A friendship forged through tragedy
Good Morning, I’m Erik Anderson, in for Debbie Cruz….it’s Monday, April 3rd.>>>>
A friendship forged through tragedy… More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######
The San Diego county Board of Supervisors will decide on May second, how to fill the vacancy created by Nathan Fletcher's resignation. Fletcher announced his resignation after being accused of sexual assault and harassment in a lawsuit filed last week. His resignation is effective on May 15th. Board chair Nora Vargas said in a statement that the process and timeline of how to fill the seat will be determined at the May meeting. The board can appoint a replacement or call for a special election.
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THE SAN DIEGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP HAS FIRED ITS LONGTIME CEO. The nonprofit receives millions in taxpayer dollars to run job training and placement programs. The organization's policy board decided last week not to renew the contract of CEO Peter Callstrom after it expires on June 30TH. Callstrom has been on a leave of absence since November, when a group of employees sent an anonymous letter to board members accusing Callstrom of racist and sexist employment practices. In December, a former employee sued both Callstrom and the Workforce Partnership over similar claims of harassment, discrimination and wrongful termination. Callstrom denies the allegations and said through an attorney that he has dedicated his career to combating racism and gender inequality.
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BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO USE STYROFOAM CONTAINERS.
THE BAN WENT INTO EFFECT SATURDAY.
BUSINESSES ARE ALSO NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE CUSTOMERS PLASTIC STRAWS OR UTENSILS UNLESS THEY ASK FOR THEM.
BUSINESSES WITH LESS THAN HALF-A-MILLION IN GROSS INCOME HAVE AN EXTRA YEAR TO COMPLY.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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THE MOTHER OF A WOMAN WHO DIED IN A SAN DIEGO COUNTY JAIL RALLIED, FOR JUSTICE FOR HER DAUGHTER LAST WEEK. A LOCAL ADVOCATE HELPED OUT. KPBS REPORTER KITTY ALVARADO TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP… AND THE CHANGE ONE JAIL DEATH CREATED. _____________________________________________________
YUSEF FT TRT SO NAT SOUND
Nat sound
We love him I mean he means so much to us
Yusef Miller and Paloma Serna have a friendship that was founded in tragedy and loss…
The death of Paloma’s 24-year-old daughter Elisa in the Las Colinas detention facility in 2019
If if wasn't for you Yusef … we would just be sitting at home because I would have just took the deputy’s word that oh she died of an overdose, which I always dreaded.
Paloma says she watched her daughter die on video recorded inside the jail.
what really haunted me is that she was pregnant. that really haunted me. she was asking for help begging for help…
She was pregnant there’s no record of her ever eating.
She was asking for help begging for help
Every time she had a seizure they never went in there to check on her. They just left her there.
Investigations into her death state Elisa was having drug withdrawals and during one of those seizures she hit her head and collapsed on the concrete floor, it goes on to say the deputy and nurse who later checked on her did not move her and walked out of the cell and Elisa died in that same position where she fell.
I couldn't even sleep …
Miller says it gets worse
she was neglected further so long that she had rigor mortis when they came in…she was neglected to death
He said the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation handed their file to The Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board
Their board issued their own initial recommendation about the deputies
we didn't think there was a policy that applied.
We believe that they basically referred to and deferred to medical personnel.
That’s Paul Parker the executive officer of CLERB … he says their hands were tied when it came to Dr. Frederike Von Lintig and registered nurse Dannalee Pascua,
Unfortunately, CLERB has no jurisdiction over medical personnel.
Yusef:
So I mobilized myself and our allies. We mobilize the community to show up to the CLERB the civilian law enforcement review board to express our disappointment
He kept on, Yusef kept on he kept on pushing the CLERB to look at the case again,
And … the did and they found
Paul
a procedural misconduct and that the deputy had the obligation to do something, to do something.
