San Diego, CA
Daily Business Report: March 12, 2024, San Diego Metro Magazine
California flood victims can get state help.
They only have days to apply
By Justo Robles | CalMatters
Almost three months after a January storm and flash floods killed several people and displaced hundreds of San Diego-area residents, the state is offering one-time Disaster CalFresh benefits to help families recover.
To be eligible for disaster food benefits, people must have lived or worked in storm-impacted areas on Jan. 21, the day record rainfall swelled creeks and rivers, deluging neighborhoods. About 600 people sought emergency shelter.
California’s Department of Social Services said it will provide 30 days of food benefits to families who qualify. A family of four, for instance, could get $973 if they have a monthly income of up to $3,380.
Eligible households also must have lost food or income or incurred such evacuation expenses as hotel or transportation charges.
But time is running out to apply. The application window that opened March 7 closes on March 15. Applicants can call the county’s social services office by calling 877-847-3663 (FOOD) or submit an online pre-registration application.
Top Photo: Gregory Montoya in his garage where he stores antique items that were severely damaged by recent floods in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego. March 8, 2024. (Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters)
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New leadership announced for the Workforce Development Board
The San Diego Workforce Partnership has named a new slate of officers to its board of directors for the Workforce Development Board. They include chair of the board Kurling Robinson, vice chair Dr. Ricky Shabazz, treasurer Veronica Dela Rosa, and secretary Carol Kim.
Ricky Shabazz is president of San Diego City College. Veronica Dela Rosa is executive vice president of operations, San Ysidro Health. Carol Kim is CEO of the San Diego County Building & Construction Trades.
The new Board Chair, Kurling Robinson, is a visionary entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in software development and startups. His diverse career spans arts, automotive, technology, and energy sectors, including tenures at companies like Getty, Toyota, NetZero, and IFS.
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Superior Court Judge Keri G. Katz retires
San Diego Superior Court Judge Keri G. Katz announced her retirement on March 8 after nearly 40 years of civil service to the community. Katz, who began her legal career in 1986 as a deputy city attorney with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, handled the defense and prosecution of civil lawsuits until 2007.
While serving as deputy city attorney, she was promoted to several leadership positions, including head deputy city attorney of the city’s public works division and assistant city attorney in charge of the city’s civil division. Katz also served as the mayor and San Diego City Council’s chief legal adviser, providing legal guidance and support.
Katz was appointed as a Superior Court judge by former Gov. Jerry Brown in February 2014.
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California launches first-of-its-kind
council to create thousands of more jobs
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the creation of the California Jobs First Council and operational plan focused on streamlining the state’s economic and workforce development programs to create more jobs, faster. The Council and operational plan will guide the state’s investments in economic and workforce development to create more family-supporting jobs and prioritize industry sectors for future growth.
The Council will coordinate the development of a statewide industrial strategy that includes a statewide economic snapshot and identification of priority sectors, a statewide projects portfolio, a business expansion, attraction, and retention strategy, and a workforce development strategy. The California Jobs First Council will also support the regional Jobs First Collaboratives to expand industry and create jobs locally.
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Healable cathode could unlock potential
solid-state lithium-sulfer batteries
By Liezel Labios | UC San Diego
Researchers have moved one step closer to making solid-state batteries from lithium and sulfur a practical reality. A team led by engineers at the University of California San Diego developed a new cathode material for solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries that is electrically conductive and structurally healable—features that overcome the limitations of these batteries’ current cathodes.
The work was published in the journal Nature on March 6.
Solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries are a type of rechargeable battery consisting of a solid electrolyte, an anode made of lithium metal and a cathode made of sulfur. These batteries hold promise as a superior alternative to current lithium-ion batteries as they offer increased energy density and lower costs.
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Frontwave Arena opening to feature Simone Biles
North County’s new multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena will kick off its Sept. 17 opening day with a show starring the most decorated American gymnast in history. Frontwave Arena will be the first stop along the Gold Over America Tour, which will feature two-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles. The tour will travel to more than 30 arenas nationwide and feature a family-friendly show that celebrates American gymnastics and showcases the athletic talent of Biles and a select squad of team members.
Enhanced Landscape Management acquires Holmes Landscape Company
Enhanced Landscape Management (ELM), a subsidiary of Landscape Development Inc. (LDI) has completed the purchase of Holmes Landscape Company (HLC), which was founded by Larry Holmes in 1974. Larry Holmes will remain with the company through the integration process and HLC Vice President Lee Frank will continue to oversee the local operations as part of the ELM management team.
Kyra Seay named a vice president of California Coast Credit Union
California Coast Credit Union, the longest serving financial institution based in San Diego, with over $3.5 billion in assets, has named Kyra Seay as vice president of community relations and business development. Seay will oversee community relations and business development, and participate in enterprise-wide strategic planning within the organization. She will join the board of the Cal Coast Cares Foundation, a nonprofit started by the credit union in 2015 that provides student scholarships and educator grants.
