Detecting untreated sewage in the Tijuana River
Good Morning, I’m John Carroll, in for Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, August 22nd.
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Researchers have come up with a faster way to detect untreated sewage in the Tijuana River. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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The newly homeless continue to outnumber those newly housed.
For the past 28 months, the number of people becoming homeless in the county has outpaced the number of unsheltered people moving into homes.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness reports that one-thousand-351 people became homeless for the first time last month, while one-thousand-five exited homelessness.
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San Ysidro hasn’t had a new public park in over 25 years.
But that is going to change with the construction of Beyer Park.
Construction on the new park kicked off this week.
It will have a playground, ball fields, picnic areas, restrooms, a dog park, skate park, walking trails and public art.
It is expected to cost more than 22-million-dollars to build.
Funds for the project are coming from Mayor Todd Gloria's “Parks for All of Us” initiative, federal grants and other sources.
It’s expected to be complete by spring 20-26.
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The National Weather Service says cooler weather is coming.
Even though it’ll still feel hot, the temps will drop a bit.
Today (Thursday) in the inland areas, temperatures are expected to be in the low 80s, in the mountains temps will be in the low 70s, by the coast it’ll be in the mid 70s, and in the deserts, it’ll be in the low 100s.
By tomorrow (Friday), temperatures will be slightly below average for this time of year… dropping another couple degrees.
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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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More than two years of testing has researchers convinced they have a faster way to detect untreated sewage in the Tijuana River.
Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge tells about the monitors that can spot the optical signature of wastewater pollution.
They are called fluorescence monitors. Researchers at San Diego State have placed several on a platform in the mouth of the Tijuana River. They’re trying to monitor pollution in a river estuary that’s notorious for fecal contamination. The sensors emit UV light that’s reflected by the chemicals in wastewater. Environmental engineering professor Natalie Mladenov says the technology is working, and fluorescent testing on site is a lot faster than testing water samples in a lab. “A sensor might be able to cut that work in half. And still provide a good indication of when the water quality is fine and an alert to, okay, now something is wrong and we should check.” She says they have checked the river monitors against water samples tested in the lab, which showed the same results. She says their testing in 2022 showed water quality in the estuary was pretty good. For the past year and a half it’s been polluted almost every day. SOQ.
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The county is handing out hundreds of free air purifiers in several South Bay neighborhoods to help households deal with strong odors from the cross-border sewage crisis.
But South Bay reporter Kori Suzuki says not everyone is happy with how the program is rolling out.
The county has been using a lottery system to distribute the purifiers. Asking residents to enter the drawing and then picking out the winners at random. Officials argue that’s the fairest approach, since they have just four hundred purifiers to give out across Imperial Beach, Nestor and San Ysidro. An area of more than a hundred thousand people. But that lottery system isn’t sitting right with everyone. It's a joke to be raffled off. Anybody could apply for it. Jarrod Caswell runs a local shuttle service in Imperial Beach and serves on the city’s chamber of commerce. He says the county should have prioritized the most affected neighborhoods. And people with health conditions or disabilities. Some people are going to win them. Do they need them? Maybe. Do they need them as bad as others? Probably not. And they should have went to the worst case first. Caswell thinks next time, local governments should get to figure out how to distribute the devices. County officials say they did focus on reaching out to seniors and poorer families with children to let them know the lottery was happening. The purifier program is a sign of growing recognition that the cross-border sewage flows – created by Tijuana’s broken wastewater system – are also polluting the air. Something South Bay residents have raised concerns about for years. But that researchers and regional air quality agencies have largely failed to examine. In Imperial Beach, Kori Suzuki, KPBS News.
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Carlsbad is now the first city in the county to ban smoking and vaping in apartment and condo buildings.
North County reporter Tania Thorne tells us the city council voted to lock in the new ordinance.
