A Navy corruption scheme
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, October 31st.
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Another navy corruption scheme centered in San Diego.More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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There’s a high wind advisory in place for the county’s mountains and valleys through today.
Gusts up to 55 miles per hour are expected.
The strong wind and low relative humidity are creating critical fire weather conditions.
SD-G-AND-E has activated its emergency operations center because of the high winds.
And says public safety power shutoffs could take place if conditions warrant.
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We are just one week away from the 20-23 special election.
The special runoff election for District 4 will fill the vacant county supervisor seat.
And the City of Chula Vista is electing a city attorney to fill the remainder of the current term.
Voters who live in the Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District will vote on a ballot measure.
There are currently 12 vote centers where you can cast your ballot early.
They’re open daily from 8 in the morning until 5 p-m.
You can also send in your ballot by mail or drop it off at one of the Registrar’s official ballot drop boxes.
For more information, head to our Voter Hub at kpbs-dot-org-slash-elections.
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Some of you may be heading out to trick or treat tonight with your kiddos, so we wanted to remind you of some safety tips, courtesy of healthy children dot org.
Always accompany young children and have older kids and teens travel in groups.
Stay on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk…
And have your kiddos wait to eat their treats, until after you check them.
And if you’re staying in to pass out candy, like me, make sure to restrain your pups so they don’t jump on or bite trick-or-treaters,
It’s also suggested that you look for anything that visitors may trip over and remove it ahead of time.
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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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Federal prosecutors say they’ve unraveled another navy corruption scheme centered in San Diego, after a civilian employee plead guilty to bribery last week.
Military reporter Andrew Dyer has more.
From 2016 to 2019, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command employee Dawnell Parker helped steer lucrative defense contracts in exchange for thousands of dollars in expensive meals at restaurants in San Diego and Washington, D.C. Court records say Parker allowed contractors to write government documents during the contract award process while giving them glowing performance reviews resulting in more contracts worth millions. Prosecutors say both Parker and her supervisor at San Diego’s NAVWAR were in on the scheme with at least two defense contractors. Her boss isn’t named in court documents and is described only as a co-conspirator. In addition to expensive meals, Parker’s boss allegedly also received World Series and Superbowl tickets from the CEO of one of the unnamed contractors. The San Diego US attorney’s office declined to say whether anyone else has been charged. Andrew Dyer, KPBS News.
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A few major transit centers may soon look quite different in North County.
Reporter Jacob Aere says that includes Escondido, where a mixed-use redevelopment agreement was recently approved by the North County Transit District board of directors.
An exclusive negotiation agreement to plan the redevelopment of the Escondido Transit Center is moving forward. The proposed plan features apartments, retail stores, offices and other commercial uses… which is rather different than it looks now. Chris Orlando is Chief Planning and Communications Officer with north county transit district. “The site here at Escondido will include approximately 528 housing units, 15 percent of which will be affordable.” Escondido is one of 11 Sprinter and Coaster train stations throughout North County where the district is pursuing mixed-use developments. Construction for the Escondido property could begin in 2026. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.
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It’s been nearly a year since California voters passed a measure to guarantee arts and music funding in public schools.
Education reporter M-G Perez tells us about some of what that funding’s accomplished so far.
