San Diego, CA
Japan’s Yuka Nishina wins at Junior Worlds; future Falcons deliver in 13-14 age group
A month ahead of the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships, Japan’s Yuka Nishina played in Hawaii and earned a qualifying spot for the upcoming the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur.
It turns out that Nishina was just getting warmed up.
Nishina prevailed by one shot with a 9-under-par 210 over three rounds, winning the girls age 13-14 Junior World title at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo on Thursday.
After sharing a one-shot lead to start the day, Nishina held forth with an even-par 71, coming off rounds of 70 and 69, respectively.
“I’m very excited (about the victory),” Nishina said through a translator. “Compared to the first and second days, my shots weren’t that great, but my par putts went in, so I’m really happy about that.”
Next up is the U.S. Junior Am, which starts Monday in Tarzana.
“It’s busy, but being able to play abroad is a good experience,” Nishina said. “I’m enjoying it, and I hope it ties into my future career.”
Fellow second-round co-leader Kwanachanok Boonchan of Thailand finished third (213) with a 72. Second place went to Chinese Taipei’s Ping-Hua Hsieh (211), who matched the day’s lowest score (69).
Nine of the last 10 winners in this age group have been from Asia. Two of the last three are from Japan.
Carmel Valley’s Sydney Kroc debuted in the 13-14 division, finishing tied for 38th (228), while making her seventh straight appearance in the tourney overall.
“It’s a goal to come here every year,” Kroc said. “It’s just the competition since people are flying all over the world to be here.”
Along with improved driving distance over the years, Kroc has noticed how her mental game has matured.
“Before each shot now, I take a breadth and calm my nerves,” said Kroc, whose second-round 71 highlighted her tourney. “Then I try to put my best swing on it.”
Making her second Junior World appearance was fellow Carmel Valley resident Lillian Phee, who tied for 17th (221) with a closing 75, also up from the 11-12 bracket.
“I’ve really improved from last year,” said Phee, whose family recently joined the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo. “Especially my approach shots. Last year, I couldn’t stop them and they just kept rolling. This year, it was the opposite.”
Kroc and Phee will both be freshmen next fall at Torrey Pines High School. The Falcons’ girls team placed second in the state last year.
In the boys 11-12 bracket at La Valle, Temecula’s Alan Yoda placed third (12-under 201), two shots off India’s Danish Verma (199). Yoda entered the day one shot back in a second-place tie behind Verma, who fired 65’s over each of the last two days.
Chula Vista’s Connor Szczechowicz slipped to a tie for 10th place (3-over 216) in the boys 13-14 division after entering the day in a deadlock for second, two shots back, at El Camino. He finished 11 shots behind Kartik Singh, of India, whose closing 66 brought a one-shot triumph.
In both the boys and girls 15-18 divisions at Torrey Pines, fog affected the schedule for a second day.
About half of each field needed to complete the second round, which was postponed Wednesday. Then fog delayed the shotgun start for about an hour in the morning.
The third round followed with a cut that trimmed to the field to 60 players each.
San Diego’s Ethan Elleraas, who entered the day two shots back in a ninth-place tie, shot a 69 to climb to second in boys play (2-under 214) behind Altaloma’s Logan Kim at Torrey Pines South.
On the girls’ side at Torrey Pines North, the title went to Hong Kong’s Ariana Lau, one of two runners-up last year. She prevailed by one shot (11-under 20) with a closing 69 after sharing the second-round lead.
Japan’s Uno Neda finished with a 66 to place second. Taking third (207) was Meg Tilma, of Wichita, Kan., the other second-round co-leader.
A year ago, Tilma placed 67th (227), 17 shots off the lead. After sharing the first-round lead (69) with six others, San Diego’s Apple (Jingyi) Cui fell out of contention with a 75 as part of the second-round groupings that were delayed a day.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 33-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 325 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two 6-year-old girls, in addition to a slew of other felony sex abuse charges, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Christopher T. Gardner was convicted of 15 felony sex abuse charges, which included molesting the two girls, who were relatives of his, over a five-year period.
The abuse reportedly first came to light when one of the victims told a friend in confidence during a sleepover that she had been touched inappropriately. The friend then told her mother, who contacted law enforcement.
After Gardner was arrested, a third victim came forward, who was also a relative. Now a young adult, the victim said that when she was 7-8 years old, Gardner sexually assaulted her.
During the nine-day trial, the first two victims reportedly testified to multiple vulgar acts of sexual abuse by Gardner.
“Predators who rob children of their innocence and inflict lifelong trauma do not belong in our communities,” DA Summer Stephan said. “This sentence sends an unmistakable message to abusers: you will be held accountable. I am deeply grateful to our specialized sexual abuse prosecution team for their dedication in bringing a measure of justice to the survivors.”
Thursday, July 9
• La Jolla Town Council: 6 p.m., La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollatowncouncil.org
Friday, July 10
• La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club: 6:45 a.m., UC San Diego Faculty Club, 270 Muir Lane. lajollagtrotary.org
• Kiwanis Club of La Jolla: noon, La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. kiwanisclublajolla.org
Sunday, July 12
• La Jolla Open Aire Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Girard Avenue at Genter Street. (858) 454-1699. lajollamarket.com
Monday, July 13
• La Jolla Library Book Club: 1:30 p.m., Community Room, La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave. The July book is “Fresh Water for Flowers” by Valérie Perrin. sandiego.events.mylibrary.digital/event?id=316631
• La Jolla Planned District Ordinance Committee: (pending items to review), 4 p.m., La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. Email info@lajollacpa.org.
• Laughmasters Toastmasters: 6:30 p.m., online. Email jrmmt@cox.net.
Tuesday, July 14
• San Diego Blood Bank blood drive: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Hensel Phelps Construction Co., 9404 Genesee Ave. Donors must be 17 or older, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in good health. Photo identification is required. (619) 400-8251. sandiegobloodbank.org
• Rotary Club of La Jolla: noon, La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect St. rotarycluboflajolla.org
• Co-op Toastmasters Club: noon, online at bit.ly/46W13bx (meeting ID: 849 4320 0407, passcode: cccu2020). (669) 900-6833. toastmasters.org/find-a-club/00001125-coop-club
• La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee: (pending items to review), 4 p.m., online. Email info@lajollacpa.org.
Wednesday, July 15
• Torrey Pines (La Jolla) Rotary Club: noon, online. torreypinesrotary.org
• La Jolla Shores Association: 6 p.m., Martin Johnson House, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 8840 Biological Grade. lajollashoresassociation.org
Thursday, July 16
• La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club: 6:58 a.m., La Jolla Shores Hotel, 8110 Camino del Oro. Call Cheryl Collins at (760) 936-3272 or Steve Cross at (619) 992-9449.
• San Diego Blood Bank blood drive: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sanford Burnham Prebys (patio outside Buildings 6 and 7), 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road. Donors must be 17 or older, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in good health. Photo identification is required. (619) 400-8251. sandiegobloodbank.org
• La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee: (pending items to review), 4 p.m., online. Email info@lajollacpa.org.
Friday, July 17
• La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club: 6:45 a.m., UC San Diego Faculty Club, 270 Muir Lane. lajollagtrotary.org
Did we miss listing your community event? Email calendar information to Noah Lyons at noah.lyons@lajollalight.com by noon Thursday for publication in the following week’s edition. ♦
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.
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