San Diegans honor military members

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, May 30th.

A tactic by drug traffickers is getting some innocent border crossers in trouble. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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In an effort to prevent Hepatitis A cases from spreading, thirteen portable restrooms have been added in downtown San Diego.

City officials say they were placed around homeless encampments in areas identified by the county health department.

The county has confirmed 29 cases of Hep A this year.

The virus spreads through close contact and fecal matter, so good hygiene is key to stopping its spread.

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This week is typically the kickoff for warmer temps in the county, but recently we’ve been experiencing quite the opposite… some gloomy weather.

The National Weather Service says we can expect more light rain this morning and again tonight.

Temps are expected to be in the low 60s today, and winds could gust up to 20 miles per hour.

The May Gray weather is expected to continue throughout the week, with chances of more rain tomorrow morning.

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Last year was a good year for tourism in San Diego county, and as the summer travel season begins, things look even better.

San Diego Tourism Authority president and C-E-O Julie Coker says San Diego is outpacing both L-A and San Francisco when it comes to post-pandemic travel.

She says more than a quarter of a million visitors spent 13-and-a-half billion dollars here last year.

She says San Diego is more attractive than L-A and San Francisco for a number of reasons… including what she dubs, authenticity.

“We have a lot more authentic, unique experiences and that’s what visitors are looking for is to live like a local when they come to a destination.”

As a sign of the strength of our tourism and business travel industry, Coker says the Convention Center is booked through at least the end of the year.

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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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It was a double celebration in Logan Heights on Memorial Day… marking the anniversary of a neighborhood monument, and honoring a local veteran who died in World War Two.

Reporter Melissa Mae has the story.

MM: The Logan Heights Veterans Committee celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Logan Heights Veterans Memorial Monument across from Chicano Park. MM: The ceremony also honored several fallen veterans, including Rudy Martinez, who was raised in Logan Heights and was the first Mexican-American Navy sailor to die in World War II. MM: He served on the USS Utah and lost his life when the Navy battleship was sunk during Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. MM: For the first time in 81 years, Martinez was recognized for his sacrifice and his niece Esther Jauregui  was honored on her uncle’s behalf.  EJ “It means that he will never be forgotten. That he is here in spirit with all of us and he has a special place in our heart. And to me, I’m grateful to everyone who has helped us finally get this on.” MM: Barrio Logan resident and Assemblymember David Alvarez presented Jauregui (HOW-reh-gee) with a special Resolution in honor of her uncle. Melissa Mae KPBS News.

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Others gathered across the county on Memorial Day, honoring military members whose lives were lost in service to their country.

Here in San Diego, one anti-war veterans organization wants to remind us of the human cost of war.

Military and veterans reporter Andrew Dyer spoke to them outside the U-S-S Midway.

throngs of people were drawn to the uss midway museum this memorial day. amidst the crowd, the names of almost 300 southern california service members killed in iraq and afghanistan rang out. it’s part of an annual display by the san diego chapter of veterans for peace. that's an anti-war veterans organization. hundreds of miniature grave markers on the lawn outside the museum note the names and hometowns of those killed during the 20-year global war on terror. david patterson is a vietnam veteran who served in the air force. “people are isolated from the cost of war,...it’s still …  iraq. afghanistan still thousands of people died and but we don't get out there and put these more kind of markers up. people won't even it won't register. and the next war they won't think that it's a big deal.” andrew dyer, kpbs news.

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People who frequently cross the U-S-Mexico border are targeted in smuggling schemes run by drug traffickers.

inewsource reporter Sofía Mejías-Pascoe has this story about what can happen to unsuspecting drivers.

