Podcasts. Investigative news. Reporting about soccer, sewage, city hall and San Diego County.
These are some of the ways San Diegans will benefit from a $2 million investment in four local nonprofit news outlets and one California-wide outlet.
The newsrooms — inewsource, KPBS, NEWSWELL/Times of San Diego and Voice of San Diego — are each getting $300,000. CalMatters, which covers the state, is getting $800,000 to share data and resources with media partners in this region. The grants are split over two years.
The money comes from the Prebys Foundation, San Diego County’s largest independent private foundation, which recently announced investments in downtown real estate and arts education. The foundation also funds medical research, leadership development, and mental and physical health care access.
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Why journalism? Because it matters, and it is increasingly vulnerable, said Grant Oliphant, the foundation’s CEO.
“Journalism is important for absolutely everything we fund. You know, you can’t really understand what’s happening in America today if you’re not getting this information. You can’t understand what’s happening with cuts in medical research in San Diego if you’re not getting this information,” Oliphant said.
The foundation had identified nonprofit newsrooms as a good target for investment, given that traditional newsrooms have shrunk or consolidated. The current climate made the need even more clear, he said. The grant announcement comes at a time when attacks on journalists and independent news outlets have heightened, and as public funding for PBS and NPR are expected to face steep cuts under the Trump administration.
“If we don’t have good, independent news organizations, then there really is no one holding the government or the powerful to account, or playing the role of translating very complicated, difficult information for the rest of us to learn about and understand,” Oliphant said.
Local recipients
Instead of pouring more money into one outlet, the foundation decided it was more effective to spread it among the four local newsrooms.
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Scott Lewis, the editor and CEO of Voice of San Diego, founded in 2005 and an early innovator in nonprofit news space, said the money will help his outlet hire an investigative reporter to cover city hall, hire journalists to cover the arts and sports in a “conversational” way and to develop podcasts.
This investment shows that the foundation “realizes how important it is to make sure that journalists are able to continue to be able to tell stories about everything that’s happening, and reveal things that are sometimes uncomfortable, and explain how things work, so that people can be a part of the discussion about how we’re going to handle some of our biggest problems and challenges,” Lewis said.
Chris Jennewein, the editor and founder of Times of San Diego, which launched in 2014, said the money will help support expanded newsroom operations and fund coverage of key regional problems and topics readers are excited about, such as professional soccer. His newsroom recently added two full-time editors and five freelancers, and it has four paid interns every semester. Its content is free for readers and supported by a mix of advertisements and donations like this one, he added.
“With this extra funding we can double down on the in-depth reporting on major issues — accountability reporting. Things like the homeless issue, things like city government, what’s happening at the border, the sewage crisis. We’re going to be able to devote more coverage to all those things.”
Lorie Hearn, the editor and CEO of inewsource, which she founded in 2009, said the grant will help “amplify the importance of local news” at a time when public trust in the media has eroded.
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“Nonprofit news, like inewsource and our fellow grantees, provide a vital service to the public, especially in these times when many people can’t agree on a set of facts, let alone trust the media. We exist not for profits, but to serve the public,” she said.
“Many people these days have conditioned themselves into thinking news is free because it’s just there, on their phones. But if you have news sources that you regularly check because you can believe and rely on them, there are real journalists behind those posts that are working hard to gather and verify facts so you can believe what you read and are not misled. And those journalists deserve to be paid for that work.”
The foundation’s investment will be used to keep building inewsource’s Documenters program, which is “a unique program that trains — and pays — everyday people to report on what happens at hundreds of public meetings that aren’t covered by the media because of lack of resources. In its first year, we’ve trained more than 300 people.”
Oceanside Harbor Beach. (File photo courtesy of @CityofOceanside via X)
A man apparent drowned in the waters near the Oceanside Pier Saturday morning, despite efforts by lifeguards and paramedics to revive him.
The Oceanside Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division and the Oceanside Police Department responded to a report of a missing man at about 4:30 a.m.. Officials said the man was last seen swimming in the ocean about a half-hour earlier.
Lifeguards and police immediately initiated a coordinated search effort using pier vantage points, surveillance cameras and watercraft, but the search was suspended at approximately 5:30 a.m. after no one was found, fire officials said.
“At approximately 10:50 a.m., lifeguards discovered an unresponsive adult male, matching the earlier description, in the water near Lifeguard Tower 12, at Oceanside Harbor Beach,” Division Chief Blake Dorse said in a statement. “The individual was removed from the water, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately initiated.”
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Fire and rescue personnel continued efforts to resuscitate the man on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He is believed to be the one who was reported missing near the pier.
Authorities did not release the man’s name.
“The Oceanside Lifeguard Division reminds the public to exercise caution when entering the ocean, especially during early morning hours or when lifeguards are not actively monitoring the water,” Dorse said. “Always swim near an open lifeguard tower and avoid entering the water alone.”
A decade of unforgettable meals calls for a proper celebration. This April, Herb & Wood marks its 10-year anniversary, honoring ten years of shaping San Diego’s culinary identity from its stylish home in Little Italy.
Since opening in 2016, the restaurant has played a defining role in modern San Diego dining, ushering in a more ingredient-driven, chef-forward era while setting the standard for design, hospitality, and overall experience.
A Month of Throwback Favorites and Celebratory Surprises
To commemorate the milestone, Herb & Wood is celebrating all month long by bringing back a selection of OG favorites alongside the signature dishes that have remained staples over the years.
Order from the anniversary lineup and receive a scratcher ticket for a chance to win prizes like a whole Jamón Ibérico ham leg, a custom Johnny Lane painting, and a coveted “lifetime” branzino card. It’s a fun and fitting way to toast one of San Diego’s most influential restaurants.
