San Diego, CA

Morning Report: Chavez, the Business Candidate

Published

11 months ago

April 4, 2025

Morning Report: Chavez, the Business Candidate

In our final installment of Q&A’s with candidates in the special election for Board of Supervisors, our Jim Hinch speaks to Carolina Chavez, a Chula Vista City Councilmember.

Chavez was born in Tijuana in the early 1980s and grew up on both sides of the border. She started her career as a reporter, but then went on to work as an economic development liaison for several Baja California mayors.

Chavez has also served on the board of directors for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and emphasized her ability to bring businesses — and “good actors” — to the table in her interview with Hinch. Chavez also said she valued input from community members.

When asked why she was running for supervisor, Chavez said she understood San Diego’s binational identity better than any other candidate — and would work to center that worldview in her policymaking.

She also spoke on San Diego’s “super sanctuary” policy, homelessness, housing and the meaning of political parties in 2025.

Read the full Q&A here.

Federal Public Health Grant Cuts Hit San Diego County

San Diego County learned last week that the Trump administration will likely pull back $40 million in public health grant funding.

The three impacted grants support more than 90 county positions in County Public Health Services focused on disease prevention and lab duties. They also fund $8.4 million in county-contracted work on vaccines, wastewater testing, rapid response epidemiology testing and more. Some of the grant dollars have also backed a new county public health lab that’s set to open in May and a mobile public health lab.

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer assailed the cuts in a Thursday press release.

“We’re not talking about theoretical grants. We’re talking about the people who track outbreaks, test water after sewage spills, and sound the alarm when something’s wrong,” Lawson-Remer wrote in a statement. “This is how we protect lives.”

Lawson-Remer’s office said the county may now be “unable to equip or staff” the public health lab as planned. She also warned that vaccinations in homeless shelters, an updated county public health data system and the jobs of frontline disease investigators are also now at risk.

The supervisor said that the county is “currently assessing options to preserve core public health functions despite the sudden loss of federal funding.”

California is among the states that sued the Trump administration earlier this week to try to save some of the grant funds.

About the City’s Shuttered Motel Shelter

The Pacific Inn Hotel & Suites in downtown San Diego on March 20, 2025. / Ariana Drehsler for Voice of San Diego

Last week, our Lisa Halverstadt revealed that the city is on the hook for $77,000 in monthly rent through June for a now-former motel shelter downtown. The city opted to close the shelter for homeless seniors due to costly building issues which led us to wonder: Has the city tried getting out of rent payments since it’s no longer using the property?

Here’s all city spokesperson Matt Hoffman would say on the matter: “The city is actively working with the property owner on this transition.”

The city’s lease provides a process to forgo rent payments when all or part of the motel building needs major repairs, but Hoffman wouldn’t clarify if the city has tried to take advantage of it.

Hotel Investment Group CEO Darshan Patel, whose company portfolio includes the Little Italy motel and who signed the 2022 city lease, didn’t respond to questions from Voice this week.

A few readers noted that Patel’s company listed the Pacific Highway property as a redevelopment opportunity last July. Per the LoopNet posting, “preliminary plans call for a 24-story, 234-unit luxury apartment tower.”

In an email to Voice of San Diego last Friday, Patel acknowledged his company listed the property for sale with a year left on the city’s lease but noted that “redevelopment properties of this sort are in escrow for years before the transaction closes.”

At the time of the listing, Patel wrote, a possible city lease extension was still on the table, but the city decided against moving forward. As of last Friday, Patel wrote that he wasn’t aware of “what areas of the building the city is or is not utilizing” that might set the stage for reduced rent and defended the building he’s been renting to the city.

“It is an older building so maintenance issues are to be expected; however, we do not believe there to be any issues with this building that are greater than those of similar size and age,” Patel said.

In Other News

The Morning Report was written by Will Huntsberry and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.

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San Diego, CA

Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records

Published

7 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records

San Diego County is known for having wet, cold weather in February. But it had numerous hot spells this year. And when the month ended on Saturday a high pressure system produced heat that broke or tied temperature records in nine communities from the desert to the sea, the National Weather Service said.

The most notable temperature occurred in Borrego Springs, which reached 99, five degrees higher than the previous record for Feb. 28, set in 1986. The 99 reading is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Borrego in February.

Escondido reached 95, tying a record set in 1901.

El Cajon reached 92, three degrees higher than the record set in 2009.

Ramona topped out at 88, five degrees higher than the record set in 2009.

Alpine hit 88, four degrees higher the record set in 1986.

Campo reached 87, four degrees higher than the record set in 1999.

