Voice of San Diego Podcast

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson Remer wants to stay in office longer and wants other reforms that would “improve transparency.” On this week's show, our podcast hosts explain the whole package she plans to propose to San Diego voters. It’s all coming at a time when county officials continue to fight us on the release of public records. We are suing the county and our hosts offer more details about our fight to get records released. Also on the show: Could the city of San Diego lose Liberty Station? There is a real possibility this could happen. We talk about the potential outcomes.  Plus, believe it or not we have more news on the Midway district saga.  Finally, South County reporter Jim Hinch joins us to update us on Chula Vista politics!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When your neighbors don't like nudity, head to a nudist colony! On today's episode, Andrea, Bella, and Jakob talked about a lot of different topics today and even got to mention yellow thong bikini bottoms. In the first season of HBO's TV show Neighbors, episode six features a local man who believes he is being wronged by his neighbors and others around San Diego. Why? He likes to work out in the front yard of his property which has neighbors concerned. San Diego Unified teachers approved a tentative agreement that grants them five percent raises over the next two years and other perks, but our Jakob McWhinney has been following some of the drama behind the deal. Also on the show: MacKenzie Elmer joined us to discuss her story on why humans may be to blame for the orphaning of two bear cubs in Monrovia, California. After three years of reporting...and waiting...we have one more quick Petco Park concession scandal update after the attorney general of California sued the ringleaders of the scheme to try to recover the money.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Andrea and Bella out, Scott Lewis, Jakob McWhinney, and Will Huntsberry held it down.  Former County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher is re-emerging post-controversy, holding a press conference, giving speeches, and launching a Substack, "Grounded," about his life on a family ranch. The Padres' strong season and high franchise value ($3.5B+) fuel sale rumors. Potential bidders include Dan Friedkin, Jose Feliciano, Joe Lacob, and Tom Gores. SB 958 has been filed to exempt the 4,200-home Midway Rising project (including an arena) from CEQA, bypassing potential traffic-related legal challenges. City staff discovered that Chicano Park and a nearby property intended for the Boston Avenue Linear Park were incorrectly zoned for commercial use in the 2021 community plan. The errors came to light when community members questioned the potential sale of one of the sites by Caltrans to Soapy Joe’s car wash. City Council recently voted to correct the zoning to reflect the intended park use. San Diego has a water surplus and is selling it, including a deal to provide 10,000 acre-feet annually to Temecula, expected to net $100 million over five years. San Diego's One America News Network filed a restraining order against influencer Chelsea Goss (Gods) after she protested Matt Gaetz's hiring; Goss responded with an anti-SLAPP motion. 2:21 Nathan Fletcher re-ermerges6:10 #Padres Opening Day and new potential buyer announced22:09 Midway Rising files to be exempt from CEQA32:25 We can't do this without you! 33:22 Chicano Park zoning issue44:28 San Diego's selling water!59:52 OANN vs Chelsea GodsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been nearly two years since Scott Wahl became San Diego top cop. For the latest VOSD Podcast episode, our hosts Scott Lewis and Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña sat down with Chief Wahl to discuss policing and more. With the federal governments immigration enforcement efforts, what is the San Diego Police Department's the role? Are officers prepared for possible attacks from Iran? License plate readers are just one of the many tools police have to investigate crimes. What do license plate readers know about us? How often are we being watched by technology? And can AI help the police department be more efficient? Plus: How does the department handle misconduct investigations? And, what changes has Chief Wahl implemented to reduce police overtime?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who knew selling hot dogs at Petco Park was such a money making venture? After two years and lots of investigating, VOSD's Will Huntsberry saw the finish line for his story which uncovered a fake nonprofit running concessions at Petco Park - and pocketing around $2 million. He explains what the news is and what it feels like to make a difference.  Also on the show: We get into a really big news week for local politics with longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announcing he will not seek reelection. The podcast crew talks about what that means. Plus, Scott Lewis wants to know why people can't put their phone down at concerts. Finally, the local nonprofit that prosecutors say stole county money has provoked questions about county oversight. A "special review" is now underway. We'll explain.  