San Diego, CA
Coast Guard Leaders in Sector San Diego Sidelined Amid Claims of Toxic Work Environment
The Coast Guard temporarily relieved the commander and top senior enlisted leader at Coast Guard Sector San Diego as it investigates allegations of a toxic work environment in the unit.
The service announced Friday that Capt. James Spitler and Command Master Chief Michael Dioquino have been temporarily reassigned for “loss of confidence” in their leadership.
Lt. SondraKay Kneen, the district’s public affairs officer, said Monday the service had received reports of unfair treatment by Spitler from personnel at the unit and of “actions against staff” that were “unfair and inappropriate” and “interfered with work performance or created an unwelcome work environment.”
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Dioquino is not being investigated, but he was relieved due to loss of confidence in his ability to fulfill his responsibilities as the command’s senior enlisted leader, she said.
According to Kneen, if the reports are substantiated, the command could request a permanent relief for cause from the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center, which has final say in the matter.
The reliefs are the fifth and sixth of high-profile Coast Guard leaders since April. In June, Cmdr. David Ruhlig, Coast Guard Station New York’s commanding officer, was relieved for “loss of confidence” after leading the unit for three years.
In April, Navy Capt. Daniel Mode, chaplain of the Coast Guard, was relieved for failing to take action when he became aware of sexual misconduct by another chaplain that had taken place before the other chaplain joined the Navy and served in the Coast Guard.
In May, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Timothy Beard was relieved for inappropriate conduct.
And in late May, Navy Cmdr. Cristiano DeSousa, a Presbyterian chaplain, was relieved as chaplain of the 7th District for what a Coast Guard official described as “poor judgment and performance constituting a breach of trust with the workforce.”
“The Coast Guard cannot accomplish our missions without the respect and trust of each member,” said District 11 Commander Rear Adm. Joseph Buzzella in a statement Friday. “A safe and professional environment for each member is crucial to the success of our service, and we will not tolerate behavior that goes against our core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty.”
Spitler is a 1997 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy who served as an operations officer aboard a seagoing buoy tender before attending Navy Flight School and becoming an HU-25 Falcon pilot. He has served in subsequent roles of responsibility, including command of Air Station Houston, Texas, and chief of the domestic operations division at U.S. Northern Command.
He assumed command of Sector San Diego in 2022.
Dioquino enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1995, becoming a machinery technician and serving on multiple cutters and at various duty stations while advancing through the ranks. He served as a recruiter in Tacoma, Washington, was the recruiter-in-charge in San Francisco, and later worked as a regional supervisor at Coast Guard Recruiting Command in Washington, D.C.
Both men have temporarily been assigned to a program office at Coast Guard Headquarters pending the outcome of their cases, according to Kneen.
Coast Guard Sector San Diego spans more than 165,000 square miles, including 120 miles of the Pacific coast, the maritime border between California and Mexico, and 750 miles of the Colorado River.
The unit also is responsible for Coast Guard oversight of the Port of San Diego.
Kneen said the unit remains fully operational and the leadership changes will have no impact on its abilities to serve the public. Capt. Patrick Dill, chief of incident management for District 11, has temporarily assumed command of Sector San Diego, she added.
Investment Payoff: Coast Guard Meets Recruiting Goals for First Time in 6 Years
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Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.
After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.
“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”
Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.
“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.
The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.
In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.
Stewart said the effort is making an impact.
“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.
The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.
Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A man suspected of a fatal shooting in Barrio Logan was arrested Tuesday.
Benito Garcia Jr., 31, was arrested in the 3600 block of Grand Avenue in San Marcos at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly gunning down 64-year-old Raul Torres near the east end of the Coronado Bridge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Patrol officers responding to an anonymous report of a shooting found the mortally wounded victim on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of National Avenue, near Chicano Park, shortly after 10 p.m. last Tuesday. Torres died at the scene, SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the slaying.
Garcia was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of first- degree murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
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