Investigation into Planned Parenthood fire
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, August 17th.
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The impact of the fire that destroyed the El Centro Planned Parenthood. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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The first set of unofficial election results to fill the District 4 Supervisor vacancy are in.
Here’s San Diego County Registrar of Voters Cynthia Paes.
“When all of the vote centers reported and we tabulated all of those votes, we were estimating 20,000 outstanding ballots. ”
Currently, Monica Montgomery Steppe is in the lead with a little over 40-percent of the votes counted.
Amy Reichert is in second place, with 29-percent, and Janessa Goldbeck is in third, with 25-percent.
The unofficial results will be updated at 5 p-m today.
For the latest results visit sd vote dot com.
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The hot weather is expected to peak in the county’s inland areas today.
Temperatures will be in the high 80s.
But some relief is near, as it’s expected to cool down in the inland areas a bit tomorrow.
A heat advisory is in effect for the county’s mountains, and an excessive heat warning is in effect for desert areas.
Both advisories will be in place until 8 p-m tonight.
Temps will be in the high 80s in the mountains, and reach up to 111 in the county’s deserts.
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Tijuana’s little league All-star baseball team will be playing against Japan in the Little League World Series tomorrow.
Japan beat Cuba yesterday, moving them on to Friday’s game.
The Tijuana little leaguers haven’t been in the World Series since 20-13.
If Mexico wins tomorrow’s game, they will play again on Monday, against the winner of today’s Canada versus Asia-Pacific game.
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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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Authorities are still investigating what caused a Planned Parenthood clinic to burn down in El Centro.
It's the only reproductive health care clinic in all of Imperial County.
And as health reporter Matt Hoffman tells us, it provided services for people coming from out of state and south of the border.
A devastating fire has nearly burned Planned Parenthood’s El Centro Health Center to the ground.. Firefighters say the cause is still under investigation.. But they believe it started at a nearby Salvation Army donation center before engulfing the area’s primary sexual healthcare provider. Sandra Duran with Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest says the loss is devastating.. But they will reopen as soon as possible. A lot of the patients we see don’t have health insurance, they have low incomes, they need to get care here. So we’re trying to do everything we can to restore access.. we’re committed to rebuilding The El Centro clinic not only served residents of imperial valley.. But up to 50 percent of patients came from out of state or Mexico.. Planned Parenthood officials have been moving appointments to centers in San Diego or Riverside while they try to figure out temporary solutions. MH KPBS News.
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School is back in session for students in the Poway Unified District.
Their first day was yesterday.
Education reporter M.G. Perez has more on what they’ll face this fall.
Poway Unified is the third largest school district in San Diego County…with 41 campuses …and more than 35-thousand students in TK through 12th grade. Like most districts, the semester begins with a list of academic priorities …that include programs for regaining learning loss and providing adequate mental health services in the aftermath of COVID. Lisa Maguire is principal at Garden Road Elementary. “we’re kind of over COVID but now we really need to raise all of our academics…we had a little gap…but it’s going to be hitting it hard with academics.” Despite the challenges….last year, Poway Unified was able to maintain a 94-percent graduation rate of its high school senior class. MGP KPBS News.
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We're continuing our interviews with authors who will be at the San Diego Union-Tribune’s 7th Annual Festival of Books this Saturday.
Chris Baron is a local author and one of the festival’s headliners.
His latest middle-grade novel, “The Gray,” looks at the realities of middle schoolers struggling with anxiety.
It follows 11-year old Sasha, who spends a summer in the country with his widowed aunt as an escape from his daily life.
Disconnected from technology, he finds new ways to cope with his anxiety.
This is Baron’s third novel.
He won the San Diego Writers Award in 20-21, and is also a professor and coordinator of the English Center at San Diego City College.
Baron spoke with my colleague Jade Hindmon about the novel.
Here’s part of their conversation.
So the title, “The Gray” is how the lead Sasha refers to episodes of anxiety he experiences. Could you tell us more about “The Gray” and what it means to Sasha?
All your books are very personal, and “The Gray” is no different. Where did the inspiration for “The Gray” first come from?
The pandemic has exacerbated a lot of the anxieties and societal pressures young people face. How is it different for kids now who cope with anxiety, compared to when you were first growing up with it?
We’d like to have you read a brief excerpt from your book. Could we have you introduce it to us?
TAG: That was author, Chris Baron, speaking with KPBS Midday Edition host, Jade Hindmon.
Baron will be on a panel at the Festival of Books on Saturday at 10:45 a-m.
The Festival runs from 10 a-m to 4 p-m, at U-S-D.
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For years South Bay artists have struggled to bring performing arts to their community.
"Without exposure, people won't know any better. If you have never seen that ballet, you'll never miss it. If you've never seen an opera, you'll never miss it."
