Some COVID requirements still in effect
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, May 12th.
What the end of the federal covid-19 public health emergency means for San Diegans.
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Title 42 ended last night, with hundreds of asylum-seekers waiting at the border.
Some local officials are raising concerns about shelter and security for the asylum seekers.
El Cajon mayor Bill Wells has written to the white house about those concerns.
He expects about three to five hundred migrants a day who need services to come through El Cajon.
Wells says despite a lack of communication and funding from the county and federal government, they’re ready to take quick action to provide emergency shelter and keep everyone safe.
“My goal always is to keep everybody in this community completely safe and taken care of the best way i possibly can.”
He says they have several plans they can roll out.
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The U-S Coast Guard has suspended its search for three people who were on a small plane that crashed in the ocean near San Clemente Island.
The Coast Guard says another plane was in the area when the downed plane was reported Wednesday morning, and immediately began searching for survivors.
Officials said they searched more than 330 square miles for more than 24 hours, but found no signs of any survivors.
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U-S-D is hosting a special ceremony on board the U-S-S Midway today, honoring 41 military-connected students who are getting their degrees.
Juan Cedillo is one of the students being honored.
He’s the son of Mexican immigrants who came to the U-S almost 30 years ago.
Cedillo is proud of his Mexican heritage and his decision to enlist in the Army.
“They gave everything they could for us, as well as giving everything up for themselves. I felt i had an obligation to honor the sacrifices that my parents did for me and my sister.”
He’s graduating from U-S-D with a bachelor's in electrical engineering, and has accepted a job with Boeing.
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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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Since 20-20, covid-19 has affected our daily lives…
And yesterday marked the end of the federal covid-19 public health emergency.
Reporter Melissa Mae tells us what this means for San Diego residents.
MM: For the average American, some aspects of COVID-related health care coverage may change after today. MM: But California state law adds six months to some PHE requirements. San Diego residents will continue to be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, testing and therapeutics for free. MM: Rebecca Fielding-Miller is an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s School of Public Health and says the continued free access to therapeutics like paxlavid is important. RFM “Pharmacists can prescribe Paxlavid. Telehealth doctors can prescribe Paxlavid. So, you don’t even have to go to your primary care physician to get this medication that has been shown to both decrease immediate symptoms and the risk of long COVID.” MM: San Diegans will also still be able to get up to eight over-the-counter COVID tests per month covered by their health insurance provider. Melissa Mae KPBS News.
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The South Bay has its first shelter for the unhoused... but it's not your typical shelter.
Reporter John Carroll explains what makes it special.
special, precisely because it’s non-congregate. chula vista village at otay features 65 “tiny homes”... bungalows really - 64-square feet. they all include heat and air conditioning, along with power outlets for people’s devices. scores of federal, state and local officials turned out for thursday’s ribbon cutting… including chula vista’s park ranger program manager sam alzubaidi. the idea for the village of tiny homes came from him and chula vista p-d’s homeless outreach team. alzubaidi says he’s thrilled to see the project come to fruition.“by doing this, i feel it’s gonna be a huge success for individuals who really want to put their lives back together.” the village also features bathrooms, a laundry facility and a cafeteria where residents are served three meals a day. there are also support services. people will start moving in on monday. jc, kpbs news.
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In other efforts to address homelessness in the region … safe camping sites will be opened in the city of San Diego later this year.
Meanwhile, a report found nearly 2-thousand people in downtown San Diego were homeless last month.
That's the highest ever monthly total.
Here’s Jacob Aere with more on the new sites.
the safe sleeping sites will be on city-owned parking lots adjacent to balboa park … and be able to accommodate roughly 500 people in a few months. the sites will have individual tents provided by the city. jose de jesus is a senior citizen living on the streets downtown … looking for a safe and sober environment to call home. “i'm open to the idea – it's better than sleeping on the streets. and if they have shower facilities that's even better.” the safe sleeping sites will provide essentials like food, bathrooms, security and other services … and be located at balboa park’s 20th and b street … and parking lot o. jacob aere, kpbs news.
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Coming up.... It’s almost the weekend! And we have you covered with some weekend plan ideas. We’ll have that and more, just after the break.