We're on YouTube now! Watch the podcast at youtube.com/voiceofsandiego.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode Scott Lewis and Jakob McWhinney sit down with San Diego Unified School Board members Cody Petterson and Shana Hazan. They talk about the current challenges facing San Diego schools, declining enrollment, budget issues, and how they want to make San Diego schools succeed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode we span all over the news world from sports, to politics, to parking meters.  The second home tax is back. This time it spares vacation rentals. However, it’s on a fast track to the ballot. We tell you how it will work.  Lisa Halverstadt had a big update after prosecutors said they believe a nonprofit executive may have misallocated even more funds meant to save people from overdoses of fentanyl and heroin. The crew talked about former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey running for city council last week and this week Scott reached out and shared some further clarifications for Bailey's future.  A Padres pitcher had an unfortunate injury in Spring Training but Scott Lewis decided to take this opportunity for a little PSA.  Finally, our intern Rami Alarian joined us to talk about his story about police using helicopters to break up college house parties.  We are on YouTube now! Watch the podcast and see Bella's videos at youtube.com/voiceofsandiego,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it time we take a serious look at "slopulism?" Let us explain. The New York Times featured San Diego's Amy Reichert in a story after she teamed up with Youtuber Nick Shirley to try to uncover fraud in San Diego child care facilities. Shirley's previous coverage of the topic went viral in Minneapolis. The newspaper defined their political posts as slopulism. Related: After Shirley's visit to San Diego, our reporters explained what he did and did not find here. Top story: Our Lisa Halverstadt broke the news that Amy Knox, who had managed the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego’s finances, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriation of public money and three felony counts of fraudulent appropriation for allegedly using nonprofit funds for plastic surgeries, high-end clothes, a vacation to Hawaii and more. Also on the show: Former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey announced he is going to be running for San Diego City Council.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When someone tells you they don't have information, dig a little deeper. On this week's episode the VOSD Podcast crew broke down Jakob McWhinney's reporting on some startling stats on how empty San Diego Unified School district schools are. Yet another chapter in the enrollment crisis they refuse to discuss.  The Republican Party in San Diego used to have big meetings and lots of influence in town. Now, not so much. We give our thoughts on the state of the Republican party in San Diego. Also on the podcast: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl hafltime show was controversial, but we think President Donald Trump could have used to this to score some points. Also, we talk about the guy who touched off chaos in Minnesota with his video alleging widespread fraud. He came to San Diego. We tell you what we know about what he actually found and did not find.  We are on YouTube now! Watch our podcasts every Friday by visting youtube.com/voiceofsandiego.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changing term limits may not just be a national news story. San Diego now has an attempt to change term limits. Our own Lisa Halverstadt dug in and reported on a county supervisor considering pushing reforms that may include electing a county mayor. In other words there’d be a mayor and a mayor. Our hosts tells you what everything means and what has to happen.  The Epstein Files are proving to include many, many, many high profile "leaders". Jakob McWhinney went down the rabbit hole and explained why one of San Diego's own was found in the files, and what was being alleged. Also on the show: Sheel Seidler drops majority of claims in her lawsuit which should pave the way for a sale of the team. We discussed the H barracks parking situation and found a little more information as to why people can't park there during the day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The temperature seems to be rising, and it has nothing to do with weather. Whether it's immigration or short-term rentals, things are heating up.  In this week's episode our hosts were joined by chair of the San Diego Democratic Party, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy to discuss issues we will likely talk about in 2026.  First, last Friday activists barricaded themselves in Mayor Todd Gloria's office to protest ICE presence in San Diego. Bella Ross broke down what the role of SDPD is if and when a similar situation to Minneapolis descends on San Diego.  There is a growing problem in San Diego in regards to a housing shortage in San Diego while short term rentals are being bought up by public investment firms. Our hosts discuss what the city needs to do to protect housing while allowing these businesses to operate.  Finally, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy gave his thoughts on some of the upcoming political races in 2026. He also gave a little behind the scenes look into how political candidates are handled when it may be time to drop out of their respective race.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

