San Diego, CA
Rock Academy rides hot streak past The Monarch School for Divsion 5-AA volleyball title
OCEANSIDE — When Rock Academy faced Hilltop in an early-season girls volleyball tournament, it got destroyed. Things got so bad that the Warriors notched only four kills in two sets and lost the second set, 25-3.
Apparently, you learn more from your losses than your wins.
Rock Academy ran its winning streak to 17 straight matches with Thursday’s 25-16, 15-25, 25-16, 25-27, 15-4 win over The Monarch School in the Division 5-AA championship match. It was the most important win of them all, as it resulted in the first CIF San Diego Section championship in program history.
The Warriors (23-1) lost in last year’s championship match to Calipatria in four sets, so redemption was clearly a motivator.
Junior outside hitter Alexa Baird led the way for Rock Academy with 15 kills and three aces.
For the Royals, who came in on a 12-match winning streak, simply getting here was a victory. This was the furthest trip for the school that features students who are either currently or recently unhoused.
The Royals (18-7) were led by senior outside hitter Chantal Bocanegra, who notched nine kills with four aces and two blocks.
Royals junior outside hitter Daphne Allen put away three straight balls in the middle to tie set one at 13 before Rock Academy’s offense caught fire. Baird had three kills near the end of the set.
The Royals appeared to be ending the night early in the second set as the Warriors went up 4-0 on two Martha Mulumbilwa kills and two Aliya Landes aces. That’s when Jennifer Bocanegra took over.
She had a kill in serve receive to get the Royals on the board then dialed up three straight aces.
She combined with Allen on a stuff block for an 11-7 lead. Allen had two late kills then Bocanegra crushed a ball on the outside after a long rally for a 23-15 lead in a set they’d take 25-15.
The third set was mostly back and forth .The Royals went up 8-6 before the Warriors offense got stronger. Mulumbilwa got a stuff block for a 10-8 lead. Parker Duhs notched a pair of aces after a timeout.
Before the Royals could call another timeout, the deficit was 19-12. Mulumbilwa ended set three with a huge kill on the outside in serve receive.
Not surprisingly, set four was neck and neck. Allen had three early kills, but the well-rounded Warriors attack kept it close. And then the Royals refused to let balls drop on their side, raising their defensive effort to a championship level. An 18-11 lead turned in a nail-biting 27-25 win to send it to a fifth set.
Riki Salas Smith served an ace for the Royals to start set five. The early part of the set was like two boxers in the 12th round exchanging swings (and sometimes errors). It was 3-3 before Rock Academy went on a run for the ages, closing it out with a 15-4 win.
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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