More detox beds now available in north county

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, March 14th.

There are new resources to help people with drug addiction in north county.

More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

Enrollment begins Saturday for transitional kindergarten at San Diego Unified schools.

The district says it will have more classrooms available for the next school year.

As a result, the district expects class sizes to drop from 24-students to 20.

Transitional kindergarten is available for kids who will be 4 years old by September 1st.

San Diego Unified says the additional classrooms will go to high-demand areas, but those locations have not been announced.

We have more details on T-K enrollment in the “KPBS families hub” page at KPBS-dot-org.

Those who oppose President Donald Trump’s recent policy decisions relating to veterans will hold a protest this afternoon in Balboa Park.

Anti-Trump organizers with the “Fifty-Fifty-One” movement, along with the group Activist San Diego and the local chapter of Veterans for Peace are organizing the event.

It’s scheduled for 4 p-m at the Veterans Museum and Memorial on Park Boulevard.

In recent days, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins announced a goal of cutting 80-thousand jobs from the V-A.

California’s Department of Veteran’s Affairs estimates there are more than 200-thousand military veterans in San Diego county.

That’s the largest number for any county statewide.

The San Diego FC soccer team will be back at Snapdragon Stadium this weekend.

Their MLS debut ended in controversy on March 1st with a homophobic chant shouted by a group of fans.

The team says there will be more security at Saturday’s match, particularly at the opposing goalkeeper’s section.

San Diego FC says violators will be ejected from the stadium.

The team says it’s also prepared to pause, suspend or abandon the match if necessary.

From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.

Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

North county now has more beds for people to detox from drugs and alcohol addiction.

A 32-bed program opened this month in Escondido.

Reporter Alexander Nguyen tells us it’s much needed in the area.

“all of our offices here are for … for our addiction counselors.”

Greg Anglea is the CEO of Interfaith Community Services.

The homeless services provider in Escondido recently expanded its recovery services.

“We're going from 11 to 32 beds.”

The expansion would nearly double the number of detox beds in North County. 

He says they’re especially needed in Escondido.

“Tragically, Escondido leads all North County cities when it comes to overdose deaths from methamphetamine and fentanyl. And we see that, on the streets here in Escondido.”

Last September, it received a 12-million grant from the county to add 21 more beds.

But proposed cuts in Washington are creating uncertainty for the program’s future.

For now … those interested in participating in the detox program can contact Interfaith Community Services.

Alexander Nguyen, KPBS News.

Vista's Moonlight Amphitheater usually hosts concerts, plays and holiday light shows.

But this Saturday it will make history by hosting the first licensed cannabis event in San Diego county.

Tania Thorne says Vista has been a trailblazer in legal cannabis sales for years.

Not all cities have welcomed the cannabis business with open arms. 

But the city of Vista… has. 

Vista is really going to be kind of the flagship when it comes to cannabis in San Diego County, since we were at the tip of the spear when it came to legalization, we were able to get the best dispensaries, the best brands and the best people to really invest within our city, and they've really become a part of the fabric of our community.

Joe Green is a former Vista city council member. He helped pass cannabis-friendly regulations in the city.

As a result, the Farmers Cup is going to be the first ever legal cannabis consumption and retail event in the county of San Diego. 

The Farmers Cup will be the first cannabis event on public property where cannabis can be purchased and consumed. 

Before the Farmers Cup, all events were held on private property. 

But before we give you the details of the event, let’s walk you through how Vista got here. 

Vista has really been a pioneer when it comes to how we allocate the cannabis revenue.We're not necessarily trying to line the city's pockets with this revenue. We want to give back to the community.

The sales tax on cannabis has raised five to seven million dollars a year for Vista’s budget.

The revenue pays for sheriff's deputies, park rangers, and youth scholarships. 

So whether you're looking to play Pop Warner football, you want to play soccer, you want to play baseball. Or maybe you're a kid who's in band who can't afford to get an instrument at your school. The city of Vista has a scholarship program, with cannabis funds allocated just for families that need scholarships for their children.

Before cannabis was legalized, Green says there were 21 illegal dispensaries in Vista. 

