San Diego, CA

Morning Report: Connections Emerge Between Chula Vista Superintendent and Builder

Published

1 year ago

April 3, 2025

Morning Report: Connections Emerge Between Chula Vista Superintendent and Builder

New documents show that the superintendent of Chula Vista Elementary School District and a company he pushed as a prospective district contractor have been connected since at least 2018.

Al Renteria, the operator of Dr. Build, donated $100 to Superintendent Eduardo Reyes’ campaign for school board in 2018.

Reyes, allegedly pressured a district employee multiple times to award a contract to Renteria, as our Will Huntsberry revealed earlier this week. The district employee who made the allegation is also under investigation for allegedly having an unusually close relationship with a separate company.

A district spokesperson has repeatedly not answered questions about how long Reyes and Renteria have known each other. The spokesperson previously said they have no personal relationship.

“The idea that Dr. Reyes would be influenced by a publicly disclosed $100 contribution is preposterous,” the spokesperson wrote.

Read the full story here.

Two D1 Candidates Push for Delayed County Budget Vote

San Diego County Administration Building / File photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran

A quiet campaign to delay the county’s annual budget vote got a lot louder on Wednesday but also didn’t seem to get any more likely to succeed – at least directly.

Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez, who are both vying for the open District 1 supervisor’s seat, argued that county supervisors shouldn’t approve a budget until the South Bay seat is filled.

One big complication: A now politically divided County Board of Supervisors would need to vote to agree to formally shift a budget timeline now scheduled to end with a vote by the end of June – and Supervisors Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer told Voice of San Diego they don’t want to do that.

But also: District 1 candidates may get their wish anyway. While Lawson-Remer doesn’t want to change the county’s budget timeline, she also doesn’t expect the political divided board to pass a budget by the end of June. She predicts the winner of the District 1 race, widely expected to be decided in a July 1 runoff, will be the deciding vote on the county’s budget.

Read the full story.

The Learning Curve: What Trump’s Cuts Mean for One University

University of California San Diego in La Jolla on Feb. 14, 2023. / Photo by Ariana Drehsler

UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla is calling attention to how funding cuts proposed by the Trump administration could impact the university.

In the email sent to staff on Tuesday, Khosla wrote university officials had received notices of the disruption of funding sources to around 50 UCSD researchers. The university has also seen a “concerning rise,” in delayed payments for projects not paused or cut.

The actions pose a “significant financial risk to the university,” Khosla wrote. Still, they were “unable to predict exactly what the losses will be,” he continued.

The university leader also laid out a series of actions the school is taking to deal with the shortfall, Jakob McWhinney writes in the latest Learning Curve.

Read more here.

Save the Date: Politifest 2025

That’s right, Politifest is back, baby!

Mark your calendars for Politifest 2025 on Saturday, Oct. 4, at University of San Diego. We’ll be back with a great lineup of speakers and panel discussions.

In Other News

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has a new CEO: Chris Cate, a former San Diego councilmember. Axios San Diego spoke to Cate about what’s next and what this means for the Chamber. (Editor’s note: Chris Cate currently serves on Voice of San Diego’s board.)
National City has replaced security guards with police officers at its library. (inewsource)
It should come as no surprise that newly built homes are hard to come by in San Diego. A new report found that last month the region only saw 50 developments of single-family homes, condos and townhouses. (Union-Tribune)
Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego are celebrating more access to the bay with a new park near the Gaylord development.(KPBS) Also, the Port is planning to increase parking rates along the bay. (NBC 7)
Speaking of fees: The city of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department will recommend to the City Council that the city’s new monthly trash fee be $53. (NBC 7)
In 2018, a couple called on police to get their son help. He was making threats to drive his sports car the wrong way on the freeway. San Diego police said they couldn’t do anything. Later that day, he followed through and died after colliding with a van – the woman and daughter in that car died as well. Following several lawsuits from both families, SDPD has made policy changes to how officers respond. (CBS 8)

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

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San Diego, CA

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

Published

2 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

When we think of May, we think of Mother’s Day, blooming flowers, sunny skies, and lots of fun, seasonal events in the city. This month, locals can dine on the creations of James Beard Award-Winning Chefs at Rancho Bernardo Inn, or take advantage of berry season at the annual Vista Strawberry Festival. Theatre lovers can enjoy a showing of Kim’s Convenience at The Old Globe, while the San Diego Natural History Museum invites art enthusiasts to view its latest marine-themed exhibit. Grab your tickets and crack open that planner. Here are all the best things to do in San Diego this month:

Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

29

Louisiana legend Juvenile, enhances by the live instrumentation of The 400 Degreez Band, will perform career hits and his newest album, Boiling Point, at House of Blues San Diego.

Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

5/5–6/1

Turning the spotlight on contemporary LGBTQ artists, the inaugural ArtSpectrum 2026 will showcase both the grand and intimate scale of contemporary painters, photographers, and mixed media artists at Village Arts Outreach in Balboa Park.

12–24

The only ordinary element of the San Diego International Fringe Festival is the constant thrill of the extraordinary. Discover a plethora of innovative performances at venues from Pacific Beach to Baja.

5/15–6/14

A Korean-Canadian family balances tradition and assimilation from their Toronto storefront in Ins Choi’s comforting satire Kim’s Convenience, making its local premier at The Old Globe.

5/22–2/2027

Ocean debris will receive a new beginning at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Using repurposed pollution, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea depicts creatively sculpted marine life.

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

4/30–5/3

Enjoy fine dining at its finest from a lineup of gastronomic titans during 54 Hours with James Beard Award-Winning Chefs. Savor elegant meals, masterclasses, tastings, and more at Rancho Bernardo Inn.

2

Unlimited bites, regional craft beers, and animal observations are on the menu for San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew (with live music), a culinary evening in support of the San Diego Wildlife Alliance.

7

Spend An Evening with David Sedaris, humorist, essayist, and best-selling author. Never afraid to point the pen at himself, Sedaris will share old favorites and works in progress in the classic satirical style he’s known for at Jacobs Music Center.

15–17

Say cheese! And toast to the Cheese & Libation Expo. Explore three days of all-you-can eat and drink fare at BRICK, along with boutique shopping and bountiful pairings.

PARTNER CONTENT

10 Years In, Puffer and Malarkey Are Just Getting Started

Elevating an Icon: Inside the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Clu…

16

Stroll the private grounds of several luxurious homes, accompanied by live music, tabletop designs, and outdoor artistry, during the Secret Garden Tour, La Jolla Historical Society‘s flora and fauna fundraiser.

24

Vista recalls its days as a strawberry-producing superpower through its free Strawberry Festival. Wear your berry best fit, watch film screenings, and enter contests for shortcake, pie, and sundae indulging.

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San Diego, CA

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Published

14 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Located on 17^th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.

“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.

Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.

“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.

Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.

But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.

“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.

In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”

Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.

However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.

“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.

Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.

He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.

“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.

The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.

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