San Diego News Now

Firefighters battled for a fourth day Tuesday to subdue a Santa Ana-driven wildfire that’s blackened thousands of acres in rural eastern San Diego County. The Valley Fire is now 11% contained, but over the Labor Day weekend, it leveled about a dozen homes and forced widespread evacuations. Also, San Diego leaders unveiled Listos California, a plan to keep the most at-risk communities up-to-date wi...

Extreme fire seasons seem to be the new normal in the American West. The spate of lightning-sparked blazes that recently blanketed California in unhealthy smoke and wildfires is just the most recent reminder. Closer to home, CalFire reported a new evacuation order for Corte Madera, south of Pine Valley on Monday afternoon.. The order followed earlier evacuation mandates for Corral Canyon off-road...

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving brush fire that broke out Saturday when it burned about 500 acres in a single hour in the Japatul Valley area near Alpine. Also, a protester is charged with 19 felony counts after allegedly spraying officers with pepper spray during a protest on Aug. 28. Police say Denzel Draughn is a flight risk, but his lawyer and fellow protesters saybail of 3 quarter mil...

With another heat wave hitting our state this Labor Day weekend, a Flex Alert is being issued to combat expected high levels of energy use. Also, any tenant in California who can’t pay rent because of the financial or health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be protected from evictions until at least January 31st. But tenants are still vulnerable. And, leaders of San Diego Unified School Distr...

Luke Wood, SDSU's vice president for student affairs and campus diversity, said all in-person classes —200 mostly lab work classes — would move online, and all students who have moved into campus housing would be able to move out if they so choose. Plus, this week across the county, restaurants, gyms, salons and other businesses are reopening with restrictions following new COVID-19 guidelines — B...

The department has followed state law and released every other shooting video in 45 days, sometimes even releasing videos within 72 hours of the shooting. But one video hasn't been released and it's not clear why. And, Community Fridges are popping up across the country, and now North Park has its own. But there is some concern from local businesses. Also, a look at some of the bills lawmakers sen...

Monday, San Diego County restaurants, gyms, salons and other businesses are allowed to reopen for indoor operations — with restrictions. But some business owners said they cannot survive on the severely limited capacity required. Also, one-fifth of San Diego students returning to virtual school this month are English Language Learners -- and that makes distanced-learning all the more difficult. Pl...

Parents, teachers and students are getting ready to resume in person classes as early as September 1 in San Diego county. Also, the County Registrar of Voters, Michael Vu, says his office still needs hundreds of poll workers for the November election. And they're willing to pay by the hour. Plus, about 100 protesters Saturday marched peacefully and made demands that the Santee City Council make th...

Administrators in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District terminated a contract with Acellus, an online learning provider, just days before the new school year. The termination came after reports about racist and sexually suggestive content from districts in other states. Also, on Thursday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia ruled that border wall construction can continue. He denie...

A suspected arson in the Navy ship fire, and The San Diego Padres' scheduled home game Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners has been postponed after the Mariners voted unanimously not to play in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Plus: a COVID Q-and-A, and more local news you need. Support San Diego News Matters by becoming a KPBS member today: www.kpbs.or...

The Health Care and Essential Workers Protection Act would mandate the state to have a three-month supply of clean personal protective equipment for healthcare and essential workers. Plus, Record heat hits the ocean near San Diego's Scripps Pier. And, a group called Friends of Friendship Park, has launched a new campaign- Build That Park- that is advocating for the construction of a binational par...

Parents and teachers are staring down the challenge of introducing kids to school for the very first time without actually having them in a physical classroom. Some will have it a lot easier than others. Also, Customs and Border Protection said its new procedures are to discourage non-essential travel, to stop the spread of COVID-19. Over the weekend, wait times of up to seven hours were reported...

