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Meet Estella, the Chula Vista girl in Disney new Christmas special

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Meet Estella, the Chula Vista girl in Disney new Christmas special


Estella Madrigal spends most days attending fourth grade with her fellow students at Eastlake Elementary in Chula Vista.

However, this Friday, millions of strangers can listen to her when the animated “An Almost Christmas Story” begins streaming on Disney+.

And that’s not even the 9-year-old’s biggest achievement.

Estella Madrigal is the voice of “Luna,” a lost girl who befriends a lost and injured owl in New York City at Christmas-time.

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“I almost cried when I got the part,” beamed Estella Madrigal before school started Wednesday.

Her classmates didn’t believe her at first.

“But then I showed them the trailer and now they believe me.”

Producers for the animated short wanted “Luna’s” voice to come from someone with a similar background.

“It definitely felt like I had a connection with my character,” Estella Madrigal explained.

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“It was written for her,” said her mother, Karen Madrigal. “[The producers] were literally looking for a Latina girl that had an amputation.”

Doctors found a tumor in Estella’s right leg a few years ago. The young girl chose to have her right leg amputated instead of risk the cancer returning. The almost 10-year-old is now cancer-free.

“I always wanted to meet somebody my age who also had an amputation,” Estella Madrigal said. “So, I finally got to meet her.”

Estella Madrigal’s character “Luna” has a prosthetic leg. Her owl companion has a hurt wing.

Karen Madrigal said her daughter has been on an amazing journey.

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“Just the fact that we were able to do that and not be at Rady [Children’s Hospital], not be locked in a hospital, it’s a blessing,” she smiled. “I just hope that story inspires others.”

It seemed to be something Estella Madrigal is good at doing.

“When you’re going through something different, you can obviously beat it,” she said before beginning another day of fourth grade.



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San Diego, CA

Person killed in multi-vehicle crash involving big rig in San Diego

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Person killed in multi-vehicle crash involving big rig in San Diego


A person was killed Sunday morning in a multi-vehicle crash involving a big rig on State Route 805 in San Diego, authorities said.

The crash occurred about 2:50 a.m. on the northbound route, south of University Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A SigAlert was issued at 3:37 a.m. shutting down the transition road connecting the northbound route to northbound State Route 15.

There was no other immediate information.

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Traffic collision prompts lane closures on northbound I-805 in San Diego

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Traffic collision prompts lane closures on northbound I-805 in San Diego


SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A traffic collision has prompted lane closures on northbound Interstate 805 in the area north of Interstate 15, according to Caltrans. The incident area is in-between the North Park and Corridor neighborhoods.

  • The FOX 5/KUSI video above provides driving safety tips

The collision was first reported in a Sig Alert released by California Highway Patrol around 3:45 a.m. A hard closure was put in place roughly an hour later, closing all northbound lanes.

In an update around 8:30 a.m., CHP officials confirmed to FOX 5/KUSI that the two leftmost lanes remained closed, while the right lanes reopened to traffic.

In another update shortly after 10 a.m., Caltrans announced all lanes have since reopened.

It’s unknown at this time how many vehicles were involved and if there were any injuries connected to the incident.

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FOX 5/KUSI is working to gather more information. Check back for updates.



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Thomas H. Chapman – San Diego Union-Tribune

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Thomas H. Chapman – San Diego Union-Tribune



Thomas H. Chapman


OBITUARY

Tom Chapman was born in San Diego, California, the son of Thomas R. Chapman and Maja Amalia (Huss) Chapman. He grew up in La Mesa and graduated from Grossmont High School.

Tom served in the Navy during the Korean Conflict and was stationed on Guam for two years. He graduated in 1958 from San Diego State University, with a degree in Civil Engineering. While at San Diego State, he met his future wife, Rubie Eileen Blevins. They were married in La Mesa in 1950, beginning a marriage of 73 years, during which they lived primarily in San Diego County including La Mesa, Coronado Cays, and Downtown San Diego. They had two children, Thomas Joseph (deceased) and Nancy Eileen (Bedell), plus five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Tom and Rubie enjoyed travelling, especially to Sweden to visit Tom’s mother’s relatives.

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After graduating from college, Tom worked as a Civil Engineer in the San Diego area for over 50 years, serving as the founder and president of Testing Engineers – San Diego among other roles.

Throughout his life, Tom had a great love affair with the outdoors. was an avid runner who completed three New York City Marathons as well as many other races. He loved saltwater fishing and sailing. He also enjoyed duck hunting. For many years, Tom and Rubie owned a second home at Lake Cuyamaca where Tom was a longtime member of the Board of Directors that governs the operation of the lake.

Tom passed away on October 20, 2025 in San Diego. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rubie, his son Thomas J. Chapman, and his sister Barbara. He is survived by his daughter, Nancy (Bedell), daughter-in-law Toni Chapman, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a great many friends, all of whom will miss him dearly.

A memorial service will be held at Miramar National Cemetery on Wednesday, December 17 at 11:00 AM. It is suggested that those attending arrive early.

In lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Chapman Family Fund through the San Diego Foundation. Donations can be made by check payable to the San Diego Foundation, notating Fund #7859 in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to: San Diego Foundation / Attn: Donations / 2508 Historic Decatur Rd. Ste 200 San Diego, CA 92106. Donations can also be made by debit/credit card by calling the San Diego Foundation at 619-814-1332.

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