“Be art smart …Be art smart!” This mantra is the message students receive every time they meet for Miss Mahn-ee’s dance and theatre class at Webster Elementary…where there is plenty of bouncing and dancing and learning going on “the first thing you see a baby do before they even walk…is bounce…” Miss Mahn-ee is Monica Harris…a veteran dancer, theatre producer, teacher…and performing artist with San Diego Unified’s Visual and Performing Arts program...known as VAPA.…8-year old Jade Robles has found her groove… “I like dancing because it gets me really exercised…and every day I dance …gets me more excited.” Harris went from a VAPA substitute to regular teacher in 2019 with sporadic visits to classrooms.…now she is poised to teach more than 700 students at three different campuses this school year. Like other VAPA teachers, her schedule in each classroom is going from once a month …to once a week in some cases. Thanks to the voters of California who overwhelmingly approved Proposition 28 last November ……guaranteeing arts education funding for every public school district in the state. Monica Harris takes that as a vote of confidence for her talent and teaching. “What they said to me and to us as an artistic community is …what you have we want you to pass this to our children…so that the legacy of the arts, music, dance, theater, painting, film…all this gets passed to our children…so we have another generation of artists… “When you mix yellow and blue you get green.” At Encanto Elementary…Prop 28 money is making visual art more accessible to students…more often and with more resources… “they need to learn how to navigate all of the visual elements that our world throws at them …continously.” Heather Gaunt was a language arts teacher for 15 years…but painting is her passion. So she transitioned to the VAPA program…which now has funding for new iPads so every student can create visual art with a digital paintbrush …that can lead to art work you hang on the wall…cultivating a natural tendency to be creative… “I think early on if it’s not fostered and allowed to have a space to in which to just experiment and not have a right and wrong…then it can be squawshed …because then people are nervous…I’m doing right or wrong with art.” Before Prop 28. Gaunt was teaching just one art session per classroom every five weeks at Encanto. Eventually, these students will have art class every week. “be safe…be kind…be kind!” There’s a visual arts vibe at school now that 7-year old Isabela Tellez is enjoying…drawing with her new IPad…“I love snow mans…cuz it never snows in California…I like to make snowmans and stuff…(ARE YOU AN ARTIST, Isabella?) Yeah, I like to do arts and crafts at home.” the expected 1-billion dollars allocated each year in the state budget by Prop 28 is guaranteed and can not be used for anything but arts education. There is also the benefit of well being for students Russing Sperling is the Director of San Diego Unified’s VAPA program. “the arts do a lot for mental health…they do alot for well being…they center us …they give students that opportunity to connect in different ways.” In Miss Mahn-ee’s class …the dancing has turned into acting…and …there is also hope…that an infusion of arts will lead to brighter futures with many more possibilities…as little Jade Robles told us… “Alright here we go…and scene!” MGP KPBS News.
TAG: Tomorrow, we continue our coverage of the Prop 28 rollout, with more on how funding is helping students with special needs.
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Coming up.... Our KPBS cinema junkie is joined by a special guest with some movie suggestions for Halloween. We’ll have that and more, just after the break.
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KPBS is exploring public art in the area in an ongoing series.
Reporter Katie Hyson visited a La Jolla mural said to be the first public display of a nearly lost language.
The mural’s yellow mountains and purple sky pop off the white wall of A Jersey Mike’s in La Jolla, on land stolen from the Kumeyaay. I am Gail Werner, the artist says in the Kúpa language. Werner descends from three of the county’s native tribes: Kúpa or Cupeño, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay. She drew inspiration from her hikes in the Anza Borrego desert. I feel that I’m walking where my ancestors walked because they had been there for thousands of years. Birds span the panels, representing the migration of the Kúpa people. Werner says her mother and the three generations before her were forcibly relocated to the Pala reservation. She painted the mural to celebrate the land they lost. It’s titled in Kúpa. Mukikmalim, Su'ulim, Chem-tema-ki'ay – Birds, Stars, Our Lands It’s the first public display of the language, Werner says. A language that colonizers tried to stamp out. Werner estimates the Kúpa tribe never numbered more than a thousand. Now, passersby in La Jolla are gifted with glimpses of their culture. Basket designs weave through the mural’s background. And through the stars, believed to be Kúpa relatives. Werner hopes the mural sends a message. The Kúpa people are still here. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.
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It’s Halloween!
That means trick or treating, costumes and spooky movies.
So we decided to call upon our film critics for some spooky recommendations.
Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando and Moviewallas’ Yazdi Pithavala give us their top Halloween picks.
But first, this message from Silver Shamrock.
TAG: That was Moviewallas’ Yazdi Pithavala, speaking with KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando about their suggestions for what to watch tonight.
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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. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening. We hope you have a Happy Halloween, and stay safe out there!
