San Diego News Fix

Latest Episodes:

DA files murder charge against SD sheriff's deputy who shot a man in custody | Teri Figueroa Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

A former sheriff’s deputy who shot an unarmed detainee in May as the man ran from authorities outside the downtown San Diego jail has been charged with murder, a rare move by prosecutors that makes him the first member of local law enforcement to face a murder charge in the shooting death of a suspect.The District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that it is charging former detentions deputy Aaron Russell, 23, with second-degree murder in the May 1 death of Nicholas Peter Bils, 36.

Russell, who resigned from the county Sheriff’s Department in the days after the shooting, is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in San Diego Superior Court. He is charged under a theory of second-degree murder, which carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison. He also faces an allegation that he used a gun in the killing, which could add up to 10 years to his sentence if he is convicted.

Also: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2020-07-14/former-sheriffs-deputy-arraigned-on-murder-charge-in-shooting-death-of-fleeing-suspect

The Bonhomme Richard fire | Andrew Dyer Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

Navy officials said Monday that the fire ravaging the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard for a second day has reached temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees, and it is still burning in various portions of the ship.

Smoke and fumes continued to affect the skyline and air throughout San Diego.

Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, said Monday that the fire is in the superstructure of the ship and its upper decks and that the ship’s forward mast has collapsed.

“There’s obviously burn damage all the way through the skin of the ship, and we are assessing that as we kind of go through each compartment,” he said. “Right now the priority is to get the fire out so that we can take a complete assessment.”

COVID-19 outbreak at South Bay nursing home is state’s largest | Paul Sisson Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

State data shows that a South Bay skilled nursing facility is coping with what appears to be the largest COVID-19 outbreak among nursing homes in the state.

Early Thursday evening, Reo Vista Healthcare Center in San Diego’s Paradise Hills neighborhood updated a short statement on its website, indicating that it had 100 COVID-19 patients, 15 more than it had Wednesday. The total is significantly higher than the next-highest total listed in a database run by the California Department of Public Health, though figures listed in that resource reflect totals from Wednesday, not Thursday.

Though the facility with an estimated 135-bed capacity does appear to currently house the most COVID-19 patients among the state’s 1,223 nursing homes, that has not been the case until quite recently. Though it now has 100 COVID-19 patients, the total for the entire pandemic is 112. The record for the whole pandemic, according to state records, is 205 at a convalescent hospital in Los Angeles.

Faulconer proposes new plan for San Diego's energy agreement | Rob Nikolewski Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s office has come up with four key recommendations for negotiating a new agreement that allows one utility the exclusive right to use the city’s public right-of-ways for transmission and distribution as well as installing wires, poles, power lines, and underground gas and electric lines.

San Diego Gas & Electric currently holds what is called the franchise agreement, which has been in place since 1970. But the deal expires in January and city officials are counting on fielding competitive bids from a number of different companies — not just SDG&E — before deciding who should win the new agreement.

With that in mind, Faulconer’s staff, working with an energy consulting firm, proposes:

a new franchise agreement that lasts 20 years
a provision calling for third-party reviews to make sure the company that wins the bid is keeping its promises and doing a good job
making adjustments to the franchise fees that would lead to a projected net benefit to San Diego ratepayers of $85 million over the course of the recommended 20-year contract, and
an upfront payment by the winning bidder of $62 million.

“San Diego is making it clear — this is not your grandfather’s franchise agreement,” Faulconer said in a statement. “A lot has changed over the last 50 years and this process ensures residents get a franchise agreement that aligns with their needs for today and shapes a vision for tomorrow.”

The ethics of human challenge trials | Gary Robbins Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

She doesn’t think of herself as a risk-taker. But April Simpkins of San Diego says she’s willing to help test a COVID-19 vaccine by allowing herself to be directly exposed to the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 130,000 people nationally since February.

“I’m young and healthy and don’t see that much danger,” said Simpkins, 29. “The coronavirus has really been surging lately and a trial like this could help develop a vaccine sooner.”

Simpkins is one of 30,000 people globally — and about 100 in San Diego — who have volunteered to participate in a controversial type of medical study known as a human challenge trial, or HCT, if such a trial gains federal approval.

What you need to know about San Diego's 3-week shutdown | Lori Weisberg Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

With per-capita infection rates above state thresholds for seven straight days, public health officials confirmed Monday that a fresh set of sure-to-be-unpopular restrictions will start Tuesday.

As has occurred in other counties across the state that have ended up on the governor’s monitoring list, some businesses not considered essential must cease indoor activities for the next three weeks, shutting down or moving their operations outside where, statistics show, the coronavirus is less likely to be transmitted.

Starting at midnight, local restaurants, family entertainment locations such as bowling alleys and batting cages, wineries, movie theaters, zoos and museums must cease all indoor activities, according to the governor’s order which was announced last week.

Grocery stores, medical offices and other businesses deemed essential when the first stay-at-home orders appeared in March will be able to continue serving customers, patients and clients indoors. And some enterprises that were initially deemed “nonessential” will be able to continue operating. Salons, whether they do hair, nails or both, will stay open for indoor business as will retail establishments and gyms.

Why most COVID-19 deaths happened in South Bay | Lyndsay Winkley Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

South Bay communities, particularly those that are low income and with large Latino populations, continue to be the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, according to an analysis of COVID-19 deaths by ZIP code.

The most recent data provided by the county confirms trends previously reported by health officials and underscores the sometimes fatal consequences that stem from longstanding health disparities, doctors say.

Deaths in these hard-hit communities, they said, are likely the result of social factors that have long been known to impact health, such as poverty, access to health care and the availability of affordable housing. Barriers to testing and a high population of essential workers are also likely contributing to higher numbers.

The politics and policy of San Diego County's COVID-19 response | Michael Smolens Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

Ahead of Independence Day weekend, many indoor activities and businesses were shuttered across the state.

While San Diego was not among those counties initially closed, current COVID-19 trends show that we will likely have to shut down as well on Monday.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s actions drew criticism, as many argue that the George Floyd protests were the cause of the region’s spike, but contact tracers have found that isn’t the case

San Diego County beaches score well on beach "report card" | Deborah Brennan Jul 01, 2020

Show notes

Ten San Diego beaches scored perfect marks, while one Mission Bay location failed to make the grade, on the 30th annual “Beach Report Card” by the nonprofit Heal the Bay.

The annual report assigns letter grades to beaches, based on bacteria levels found in water samples throughout the year. Those grades represent an effort to translate scientific test results into readily understandable information for beachgoers.

“California’s beaches are iconic and essential to our economy here in California,” said Shelley Luce, president and CEO of Heal the Bay. “But, unfortunately, they are not always clean and not always safe.”

Drinking establishments closed again as COVID-19 cases surge | Lori Weisberg Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Just 17 days after they were allowed to reopen on June 12, San Diego County bars, breweries and wineries learned Monday that they will not be allowed to operate, at least not in the traditional sense, starting Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. While restaurants will still be allowed to serve drinks with meals, no one will be allowed to stand around with drinks in their hands after the stroke of midnight Tuesday.

Announced Monday afternoon by county Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, the decision follows a mandate from Gov. Gavin Newsom, released over the weekend, that asks bars to close in some California counties due to increasing rates of novel coronavirus transmission.

Follow COVID-19 trends here: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/tracking-coronavirus-cases-san-diego-county

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected