BRUCE K. HUFF / Union-Tribune Trent Gibson of La Mesa helped his son Colton, 5, adjust his helmet, while Cooper, 4, mounted his bike at the Burnt Rancheria campgrounds in Mount Laguna on Sunday.

What's Inside Record number of birds found with West Nile virus Parking restrictions stir debate After investigation, administrators suggest TIP Academy be closed Independence Day closures Mayor's spokesman leaves; replacement named City files appeal on Blackwater permits Fourth festivities include fireworks, parades County fair ending on a high note More Local News

NORTH COUNTY – The local mountains can't match the scenic wonder of Yosemite or Yellowstone, but they are being rediscovered by campers looking to save tankfuls of money. As the price of gas skyrockets, many are choosing to vacation near home at the campgrounds of San Diego County.

ESCONDIDO – The patch of dirt between Mission Middle School's weight room and its field used to be one of the places the 53-year-old institution was happy to keep hidden. “This whole place was filled with trash and stuff,” said Talia Bencivenga, 13, an eighth-grader during the past school year.

CHULA VISTA – Most people like fireworks and barbecues on July 4. Steve Pfeiffer is into flags – lots of flags. Pfeiffer of Eastlake in Chula Vista spent about 18 hours this year decorating his lawn, mailbox, front door, garage and anything else on his property with about 1,000 American flags.

CORONADO – Attorneys for Coronado and former Chargers linebacker Steve Foley have dropped a request to seal a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over the football player's shooting by an off-duty police officer. Both sides met yesterday afternoon with Superior Court Judge Richard Strauss and agreed to cancel the hearing about keeping the agreement confidential.

With gas prices rising and commuters trying to find ways to dodge that cost, the Coaster commuter train between Oceanside and San Diego is seeing a bump in ridership.

After nearly a year of meetings with dozens of people tossing around hundreds of ideas, a citizens committee trying to preserve farms along Cannon Road will try to make sense of it all.

Oceanside is spending almost twice as much on Fourth of July activities and public safety than in previous years, and at least one City Council member thinks it's too much.

SAN MARCOS – Smokers may soon have fewer areas to light up at Palomar College in San Marcos. Officials are considering revising the community college's smoking policy so that smokers would be able to puff only in designated areas. It might mean, for example, that smokers would have to stay away from the clock tower, a popular spot on campus for a cigarette break.

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO – Downtown's Neil Good Day Center, where homeless people go to collect mail and get a shower, won't be open weekends anymore. The center has a new operator, Father Joe Carroll, whose homeless services charity won a city contract to run the day center for up to five years.

The North County Transit District has backed off a restriction on the number of bicycles it will allow on its new Sprinter passenger train. Instead, it will let bicyclists squeeze as many two-wheelers as will fit in a space marked out on each train car.