San Diego, CA

San Diego County Supervisors vote to continue emergency on border pollution

Published

1 year ago

September 12, 2024

San Diego County Supervisors vote to continue emergency on border pollution

The county Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to continue a local emergency declaration due to U.S.-Mexico transboundary pollution, but not without first hearing from South Bay residents who pressed for more action.

The board first approved an emergency proclamation in June 2023 in response pollution and sewage flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We’re doing everything possible as a public health care agency to protect the wellness and safety of our residents,” board Chairwoman Nora Vargas said during the board’s meeting Wednesday.

Dr. Ankita Kadakia, interim county public health officer, said her office has asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Public Health to investigate the impacts of cross-border pollution. Kadakia said the county immediately deployed its hazardous response team in response to reports hydrogen cyanide in the air.

Kadakia said she couldn’t emphasize enough how concerned both the county and state are about the quality of life for South County residents.

“No one should be living in those conditions,” Kadakia said.

The board’s vote followed a Tuesday news conference in which Vargas said the air quality in the area does not pose a public health threat, despite foul odors from the Tijuana River Valley and elevated levels of gases.

“I want to reassure everyone that this is not an imminent threat, and it’s safe to be outside and attend school,” Vargas said. “Our county experts are actively gathering public health data and conducting research to provide the most accurate information.

“It’s unacceptable that South County residents have to worry about whether it’s safe to go outside,” she added. “I’m fighting every day to address the root of this issue, but for now, you can trust the data — we’ve got your back.”

During a public comment period Wednesday, supervisors heard from South County residents, some of whom said environmental conditions had caused them and family members to become ill.

Bethany Case, who lives in Imperial Beach, said she and her husband have discussed moving. Case said she often suffers headaches and gastrointestinal problems, with no known cause.

She said Vargas’ news conference Tuesday disgusted residents, and was in opposition to detailed studies by other institutions.

“We’re drowning, and you’re worried about your career, and I can’t wrap my head around that,” Case told her.

One man, who lives in Imperial Beach, said the county has not demonstrated that the air is safe to breathe for children, the elderly, or immunocompromised people.

“First, we are told not to go into the water, then we are told not breathe, and then yesterday, we’re told to breathe,” he said.

Another Imperial Beach resident, who said he has brain cancer, said the air quality is harming his children.

“I’m a worried dad, you guys,” the man said. “I don’t what to do, except to advocate.”

The man suggested the Federal Emergency Management Association also get involved.

“You can’t just test once, and say it’s OK,” he added.

Sarah Davidson, an official with the Surfrider Foundation, said there are dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air.

“This is the single-most public health and environmental justice emergency in the county right now,” said Davidson, who added an urgent response from the county is needed. “We implore all of you on the board and all of us in this room to find the courage to ask ourselves what more we can do, and then to do it.”

Vargas said that had the county not declared an emergency last year, no funding would be available to tackle pollution problems in the border region. She added the issue probably wouldn’t have happened if the affected area were north of Interstate 8, saying the South Bay community doesn’t have all the resources it should.

Vargas said the county wants to work with UC San Diego and San Diego State University on pollution research, and that’s why she and Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer established a committee to share information.

Vargas added that the county is trying to find more money for air filters, and she’ll keep fighting for other resources.

“You can keep coming up here and telling me I’m not doing enough,” she told audience members. “I get it.”

Lawson-Remer thanked people for showing up and speaking out.

“You’re right to be mad,” she said. “I’m mad, and we just have to keep fighting.”

A key to improving environmental conditions is to fix the Punta Bandera wastewater treatment plant, located in Tijuana, said Lawson-Remer, who added she was recently in Washington, D.C., to ask for more resources. Lawson- Remer said she’s happy there has been progress on the Mexican side in terms of fixing the wastewater plant, and hopes it can operational by December or January.

Supervisor Jim Desmond said while he appreciates the local task force, it’s the county’s congressional delegation that needs to push for federal help “and give us the funding so we can open our beaches up.”

It’s a travesty that some beach areas have been closed for over three years, Desmond added.