We’ll have that story and more, just after the break.
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For years, artists, theater groups, and dance companies in the South Bay have worked tirelessly to bring the performing arts to life in their communities.
But as south engagement producer Marielena Castellanos tells us, limited funding and public spaces make it a challenge.
William Alejandro Virchis Artistic Director, Teatro Máscara Mágica “I was speaking Shakespeare before I was speaking English.” That’s Chula Vista resident William Alejandro Virchis, Remembering his first audition at the Old Globe Theater when he was just nine years old.That was the start of his passion for the performing arts…Today he’s the artistic director and one of the founders of the multicultural theater company, Teatro Máscara Mágica — known for their production of the Christmas Shepherds Play. Virchis says putting on a play can be expensive. William Alejandro Virchis Artistic Director, Teatro Máscara Mágica “How can you afford it? Light, sound. You see, look, this is an animal that breathes 24 hours a day.” And finding a place to perform… that's another challenge. William Alejandro Virchis Artistic Director, Teatro Máscara Mágica “You know the shepherd’s play, the pastorela is a metaphor for us. It’s an analogy. It’s like we’re the same shepherd’s looking for a home. We’ve been looking for a home forever and ever and ever.” Still,Teatro Máscara Mágica has performed for decades in San Diego county without a permanent venue. Virchis says he would like to find a space in the South Bay. William Alejandro Virchis Artistic Director, Teatro Máscara Mágica “And we have to show these kids the passion. Without exposure, people won't know any better. If you have never seen that ballet, you'll never miss it. If you've never seen an opera, you'll never miss it.” The issue with finding space isn't unique to Chula Vista. That’s PASACAT, a Philippine performing arts company based in National City. Anamaria Labao Cabato is the executive director, at the helm since 1987. She says the nonprofit doesn’t have the means to support full-time employees. Anamaria Labao Cabato Executive Director, PASACAT “I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing, but we become resourceful and make do with what we have. and we find joy to continue what we like doing. And we've never skipped a beat. We've never skipped a junior concert 36 years in a row..” The dance group owns a building in National City that's used mostly for rehearsals and storage. But Cabato says the building needs repairs, and it's hard to secure funds. Anamaria Labao Cabato Executive Director, PASACAT “You know what, w hen you're passionate about something that drives you, that lights the fire under you to keep moving, to keep going on to striving for better.” Christine Brady Chula Vista Arts Advocate “And I wanted to follow up on the discussion on the almost lack of culture and arts in Chula Vista with recommendations and explanations.” That’s Christine Brady, a Chula Vista resident of 25 years. As an arts advocate, she's worked with many artists searching to rent out cheap venues. Christine Brady Chula Vista Arts Advocate “Within just one week we would have 3 producers of productions come and want to rent the space. But there was an in-house group that wanted to use the space. And there was basically nothing available.” Brady proposes creating an affordable arts venue on the West Side of Chula Vista. But that takes money. Some experts say cities already face a number of financial constraints, and the arts often fall by the wayside. Most cities in the South Bay allocate less than 2 percent of their budget to the arts. But money for a new venue is just one part of the solution. Experts say the venue has to be financially sustainable, while also affordable to local artists. In Chula Vista, Brady feels optimistic. The city has a new mayor and city council. And at a recent meeting, some leaders expressed support for the arts. Brady hopes that support will lead to investment. Christine Brady Chula Vista Resident “They need protection. Their value needs to be recognized. They need to be included. ” Marielena Castellanos, KPBS News.
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More from the arts scene in the county… KPBS is bringing you a series of stories about public art.
For this installment, reporter Katie Hyson sought out the true story behind one Lemon Grove mural.
I interviewed Roberto Alvarez Jr. in front of a mural of his family. What did you hear about this time from your parents? Nothing. The Lemon Grove Incident was nearly lost to time. It wasn’t until his Stanford PhD that Alvarez discovered the history. When he interviewed older family members, one phrase kept coming up: The School Thing. In 1931, the Lemon Grove School Board tried to send the Mexican American students to separate classes – in an old barn. We always think about Jim Crow. Well, I think it was also Jose Crow. But the parents filed a lawsuit and won. It was the first successful school desegregation case, 23 years before Brown vs. the Board of Education. Alvarez says his father was the lead plaintiff, but never spoke about it. Don't be all loud about it. Just be humble. He wrote his dissertation about it. He’s humble about that, too. He says people don’t read academic papers. But the mural, I mean, here it is. It’s not going away. A child scrawled a message on the bottom: “Thank you great grandpa for our rights. We are all equal.” Katie Hyson, KPBS News.
TAG: To see more in the series, go to kpbs dot org slash public art.
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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 more of the day’s top local stories, plus, we hear from the San Diego Unified superintendent, ahead of the new school year. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Thursday.
