Efforts by the Poway City Council to fill an open seat on Tuesday night led to a vote to appoint Christopher Pikus to the seat and several calls from residents for the resignation of Council member Tony Blain.
While a majority of the speakers at the meeting supported a special election for the open seat on District 1, the council voted 3-2 in favor of appointing Pikus, a master engineer at Broadcom and member of the Poway Budget Review Committee from 2022-24. Out of six candidates who applied for the position, five of them made presentations at the meeting.
Council member Peter De Hoff complimented Pikus on his resume, which he said included a law degree, engineering background, and understanding of the budget process.
“Everyone has different skill sets that they bring to the table,” De Hoff said before recommending Pikus to fill the vacancy. “District 1 needs someone who can onboard quickly and who understands water rates and budgets.”
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Pikus will serve until his term ends after the November 2026 general election.
New council members Jenny Maeda and Blain voted against the appointment.
Blain came under fire Tuesday over accusations of bribery and extortion over several emails he sent, which were included in the agenda. In one email to De Hoff, Blain threatened De Hoff with a recall effort if he did not vote in favor of a special election for the open seat.
In another, he said he would vote yes for De Hoff to become deputy mayor in exchange for De Hoff voting “yes” for a special election.
De Hoff, Mayor Steve Vaus and others said Blain’s emails appear to violate state law, which prohibits bribery to public officials in exchange for votes.
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“I cannot see this as anything other than vote trading and extortion by a public official,” De Hoff said. “This is unprecedented and unacceptable.”
Speaker Yuri Bohlen said the process of deciding between an appointment or special election was “overshadowed by the unethical behavior of Tony Blain.” Bohlen asked him to resign.
In an interview before the meeting, Blain said the accusations against him were “all politically motivated, false lies.”
“There’s nothing going on except for my attempt to be cooperative and work with City Council members,” Blain told The San Diego Union-Tribune.
He didn’t comment directly on the accusations during the meeting.
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Tony Blain, Poway City Councilmember
Vaus said before the meeting that “the appropriate steps have been taken” regarding Blain. “I have full confidence in our legal system and our (district attorney’s) office,” he said.
Later, De Hoff made a motion to discuss formally censuring Blain at the Feb. 4 City Council meeting, which was backed by other council members.
The open council seat has been a topic of controversy since Council member Brian Pepin, who represents District 1, announced in late November that he would be resigning to focus on his political and communications consulting company, 1892 LLC.
The council voted unanimously Dec. 3 to replace Pepin by appointment instead of holding a special election, with council members saying an appointment would be quicker and less expensive than an election.
The San Diego County Registrar of Voters estimated it would cost $225,000 to $300,000 for a standard special election, and $150,000 to $225,000 for an all-mail election, according to a staff report. At the earliest, an in-person and by-mail special election could be held on Nov. 4, and an all-mail election could be held on Aug. 26, according to the report.
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At several meetings, residents have demanded a special election, saying the council has made three appointments since 2015 and that the people should have a say.
On Tuesday, 11 residents spoke in favor of a special election and 22 written submissions supported the election.
Hiram Soto, who ran for council against Pepin in 2022, told the council that he believes the council majority wants the appointment to keep control of the council.
Melissa Morris said a special election would build public trust. Appointments are not the way democracy is defined, she said.
Morris also said that the large audience at the council meeting was evidence of the desire for public participation in government.
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She asked the council that if they appoint a new council member that it be a temporary appointment and a special election should also be held “so people can approve or disapprove of your choice.”
Anita Anders, a 20-year resident of Poway, however, favored a council appointment. Anders said a special election could be costly and District 1 needs immediate representation.
“Let’s choose one candidate who is qualified and let’s get on with the business of running a city,” Anders said.
The city started accepting applications from potential candidates to fill Pepin’s vacant seat on Dec. 4 and had received six by the Jan. 10 deadline.
The candidates were Pikus; Gregg Brandalise, owner and founder of Blindfold Studios, a Poway-based company that produces voice-over recordings; John Carson, a self-employed businessman who serves on the boards of a number of Poway organizations; Hannah Mondo, founder and owner of the creative communications business, Mondo Creative, and a former legislative aide; Peter James Neild, an employee of Mind Rhythm Inc. and founder, CEO and president of Heart Force Science Group; and Ronald Allan Romero, an author and editor. Romero was not at the meeting.
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When Pikus took his place at the dais after his appointment, he said he intends to listen to the constituents and follow in the footsteps of his role model, former Councilman Dave Grosch.
“It’s truly an honor to serve you,” Pikus told the audience. “I intend to put in effort to do justice to the position and serve the people of Poway.”
Pepin voted on the appointment after City Attorney Alan Fenstermacher denied a challenge from Soto and resident Chris Cruse, who argued that he shouldn’t participate because he and his family vacated their residence shortly after he submitted his resignation letter and rented it out on Jan. 15.
In other action, the council voted 3-2, with Blain and Maeda opposed, to name De Hoff as deputy mayor.
Near the end of the meeting, City Manager Chris Hazeltine told Blain that he has filed a complaint with the city’s Human Resources Department about his actions, which he said included “bullying, threatening, intimidating and retaliatory behavior.”
