV meteorologist Dave Scott
When KUSI TV's Paul Rudy interviewed Dave Scott before Scott's March 27 farewell broadcast, Rudy jokingly said the station's meteorologist was just a few days away from his sunset.But the...

Killer cancer meets formidable foe
When Tiffany Hecklinski saw her doctor to complain about a pain in her lower right abdomen, she was told to get some rest and take a Tums.Imagine her shock when...

100 skydivers to link up in record-breaking formation
Imagine jumping from a plane at 18,000 feet and linking up with 100 people in a giant snowflake formation, then scooting away from traffic to open your parachute in time...

Puppeteer returns to Balboa Park after 55 years
When entertainer Steve Taylor was a kid living in San Diego's College Heights, his bedroom wasn’t plastered with pictures of baseball and football players.Instead, he gazed at a photo on...

Ukrainian in war-torn Kharkiv sends hopeful message
“It’s scary every time I message him,” says National City businessman Ryan Garcia, referring to his IT consultant who lives in Ukraine. “He’s in hiding. Every day is a different...

S.D. Irish center reaches out to Ukrainian family
Requests coming into The Irish Outreach Center in Old Town run the gamut — an Irish tourist trying to replace a lost port, a harpist recommendation for a funeral, summer...

La Jolla producer bets on new film spotlighting autism ‘to touch people’s hearts and minds’
Actor Major Dodson, a familiar figure on "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story," so convincingly auditioned for the role of an autistic boy for the new movie "Tyson's Run"...

‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘Karate Kid’ villain is a Camp Pendleton hit
"Cobra Kai" actor Martin Kove, proved his true grit when he personally autographed 789 photos for Marines in just two hours in the Camp Pendleton mess hall. But who’s counting?The...

Aid to Ukraine is bulletproof vests, helmets and boots
When longtime House of Ukraine board member Mira Shtefanyak Rubin was urged to step in as president of the Balboa Park-based group last December, the working mother of two young...

Good deed gets noticed by Garth Brooks
When the dishwashing employee failed to show up at Cafe 222 in the Gaslamp Quarter last Saturday morning, it turned out to be a good luck omen for Heath Sparks...

The ups and downs of a domino expert
Domino toppling — it sounds like a kids' game. To DeMond Nason,42, and other adult aficionados, it is anything but that. All his life Nason, who was born in National...

El Cortez sign is re-lit; Balboa Park wins acclaim
For more than eight decades, the neon sign atop the former El Cortez Hotel lit up the sky and was a beacon to engers in planes as they descended into...

San Diegan dukes it out on ‘Bridgerton’-themed ‘Courtship’ show
His last name just happens to be King. It seems to be a casting director's dream for NBC's new reality dating series called "The Courtship."The creators of the show, debuting...

Ukraine exodus stirs Escondido family’s memories of 1920s escape
The current upheaval in Ukraine echoes stories told to Ruth Weber by her grandmother, who escaped as a child from a small Russian village in what is now Ukraine.As an...

Free concert series ‘Jazz on Prospect’ debuts this week in La Jolla
How does a concert series emerge from a business mixer?Quite spontaneously, it appears.The monthly "Jazz on Prospect" series, which debuts Friday, March 4, in La Jolla, grew out of a...

Free curbside concert series blossoms in La Jolla
How does a concert series emerge from a business networking mixer?Quite spontaneously, it appears.The planned monthly "Jazz on Prospect" series, which debuts March 4 in La Jolla, grew out of...

Encinitas man dukes it out on ‘Bridgerton’-themed ‘Courtship’ show
His last name just happens to be King. It seems to be a casting director's dream for NBC's new reality dating series called "The Courtship."The creators of the show, debuting...

Spelling champ opens new chapter 10 years later
After winning the 2012 National Spelling Bee, Snigdha Nandipati competed in a mock spelling bee on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" presided over by Kimmel's sidekick, Guillermo, dressed as a bumble bee....

USD’s Yale Kamisar was a giant in the legal world
Yale Kamisar's name was mentioned in the movie, "Gideon's Trumpet," starring Henry Fonda.His legal work has been cited in more than 30 U.S. Supreme Court opinions and in hundreds of...

S.D. producer bets on film spotlighting autism — and so much more
Actor Major Dodson, a familiar figure on "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story," so convincingly auditioned for the role of an autistic boy for the film "Tyson's Run"...

Businesswoman turns pandemic into a positive
In February 2020, Laurie Miller was on the verge of launching a botanic line of facial and cosmetic products. She had painstakingly formulated her serums by trial and error over...

Patient born with heart defect leaves living legacy
Most people associate February with Valentine's Day, romance and love. For San Diegan Maria Platis, it signifies Heart Month and the birth to her son, George.He entered the world as...

Willie Buchanon plays Super Bowl uniform cop
Willie Buchanon will be on the field at Super Bowl LVI, clipboard in hand, ready to give players a dressing down — or up — if needed.He'll be one of...

Super Bowl Sunday Puppy Bowl spotlights six S.D. pups
An orphaned terrier named Flo was a personality-plus player in the national 2019 Puppy Bowl. A chocolate poodle-mix named Bobbie was a Most Valuable Puppy (MVP) finalist in the 2020...

Super Bowl Sunday Puppy Bowl spotlights six S.D. pups
An orphaned terrier named Flo was a personality-plus player in the national 2019 Puppy Bowl. A chocolate poodle-mix named Bobbie was a Most Valuable Puppy (MVP) finalist in the 2020...

Small boat on big mission docks in San Diego
Protests have taken to the high seas for years. Greenpeace ships patrol international waters to expose environmental injustice. The Sea Shepherd fleet plies the oceans to protect marine wildlife.Then there's...

Small boat on big mission docks in San Diego
Protests have taken to the high seas for years. Greenpeace ships patrol international waters to expose environmental injustice. The Sea Shepherd fleet plies the oceans to protect marine wildlife.Then there's...

Rancho Bernardo man sues SDG&E over rising utility costs
On Jan. 25, Kevin Kilpatrick filed a lawsuit in Small Claims Court against SDG&E alleging price gouging and the infliction of extreme emotional distress.He is asking for damages of $10,000."I...

Rancho Bernardo man sues SDG&E over rising utility costs
On Jan. 25, Kevin Kilpatrick filed a lawsuit in Small Claims Court against SDG&E alleging price gouging and the infliction of extreme emotional distress.He is asking for damages of $10,000."I...

‘Wheel of Fortune’ spins for San Diego
When Michael Iliopoulos learned he had been accepted as a "Wheel of Fortune" quiz show contestant last fall, the Navy petty officer second class put himself through a self-designed "Wheel...

Author of ’50 Jobs in 50 States’ hits town on new quest
When he crisscrossed the country working 50 jobs in 50 states in 50 weeks, Daniel Seddiqui spent a week as a surf coach in Hawaii — even though he had...

Death of ‘Shoeshine Willie’ leaves a void in Ocean Beach
William Washington, aka "Shoeshine Willie," a beloved character of Ocean Beach, is being mourned by former customers, friends and generations of families whose lives he touched.The cheerful presence who would...

‘Shoeshine Willie’ leaves a void in Ocean Beach
William Washington, aka "Shoeshine Willie," a beloved character of Ocean Beach, has ed away and is being mourned by former customers, friends and generations of families whose lives he touched.Always...