66° Mostly CloudyAlison St John
North County Bureau Chief
Alison St John fell in love with KPBS Radio when she arrived in San Diego in 1985 and first heard NPR.
She has been a voice on KPBS Radio since 1989, when she began as a community producer and weekend news anchor. Since then she has served as anchor, producer, TV feature reporter, radio news reporter and is now KPBS' North County Bureau Chief. She occasionally hosts KPBS Midday Edition.
Throughout her career, Alison has covered water issues, the environment, health, welfare and education. As metro reporter, she followed the fortunes of the city of San Diego through the critical period following the investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the emergence of the pension crisis.
Alison’s radio features have won numerous awards from the San Diego Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press TV and Radio Association, and the California Golden Mike Awards. Her TV feature "Welfare’s Missing Dads" won the Pacific Southwest Emmy Award for best documentary in 2001. She was named media person of the year by the San Diego Psychiatric Society in 2000.
Alison was born in Tanzania, brought up in Scotland and earned her degree in psychology and sociology from Durham University in England. She worked in England, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium, India, and Japan before moving to the United States in 1981.
Recent Stories
Sprinter Ridership Declines Following Shutdown
North County’s transit agency is struggling to regain the ridership it had before the Sprinter light rail was shut down due to brake problems. The number of people using the train is significantly down from the same time last year.
Tesoro Toll Road Seeks Permit In San Diego
Part of a toll road from Orange County that was rejected by the California Coastal Commission four years ago is before the Regional Water Quality Control Board in San Diego on Wednesday. Opponents of the Tesoro Extension say the project threatens the San Onofre State Park, a famous surfing spot.
Budget Bill Threatens Public Records Access In California
An amendment added to a state budget trailer puts access to public records at risk.
Encinitas' Proposition A Attracts Thousands In Last-Minute Contributions
Prop A, a voter initiative in Encinitas, has attracted thousands of dollars in last-minute contributions. The result of Tuesday's special election on what's known as the “right-to-vote initiative" will affect future development in the coastal community.
NRC Considers Voiding Key Ruling On San Onofre
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may reject a ruling that contributed to the decision to shut down the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
Roundtable: Underground Market For Taxi Permits, Scathing NCTD Audit, Deported Parents
There's a burgeoning underground market in San Diego taxi permits. The North Coast Transit District has received a scathing audit of its practices. Parents deported by the INS must leave their American-born kids behind.
Encinitas, Solana Beach Leaders Propose Sand Replenishment For North County Shores
San Diego’s beaches are being washed away. Solana Beach and Encinitas are key players in the debate over how to deal with eroding shorelines and sea level rise.
San Onofre To Be Permanently Closed
Southern California Edison announces it is retiring the remaining reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Decommissioning the plant will take 40 years and cost 1,100 jobs.
Lessons From Fukushima For San Onofre
The former head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said plans to restart San Onofre at 70 percent power do not inspire him with confidence. Gregory Jaczko and former Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan spoke in San Diego at a seminar.
Seminar Brings Perspective On Risks Of Nuclear Power To San Diego
As the future of the San Onofre nuclear power plant hangs in the balance, a public seminar on nuclear power is planned for Tuesday in San Diego County Chambers. It is billed as an alternative to the public meetings hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