Rady Children’s Field officially opened
The San Diego Seals lacrosse team and the Ryan Family YMCA in Point Loma held a ribbon cutting marking the official opening of Rady Children’s Field on Feb. 22 at 4425 Valeta St. Rady Children’s Field is a collaboration between the Seals, Rady Children’s, and the YMCA to create a new practice field for the Seals and a new asset for the community. It is located adjacent to Bill Cleator Park, directly below the Ryan Family YMCA
Navy SEAL Museum San Diego to locate Downtown
The Navy SEAL Museum San Diego has signed a lease at 1001 Kettner Blvd. in Downtown San Diego to build a museum to honor the history and heritage of the U.S. Navy SEALs. This location was formerly utilized by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Scheduled to open in late 2024, the 10,000-square-foot NSMSD will be within walking distance of the San Diego bayfront and serve as the preview of a larger, world-class museum to be built in the coming years.
Council approves $1 million Marston House restoration project
The San Diego City Council recently approved the Marston House $1 million exterior restoration project. The funding, provided by the state, is part of a $68.5 million grant for 19 different projects citywide. The Marston House hasn’t undergone regular and necessary maintenance since the 1990s, with the 2017 roof replacement being the last major repair. Save Our Heritage Organisation, has requested with increasing urgency that its restoration be addressed.
New Children’s Museum premiers Octavia E. Butler exhibit
The New Children’s Museum of San Diego is premiering “Octavia E. Butler: Seeding Futures,” the first-ever exhibit for youth and multi-generational audiences focused on the life and work of American science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006). Visitors will explore a large-scale installation inspired by Butler’s childhood influences, experiences growing up in Southern California, and features murals by collaborating artist Mithsuca Berry.
SeaWorld San Diego to bring back Seven Seas Food Festival
SeaWorld San Diego’s popular Seven Seas Food Festival returns in 2024 with an array of all-new flavors for guests to sip and savor. The event runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, now through April 28. Guests will taste flavors from around the world while strolling between award-winning attractions and animal presentations. With over 100 food and drink options inspired by global cuisine, food enthusiasts and families will discover a gastronomic journey at food locations scattered throughout the park.
Bench International enters into alliance with Ashton Tweed
Bench International, a leading global executive search firm, announces a “first of its kind” strategic alliance with Ashton Tweed, the East Coast-based life sciences leader in interim talent placement and retained search. This strategic alliance is a unique symbiotic relationship that brings additional resources and service offerings to each company’s client base. Bench International is a woman-founded executive search firm with a 49-year history serving the Life Science and Healthcare sectors.
Valley Farm Market and The Cottage coming to Del Mar Plaza
The Del Mar Plaza will be home to two new tenants in the coming year as Valley Farm Market and La Jolla-based brunch spot The Cottage prepare to move into the storefront space on Camino Del Mar. Both businesses plan to open on the ground floor of the plaza sometime in 2024: Valley Farm in the former storefront of Banana Republic and The Cottage in the former space of Chinese restaurant Del Mar Rendezvous.
San Diego, CA
Elite California city set for mass illegal street vendor expansion as judge issues stunning verdict
San Diego seems to have no solution to its illegal street vendor problem and it’s only getting worse in many areas including the popular Balboa Park and Gaslamp Quarter.
Local business leaders are frustrated following the January 2026 California appeals court ruling, which forced the city officials to entirely halt the crackdown on street vendors.
“It’s a disaster,” Denny Knox, executive director of the Ocean Beach Main Street Association, told the San Diego Union Tribune last week.
An increasing number of street vendors are exploiting the court’s ruling and many don’t even bother to get a permit.
Executive Director of Gaslamp Quarter Association, Michael Trimble, said that street vendors block the sidewalks, making it difficult for the businesses in the area to function.
“The lack of action has also led to an escalation of activity, including new vendors setting up tents and selling goods without permits, health approvals or accountability,” said Trimble, the Union-Tribune reports.
Organized groups of hot dog vendors have returned to the Gaslamp Quarter—bringing associated hazards like open fires, blocked walkways, and the dumping of grease into storm drains.
“It’s so much of a slap in the face to merchants that have done things the legal way, the right way,” said Ruth-Ann Thorn, owner of Native Star boutique and Exclusive Collections Gallery in the Gaslamp Quarter, reports inewsource.
Officers can no longer impound vending carts and law enforcement in Ballpark District is restricted, SDPD’s Ashley Nicholes said in a statement, according to the Union-Tribune.
“Recent court rulings involving the city’s street vending ordinance have limited what police officers can do to enforce street vending laws,” Nicholes said.
San Diego’s tug-of-war with street vendors started in 2018 when the state law decriminalized aspects of street vending. The task to draft a vendor law fell into the laps of then-Mayor Kevin Faulconer in 2019, then passed on to Mayor Todd Gloria in 2021 and then Councilmember Jennifer Campbell.
The law, approved by the City Council in May 2022, banned vendors in Balboa Park, Little Italy, Ocean Beach and some beach areas during summer months. But, the merchants kept complaining about the lack of law enforcement and that led to the revision of the law in 2024.
The revised law made it easier for officials to impound vendors’ carts, limited free-speech protections, which didn’t include yoga classes on the beach and selling food.