San Diego’s mayor had one message for the city: We are at a pivotal point in San Diego's history. On the latest episode, our hosts talk about Todd Gloria's State of the City address and the topics he covered. Can the city move the needle on redeveloping the Sports Arena and Golden Hall? Are the convention center's modernization plans going to be actual modern improvements? Our hosts break it down. Also on the show: San Diego Unified’s longtime school board trustee is ready to get a promotion. He’s eying the state superintendent seat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just three weeks into 2026 and the VOSD Podcast is firing on all cylinders. Today's episode features many different topics, including a look into something host Scott Lewis could not believe was happening, and may even think it provides some vindication for one San Diego figure. It's the most wonderful time of the year! Ok, maybe not, but with 2026 underway we were all looking ahead to Mayor Todd Gloria's State of the City address. Our own Will Hunstberry published a deep look into how leaders of San Diego feel Mayor Gloria has done since last year's State of the City address. Bella Ross took a look at the San Diego River and the developments built on the flood plain, which can cause major problems for homes and businesses when San Diego gets heavy rain. Plus, why is there always one person who gets stuck in a flooded street near Fashion Valley?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We had 3 of the 4 member of the show in for the first traditional episode of 2026. Scott, Jakob, and Bella discussed the hottest issue to hit San Diego in 2026...BALBOA PARK PARKING FEES. Plus, they get into the crowds that swarmed the tide pools, RV parking at the beach, and a decision on the Midway District height limit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To start the new year the VOSD Podcast decided to have Scott Lewis sit down with Amy Reichert. Amy is a member of the Republican party and has run for several diffferent offices in San Diego. As a licensed private investigator, she is now reporting on local issues in San Diego.  Scott talked with her about the current state of the Republican party, her feuds with Carl DeMaio over the years, her efforts with Restore San Diego, and a lot more on local issues that face all San Diegans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the year draws to a close, we've revisited some major stories for updates. Bella provided a follow-up on an earlier video she created, and Jakob gave us the latest on what may have been the year's most clicked story: bots scamming colleges. Enjoy the rest of your holiday season!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We were down one member of the show with Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña out for this show but don't worry Scott, Bella, and Jakob held it down. They talked about an unfortunate misprint in the San Diego Union Tribune, but it may be indicative of a bigger problem. San Diego County is collecting signatures to qualify a half-cent countywide sales tax increase for the November 2026 ballot. The crew talked about the year ahead in local politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode of the VOSD Podcast covers a wide variety of very unique topics. First, the San Dieguito Union High School District is taking heat for a 24 hour live broadcast they allowed in a high school gym. The County of San Diego moved some money around to cover county bonuses. Finally, the San Diego Unified School Distract is at a loss for one of their projects.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of the VOSD Podcast we have a lot of juicy topics to discuss. Is Congressman Darrell Issa going to run....in Texas? Will corporate backing of a trash tax repeal push the repeal forward? And Beef Week was in full swing, and our very own Bella Ross, Jakob McWhinney, and Jim Hinch brought their stories to the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The VOSD Podcast crew was without their fearless leader Scott Lewis this week, but Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña held it down and led us all through the news of the week. The pod crew talked about chickens as pets, county taxes, and some news stories that are safe to talk about at the dinner table. Have you ever walked past a neighbor's house and heard chickens clucking from their backyard? Well, Andrea now has chickens and she gave the rest of the crew the rules and regulations set forth by the city of San Diego. Some quick updates: The group pushing for a county sales tax are moving forward with their effort and we talked about what to expect. The San Diego Zoo is now going to charge for parking. Plus, a preview of Voice of San Diego's Beef Week! With the holidays coming up Andrea, Jakob and Bella took turns talking about some different stories you can share with your family. But that wasn't all! They ranked each story by how safe the subject was for those holiday family functions.