Voice of San Diego

Tijuana built a robust wastewater recycling system to ease its water shortages, but has no way to pipe it into the city, Sandra Dibble writes. Instead, most of it is going into the notoriously polluted Tijuana River. https://lnkd.in/gUWXyusk

Oceanside and Carlsbad are preparing to move more than 200 homeless people into housing by the end of 2027. Here’s how they plan to do it. https://lnkd.in/gvi2hqzx

A local nonprofit will move 50 shelter beds from San Diego to the South Bay, putting more pressure on the city as it prepares to lose more than 700 shelter beds by early next year. https://lnkd.in/g2QCxc6x

At the pace San Diego’s brush management inspection team is operating, it would take more than six years to inspect some of the most fire-prone areas in the city. For this article with Voice of San Diego, I explored the growing wildfire risks in San Diego and the challenges our fire department faces in keeping up with brush management. A big thank you to MacKenzie Elmer for her incredible help and for lending me her expertise while I reported on this issue. https://lnkd.in/dWCQDsHP

A solution to South Bay’s sewage problem is finally getting off the ground, MacKenzie Elmer reports, but don’t expect the stink to go away anytime soon. https://lnkd.in/g2J_5tZg

Vista’s weed habit is propping up the city’s budget — and then some. https://lnkd.in/gkAMtjhC

The feds just slammed San Diego Unified over its mishandling of sexual misconduct claim, building upon years of Voice investigations into the matter. This means the district will have to clean up its act to better comply with the law. https://lnkd.in/g-_Fek8c

Active-shooter drills in schools lack state guardrails that could prevent them from causing undue trauma to students and teachers. Assemblymember Chris Ward is working to change that. https://lnkd.in/gBEtMtcW

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A heartfelt thank you to voiceofsandiego.org North County Reporter, Tigist Layne, for shining a light on the often-unseen struggle of homeless local families in her article, "The Unseen Homeless: How One Family’s World Turned Upside Down." I’m deeply moved by Jose and Mercedes’ courage in sharing their story— their resilience in the face of so many challenges, challenges that are all too familiar to many, is truly inspiring. Their journey is a powerful reminder that behind every statistic is a family, striving to rebuild their lives with dignity. At Interfaith Community Services, we’re seeing more and more families grappling with homelessness, a heartbreaking reality that’s too often overlooked. Our family shelter, which opened last October, was created with love and support from the City of Escondido, County of San Diego, and our incredible donors. It’s the first of its kind in our region, providing a safe and supportive space for up to 12 families at a time. Here, families find more than just a roof over their heads—they find hope. They gain access to childcare, counseling, nutritious meals, and other essential services. Most importantly, they find the stability they need to get back on their feet, with nearly all parents securing employment shortly after arriving. Jose and Mercedes’ story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the importance of the work we do. It’s a reminder that when we come together as a community, we can help families not just survive, but thrive—and in doing so, we create safer, healthier communities for everyone. https://lnkd.in/gntTxeHp