Counseling center at the residential rehab facility at the Veterans Village San Diego in Mission Hills on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Veterans Village of San Diego will not appeal a state decision to revoke its license to operate a residential substance use treatment center on its campus, the Board of Directors announced following its Friday afternoon meeting.
The move ends VVSD’s service to non-veterans at its Mission Hills campus.
The California Department of Health Care Services on Sept. 5 notified the nonprofit that it was suspending the program and would revoke its license, and VVSD had 15 days to appeal. The suspension of the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System program, which provides substance use disorder treatment for eligible Medi-Cal members, went into effect Monday.
The program had been at VVSD since 2019, and most of the 76 clients were non-veterans who had been referred by San Diego County Behavioral Health Services.
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“We embarked on the DMC (Drug Medi-Cal) program with a bold vision: to extend our world-renowned treatment approach to civilians in need,” the VVSD board said in a statement released Friday. “We undertook this mission amidst an unprecedented surge in fentanyl use, reaching out to the most vulnerable members of our community with crucial support. As we move forward, we proudly refocus our efforts on our core mission — dedicated service to our nation’s heroes.”
Tessa Outhyse, information officer for the California Department of Health Care Services, said the state has revoked the license or certification of five other residential substance use disorder facilities in the past three years.
The California Department of Health Care Services had cited “serious concerns about client safety” and the deaths of seven clients in its notice to VVSD and its program.
VVSD President and CEO Akilah Templeton said the news was devastating to staff members who had worked with clients and now fear they may relapse or return to the street. County staff members were on hand Monday to place people in new programs, but VVSD counselors said they are in the dark about what happened to them.
“I know that on that first day, so many of our residents just left and went back out to the street, just going back to using,” said Meghan Ripley, a program manager who worked with clients.
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Meghan Ripley, program manager at the residential rehab facility at the Veterans Village San Diego, becomes emotional as she recalls the day the program was closed. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“And it just breaks my heart, because they were doing so well here,” she continued, fighting back tears as she remembered the program’s last day. “It was so sad. I had clients coming up to me crying, begging me to let them stay, like I had any control over it. Begging, saying that they would come up with the money to be able to pay out of pocket just to be able to stay here because they were safe here. And then they just lost all hope and left.”
“It was so swift, the way they came down,” said clinical associate Isaac Salas, also in tears. “It was so traumatic for everyone involved. It was just devastating. The population we work with, they’re already a bunch of traumatized people. They already have a lot going on. And the way that they handled this, it was inhumane.”
Founded in 1981 to serve veterans facing a variety of challenges, VVSD offers programs to overcome unemployment, addiction, barriers to health and mental health care and other challenges. It created the annual Stand Down event to connect veterans with homeless services, and the program has inspired similar events throughout the country.
A perfect storm
Templeton said several things aligned to lead to the license revocation, beginning with complaints within the organization itself from people who objected to VVSD expanding its programs to include non-veterans, a move she said involved many factors, including a need for additional funding.
VVSD also was restricted from expelling disruptive people from the program during the pandemic, and critics went public with accusations that the environment was unsafe, she said.
And then there was the overall increase in fentanyl use among addicts. All of the overdose deaths cited by the state involved the drug, which is considered more lethal than other street drugs.
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“And so this was all the perfect storm,” Templeton said.
Restrictions on the program prohibit clients from being searched, and Templeton said an investigation into one death revealed the fentanyl involved had been brought onto the campus by another client who hid it in a body cavity.
“We can’t do everything,” she said, adding that drugs were rarely found on campus. “We can’t even pat someone down. We can’t say with absolute certainty that substances won’t make their way into the environment.”
“If you have drugs on campus, you are discharged,” said counselor Teresa Najera, who had worked in the program. “No exception. You’re putting the rest of the clients at risk of relapsing.”
Veterans Village San Diego Director Akilah Templeton during interview at the Veterans Village San Diego in Mission Hills on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Templeton also acknowledged there were deficiencies in the program, but said they had been corrected and none were related to the deaths, which included one from apparent natural causes and others outside the campus.
On-, off-campus deaths
The state cited seven deaths in its notice, with four in 2022, two in 2023 and one last March. Four were on campus, including two that were drug-related.
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One client died of a heart attack on campus in February 2022. That same month, another person who had been ill died on campus after he returned from a hospital that had cleared him for discharge.
A third person died in April 2022 of a drug overdose on campus. Templeton said that man had been referred from the County Probation Department and was on campus just two weeks when he died. After his death, Templeton said they learned he had 20 prior drug overdoses and other issues that might have disqualified him from the VVSD program.
In September 2022, a client who was not responding to treatment, relapsing and not complying with urine testing was off campus and supposedly looking for a sober living home when he died of a drug overdose.
Because he was still technically enrolled in the VVSD program, his death was considered to have happened on their watch. The state put VVSD on an 18-month probation because of the deaths in 2022, and the probation was set to end Sept. 9.
In May 2023, a man in the program created a fraudulent pass to leave the campus and died of a drug overdose at his brother’s house, although he was considered still enrolled in VVSD.
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In September of that year, another client who was off campus died when he was struck by a train while riding a bicycle.
Last March, two clients overdosed on campus, and one died.
The closing of the program affected 36 employees; Templeton said 19 were furloughed and 17 were assigned other positions.
VVSD still has 199 beds funded for residential treatment, but the action leaves an additional 123 beds without funding.
The nonprofit had submitted $87,136 to the state to renew its license last March, and Templeton said the money is not refundable.
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.