On Monday, San Diego’s congressional contingent reiterated their call for a declaration of a state of emergency after high levels of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen cyanide —which can have a rotten egg smell — were reported by researchers in the watershed.

In response, the San Diego County Hazardous Incident Response Team and researchers from San Diego State University tested the gas levels on Monday, after which they determined “the data does not indicate any immediate public safety concerns,” according to Vargas’ statement.

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San Diego, CA

Mayor Gloria defends Balboa Park paid parking, blames council for rocky rollout

Published

6 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Mayor Gloria defends Balboa Park paid parking, blames council for rocky rollout

San Diego will put off issuing citations for paid parking in Balboa Park for about one month while improvements are made, but Mayor Todd Gloria says the new system is functioning well and being “actively adopted.”

In a long and harshly worded memo released Thursday, Gloria said recent calls by City Council members to suspend the program were politically motivated and examples of bad governance and erratic decision-making.

Gloria also deflected blame for the chaotic way enforcement began Monday, when city officials raced to put stickers about resident discounts on parking kiosks and lobbied a vendor to deliver crucial missing signs.

The mayor said the council had “shaped, amended and approved” paid parking in Balboa Park and contended an accelerated timeline chosen by the council made it hard for his administration to implement it flawlessly.

The mayor’s memo came in response to a Tuesday memo from Councilmembers Kent Lee and Sean Elo-Rivera in which they called implementation of paid parking “haphazard” and “not ready for prime time.”

Lee and Elo-Rivera said the process for city residents to get approved for discounts was so complex, cumbersome and confusing that Gloria should waive fees for residents until they have had time to adapt and learn.

While Gloria rejected that suggestion in part of his memo, he later said “enforcement remains focused on education, not punishment, during this early phase, to ensure park users are aware of the new parking fees.”

Dave Rolland, a spokesperson for Gloria, said Thursday that no specific date had been set for when the city would shift from education to enforcement. But he added that “about a month” would be an accurate timeline.

City officials have already corrected one key mistake: Signs that were missing Monday — alerting drivers that the 951-space lower Inspiration Point lot is free for three hours — have since been installed.

Lee and Elo-Rivera in their memo decried “an inadequate effort to educate the public on how to use this new system.”

They said San Diegans had not been clearly informed about when a portal for city resident discounts would go live or how to use it.

And they complained that residents weren’t told they couldn’t buy discounted parking passes in person, or when enforcement with citations would actually begin.

City residents must apply for discounts online, pay $5 to have their residency verified, then wait two days for that verification and choose the day they will visit in advance.

Lee and Elo-Rivera called the city’s efforts “a haphazard rollout that will surely lead to San Diegans missing out on their resident discount and paying higher parking rates than they have to.”

Gloria said the city collected $23,000 in parking fees on Monday and Tuesday and another $106,000 in daily, monthly and quarterly passes — mostly from residents who get discounts on such passes.

“Early data shows that the program is functioning and being used,” he said. “These are not the metrics of a system that is failing to function. They are the metrics of a system that is new, actively being adopted, and continuing to improve as public familiarity increases.”

While Gloria conceded that some improvements are still necessary, he rejected calls from Lee and Elo-Rivera for a suspension, citing his concerns it would jeopardize city finances and confuse the public.

“Your proposal to suspend paid parking for residents two days into the new program would have immediate and serious fiscal consequences,” Gloria said. “This reversal could introduce confusion among park users and would disregard investments already made to establish the system, potentially compromising the program’s effectiveness.”

Paid parking in Balboa Park is expected to generate about $3.7 million during the fiscal year that ends June 30, but revenue is expected to rise substantially when the fees are in place for a full fiscal year.

Gloria said the money is a small part of the city’s overall solution to recurring deficits it faces of more than $100 million per year.

“What we will not do is reverse course days into implementation in a way that undermines fiscal stability, creates uncertainty, and sends the message that addressing a decades-old structural budget deficit that has plagued our city is optional because it is politically uncomfortable,” he said. “That kind of erratic decision-making is not good governance, and San Diegans deserve better.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the San Diego Zoo said Thursday that paid parking there has continued to go smoothly since it began on Monday.