When we were able to legalize cannabis, we had zero illegal dispensaries.

Legalizing this allowed us to make it more safe for our community. All products are tested, all products are taxed, and all revenue goes back to your community for positive change, which is what it's all about.

Legalizing was one thing. Normalizing cannabis use was next on the list. And that included an event.

It's something Josh Caruso, the CEO of Farmers Cup, had been trying to do since 2018.

I called every single municipality from National City, down up there by Humboldt County, and every single one of them told me, we're not ready.We don't know what you're trying to do. It sounds crazy. Some of them even hung up on me. They thought it was a joke. And finally I called Vista, California, 

Vista was the only city to give the green light to host the first ever licensed cannabis event. 

But what does that even mean?

This is a public event on public property, city owned property specifically, that changed the law within their own city to allow cannabis consumption. That means we can smoke cannabis and use cannabis products on this property legally without anybody saying anything about it. 

Vista Sheriff's deputies will be there but won’t care about cannabis use.

Caruso says this is a game changer for cannabis culture. 

For this point that we can do this legally in public, it is a stepping stone for our whole culture here. And we're going to have everybody come together, from all ages 21 and up. Is allowed. But we've had a lot of the senior community excited about this, too. 

I think some of the misconceptions are that people are just using it recreationally just to get high. But it's beyond that. 

Sahara Bernes is the operations manager for Cake House Vista, one of the first dispensaries to open in Vista.

You know, people are using it for the ADHD, they're using it for pain management. We have a large, senior community who comes in and purchases items for, you know, there are aches and pains. We have cancer patients who come in and, you know, they're looking for things to ease their nausea and get through the day.

Cake House  will be the cannabis sponsor for the event.

Five years ago, you couldn't go somewhere and shop in a safe environment. So we're so blessed to be a part of this, where you can go to an event and it's safe.

Event organizers say they want to break new ground. Other city and county officials will be watching how it turns out..

We're looking at taking these events to other cities across California and across the nation.it's an educational event. It's a fun event. It's music if you like to dance and have a great time. And we really think that this is just the first event of many to come. 

The festival includes an award ceremony for a cannabis competition, musical performances, and food trucks. 

The cash only event is 21 and up and starts at 10am at Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. 

Tickets are required for entry.

Tania Thorne KPBS News.

Some San Diego homeowners say estimates for a new trash fee is excessive.

inewsource reporter Crystal Niebla explains how they can stop it.

Proposition 218 requires property owners to approve a new fee or rate increase for a city service.

Here’s how it will work for San Diego: Impacted property owners will receive a letter from the city in the mail before the council can vote on a trash fee.

Owners will then have to sign off on whether they want to formally reject the fee.

If more than half of owners submit this form, the council cannot implement a trash fee.

So far, there is no official proposed charge. The council will discuss options at a meeting this month, followed by a potential vote in June.

For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporter Crystal Niebla.

The city has now rescheduled the public hearing for April 14th

inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.

This story is part of our Public Matters partnership.

To find out more, go to kpbs dot org slash public matters.

The Transportation Security Administration at San Diego International Airport is accepting a new mobile form of identification.

Melissa Mae tells us about new technology at the airport’s security checkpoints.

You can now upload your Real-ID to your smart phone and use it to go through security at the San Diego International Airport. 

Lorie Dankers is a TSA spokesperson. She says the new option even works with smart watches. 

“The basic information that TSA needs during the identity verification process is transmitted and at the same time, a real time photo of the traveler is taken by our equipment using facial matching technology, we're able to compare the facial features of the traveler in front of us against the facial features on the driver's license.”

You can access the mobile driver's license portal in your apple, google or california DMV wallet. 

Starting May 7th, air travelers over 18 can expect delays if they don’t have a Real-ID.Melissa Mae, KPBS News.

The San Diego State women’s basketball team is heading to the NCAA tournament.

They’ll find out where they’re going and who they’re playing as part of “Selection Sunday.”

The Aztec women clinched a spot by winning the Mountain West Tournament for the first time in 13 years Wednesday night in triple-overtime.

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 day.