the district attorney did charge Von Lintig and Pascua with involuntary manslaughter
5:18
And I think that that may have been a catalyst to get the ball moving and looking at it from a different perspective
But Paloma says
Miller says Elisa Serna may have died before giving birth to her second child …
but she did give life to a movement: the Saving Lives in Custody Campaign
The group has effected change … a state audit was launched after her death that showed the county’s jail deaths have been the highest in the state for nearly two decades
and the community was exposed to the system which took the life of Elisa Serna and Gilbert Gill and and Omar Arroyo and Saxxon Rodriguez and people were saying maybe my loved one
Sheriff Kelly Martinez is now putting in place many of the recommendations that came from it –
Parker says her death also had an impact on their organization
10:29
her death opened my eyes Her death strengthened my resolve to attempt to obtain jurisdiction over medical service providers so that nothing else so that nothing similar happens in the future
And there’s a state bill on its second attempt that pushes for jail reform
Elisa Serna's case was so powerful that it went from Grassroots all the way up to the state level and we had no idea that it would go this far. We just put our heart and soul in it
Paloma says it’s how two strangers with only seeking justice for a jail death in common struck a bond
Oh he’s family, he is family
Paloma says to many her daughter was a throw away, whose life and death did not matter. But thanks to Miller and those willing to listen, she did not die in vain.
So, you know us parents, we always want our kids to(breaks down in tears) I mean, we always wanted her to do well in life, you know in here and you know, it just sad that you know, it took her death
Miller and Paloma are fighting to get the dep uty charged as well and she believes real justice would mean the life of her unborn grandchild would matter too
They should be charged with two deaths in this case
The District Attorney’s office tells KPBS they cannot comment on the case or if others will face charges. The doctor and nurse will be back in court in June.
Kitty Alvarado KPBS News
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IN 2018, CHULA VISTA VOTERS APPROVED THE MEASURE A SALES TAX, WHICH FUNDED THE HIRING OF MORE THAN 100 PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL. NOW THE CITY IS USING THOSE TAX REVENUES TO BUY MORE POLICE CARS AND DRONES. KPBS REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS HAS THE STORY.
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MEASURE A 0:47 SOQ
Now that Chula Vista has hired dozens of police officers, the city is using Measure A tax revenues to buy more police vehicles and expand its police drone program.
These expenses have widespread support from the City Council. But not everyone in the community is happy with this public safety spending.
HALL 00:08:49:20
“Is what the city of Chula Vista doing with public safety sustainable and at what cost?”
That’s Russ Hall. He led the opposition movement against Measure A.
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“What are we giving up?
Hall points out that roughly 75 percent of the city’s general fund net costs are spent on the police and fire departments. He says that comes at the expense of other services - like keeping libraries open after 5 p.m. on weekends.
Gustavo Solis, KPBS News
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Coming up.... We hear from the man behind a play at the Old Globe, who also happens to be directing ‘Spider-Man.’ We’ll have that story and more, just after the break.
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A SAN DIEGO NONPROFIT HOPES TO GIVE AWAY TWO THOUSAND PROM DRESSES TO TEEN GIRLS WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BUY ONE.
KPBS REPORTER CLAIRE STRONG HAS THE STORY.
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PROMDRESS 1 1:07 ...soq.
“It’s extremely important to us that we celebrate all shapes and sizes for every single person, because everyone is beautiful inside and out and we want them to know that.”
That’s Princess Project President, Karen Martin- Spellerberg, who along with her team of volunteers, are real-life fairy godmothers.
They’re trying to ensure that every high school girl in San Diego gets to feel like a princess on prom day, regardless of body shape or budget.
All teens need to do to qualify is bring along their school ID.
Martin- Spellerberg says they’re also encouraging girls to pay it forward.
“We’re all about circular fashion and sustainability, because you’re going to wear it once, enjoy that dress, feel beautiful and amazing in it, and if you’d like to donate so someone can use it, we’d love and appreciate it.”
Students can choose a free dress and accessories from the princess Project’s store at Westfield Mission Valley Mall, or at 6 pop-up shops located in local libraries.
Proof that fairy tales can be real.
Claire Strong, KPBS News.
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One big event currently running on stage in San Diego is the play, ‘The Nineteenth’.
It’s having its world premiere at the Old Globe, and is about the iconic moment when two Black American athletes raised their fists from the winners podium at the 19-68 Olympics.
Kemp Powers is the play’s author.
He’s known in the entertainment industry for writing ‘One Night in Miami’ about the meeting of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke, he co-wrote and co-directed Pixar’s ‘Soul,’ and he was also brought on to direct ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ coming out this summer, and ‘Beyond the Spider Verse.’
Powers spoke with Arts producer Julia Dixon Evans about ‘The Nineteenth’.
He started by talking about the inspiration for the play.
KEMPPOWERS (Midday) 4:31 “...about what happened.”
TAG: That was Kemp Powers, speaking with Julia Dixon Evans.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always, you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. In tomorrow’s podcast, we’ll talk about spring break activities to do with your kiddos. I’m Erik Anderson. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