Vista hit 86, four degrees higher than the record set in 2020.

Chula Vista reached 84, one degree higher than the record set in 2020.

Lake Cuyamaca rose to 76, four degrees higher than the record set in 1986.

Forecasters say the weather is not likely to broadly produce new highs on Sunday. Cooler air is moving to the coast, and on Monday, San Diego’s high will only reach 67, a degree above normal.

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San Diego, CA

Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title

OCEANSIDE — The Frontwave Arena scoreboard showed 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Up 16, Francis Parker’s win over Westview High School for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division girls basketball championship was secure.

“No, no, no!” Parker head coach Courtney Clements screamed to freshman guard Jordan Brown, telling her there was no need to score.

So Brown walked the ball up the floor, from the backcourt, across midcourt, a 1,000-watt smile etched across her face.

With no Wolverines defending her, Brown dribbled from side to side across the logo. Then, a fraction of a moment before the final buzzer sounded, Brown flung the basketball high toward the rafters, then was engulfed by teammates.

The job was complete. Parker’s first Open Division title in program history was secure, the final reading 66-50 on Saturday night.

Of those final seconds, said Brown, who scored 23 points. “It was a surreal moment, knowing we worked for this all year long. It’s amazing.”

One reason it was amazing was because the top-seeded Lancers (21-7) were a decided favorite, but were stressed by the sixth-seeded Wolverines (20-9). Led by UC Santa Barbara-bound senior guard Sarah Heyn (18 points in the first half), Westview led 35-28 early in the third quarter.

“I just knew I had to do whatever it took to win,” said Brown. “Whether that was defense or offense. I just wanted to win, period.”

Sparked by its defense, Parker closed the quarter on a 14-0 run. Westview’s final 11 possessions of the quarter ended with five missed shots and six turnovers.

Still, the game wasn’t over. Heyn cut the deficit to 48-44 with just over six minutes to play on a bucket. But with 5:47 to play, Heyn was whistled for her fifth foul on a reach-in.

“Knowing their best player fouled out, we sealed the win,” said Brown.

As for Heyn, who finished with 23 points, she sat on the bench and pulled her jersey over her eyes, hiding tears.

Clements’ thoughts when Heyn fouled out? “I hope we can put this game away now.”

Francis Parker High’s Jordan Brown shoots against Westview High during the CIF Open Division championship at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Francis Parker defeated Westview 66-50. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

That the Lancers did, outscoring Westview 18-6 down the stretch.

The Lancers’ players and coach were effusive in their praise for Heyn, a four-year starter.

“She’s a great player,” said Brown.

“She played phenomenally,” said Clements. “She played the way you would think a senior would play in a championship game. She played desperately. She played every possession like it was the last 20 seconds of the game. She was extremely impressive. (Heyn buried five 3s, missing only once from deep.) She should be proud of herself.”

Clements was proud of her team for another reason. After blowing out two-time reigning Open Division champion Mission Hills by 26 in the semis, some thought Parker might cruise in the title game.

“I figured it was going to be a fight, and it was,” said Clements. “It was good that our girls had to come together, had to stick together. That’s what this is all about, developing character via the sport of basketball. When the kids face adversity, they have to make a decision. Who do they want to be? They showed the best version of themselves. That’s what I want to remember from a game like this.”

Francis Parker’s primary color is brown, which is fitting for the girls basketball team. They are led not only by the freshman Jordan Brown, but also junior Brieana Brown, a strong, aggressive and athletic 5-foot-11 wing.

Brieana Brown scored 25 points and yanked down a team-best eight rebounds.

About the team in brown being led by the Browns (who are not related), Jordan Brown said: “It’s super cool. I love Bri and our story. So many people think we’re related, that we’re siblings. In reality, we’re not, but we play like it.”

Francis Parker High's Brieana Brown shoots against Westview during the CIF Open Division championship at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Francis Parker defeated Westview 66-50. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune) — Francis Parker High’s Brieana Brown shoots against Westview during the CIF Open Division championship at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Francis Parker defeated Westview 66-50. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Francis Parker and Westview both will advance to the Southern California Regionals.

Earlier in the season, Clements — who was dressed in all black for the championship game — confessed she wasn’t crazy about Parker’s primary color. Her mood shifted Saturday night.

“Brown’s doing well for me now,” she said.

Asked if Lancers’ Brown squared tandem represents the best one-two girls basketball punch in the San Diego Section, Clements gave the questioner a “What do you think?” smirk.

“That,” said the coach of the Open Division champions, “is a no-brainer.”

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