Advocates gathered at the now-infamous 101 Ash St. property Friday and said city leaders are about to make another bad deal with San Diego Gas & Electric. Plus, California firefighters are already struggling to fight fires this year and the hottest part of the year is still in front of them. COVID 19 is making that work even more difficult. And, a video produced three decades ago shows a bobbing H...

Even some elementary schools that have received waivers to reopen campuses say they will continue offering online-only or hybrid options. Also, an appeals court has given the ride-hailing companies more time to fight a judge's order that they reclassify their drivers as employees. Plus, an interview with the owner of Derby United on how the roller rink has pivoted to stay open during the pandemic.

Adjusting to doing business outdoors because of the pandemic is one thing. But now, San Diego businesses are having to deal with record-breaking heat and humidity. And, as the heat wave continues across the region, people are seeking relief in cool zones. Plus, starting Monday, child care providers can apply for small grants that come from federal CARES Act funding and are distributed by the count...

While off the state monitoring list for now, San Diego county could be placed back on should it be flagged for exceeding any one of six different metrics, such as case rate and the number of intensive care beds available, for three consecutive days. Also, the Governor declares a state of emergency and California's power grid managers are under fire after initiating r the first rolling blackouts si...

California's governor wants to know why the state power grid managers were forced to initiate rolling blackouts as a heatwave bakes the state. Also, after six straight days of a case rate of fewer than 100 positive COVID-19 tests per 100,000 people in San Diego, Gov. Gavin Newsom Monday said it was "very likely" the county would come off the state's monitoring list by Tuesday. Plus, California is...

The California Independent System Operator issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, beginning Sunday and extending through Wednesday. And, with housing courts set to reopen on Sept. 1, thousands of tenants in San Diego now face possible eviction. Two bills now working their way through the legislature aim to keep people in their homes. Plus, of 56 requests rece...

Evictions are set to begin once again in California starting on September 1st. Plus: For the second consecutive day on Thursday, the county's COVID case count has stayed below 100 per 100-thousand people, two big virtual events you won’t want to miss and more of the local news you need. Support San Diego News Matters by becoming a member today: http://www.kpbs.org/donate

The county's case rate per 100,000 residents as of Wednesday is 94.2. This is below the metric of 100 cases per 100,000 people set by the state. This is the first time the case rate has been below 100 since the county was placed on the state's County Monitoring List on July 3. Plus: Several cities in San Diego County are eligible for a new rental assistance program, a loophole in the state evictio...

Two recent reports show that predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in San Diego County not only have the highest COVID-19 infection rates and are hardest hit by unemployment, but also experience a significant gap in access to testing. Plus: San Diego County health officials reported 182 new COVID-19 infections Tuesday, the City of San Diego is about to crack down on large gatherings of peop...

A local ICU doctor calls COVID-19 a “scary disease” when it comes to the physical and psychological effects of the virus on the brain. Plus: A gym in city heights remains open in defiance of county and state shut down orders, San Diego Unified School District won’t be back for in-person classes anytime soon and more local news you need.

San Diego County is launching free COVID testing at the San Ysidro border crossing. The local action comes months after funding for support at the border never arrived from state and federal agencies. Plus: The city of San Diego is cracking down on a vacation rental that officials say hosted large parties against COVID-19 health orders, Californians are seeing their electricity bills rise as they'...

People gathering for "drum circles" in Ocean Beach have not been wearing face coverings or practicing social distancing. Residents say they're fed up. And, arrest warrants have been issued for Jeffrey Brooks, 38, and Henry Brooks Jr., 32, for the alleged attacks on Marcus Boyd and a group of protesters on June 7. Plus, The San Diego Urban Corps works to clear brush in the urban San Diego canyons.

County supervisors approved a measure Wednesday to allow gyms and houses of worship to meet outdoors at county parks, as more activities move outside to limit the spread of COVID-19. And, clean air advocates fall short in their bid to protect communities of color from fossil fuel extraction in urban areas. Plus, County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said Wednesday that California had reported issues w...