Chula Vista councilmember accused of fraud
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday November THIRD.
A Chula Vista Council Member and her brother are facing fraud charges. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
More warm days and cool nights are in the forecast for today (Friday).
In the county’s valleys and mountains, dry weather will lead to higher fire risk.
Humidity will slowly recover into the weekend for those areas.
Along the coast and beaches, fog will return over the weekend during the mornings and nights.
Cooler temperatures will start early next week.
San Diego Wave F-C is playing a playoff semi-final match Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego’s women’s soccer team is facing Seattle’s O-L Reign.
Two time World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe (RAH-PEE-NO) plays on the Seattle team.
This is her last season.Last month, Wave F-C claimed the 20-23 National Women’s Soccer League Shield for the first time in the club’s history.
The Shield is awarded to the team with the best record at the conclusion of the regular season.
The NWSL Championship game will take place in San Diego whether or not the Wave makes it to the final.
From today (Friday) until Sunday you can adopt a dog at an adoption fee of your choice at the San Diego Humane Society.
All pets will already be microchipped, fixed and vaccinated.
The shelter is offering the promotion after it hit a record number of over 750 dogs in its care..
Over the past year, the Humane Society has reported a TWENTY percent increase in lost pets not being retrieved by their owners.
Newshour reports that shelters across the nation have seen an increase in animals in their care, following the shift in COVID precautions and rising inflation
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
A CHULA VISTA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND HER BROTHER -- A POLITICAL CONSULTANT -- ARE FACING FELONY CHARGES INCLUDING THEFT AND MONEY LAUNDERING.
REPORTER JACOB AERE LOOKS AT WHAT IMPLICATIONS THIS HAS FOR SOUTH BAY POLITICS.
District Attorney Summer Stephan has filed criminal charges against Chula Vista City Council member Andrea (on-DREY-uh) Cardenas … and her brother Jesus (HEY-zoos) Cardenas, who resigned as chief of staff to San Diego Councilmember Stephen Whitburn earlier this year. USD political science professor Carl Luna says this isn’t a good look for the Democratic party … as Jesus raised money for a variety of elected officials. “Democratic party really needs to sever ties and do an internal reflection on it to show the public this was a limited contamination, it's not endemic to their whole power structure.” The seven-count criminal complaint includes charges of conspiracy, grand theft, money laundering and failure to file tax returns. Arraignment for the Cardenas siblings is scheduled for next Thursday, November 9 at the San Diego Superior Court. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.
A DEFENSE ATTORNEY HAS FILED IN COURT TO DISQUALIFY THE SAN DIEGO DISTRICT ATTORNEY OVER WHAT HE SAYS IS A BIASED PROSECUTION STEMMING FROM A VIOLENT 2021 PACIFIC BEACH PRO-TRUMP RALLY.
REPORTER ANDREW DYER HAS MORE.
VIDEOS SHARED WIDELY ONLINE SHOW VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS FROM BOTH ANTI-FASCISTS AND PRO-TRUMP DEMONSTRATORS AT THE RALLY, HELD THREE DAYS AFTER THE VIOLENT INSURRECTION AT THE U.S. CAPITOL. IN LATE 2021 DISTRICT ATTORNEY SUMMER STEPHAN CHARGED 11 INDIVIDUALS WITH CONSPIRACY CHARGES, BUT IT WAS ONLY ANTI-TRUMP DEMONSTRATORS WHO WERE CHARGED. “San Diego District Attorney's office has had a pattern over the last five to six years of ignoring violent acts by white extremists by white hate groups by white nationalists.” CURTIS BRIGGS IS A LAWYER REPRESENTING ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS IN THE CASE. HE SAYS MEMBERS OF SAN DIEGO’S HATE GROUPS HAVE BEEN EMBOLDENED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT’S INACTION OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. BRIGGS SAYS SEVERAL VIDEOS SHARED ONLINE FROM THE RALLY SHOW VIOLENCE FROM PRO-TRUMP DEMONSTRATORS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE PROUD BOYS AND THE AMERICAN GUARD, WHICH THE ADL DESCRIBES AS A HARDCORE WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUP. BRIGGS’ MOTION, FILED TUESDAY, INCLUDES SEVERAL VIDEOS OF AMERICAN GUARD MEMBERS ASSAULTING SOCIAL JUSTICE PROTESTERS AT VARIOUS RALLIES AROUND SAN DIEGO COUNTY SINCE 2017. HE SAYS STEPHAN’S POLITICS HAVE TAINTED THE PROSECUTION. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DA’S OFFICE DIDN’T RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR A REQUEST FOR COMMENT. ANDREW DYER, KPBS NEWS
PALOMAR HEALTH IS BEING SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY SUPPRESSING A PUBLIC OFFICIAL’S SPEECH.
NORTH COUNTY REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN EXPLAINS ONE OF ITS DIRECTORS SAYS THE HEALTH DISTRICT THREATENED TO SANCTION HER FOR SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA.