It’s a weekday at one of the busiest land ports of entry in the world. Here at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, close to 100,000 travelers pass through daily. SUVs, four-door sedans and motorcycles wait in line as far as the eye can see. Street vendors filter through, selling hot coffee and snacks. But there’s something else you can’t see, hear or smell — drugs. And apparently lots of them. Experts say large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl pass through the border every day. That’s how most illegal drugs get here — through ports of entry. Border officials aren’t all that good at intercepting them. And experts say a lot gets through without officials ever knowing it. In fact, sometimes the driver doesn’t even know it. They’re called blind mules, or “mulas ciegas” en espanol. The phenomenon has been documented for decades, though many say it's rare: traffickers  conceal drugs in the car of an unsuspecting driver in Mexico and then pick it up on the other side once the driver has crossed. Victor Clark Alfaro is an organized crime expert based in Tijuana. CLARK ALFARO: Las víctimas tienen siempre las mismas características. Se trata de personas que tienen un patrón de cruce regular a Estados Unidos. He says blind mules are victims who always have the same characteristics. They live in Tijuana but work in the U.S. They enter legally, sometimes through the trusted traveler program known as SENTRI. Clark Alfaro said two changes have made this more feasible, and more common in recent years. The first — GPS. It allows traffickers to more easily follow the drugs into the U.S. And second: CLARK ALFARO: El fentanilo. Entonces, con la aparición del fentanilo provocó que más en mulas ciegas cruzara. ¿Porque? Porque el fentanilo es en muy pequeñas cantidades. No se necesitan grandes paquetes de fentanilo. Fentanyl is much more potent and can be shipped in smaller packages. Smaller means easier to conceal, and harder to find. But imagine - you’re minding your own business – on your way to work – when you’re stopped, searched and told you’re carrying drugs. That’s what happened to Ivan Granillo. He said he was arrested, then charged. He spent nine months in jail, fighting his case until a jury found him not guilty in 2021. GRANILLO: Lemme tell you one day behind bars when you're not out there, freedom is priceless. I lost nine months of my life over something I didn’t have no clue about. There are many more like Granillo. A school teacher heading to the U.S. for a haircut. A receptionist returning from vacation. An auto mechanic picking up parts. To be sure, not everyone who crosses the border frequently is targeted for blind mule smuggling. But for those few who are, it can change their world. Experts and attorneys say the government used to warn travelers about this risk – posting signs at the border for drivers to check their vehicles before crossing, but not anymore. Mayra Garcia is a defense attorney in San Diego. She says those warnings make a big difference. GARCIA: “When we go to the airport, there are signs and we are told when we check in, do not take things that somebody gives to you. Like make sure that you're the one who packed your bag so that you know what's inside your bag. Right. Well, we don't do that at the border.”  That school teacher who went to the US for a haircut? — Garcia represented him earlier this year. Border agents found more than 80 pounds of fentanyl and meth sitting in the trunk of his car. He had no idea. His case was eventually dismissed in court, but only after it turned his life upside down. He lost his job, phone and car. Even though, his lawyer says: GARCIA: The poor man was innocent! Border officials say drivers are responsible for everything they bring into the U.S. But experts say they’re starting to see something new — blind mules smuggling people. For KPBS, I’m inewsource investigative reporter Sofia Mejias-Pascoe.  

TAG: inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.

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San Diego County’s environmental staff say mosquito season is off to a slow start.

Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge explains why you may be suffering fewer backyard bites this year.

In San Diego county, mosquitoes reproduce much more quickly when the weather warms up in april and may. but this year two factors have kept populations down. heavy rains have caused rivers and streams to remain high, with a swift current, and not become the slow, stagnant water mosquitoes like to breed in. allison bray is an environmental health specialist with san diego county.  “along with all the rain this season that’s keeping our rivers flowing longer, we’re also seeing the weather staying cold longer and these bugs reproduce faster when it’s warmer.”  the heavy rains of the past winter can also create more pools of standing water. but bray says her department’s traps are not snaring as many mosquitoes as they have in the past. soq. 

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Coming up.... We hear from a couple that moved in with their in-laws to save money to buy a house. We’ll have that story and more, just after the break.

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For many, time with the in-laws over holidays, anniversaries and birthdays is plenty.

But in our ongoing series “Under the Same Roof,” kpbs’s Amita Sharma spoke to a couple who moved in with the wife’s parents temporarily to build their bank balance, then stayed for the togetherness.