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When Blain’s turn to speak came up at the council comment portion of the meeting, he would only say that Fenstermacher had “contributed thousands of dollars” to Vaus’ campaign in the past. A visibly angry Fenstermacher said in response that he did nothing legally wrong by contributing $500 to Vaus’ campaign for the county Board of Supervisors in 2020.
He said Blain had threatened to fire him a number of times and had sent him multiple emails demanding his resignation even though Fenstermacher said he had done his job and answered his questions “in great detail.”
“You are a bully. You ‘ve been harassing me for months and I’ve tried to be professional,” Fenstermacher said. “This is enough.”
He said he had considered resigning.
“You are a walking liability that has consistently ignored my advice on numerous important issues and I take no responsibility for the legal trouble you will inevitably get this city into and have already gotten yourself into,” he said.
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Fenstermacher said he would no longer answer emails from Blain unless directed by a majority of the council.
San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Kristen Taketa contributed to this story
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.
“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.
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Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.
36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.
TRENDING
Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.
2026 OUTLOOK
Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
In today’s Daily Dirt, I mentioned that the search at San Diego was done. Here’s the official announcement from USD on the hiring of JR Blount as their next head men’s basketball coach:
University of San Diego Athletics has named JR Blount the 15th head coach in San Diego men’s basketball program history, USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey announced on Monday.
Blount arrives in San Diego with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaching talents after helping lead Iowa State to four NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons.
He joins the Toreros after five seasons on T.J. Otzelberger’s staff at Iowa State, where the Cyclones compiled a 95-45 record during his tenure, won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024 — one of the most successful stretches in program history. Iowa State finished in the AP Top 15 in each of those four seasons and climbed as high as No. 2 nationally in each of the last two years. During the 2025-26 season, the Cyclones opened with a 16-0 start, highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John’s.
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“After a thorough and highly competitive national search, we are proud to welcome JR Blount as the next head coach of USD men’s basketball,” said Massey. “JR is an outstanding leader, a relentless competitor and one of the brightest rising coaches in college basketball. Even more importantly, throughout this process I came to know him as a humble leader with strong integrity and deep family values. JR has been a part of winning at every level of his career and understands what it takes to build a program that competes with toughness, discipline and consistency. Just as importantly, he believes in developing young men holistically and leading in a way that reflects the values of this university.
“This is a pivotal moment for our program and JR’s vision aligns with our belief that San Diego men’s basketball should compete in the upper tier of the WCC and position itself to be a regular NCAA Tournament participant. We are excited about what lies ahead under his leadership.”
“As a product of Catholic education and deeply committed to USD’s mission and values, Coach Blount is an outstanding role model for the young men in our Torero basketball program,” said USD President James T. Harris III. “He brings an impressive resume with deep experience, a winning track record and — above all — a commitment to the overall wellbeing of our student-athletes.”
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead USD men’s basketball,” Blount said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for this opportunity. This is more than just a coaching position for me — it’s a chance to become part of a community and build something meaningful. My wife and our three daughters are excited to make this move together and we can’t wait to invest in this university and the relationships that make it special.
I come to USD with a deep desire to win — to compete relentlessly, to develop our young men to their fullest potential and to build a program our fans can be proud of. Winning championships is important, but so is building a culture of toughness, accountability and love. We’re going to work every day to represent USD the right way, on and off the court. I’m ready to get started.”
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Blount played a key role in Iowa State’s rise under Otzelberger, helping orchestrate one of the most significant program turnarounds in recent Division I history. In his first season with the Cyclones in 2021-22, Iowa State rebounded from a two-win campaign the year before to finish 22-13 and advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Cyclones quickly established a national reputation for defensive toughness, ranking among the nation’s best in scoring defense, defensive efficiency, steals and turnovers forced.
Over the next three seasons, Blount helped Iowa State sustain that momentum. In 2022-23, the Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament and recorded nine wins over AP Top 25 opponents, tied for the most in school history. In 2023-24, Iowa State won the Big 12 Championship, finished 29-8, posted an undefeated 18-0 record at Hilton Coliseum and advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, the 2024-25 Cyclones finished 25-10, climbed as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, earned another NCAA Tournament appearance and closed the season ranked No. 17 nationally.
Known for his work in player development, recruiting and culture-building, Blount has mentored multiple all-conference and All-America caliber players throughout his coaching career. At Iowa State, he developed some of the Big 12’s top performers while contributing to a program identity rooted in toughness, connectivity and competitive excellence.
Prior to Iowa State, Blount spent three seasons at Colorado State, where he helped elevate the Rams into one of the Mountain West’s top programs. During his tenure in Fort Collins, Colorado State signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history and posted consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 20-8 finish and a run to the NIT semifinals in 2020-21. He also played a leadership role in Colorado State’s Together Initiative, which promoted social justice and racial equality on campus.
Blount also previously served in coaching roles at Drake and Saint Leo and began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where the program won the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.
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A former three-year team captain and two-time team MVP at Loyola University Chicago, Blount later played professionally for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League during the 2010-11 season. He earned degrees in psychology and sociology from Loyola in 2009 and later received his master’s degree in education from UW-Stevens Point in 2012.
A native of Milwaukee, Blount and his wife, Ashley, have three daughters: Maya, Zuri and Gema.