IN SEPTEMBER … KPBS AND ANOTHER MEDIA OUTLET REPORTED THAT TO ACCESS PALOMAR HEALTH’S WEBSITE … USERS MUST ACCEPT THE TERMS OF USE. A FIRST AMENDMENT LAWYER TOLD KPBS **THAT** POTENTIALLY RESTRICTED PUBLIC ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION. DIRECTOR LAURIE EDWARDS-TATE SHARED THAT SAME SENTIMENT WITH VOICE OF SAN DIEGO … WHICH FIRST REPORTED THE STORY. AFTER THE STORY WAS PUBLISHED, SHE SAYS THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT'S LAWYERS SENT HER A LETTER SAYING SHE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR HER COMMENTS. EDWARDS-TATE’S LAWYER KARIN SWEIGART SAYS THE DISTRICT’S ACTION VIOLATED HER CLIENT’S FREEDOM OF SPEECH. “MY FEAR IS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA UTILIZE AS A SWORD IN THE FUTURE WHEN THERE ARE GREATER PROBLEMS THAT SHE WANTS TO RAISE TO A CONSTITUENT” PALOMAR SAYS EDWARDS-TATE'S LAWSUIT IS BASELESS AND GROUNDED IN A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE DISTRICT’S MEDIA POLICY. AN/KPBS
CALIFORNIA UTILITY REGULATORS ARE TAKING ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO DECIDE THE FATE OF A MUCH-CRITICIZED PLAN TO REGULATE SOLAR ENERGY ON PROPERTIES WITH MORE THAN ONE ELECTRIC METER.
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER ERIK ANDERSON HAS DETAILS.
The proposed decision roiled solar advocates when it was released late last summer. It basically ends virtual net metering for apartment buildings, schools and farms that don’t qualify as low-income projects. Virtual net energy metering allows complexes with more than one electric meter to share the benefits of a single solar array which helps lower electricity costs for renters. The solar industry’s Brad Heavner says there’s another bad provision. “Even when you’re using the electrons from the solar system on your roof. From a billing perspective you have to sell those electrons to the utility at a low price and buy them back at a high price. It would ruin the economics.” The California Public Utilities Commission has delayed making a decision three times suggesting changes are being made. Erik Anderson KPBS News
Coming up.... San Diego fishermen and chefs are helping with hunger relief. We’ll have that story and more, just after the break.
You’ve heard of farm to table. On Fridays, a San Diego program brings healthy meals from the ocean to hunger relief nonprofits.
Reporter Melissa Mae tells us how local fishermen and chefs are coming together to help their community.
As the crew of the Sea Haven unloads fish caught off the coast of San Diego, members of the Fish to Families program discuss which fish will be turned into healthy meals for clients of hunger-relief programs. The program, led by the San Diego Fisherman’s Working Group, connects fishermen to chefs to community members who are food insecure. Peter Halmay, president of the Working Group, follows the fish from the dock to the kitchen. “We’re not just fishing and making money. We’re investing in our community and giving something back.” “Everybody along the way likes the program and wants to contribute, not very often we get that kind of cooperation and the people at the end are thrilled.” Chef and Owner of Craft Catering Marcus Twilegar helped create the Fish to Families program. “I’m born and raised here in San Diego, down in the south bay area and a lot of the meals are going down to that area. So, for me, it’s very close to my heart because the city raised me so it’s really nice to be able to give back to the city.” This week, he selects two large bluefin tuna that his team will turn into 250 nutritious meals… And he shows the butchering skills he teaches each of his chefs. “The chefs, they get to learn how to cut fish, grow the relationships with the fishermen. On top of that, we’re feeding the community of people that don’t know too much about fish in the beginning, so they’re learning about fish.” Jose Monroy from Feeding San Diego says they wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide their clients with fresh fish without the help of the program… “It’s priceless. It’s something we wouldn’t be able to do without their help and now San Diegans are getting fresh fish, good quality protein cooked by Chef Marcus and that’s amazing.” Fish to Families started during the pandemic as a way to help local fishermen. The program is now funded by a $40,000 grant from the Parker Foundation, that covers the cost of the fish and the chef's expenses including other ingredients and packaging for the meals. Halmay says it’s because of the program’s simplicity that it works well. “Fishermen bring in the catch. Marcus and his crew process it. It’s packaged and delivered to people and it’s that simple.” Back on the dock, Fisherman David Haworth says the program is great for people who might not be able to prepare fresh fish on their own. “I really like it. It makes me feel good. It’s just something that I’m passionate about, selling and distributing fish throughout San Diego.” He says he tries to bring in different types of fish for the chefs to prepare. “Rock fish to albacore tuna to bigeye tuna to bluefin tuna. We do swordfish. We do mako shark. We do thresher shark. Hopefully we’re going to do some lobster.” The Fish to Families program has made about 11,000 meals since 2020 says Chef Marcus. “That really got to me and made me really passionate about the program was actually going down to the distribution and seeing the people receiving the meals and how grateful and how much it affected them and their families in a positive way.” Fish to Families has enough grant money to continue for a little over 3 months. Halmay from the Fisherman’s Working Group says they hope to secure future funding to extend the program for longer. Melissa Mae KPBS News.
PacArts kicked off the 24th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival at the Natural History Museum earlier this week. The festival will showcase more than 160 films from more than 30 countries.
Arts reporter Beth Accomando talked about the festival with Alex Villafuerte (VILLIA-FOR-TAY), who took on the role of PacArts executive director in February.
That PacArts executive director Alex Villafuerte (VILLIA-FOR-TAY) speaking with Beth Accomando. The 24th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival runs through Nov. 11 at multiple venues. You can find more information at K-P-B-S-dot-ORG-slash-Cinema-Junkie.
That’s it for the podcast today. The podcast this week was produced by Emilyn Mohebbi and Lara McCaffrey and edited by Brooke Ruth. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
