Mission Times Courier, which covers Navajo, College Area, San Carlos and other nearby neighborhoods, continued its coverage of local schools, sports, crime and land-use issues under Times of San Diego in 2025.
These are the top stories that gripped the area this year.
It should be noted half of them are soccer-related, in part due to Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley and the new San Diego FC team. Is the area soccer central in San Diego? Even high schoolers got in the spirit when Patrick Henry’s girls team won its first CIF championship.
1. 11-year-old Andrew Olsen’s death could have been prevented
San Carlos was rocked by the news of three siblings being hit by a car on the walk to school, killing 11-year-old Andrew Olsen. The city had flagged the intersection as dangerous but safety improvements were not made until after his death, compounding the tragedy.
2. San Diego FC’s inaugural season
Instead of a sports team leaving, San Diego got to experience the joy of a professional sports team’s inception – and what a first year. SDFC was just the second expansion team in MLS history to reach a conference final in its debut season, according to contributor Mark Nero. The club fell short of making the MLS final, but ended its season with tons of sold-out crowds at Snapdragon Stadium.
3. San Diego pushes College Area housing boom amid SDSU growth
College Area got a new community plan for the first time in 30 years, with added density to accommodate SDSU student population growth. It allows for over 17,000 new homes – not that development is likely to hit that number.
4. Wave retires Alex Morgan’s jersey
San Diego Wave’s former star, Alex Morgan, had her number 13 jersey retired by the team in a summer ceremony at Snapdragon Stadium. It cemented her legacy as one of the top women’s soccer players in the nation ever.