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of the VOSD Podcast, we had a grand old time at Soda Bar for our latest live podcast Brews and News. The crew were able to get San Diego State Athletic Director John David Wicker to sit down for an hour to discuss a lot about San Diego State Athletics!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest VOSD Podcast episode, our hosts get into the Padres exploring a sale, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria makes some changes on his staff, Scott takes a math test, and a deeper look into Prop 36.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest VOSD Podcast episode, our hosts get into the rise and fall of a Poway councilmember and how San Diego Unified has been unable to keep kids enrolled in their neighborhood school. Also, will the city of San Diego’s most ambitions development project in Midway rise?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weeks edition of the Voice of San Diego Podcast has some big decisions being made in the city of San Diego. The San Diego City Council approves a water rate hike for two years instead of four. How does that affect you? The county supervisors are trying to balance the budget behind closed doors. Jakob details the approval of safe parking by San Diego Unified and what it means for the future. Plus, La Jolla scores a big win against the city of San Diego. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newest fight at City Hall is a doozy. It’s about that new tax announced at Politifest. It could be up to $5,000 per bedroom for a second home or vacation rental and it’s going to be a fascinating political battle. We’ll explain The big development at Sports Arena is once again falling apart because of the city’s inability to not trip over itself. We’ll explain why the project leaders and city officials think they can still build it.  Plus, the city of San Diego is trying to protect people from ICE raids and stop the police from helping. We’ll examine what exactly they’re trying to do. SHOW NOTES BANTER  UT - Property Tax Bills - What’s That??? Thousands of city of San Diego residents have flooded county offices over concern about increased property taxes but, in some cases, there is a simple explanation: trash. After decades of offering trash collection for free, city of San Diego will now charge many residents for trash collection. Residents got their first-ever annual trash charge of $523.20 in property tax bills that went out in early October. San Diego County Assessor Jordan Marks said his office, and the tax collector’s, have been inundated with in-person visits and phone calls about higher bills. He said there have been more than 2,000 inquiries over the charge, but it was hard to pinpoint an exact number because it’s been a steady stream for weeks. Residents who call the office, at 619-236-3771, get sent to an automated phone tree with the first option to ask about the trash fee. “The city of San Diego levied and controls this trash fee on your property tax bills,” says a voice recording. “They are the only party that can answer your important questions and address your issues.” SEGMENT 1 - Court Ruling Morning Report: Mayor: ‘Failure I s Not an Option’ for Midway Project Three days after the 4th District Court of Appeal once again threw out a voter-approved measure that lifted the building height limit for the Midway neighborhood, it was still not clear what it meant for the nearly $4 billion development project at the city’s Sports Arena land.  The mayor said… Twice, in five years, the city of San Diego has put on the ballot a measure to lift the height limit in the Midway neighborhood. Twice, voters approved it. And, now twice, a Court has thrown it all out because the city didn’t fully study the measures’ impact to the environment. SEGMENT 2 - Vacation Property Tax  Vacation Home Tax Moves Forward San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s proposal to tax vacation homes and empty second homes is moving forward. Battle Lines Drawn on Vacation Rental Tax Wednesday, the Rules Committee for the San Diego City Council will consider Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s push for a tax on empty second homes and vacation rentals.   Basics:  10K homes Half second homes. Half vacation rentals  They can tell based on tax rollsWon’t affect anyone renting out bedroom or normal landlords Won’t affect ADUs on “accessories” to main property   SEGMENT 3 ICE (baby) Local Ordinance - Bella’s vid KPBS - San Diego City Council passes ordinance restricting SDPD from ICE collaboration Citing a spike in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and arrests, the San Diego City Council unanimously gave tentative approval to an ordinance Monday intended to prevent local law enforcement from joining certain federal task forces. The Due Process and Safety Ordinance will set "clear legal boundaries that protect residents, workers, and visitors regardless of immigration status, gender identity, disability, or healthcare