San Diego News Fix

Wildlife is creeping into urban neighborhoods in San Diego. Is it happening more or are we just now noticing? Plus, a parent from Orange Glen High School reacts to the news that Coronado HS has lost its championship title for throwing tortillas.

After flinging tortillas at Orange Glen High School’s mostly Latino basketball team, Coronado High School has been stripped of its regional championship title. The California Interscholastic Federation announced its decision Wednesday.

San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott filed suit Tuesday to void the city’s lease-to-own agreements for 101 Ash Street and Civic Center Plaza. The action came hours after the Union-Tribune reported that real estate broker Jason Hughes was paid almost $10 million by a middleman company while advising former Mayor Kevin Faulconer on the two deals. Jeff McDonald is a watchdog reporter at the U-T.

Previewing the upcoming Tuesday episode of the Name Drop San Diego podcast, Abby Hamblin fills in as host. Hear from California Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins.

San Diego County’s median home price rose to a record $725,000 in May, representing a 23 percent increase in one year. The median price has not risen so fast in the region since summer 2013, when the market rapidly recovered from the Great Recession. Reporter Phil Molnar has more.

After a championship boys basketball game Saturday, players from predominantly white Coronado HS threw tortillas at players from predominantly latino Orange Glen HS of Escondido. The act was labeled racist by national civil rights groups and local activists and a Coronado coach, JD Laaperi, was fired over the incident. But now, a half-Mexican alumnus of the school has stepped forward to take responsibility.

The San Diego Association of Governments has a new Regional Transportation Plan. And to pay for it, at least in part, SANDAG is proposing a road charge, where drivers would pay a set price for every mile traveled within the state. Joshua Emerson Smith is an enterprise reporter at the UT.

Black San Diegans are stopped and searched at a higher rate than White San Diegans, according to a new study commissioned by the San Diego Police Department.

For the past 50 years, the Cooper Family of San Diego has been putting on an annual Juneteenth celebration. Sidney Cooper Jr., whose father started the local tradition, shares his thoughts on the national holiday and the healing left to do.

A new California constitutional amendment proposal would allow local governments to ignore state housing policies. U-T columnist Michael Smolens has more.

Imagine if everything you held up to your nose smelled like sewage -- enticing food, your beloved family, everything. That’s what some COVID-19 patients are experiencing for months after they recover. San Diegan Julie Carty shares her story with insights from Dr. Carol Yan of UC San Diego.

A new watchdog report from the U-T looks at harassment claims among the region's largest employers. The City of San Diego topped the list, followed by San Diego Unified School District, Scripps Health and San Diego County.

Dozens of candidates were killed in Mexico’s recent midterm elections. We’ll talk to Vicente Calderón, editor of the Tijuana Press about that, as well as where politics stand now.

California plans to fully reopen on Tuesday, June 15, dropping its color-coded tier system that’s ruled life during the pandemic. Lori Weisberg put together a reopening guide about what’s allowed and where masks will still be needed.

Cases of dementia in San Diego County have increased at a much faster rate than previously expected. More than 98,000 seniors are living with dementia, according to the latest report from The Alzheimer’s Project. Lauren J. Mapp reports on caregiving at the UT.

The third mysterious boom this year shook San Diego Tuesday evening. Was it an earthquake, a sonic boom, just the weather, or something else all together? Reporter John Wilkens has answers.

Congrats to the class of 2021! To mark the occasion, San Diego State University graduate Armando Sepulveda reflects on the ups, downs and unexpected lessons of his senior year during the pandemic.

For the third time in just over two years, San Diego federal Judge Roger Benitez has struck down California gun regulations. This time, it’s the state’s 30-plus-year ban on the ownership of assault weapons.

Now that troops are set to leave Afghanistan, San Diego locals with ties to the country are worried about their loved ones who assisted the U.S. military. Immigration reporter Kate Morrissey has more.

June is national pride month and July is when festivities take place in San Diego. Fernando Z. López is the executive director of San Diego Pride. We caught up today to talk about Pride’s history, work that needs to be done and how López's own background informs the work they do.

Gina Champion-Cain, the former owner of Patio restaurants, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for what’s thought to be one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in San Diego County history. Reporter Lori Weisberg has more.

In 2018, there were 11 drug overdoses in San Diego County jails, according to records from the sheriff’s department. This year, there have been 53 overdoses.

Charles T. Clark wrote a deeply personal essay for the Union-Tribune in the week after George Floyd's death. Almost one year later, we sit down virtually with Charles to see how things have changed and how they remain the same.

San Diego County is giving free COVID-19 antibody treatments to infected patients, but the program hasn’t been as popular as expected. Paul Sisson has more.