The council voted 4 to 1 to ban smoking in multi unit apartment complexes and condo buildings. The ban includes smoking and vaping tobacco and cannabis products inside and outside. It's aimed at curbing secondhand smoke. Jennifer Gill with Vista Community Clinic’s tobacco control program applauded the move. it's really about protecting the health of everyone within the city. And I think taking that step is important for city council. You know they have said that it is their role to protect their their citizens and their residents, and to do what they can to keep them safe and in an environment that promotes their health and enhances their quality of life. Enforcement of the ban will fall on landlords and property managers. The new ordinance will take effect January 1st. TT KPBS News.
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As school starts back up for students across San Diego, many families are struggling to find affordable after school care.
KPBS's Katerina Portela says this year, many programs have long wait lists.
Deniece Hasson, San Diego parent: We're in a position where we don't even have the option of paid child care. Deniece Hasson is a working mother of three. So that is what stresses me out the most because we both work full-time and we don't know what the care for our children will look like once the school year begins. KPBS spoke to her last year when her three sons had just been accepted to Primetime. This year, she reapplied and ended up 40th on the waitlist. And now the paid option is full, too. Hasson had been told by a Primetime employee that as a returning parent, she would have priority in the enrollment. Deniece Hasson: So had I known that there was even any chance that I wouldn't have been at least prioritized as a returning family, then I would have kept my space in the pay program because we're a family with three children and we need after-school care. It's really not optional for our family. And so while I appreciated a free-of-cost program, it would be more important to me to have consistent care rather than taking a chance each year and basically gambling, whether or not you have child care. At her children’s school, Marvin Elementary, the waitlist jumped from 0 to 128 kids this year. And it’s not the only one. The overall number of students on the Primetime waitlist is four times more than last year. Christiane Trout-McPhee, manager of Primetime extended day programs: Our goal is to continue to increase to serve those families. Christiane Trout-McPhee, manager of Primetime’s summer and extended day programs, says that the program is doing its best to accommodate the large number of applicants. We're doing the best that we can with staffing, and every year, all families have to reapply because there's never a guarantee… We're really doing every effort on our end. If family could just reach out to the school to see what other options are available or they're welcome to contact my office, and I'll see what we can do to help support them. Primetime expanded to 19 new schools this year. Most schools had more spots this year, but for 36 schools, the number actually decreased. The average cost of after school care is $500 a month, if families can get a spot. If they have to look outside their school, it can cost over $800 a month. These prices are why the free program Primetime has become such a competitive commodity. Deniece: There's definitely a need. I've spoken to many families. The majority of the families who I've spoken with were not re-accepted into the program. So there's a lot of us. And that just demonstrates that at our school site, there's a bigger need than what's currently accommodated. Many elementary schools get out around 2, and noon every Wednesday. And as more and more families have two working parents, childcare has become more essential. Shelby Jennings Gomez is the executive director of childcare at the San Diego County YMCA. Shelby Jennings Gomez, executive director of childcare, San Diego County YMCA. Childcare is absolutely critical to a family's ability to work or go to school and do what they need to do to take care of their family. So anytime that families can have access to a quality free child care program that meets their needs… that is such a burden lifted off of a family that is struggling to survive in this high cost of living county that we have. Hasson and other parents were also blindsided by a new signup process this year. In previous years, parents had a week to submit their applications. This year it was first come, first serve, and parents who applied just 20 minutes late didn't get a spot. The reason for the change, according to San Diego Unified, is a new grant this year that requires homeless and foster youth be prioritized. Tobie Pace, senior director of early learning opportunities at San Diego Unified, says the more narrow priority group paired with an influx of people applying is causing the longer waitlists. Tobie Pace, senior director of early learning opportunities, SD Unified “Primetime’s getting a lot more notoriety, and it's growing. Literally, back in 2022, we had about 11,000 students interested. This year, we have over 15,200 (interested in applying) right now.” Now, the school year has already begun and with it, the scramble for after school care. While some families have secured spots at Primetime or a paid care program, many feel stuck as waitlists grow and options become more scarce. Deniece: Maybe I'm in a little bit of denial and just hoping that space opens up… (11:11) I really don't know. I don't know what we're going to do at this point. For KPBS, I’m Katerina Portela.
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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. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m John Carroll. It was a pleasure chatting with you all on the podcast this week, Debbie Cruz will be back tomorrow. Thanks for listening and have a great Thursday.