decisions," according to a staff document from Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera's office. City staff will meet with recognized employee organizations such as the San Diego Police Officers Association to ensure the SDPD will be able to effectively do its job without joining certain task forces led by the federal government. Elo-Rivera, who sponsored the ordinance, thanked the dozens of people who spoke at the meeting and acknowledged that many in the community may not have felt safe to speak out. "We can't promise that the federal government won't make your nightmares a reality," he said to young residents in the council chamber waiting for the vote. "I so badly wish I could make that promise to you. Every day the Trump regime makes good on its promise of cruelty, hatred and vindictiveness."   CREDITS Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor Bella Ross, social media producer Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer. Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy: Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County. Become a Member: Voice Member BenefitsJoin today and receive insider

The Registrar of Voters has made a dramatic change to how it evaluates signatures on petitions. A bunch of high-profile signature gathering campaigns have fallen apart in San Diego and it may not have been just because they were incompetent. This is a big change.  One of those campaigns was to raise a tax to fund an expansion of the Convention Center. It failed spectacularly. But then another initiative made the ballot in 2020 and courts have finally decided that voters actually approved it. But the Convention Center expansion is not happening.  And finally it continues to deal with enrollment declines, the San Diego Unified School District does not know or won’t say exactly how many students each school can fit.  SHOW NOTES SEGMENT 1 - POLITIFEST ROUNDUP Scott and Co. banter about the October 4, 2025 edition of Politifest, aka the festival of politics at the University of San Diego. SEGMENT 2 - SDUSD’S UNKNOWN SCHOOL CAPACITY VOSD - San Diego Unified Doesn’t Know How Many Students Each School Can Fit As districts across the county grapple with enrollment decline that will likely get worse in coming decades, San Diego Unified officials say they don’t actually know what the capacity is for each of the district’s schools. SEGMENT 3 - REGISTRAR OF VOTERS MAY HAVE BEEN TOO STRICT Registrar of Voters Suddenly Made It Easier to Qualify Ballot Measures with Signatures After decades of imposing a strict, unforgiving interpretation of compliance with petitions, the Registrar of Voters has quietly updated its guidance. SEGMENT 4 - CONVENTION CENTER San Diego Finally Secures Hundreds of Millions for a Convention Center Expansion; But It Isn’t Expanding the Convention Center After 20 years of failed signature gathering efforts, court battles and legally questionable efforts to raise hotel-room taxes, the city of San Diego has finally secured hundreds of millions of dollars for a long-planned expansion of the San Diego Convention Center.  But city officials are not going to do it.    CREDITS Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor Bella Ross, social media producer Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer. Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy: Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County. Become a Member: Voice Member BenefitsJoin today and receive insider access.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we revisit the Politifest 2025 Showdown awards at the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theater on the beautifual campus of the University of San Diego. We have games, and plenty of solutions for our beleagured and beloved city on this week's podcast.  SHOW NOTES Here are all the videos from last weekend's Politifest 2025     Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor Bella Ross, social media producer Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer. Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy: Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County. Become a Member: Voice Member BenefitsJoin today and receive insider access.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SHOW NOTES SEGMENT 1 - POLITIFEST Buy Your Tickets for Politifest 2025 Politifest is back on Oct. 4, and this won’t be our usual public affairs summit.  This year, we’re bringing together community leaders to go head-to-head in our first ever Solutions Showdown. Hear their ideas and cast your vote on which proposals you think could solve the biggest issues facing San Diego. Save on tickets with early bird pricing at vosd.org/politifest Politics Report: Politifest Brain My politics mind has been focused on Politifest this week. When we started Politifest in 2011, I envisioned an idyllic outdoor party – beer garden, tug of wars (tugs of war?), dunk tank, exhibits — where politics could be the central feature. Over time, it evolved into a day-long collection of debates and panel discussions. The tugs of war didn’t draw the crowd but the debates did. This year, we have taken another step in its evolution. You’ll have to help us decide if this mutation survives. Solutions Showdown: We made each session a problem and asked participants to present their solution. They will present their solutions and then the moderator will manage a good discussion between them and then the audience will vote on a winner.   