After an immediate backlash, a federal appeals court ruling in June 2025 said the city’s ban on beach yoga classes is unconstitutional as they are protected under the First Amendment.
A California appeals court in the case of Imhotep Mustaqeem earlier this year ruled that San Diego’s revised 2024 street vendor law violated state law by establishing “overly restrictive” geographic no-vendor zones and restricted operating hours.
Imhotep Mustaqeem, a licensed vendor who had sold snacks outside Petco Park since 2009, sued the city after police impounded his cart under San Diego’s revised 2024 ordinance. While a lower court initially ruled against him, the Fourth District Court of Appeal ultimately vindicated Mustaqeem and quashed the 2024 street vendor law.
A California yoga instructor known as “Namasteve” is leveling up his warrior pose as he battles San Diego’s efforts to end his popular beachfront classes.
Steven Hubbard recently filed his third lawsuit over a 2024 city ordinance that prohibits teaching yoga to four or more people at local beaches and parks.
Hubbard, who’s been teaching yoga by the Pacific Ocean shoreline for 17 years, contends the local law violates his right to free speech because he doesn’t charge his students and instead accepts voluntary donations.
“It does set a dangerous precedent for government to be passing bans on specific types of speech that, for whatever reason, it doesn’t like,” Hubbard’s lawyer, Bryan Pease, told The Independent. “We don’t know why they decided yoga is something they want to target. They’ve never explained it, but it is concerning from a First Amendment perspective.”
Neither the San Diego mayor’s office nor the city attorney’s office replied to inquiries from The Independent.
The yoga ban is buried in a subsection of the San Diego Municipal Code that defines the “services” that are regulated at beaches and parks.
“Examples include massage, yoga, dog training, fitness classes, equipment rental, and staging for picnics, bonfires or other activities,” it says, marking the only time yoga is mentioned.
At the time the ordinance was introduced, Pease said, it was “put on the city council agenda as a sidewalk vending ordinance.”
“There was no public notice that they would be targeting the free and donation-based teaching of yoga in parks and beaches,” the lawyer said. “ I don’t even know that the city council members themselves knew what they were voting on.”
Videos posted on Hubbard’s “Namasteve Yoga” page on YouTube show scores of students following his instructions as they face the water in the Southern California sunshine.
San Diego park rangers issued Hubbard a total of 10 citations under the 2024 law, Pease said.
Some were for leading classes from his backyard while livestreaming on YouTube as students apparently watched on their devices by the beach, Pease said.
After Hubbard first challenged the 2024 ordinance in federal court, the judge overseeing the case denied a motion to block its enforcement, saying the First Amendment didn’t protect the teaching of yoga.
But that decision was reversed last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which ruled that Hubbard and fellow yoga teacher Amy Baack were “likely to succeed” in challenging the legality of San Diego’s public yoga ban.
“Teaching yoga is protected speech. The City’s prohibition on teaching yoga in shoreline parks is content-based and fails strict scrutiny,” according to the unanimous decision written by U.S. Circuit Judge Holly Thomas.
Hubbard has also filed two lawsuits in state court, with the most recent on June 22. It was first reported by the Times of San Diego.
It seeks unspecified damages for three tickets he received in May 2025, all of which charged him with giving a lecture without a permit.
The accusation came despite a ruling in the federal case that said requiring a permit to give a lecture “substantially overburdens” the right to free speech, according to Hubbard’s lawsuit.
All the citations issued against Hubbard were dismissed in April when the city attorney’s office didn’t appear in court to prosecute, Pease said.
Meanwhile, city lawyers have issued a series of subpoenas that seek “detailed GPS tracking information, all social media posts from all time and complete financial records for all financial transactions” involving Hubbard and Baack, Pease said.
Pease characterized the move as “pure harassment,” saying it seemed “calculated to have a chilling effect on people’s participation if they think their personal information is going to be obtained through these channels.”
“All that the city attorney has said to me about it is that it’s to prove that this is commercial activity, and they’re going to hire a financial expert to go through all these records,” he said.
A hearing on a motion to quash the subpoenas is scheduled for July 17 in state court, and pretrial discovery in the federal case is pending, with a deadline of August 28.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) — The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County dropped for the 44th time in 45 days today, falling eight-tenths of a cent to $5.42, its lowest amount since March 12. The average price has fallen 74.9 cents over the past 45 days, including eight-tenths of a cent Saturday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 9.8 cents less than one week ago and 53.2 cents less than one month ago, but 80 cents more than one year ago. The national average price dropped for the 43rd time in 45 days, falling six-tenths of a cent to $3.804, its lowest amount since March 17.
It has decreased 76 cents over the past 45 days, including 1.3 cents Saturday. The national average price is 6.3 cents less than one week ago and 41.6 cents less than one month ago, but 65.6 cents more than one year ago. “Crude oil prices have fallen to their lowest levels in months, dropping to the $60 a barrel range,” the AAA said Thursday. “Overall, gas prices remain the highest they’ve been in 4 years, but the downward trend since late May is welcome news during the busy summer driving season.”
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
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