ambient sound of the door opening. hi i’m andrew. i’m carrie. Welcome. andrew and carrie maxwell open the door to their home. two years ago, the maxwells and their infant daughter rudi moved in with gina and stephen donohue in their spacious, 4-bedroom carlsbad home. “my wife and i decided to sell our condo when the market was almost at its peak. we sold it for a good profit.” they moved in with his in-laws to save a little money. and then, andrew maxwell says, they planned to buy their own “forever home.” “....but after about three or four months of being here, we all kind of decided that we really liked living together.” more people under the same roof means more help. ”the fact that my in laws are around just for extra hands, for playing with our daughter, for cleaning up after, for feeding her, even like there's been times where she wouldn't want to eat dinner, but grandma could get her to eat dinner, no problem.” practical benefits aside, bonds have deepened, despite the common perception that in-laws hardly ever get along. “all of our personalities kind of mesh well together. which kind of makes sense  because of who my wife is and i married my wife so my personality should work well with my in-laws.” for andrew’s wife carrie, the transition back to her parents’ home was even easier. i'm back in my old bedroom. i've had a fortunate experience that i like my parents. i lived with them until i got married, so i was 28 when i moved out.” when she moved back, carrie says she and her mom resumed their camaraderie. they go to restaurants, get their nails done, watch movies, play pokemon and listen to their favorite 80s bands. the only difference is…now carrie’s almost three-year-old daughter enjoys the music with them. “....my daughter's favorite band is devo. she also likes to be 52s. it's very sweet.  ambient sound of gina, playfully pushing rudi, making her giggle. “i love having my family with me, especially my granddaughter. it’s just really special to have that time to bond.” for carrie’s mom gina, living with her granddaughter has been a lifeline. “she is just a motivator for me to get up and get moving. i have fibromyalgia, and so i'm exhausted all the time. but when she's here and she wants to go play, take the dog for a walk, i'm ready to go. andrew and carrie pay her parents $700 each month in rent. it’s a bargain, a two-bedroom apartment in carlsbad can run between $3,000 to $4,000. the couple also buy most of the groceries and carries does a lot of the cooking while gina watches rudi. gina’s husband stephen donohue says he never imagined he’d share a home with his adult daughter and her family. “....when i grew up, you graduated high school and you were out. that's it.” but as a businessman, he says he can’t argue that it makes good financial sense. especially in his carlsbad neighborhood where the average cost of a home is $1 million. donohue makes it clear his son-in-law and daughter are not freeloaders.  “it's not like they moved in and quit their jobs and sit around and watch tv all day. no, they're working adults trying in this trying times right now. i mean, my gosh, the value of these homes is insane, and how could you afford to buy?” ask all of them how long they think their living arrangement will last and they are unanimous. forever. andrew says the experience has taught him….this adage is true: if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together. “i feel like if you want to have a more fulfilling life, live with your family, live with your friends, even live with a big group of people, because it is nice to have that company around you,.” amita sharma, kpbs news.

TAG: To share a story about your multigenerational household, and see other stories in this series, go to KPBS-dot-org-slash-roof.

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An old library in Logan Heights is getting closer to being converted into a multi-use center.

inewsource reporter Crystal Niebla tells us more of what locals could see.

It’s been more than a decade since the Old Logan Heights Library shut its doors. Now, a city survey found most residents want the old building transformed into a youth center, some type of cultural archive and a computer or tech lab. San Diego has already received two-point-four million dollars in state funding for the building … and it faces a spring twenty-twenty-four deadline to spend the money. But that would cover needed upgrades only. Any further work would require more funding … and that’s money the city hasn’t yet secured. For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporter Crystal Niebla.

TAG: inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.

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One man in Vista honors the history of Memorial Day through a collection of artifacts… but his collection needs a new home.

North County reporter Tania Thorne has the story.

Harris Gilroy is a cabinet maker by trade. But beyond his woodworking shop in Vista, he has a hidden treasure. It contains vietnam, gulf war, with a little bit of Korea but the real guts is the WWII collection in this back room. Theres over 2000 artifacts in here from WWII. Gilroy's collection started when he and his brother were young boys. Back then after WWII my brother's older, he could get all this stuff at the local army, navy, surplus store. So we just started collecting over the years. As proud as Giroy is of his collection, he’s prouder he can share his knowledge with the public.  But.. that’s changing because the building where the museum is housed was recently sold, forcing him to move. Here in the beginning of Aug. this museum will be looking for a new home o While he isn’t ready to part ways with his collections, he is looking for an opportunity to continue sharing it with the world. Museum tours can still be scheduled before the move by contacting Gilroy at Cactus Militaria. TT KPBS News. 

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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 and have a great Tuesday.