The California Coastal Commission has approved a project to build a more than 3,000-foot-long buried seawall along the southern portion of Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

Headed by San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), the project looks to protect a massive underground sewage tunnel and a nearby wastewater plant from beach erosion.

Anna Roche with SFPUC told the commission, without the seawall the tunnel could be severely damaged.

“As you can see from these two photos it’s large enough to drive a truck through,” Roche said. “If this tunnel were to fail it would result in a major emergency for this side of San Francisco. Failure would mean hundreds of thousands of gallons of combined storm water and sewage spilling onto Ocean Beach and hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans unable to flush their toilets.”

Not everyone is convinced a seawall is the right solution to protecting this infrastructure.

Nina Atkind is with the Surfrider Foundation, an organization that works to protect coastlines. The group said the seawall is only a temporary fix.

As sea levels rise, they said the city will be forced to eventually relocate the wastewater infrastructure. The group argues that the city should look to do that now rather than later.

They also said a sea wall adds to beach erosion by pushing waves back out onto the beach.

“We feel like we’re going to lose this beach. South Ocean Beach is such a special place and most of California, 75% of California’s beaches by 2100 are going to be eroded. So, it’s a huge issue and the more sea walls that get permitted, the more sea walls are going to get permitted in the future,” said Atkind.

In the end, many of the commissioners echoed those same concerns with the sea wall solution but also said the alternative of simply moving the infrastructure would cost even more money… and wouldn’t be completed in time to protect the tunnel from damage.

 “I just don’t think it’s responsible of us to deny this permit given the implications of what could happen. I would encourage the city to keep looking at new technology, to look at new ways. I know this may be falling on deaf ears but technology is changing constantly and if any of this could be done away with, so be it,” said a California Coastal Commissioner.

SEATTLE – The man accused of fatally shooting a 34-year-old unhoused man in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood over the summer appeared in court Thursday. 

Kahmari Hale, 20, faces charges of second-degree murder for the death of Johnathan Stutson, with prosecutors alleging he taunted and targeted the unhoused before the shooting. Stutson was killed at a Seattle homeless encampment in July.

Hale entered a not guilty plea. His attorney requested a bail reduction from $2 million to $200,000, emphasizing that Hale, a lifelong Washington resident with no criminal record, is not a flight risk or a threat to public safety.

However, prosecutors argued against the bail reduction, saying Hale poses a danger to the community. 

“The facts of this case are concerning,” the prosecutor stated. “The defendant and others allegedly taunted residents at the encampment, threatened violence, and ultimately fired 13 shots at Mr. Stutson.”

According to court documents, Hale and his group were at a homeless encampment near South Walker Street and 25th Avenue South around 4:24 a.m.

Witnesses say the group shouted threats, including statements about “airing out” the camp, before Stutson confronted them. Surveillance footage captured the sounds of the altercation, with Hale reportedly firing shots that hit Stutson multiple times. Police arrived shortly after and found Stutson with ten gunshot wounds; no weapons were found on or near him.

The defense argued that Hale acted in self-defense, claiming he feared for his safety as Stutson moved his hand toward his hip in a way that Hale interpreted as threatening. Hale reportedly told police he closed his eyes and fired, feeling the man was close enough to cause harm. Yet, Hale also admitted that Stutson did not overtly threaten him or display any weapons.

“Mr. Hale is extremely young, he just turned 20 and has no history of violent behavior,” his defense attorney argued. “He has strong ties to Washington and was actively participating in school activities prior to his arrest.”

Hale was reportedly an active student, involved in sports like football, baseball, and wrestling, and took classes at a local restorative center. His family was also present in court. 

“He’s a part of the legacy group where they help other students on campus, he participated in classes at the restorative center,” Hale’s defense said.

Melissa Herrera, also unhoused, claims to have witnessed Hale’s actions that night. 

“They were yelling at all the homeless, waking them up, ruffling the tents, telling them to get up,” Herrera said. “He didn’t expect them to shoot him like they did.”

The judge expressed concern over the “troubling nature” of the allegations, describing Hale’s actions as alarming. He denied the request to lower bail. 

If convicted, Hale faces 15 to 24 years in prison. The firearm used in the incident remains unrecovered, allegedly taken from Hale weeks after the shooting.

An omnibus hearing is scheduled for December 5 and trial on the 20th.

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Progress is being made to improve safety on a busy stretch of Federal Boulevard near Empower Field at Mile High. On Thursday, Denver city officials and neighbors celebrated the completion of the North Federal Blvd Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project.

Work began last year on the stretch between 23rd Avenue and 27th Avenue that is intended to make it safer for pedestrians. The project includes new ramps, shorter crossings and slow-turn lanes for vehicles.

 The construction team also made major drainage upgrades, which addressed flooding issues that plagued the area for years. The improvements were funded by the Elevate Denver bond approved by voters in 2017.

“We sent it to the voters in 2017, and a lot has happened since then — COVID, the world has changed a lot in my view,” said Amanda Sandoval, Denver City Council president for District 1. “Thank you for voting.”

However, Sandoval acknowledged the challenges businesses faced during construction.

“On every side of privilege, there is a burden. A business opened and closed because of the construction,” she said. “When you have an opportunity, support our local businesses, because that’s what gets this done.”

Federal Boulevard is considered one of Denver’s most dangerous streets, with pedestrians and drivers both facing safety risks. Last year, there were more than 80 car crash fatalities on Denver streets. The lack of pedestrian infrastructure was a contributing factor.

Matthew Cupp, owner of Lockhart & Co. Barbers, said the construction has increased the safety for not only himself but also for his clientele.

“I’ve been almost hit on Federal more than once,” Cupp said.

Besides those safety concerns when crossing the street, any weather-related event would make it a nightmare for the business owner.

“The street used to flood over the sidewalks, and at one point you couldn’t even cross the intersection,” he said.

Cupp also noted that the improvements have made it more efficient for pedestrians to cross.

“It used to take me 15 minutes or more to cross the street. Nobody wants to spend their lunch hour on the curb waiting for traffic,” he said.

Despite the improvements, Cupp hopes the changes will also bring more foot traffic which he lost much of during the construction period.

Sandoval echoed concerns about businesses struggling during the project.

“Support our local businesses because that’s what gets this done,” she said.

As the holiday season approaches, Cupp is feeling positive about the future of his business and the safety of his clients.

“I like it. My favorite part of the new additions is the safety improvements,” he said.