The long-anticipated Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will soon open on San Diego Harbor. The venue is large, white and shell-shaped -- hence the name -- and capable of holding up to 10,000 concertgoers. It’s inaugural season starts August 6th, with stars like Gladys Knight, Brian Wilson and others.

In 2004, Navy combat pilot Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich spotted a white Tic Tac-shaped object off the coast of San Diego. She shares her experience, as well as advice for San Diegans who have seen UFOs.

San Diego home prices are still on the rise, as are rents. And tens of thousands of people expressed interest in buying a new home in a development that has only 200 units. Phil Molnar covers real estate at the U-T.

Outdoor dining on sidewalks and parking spaces have been so popular during the pandemic that the city of San Diego wants to keep them indefinitely. The city has extended permits for another year, upping enforcement to make sure the structures are safe. And in other news, restaurants are now open for indoor and outdoor dining, but they’re having trouble hiring. Lori Weisberg is a business reporter at the UT.

When Brienne Allan asked for stories about sexism in the beer industry, she wasn't expecting ​thousands of messages, but that’s what she got. The stories women shared with her on Instagram range from microaggressions and bullying to violence and sexual assault. There were accusations against high-profile brewers and breweries, including some in San Diego. Beth Demmon covered this story for vinepair.com.

The Navy intelligence building on I-5 across from Mission Hills, may soon get a makeover -- and not everyone is happy about it. Jennifer Van Grove has the details.

After a year of lost revenue, the Gaslamp Museum in downtown SD is in danger of closing. Rhiannon Luna of the museum has more. Plus, Chris Reed opines on housing, outdoor dining and a UC San Diego leader to be remembered.

When you think of San Diego streets, “sexy” probably isn’t the word that comes to mind, but Mayor Todd Gloria wants it to be. We’ll talk about improvements coming to the city with Michael Smolens.

Today we’re talking about working from home. At the height of the pandemic, it seemed like this new way of life might be here to stay for certain jobs. But a new report shows most San Diego employers want their workers back in the office.

For the past 25 years in San Diego County, if you applied for welfare benefits, you'd also be subject to surprise home inspections. The program was called Project 100%, and its goal was to cut down on fraudulent claims. Opponents of Project 100% called it ineffective and humiliating, but the county continued to defend it -- until now.

Michael Shroeder, a former dean at CSU San Marcos who misspent hundreds of thousands of dollars on travel, entertainment and dining, is now being investigated by the San Diego County District Attorney. Jeff McDonald has more. Then, Tamera Kohler, CEO of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless is our guest this week on Name Drop San Diego

A new policy from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will make it easier for tribes to expand their reservations. Lauren J. Mapp has more. Then, deputy opinion editor Chris Reed reflects on a week of news.

The San Diego region has enough water to weather a multi-year drought. Michael Smolens has the story. Then, Name Drop San Diego is 1! We’ll share some highlights. First, the news.

The India variant of the coronavirus has been detected in San Diego County. Reporter Paul Sisson has the details, plus an update on the ransomware attack that shut down the computer systems at Scripps Health. Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Don Bartletti shares what he’s learned in 40 years of covering immigration.

​We know more about the passengers on the boat that crashed near Cabrillo National Monument. David Hernandez has the details. Then, Steve Breen will share his sunny forecast for 2021.

A boat crash near Cabrillo National Monument on Sunday left four dead and 28 people injured. David Hernandez has the story. Then, Jesse Agler is the lead broadcaster for the Padres and he’s this week’s guest on Name Drop San Diego.

Have you ever noticed how pelicans seem to surf just above the waves? A new UC San Diego model explains why. Then, reporter Lauren J. Mapp graduated from SDSU without debt, but at a cost to her health. She shares her story.

As of this week, more than 1 million residents of San Diego County have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Paul Sisson has the story. Then, San Diego County is ending gang injunctions. Chris Reed shares his take.

A 29-year-old woman was walking downtown Sunday when a man plummeted from a parking garage and landed on her. Her injuries were fatal. Karen Kutcher has the story. Then, we asked readers if and how they should have to prove they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Three California women went to Tijuana for cosmetic surgery and only two returned home. Wendy Fry has the story. Then, cartoonist Steve Breen shares his latest inspirations.

24-year-old Angel Zapata Hernandez died on Oct. 15, 2019 after a security officer for the Metropolitan Transit System held him down with a knee to the neck. Like Floyd, Hernandez was pinned down for about nine minutes and, like Floyd, his death was also captured on video.

April 24 is Indie Bookstore Day, a tribute to the mom and pop purveyors of the written word. San Diego is fortunate to be home to more than a few, and Pacific Magazine was kind enough to map them out for us. Nina Garin is the editor of Pacific Magazine.

The homeless population in San Diego County nearly doubled in 2020. Reporter Gary Warth has the story. Then, it’s Earth Day. And the UT’s editorial board is taking up a new term to describe what’s happening to our climate.