The zoo, which is using Ace Parking for enforcement, opted for immediate citations instead of an educational grace period.

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San Diego, CA

Barricaded individual in custody following police response in Mission Valley

Published

18 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Barricaded individual in custody following police response in Mission Valley

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego Police responded to a barricaded individual in the Mission Valley area Thursday afternoon, prompting a heavy law enforcement presence.

The Nexstar Media video above details resources for crime victims

The department confirmed around 1 p.m. that officers were on scene in the 1400 block of Hotel Circle North, and are working to safely resolve the situation. Authorities asked the public to avoid the area and allow officers the space needed to conduct their operations.

Police described the incident as a domestic violence restraining order violation. At this time, it’s unknown if the person is armed.

No injuries have been reported.

The suspect was taken into custody within an hour.

Further details about the barricaded person were not immediately released. Police say updates will be shared as more information becomes available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Luis Campusano

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Luis Campusano – San Diego Union-Tribune

LUIS CAMPUSANO

Position(s): Catcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 27
Height / Weight: 5-foot-10 / 232 pounds
How acquired: Second round of the draft in 2017 (Cross Creek HS, Ga.)
Contract status: Will make $900,000 after agreeing to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration; Will not be a free agent until 2029.
fWAR in 2025: Minus-0.4
Key 2025 stats: .000 AVG, .222 OBP, .000 SLG, 0 HRs, 0 RBIs, 0 runs, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts, 0 steals (10 games, 27 plate appearances)

STAT TO NOTE

1 — The number of plate appearances for Campusano while in the majors between June 1 and June 13 and the one at-bat resulted in a weak, pinch-hit groundout against a position player (Kike Hernandez) on the mound in mop-up duty. Campusano was recalled to the majors four times in 2025 but did not get a real opportunity get settled after he went 0-for-6 with four walks and a strikeout in three straight starts as a DH in early May. Of course, hitting .227/.281/.361 with eight homers over 299 plate appearances after getting the first real chance to start in 2024 likely informed how the Padres viewed his opportunity in 2025.

Down — Called up a final time on the last day of the regular season, Campusano balked at the idea that the season did not go the way he wanted. “I had a great season,” he said as he and his teammates packed for the NL Wild Card Series in Chicago. And he did … for Triple-A El Paso. He hit more home runs than ever (25), drove in more runs (95) and finished with a career-high 1.036 OPS, tops among all qualifying Triple-A hitters. The disappointment inferred in the question posed to Campusano was that he was not able to impact the big-league team in any way in 2025, which began with the team choosing to bring in a 40-year-old Yuli Gurriel a chance on the opening day roster over a homegrown product. Once billed as the catcher of the future, Campusno did not catch a single game in the majors, nor did he get any hits, although the opportunity to play was sporadic after getting three straight starts as a DH in early May (see stat to note). The Padres even lost back-up catcher Elias Díaz to an oblique injury over the final weekend of the regular season, but Campusano — who played out the string for a Triple-A El Paso team that did not make the playoffs rather than participate in the majors as a September call-up — was added to the postseason roster more as a right-handed bat than a third catcher (Martín Maldonado was also re-added to the team for the playoffs as the defensive back-up to Freddy Fermin). Campusano, of course, was not asked to help the team in either capacity before the Padres were eliminated in three games.

2026 OUTLOOK

Campusano is finally out of minor league options this year, so the Padres will either have to carry him on the roster, trade him or expose him to waivers. He has fans in the organization, but two big-league staffs headed by Bob Melvin and Mike Shildt seemingly lost faith in his ability to catch a game and all the responsibilities that come with that. It remains to be seen what impact the arrival of robo umps will have on how new manager Craig Stammen views Campusano’s ability behind the plate, but he’s been a potent minor league hitter who has yet to truly get on track in the majors beyond the second half of 2023 (.875 OPS, 6 HRs). Campusano has dabbled at first base in recent years in the minors (12 starts total), so perhaps he settles into a role as a second catcher/right-handed DH/first base option to start 2026.

Luis Campusano #15 of the San Diego Padres and Nick Pivetta #27 walk to the dugout during a practice before the Wildcard series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sept. 29, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)