SEGMENT 2 - EDDIE VEDDERGATE Vedder Cup Eddie Vedder leads "Wrigley Field in Take Me Out To The Ballgame"   SEGMENT 3 - COUNTY PHARMACY CHIEF’S MOONLIGHTING POSES QUESTIONS VOSD  - County’s Pharmacy Chief Also Works at a Law Firm The county of San Diego’s chief pharmacy officer, who collects a $232,419 yearly salary, moonlights as a partner at a New York-based law firm that advises pharmaceutical companies.   SEGMENT 4 - KENT LEE San Diego’s Water Department Is Not Alright If the San Diego City Council doesn’t pass water rate increases, the city will probably have to lay off Public Utilities Staff, analysts say.  SEGMENT 5 - UNCHARTED WATERS Mayor’s Water Rate Increase ‘Dead on Arrival’ San Diego city councilmembers join forces to stall a proposed rate increase even though city staff warn too much delay could risk staff layoffs or falling behind on debt repayments.  Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor Bella Ross, social media producer Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer. Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy: Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County. Become a Member: Voice Member BenefitsJoin today and receive insider access.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next week the San Diego City council will vote on a series of new water rate increases. But city hall is abuzz that they may not have the votes to pass them. If they don’t, we’re entering uncharted waters.  We have an update on San Diego Unified School District’s decision to close the middle school portions of some K through 8 schools. They’ve already backtracked on one.  And finally South Bay reporter Jim Hinch has a fascinating story out of National City. How a falling out between friends came to dominate small town politics.   SHOW NOTES SEGMENT 1 - POLITIFEST Buy Your Tickets for Politifest 2025 Politifest is back on Oct. 4, and this won’t be our usual public affairs summit.  This year, we’re bringing together community leaders to go head-to-head in our first ever Solutions Showdown. Hear their ideas and cast your vote on which proposals you think could solve the biggest issues facing San Diego. Save on tickets with early bird pricing at vosd.org/politifest   SEGMENT 2 - LEONARDO DI CAPRIO WAS IN TOWN AND DIDN’T SAY HI County News Center - New Blockbuster Already a Big Hit in San Diego County It doesn’t arrive in theaters until Friday, but a new blockbuster movie generating Oscar buzz has already been a big financial hit for San Diego County. “One Battle After Another,” a new Warner Bros. movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn and others, spent about six weeks filming on location in San Diego County in 2024. And it pumped nearly $7 million into the local economy, according to Warner Bros. accounting. The movie was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, best known for his 2007 film, “There Will Be Blood,” 2012’s “The Master,” and 2014’s “Inherent Vice.” His new movie stars DiCaprio as an aging, in-hiding, former revolutionary who is pushed into trying to save his teenage daughter by the return of an old enemy, Sean Penn’s “Col. Lockjaw.” SEGMENT 3 - MATT VESPI Port of San Diego  - Matt Vespi Will Join the Port of San Diego as Chief Administrative Officer Port of San Diego President and CEO Scott Chadwick has appointed Matthew Vespi as the Port’s new chief administrative officer. Vespi has over 20 years of public sector experience including oversight of human resources, information technology, employee safety, labor standards and enforcement, performance and analytics, strategic planning, and more.   SEGMENT 4 - MIDDLE SCHOOL  San Diego Unified Superintendent Walks Back One of Four K-8 Middle School Closures After we reported San Diego Unified’s plan to cut middle school grades at four of its K-8 schools, district leaders have decided to keep one open. Still, three others are slated for closure. SEGMENT 5 - UNCHARTED WATERS City Staff Deflect Blame Away from Pure Water Before San Diego’s Big Water Rate Vote City staff dropped updated costs of a huge wastewater-to-drinking water recycling project showing that its water would be cheaper than buying from the Water Authority. Segment 6 - NATIONAL CITY TELENOVELAA Broken Friendship Is Breaking National City Hall A development dispute has spiraled into a months-long saga of corruption accusations, lawsuits, allegations of mishandled human remains, shouting matches at City Council meetings, a sexual harassment investigation and a claim against the city filed by the mayor’s executive assistant.    Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor Bella Ross, social media producer Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer. Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy: Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County. Become a Member: Voice Member BenefitsJoin today and receive insider access.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.