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A Collaborative Anniversary Dinner
The celebration concludes with a special four-course anniversary dinner featuring standout chefs from the Puffer Malarkey Collective. Brian Malarkey, Aidan Owens, Tara Monsod, and Kylie Cablayan will come together for an unforgettable evening that highlights their creativity and culinary artistry.
The celebratory menu includes:
Course One
Parker House Rolls with honey herb butter
Oyster & Beef Tartare with smoked oyster mayo, caramelized onion, and beef fat snow
Course Two
Lechon Kawali with grilled strawberries, pickled mustard seeds, pickled Tokyo negi, mustard frill, and strawberry sarsa
Course Three
Woodfired Tenderloin & Charred Prawns with garlic and chili, fennel oil, celery root, and whipped tallow butter
Course Four
Funfetti Cake with blueberry jam, lemon curd, and Swiss meringue buttercream
This one-night-only collaboration is a delicious tribute to Herb & Wood’s legacy and a memorable way to toast ten remarkable years in Little Italy.
A Defining Force in San Diego Dining
Over the past decade, Herb & Wood has become a cornerstone of Little Italy’s vibrant dining scene. Known for its warm ambiance and thoughtfully crafted menu, it continues to set the tone for modern dining in San Diego.
Whether revisiting longtime favorites or discovering something new, this anniversary celebration is the perfect excuse to gather around the table and raise a glass to ten remarkable years.
See you there!
We’ll be celebrating in Little Italy with throwback bites, celebratory pours, and plenty of toasts to ten iconic years at Herb & Wood.
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📆 April 3 – 29, 2026 | Culmination celebration April 30 📍 2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego 🎟️ Book your table here ℹ️ Click here for updates
The San Diego Wave and their fans deserved every second of the festive Friday morning that played out at Snapdragon Stadium.
Wave personnel and fans erupted in cheers as Catarina Macario, a star striker with San Diego roots who agreed to a record-setting contract, displayed a Wave No. 20 jersey at an introductory news conference.
Macario, 26, has taken injury detours, but stands indisputably as one of the world’s better goal-scorers among women.
The Torrey Pines High School and San Diego Surf alum’s local pedigree may also boost the fifth-year Wave, who through no fault of the club’s current leaders, lost considerable star power in recent years, contributing to an attendance decline.
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At a reported $8 million, the five-year deal is reportedly the most for a women’s soccer player.
Macario, smiling often, labeled her new reality “unreal,” while seated next to Wave sporting director Camille Ashton.
She was 12 when family members, seeking better opportunities, brought her from Brazil to live in San Diego after first visiting Dallas.
“I never would have imagined, I guess, that 12-year-old Cat, not knowing how to speak English, being super scared, would one day come back and get to represent her hometown team,” Macario said. “It’s very special. It’s something I’m very proud of. It will just mean that much more, once I step on the field.”
Catarina Macario, right, holds up her jersey with Camille Ashton, Sporting Director and General Manager, at a news conference held to announce
her signing with the San Diego Wave FC March 27, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. (Photo by Denis Poroy)
Ashton called it “a monumental signing.”
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Ashton, formerly Camille Levin, won a national championship with Stanford as a player. She said Macario, who came to Stanford after Ashton turned pro, fits well into the possession-driven, uptempo style the Wave have developed in a season-plus under coach Jonas Eidevall.
“Cat is a world-class player of exceptional quality, intelligence and character,” Ashton said. “Her technical ability, vision and goal-scoring instinct make her one of the most exciting talents in the game today. Just as importantly, she brings a professionalism and competitive drive that will both complement and elevate the high standards already established within our squad.”
Turmoil marked the 2024 season, the franchise’s final one under team president Jill Ellis and coach Casey Stoney.
Ellis fired Stoney, the franchise’s coach since its inception, before midseason. The team’s offense was tedious, leading to a ninth-place finish and the franchise missing the playoff cut for the first time. Ellis, amid reports of a harsh work environment, moved on.
In the first full year under Ashton and Eidevall, the Wave’s offense improved and the team made the playoffs, but was bounced in one game.
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Macario will give the Wave a better chance to rebound at the gate and on the pitch from the exodus of popular stars Alex Morgan (retirement in 2024), midfielder Jaedyn Shaw (traded at her request in January 2025) and defender Naomi Girma (who was transferred to Chelsea later that month for $1.1 million).
The Macario signing comes 16 months after Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine, founders of a private equity firm in Los Angeles, completed a $120-million purchase of the Wave.
The record contract “just shows how serious they are about me, and getting the club to succeed even more,” Macario said.
NWSL leaders facilitated the deal as well. Ashton said the league’s adoption four months ago of the High Impact Player Rule, allowing an exception to the salary cap, “came at an incredibly good time.”
Macario said she knows several Wave players and played with versatile fullback Perle Morroni on France’s top club team, Lyon.
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Given that Macario has scored goals at an extraordinary pace throughout her career — with the Surf, Torrey Pines, Stanford, Lyon and Chelsea — there’s only one major concern about how her Wave career will play out:
Health.
A left ACL injury suffered in the final game of her season with Lyon four years ago cost her a full season.
An irritation in her right knee cost her a spot on the U.S. team that won gold at the 2024 Olympics in France.
She was sidelined in recent months at Chelsea, creating uncertainty about her Wave debut.
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“We’re confident her best years are ahead,” Ashton said.
Macario offered no details Friday about when she’ll be ready to play for the Wave, who’ll face Chicago in a home game today.
Smiling, she suggested being in San Diego will improve her health.
“Maybe the skies were a little too gray for me,” she quipped about health setbacks in England and France. “The sunshine will help me heal a little bit quicker.”
For a franchise that was enveloped by clouds in 2024, the forecast grew much brighter Friday.