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The San Diego region has more Indian reservations than any other county in the U-S … but thousands of Native Americans also live in cities spread throughout San Diego.
Reporter Jacob Aere says one youth center is reconnecting those individuals … both young and old… with their ancestral heritage.
The San Diego American Indian Health Center is easy to see from the street in Bankers Hill … with beautiful native american artwork on the face of the building. But right next door is a location that's harder to find … the organization’s youth outreach center. It's been providing critical programming for decades and bridging the gap between generations in San Diego’s native community. Randy Edmonds San Diego American Indian Youth Center “And we are considered urban Indians because we all live in the urban area of San Diego. There are 18 reservations that surround San Diego but they are Kumeyaay.” 89-year-old Elder Randy Edmonds says the youth center is a space for native americans of all nations to connect with their roots. He belongs to the Kiowa (KI-oh-wuh) tribe of Oklahoma. His son Larry helps lead some of the youth programs THERE. Larry Edmonds San Diego American Indian Youth Center “Having them learn their language. We get them involved in art. We have some classes in beading, moccasins, talking circles – where a lot of natives will come in and get involved in a circle and talk about the things that they go through and how we can help them in their walk and their lives.” Larry's daughter …and Randy’s granddaughter … Melaine Edmonds works at the American Indian Health Center … just across the street. Melanie Edmonds San Diego American Indian Health Center “It's nice when people come in and say I didn't even know you were here. And we were like ‘we've been here for a while!’ So I think that it’s unfortunate that a lot of people just don't know what we're here, and don't know that we have the resources that they can really use.” The youth center programs are often fun … but some take a more serious tone. Those activities look to address intergenerational trauma in Native American communities. Randy Edmonds San Diego American Indian Health Center “So I had a boarding school experience. Which actually, what they actually wanted us to do was to be cleansed of our indianness.” … elder Randy was part of a relocation program after his boarding school experience … which is what brought him to Southern California. He says many urban native americans in the U.S. have similar family histories. Randy Edmonds San Diego American Indian Health Center “And the intent of that relocation program was to assimilate the native american into mainstream society. And that was basically to make him White.” Their work at the youth center includes passing down stories like Randy’s … and upholding traditions. They also team up with their health center to provide specially tailored mental and behavioral health services. Melanie Edmonds San Diego American Indian Health Center “Maybe when I was growing up I was afraid to show who I was because you don't know if you're going to get made fun of, you just don't know the outcome of it.” Melanie says being around other people like herself … and sharing their stories … helped her to grow. Melanie Edmonds San Diego American Indian Health Center “Working in native communities has really helped me become a little more confident in being native american. I do feel like there needs to be a lot more awareness to people who are native and want to get to know their culture.” Larry says the youth center programs connect people more deeply to their spirituality. Larry Edmonds San Diego American Indian Health Center “It's really a connection of community – to me , through prayer – and just having services for them and just having a place for them to go that they feel safe.” One thing all the programs at the youth center have in common: they are keeping traditions alive, despite the odds. Randy EdmondsSan Diego American Indian Health Center “We're still alive, we haven't gone anywhere. Our language is strong, our culture is strong, our spirituality is strong… And we wanna pass that on to make sure that we’re not remembered in the history books like so many people are.” The organization is hosting their 35th annual “gathering of the people”' at a Balboa Park pow wow this Mother’s Day weekend. Like at their youth center, they invite all people … whether native or non-native … or living on a reservation or in a city … to join. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.
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Before you go, we have some suggestions on arts events to check out this weekend.
Here’s arts producer Julia Dixon Evans and my colleague Jade Hindmon with the details.
TAG: That was KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon, speaking with arts producer and editor, Julia Dixon Evans.
You can find details on all of the events mentioned, and more events, at KPBS dot ORG slash ARTS.
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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by KPBS Producer Emilyn Mohebbi and edited by Senior Producer Brooke Ruth. Join us on Monday to start your week with local news, plus, our KPBS arts reporter joins me to talk about the Comic-Con Museum’s new exhibit, "Trino’s World.” I’m Debbie Cruz. Have a great weekend, and to all the moms out there, have a Happy Mother’s Day.
