Application deadline extended for cannabis equity program
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, August 8th>>>>
The deadline to apply for the county’s Cannabis Equity Program has been extended.More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######
The CDC is looking into how it can help address the cross-border sewage crisis impacting the county’s South Bay communities.
Last week, CDC officials sent a letter to county Chairwoman Nora Vargas, saying discussions for assistance were underway between the department and county and state public health agencies.
The announcement comes after a joint state and county effort to enlist the help of the CDC.
Communities that are exposed to sewage and toxic chemicals because of untreated wastewater flows into the U-S from Mexico include Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, Nestor and Otay Mesa West.
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The San Diego Zoo’s new panda exhibit opens today [Thursday], featuring the first pandas to be at the zoo since 20-19.
Governor Gavin Newsom is one of the guests scheduled for a special private opening ceremony this morning (Thursday), before Panda Ridge opens to the public.
The city says the Panda-monium is expected to bring increased traffic to the area.
Officials recommend Balboa Park visitors and nearby residents take advantage of public transit.
Route 7 and Rapid 2-15 buses stop near the zoo and serve the downtown, uptown, mid-city and SDSU neighborhoods.
On weekend’s there’s a free shuttle service that runs between the zoo and the inspiration point parking starting at 11 AM.
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Two San Diegans took home medals in the Men’s park skateboarding event in the Paris Olympics yesterday (Wednesday).
Team U-S-A’s Tom Scharr took home silver, and Australia’s Keegan Palmer, who was born in San Diego, won the gold.
Scharr (SHARR) fell behind in his final run, barely missing the gold with a score of 92-point-23, compared to Palmer’s 93-point-11.
For more of the latest news from Paris, head to KPBS dot org slash olympics.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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Lotteries can be life changing.
Reporter Katie Hyson says that’s no different for the county’s cannabis equity program, which just extended its application deadline to August 23rd.
Nearly 200 people have already applied.
Eligible applicants can receive extra support like industry training and help clearing their record.
They can also enter a lottery, where luck of the draw could gain them grant money to help with business startup costs like rent and application fees.
Applicants must have been arrested for cannabis charges in San Diego.
The program is a form of reparations for people harmed by the war on drugs.
“I got arrested twice for cannabis. And it did some really messed up stuff in my life, drain me financially…flipped my whole life around. Barely made it out, but I made it out.”
Applicant Joshua Caruso now runs a cannabis company.
But says he has to grow outside of San Diego County. And partner with dispensaries to sell it there.
“We did not have access to the license type or an opportunity to get our foot in the door.”
This program could change that. He hopes to bring revenue back to his community.
The lottery winners won’t get rich overnight.
Licenses won’t be available until late next year.
Katie Hyson, KPBS News
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Saturday (Aug.10) is the deadline to file claims in one of the biggest toxic exposure cases in history — the one involving tainted water on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina from 19-53 to 19-87.
More than 320-thousand claims have been filed by marine corps veterans, family members, and others who believe they developed cancer or other diseases.
Jay Price reports for the American Homefront Project.
The Navy has begun offering out-of-court cash settlements to some claimants. But people can file lawsuits if their claim is denied, or they don't like the Navy's offer, or the Navy doesn't respond within six months. So far, more than 2000 have filed suit.
Ed Bell is among hundreds of plaintiffs attorneys in the case. He leads a small team of them appointed by the court to represent the whole group.
He says despite heavy advertising by some lawyers, his firm is STILL fielding questions from potential claimants.
We've had a flurry of calls lately … you know, things like, ‘You mean, I can file a claim too?’ I think there are a lot of people out there that don't fully appreciate the impact of August 10.
That deadline is one new milestone that's been reached in the case. Another is that the two sides have picked the first 25 plaintiffs who will serve as test cases. UNC-Chapel Hill law professor Mark Weidemeyer <> says those so-called “bellwether trials” are an important step toward bringing the legal battle to a close.
It can mark the beginning of the end, because it's the moment where we start to figure out what these cases are genuinely worth.
The goal is for the majority of cases to be settled OUT of court. One of the federal judges handling the cases has said trying them all in a courtroom would take hundreds of years.
So the idea behind bellwether trials is that if we pick a really representative subset of cases, we can produce some good information about what will happen if you take the others to trial, and then the parties and their lawyers can … use it to settle all the others.
Weidemeyer says bellwether cases can also help ease the frustration some plaintiffs feel about not getting their own day in court.
And some of the Lejeune plaintiffs DO want their own trials. But not Catherine Songer.
There's hundreds of thousands of people affected by this water, and I think my story will be told by somebody. So I don't feel the need to go in front of a judge.
Songer, now 70, still lives near Camp Lejeune with her husband, a retired colonel. She was head of the natural science division at Coastal Carolina Community College. Until her last day on the job ten years ago, when Parkinson’s Disease symptoms put her in an ambulance.
I can't teach anymore. I was an editor for a magazine. I can't do that anymore. I love to kayak. I can't do that anymore. I'm not a quitter…. I try to do things to keep me robust and progression of the disease not to go as fast.
She says she, her husband, and their son and daughter lived on base in the mid-1980s, arriving a few years after tests started finding contaminants in the water.
And so I felt betrayed, because when we moved in, they knew the water was toxic… you know, I have pictures of the kids and I playing on the driveway with like a sprinkler party … We watered our garden with the water and ate those crops, so to speak, out of the backyard. … We drank a lot of water.
The government has already begun settling some claims outside the courts. As of last week, it had made offers in 109 cases with 64 accepted, with settlements averaging about $250,000. But Songer says she's not interested in settling for that amount.
I think I’m worth more than that. Sorry.
She says she's resigned herself to not having the active retirement she envisioned. And she expects to have more expenses because of her condition … and may need to pass money on to her children, in case THEY eventually get sick from the water, too.
The bellwether cases are expected to go to trial late this year or early next year. But the clock is ticking. Bell’s law firm has clients as old as 90.
I'm Jay Price reporting.
This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.
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One solution to the heat of summer are trees. Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge tells us how the urban forest reduces heat, and what are the challenges of planting more trees.
We all know that tree shade is a welcome relief from the summer sun. The group Tree San Diego wants to better understand how and how well trees do their job.
Tree’s production of water vapor helps cool San Diego’s air. The influence of shade is powerful and easily understood. But in cities it’s also a matter of how trees interact with the built environment.
“Each material such as asphalt, concrete have different thermal properties compared to, like, grass and dirt. So when you’re measuring surface temperature under a tree canopy you’re also dealing with what kind of surface material you’re studying.”
Asphalt, they have found, gets the hottest when it’s unshaded. It also cools down most dramatically when shaded. The goal of Tree San Diego and the City of San Diego is to increase tree canopy coverage to 35 percent. Thomas Fudge, KPBS News.
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The San Diego Humane Society is in dire straits as the number of animals in its care has risen over capacity.
Reporter John Carroll says that’s why they’re making it easier than ever to adopt a pet.
That’s the sound of one of the 841 dogs being cared for by the San Diego Humane Society… more than 200 of them are puppies! Marketing Manager Jordan Frey says even with the newly expanded and renovated facility at their San Diego location, the Humane Society is having to get creative on where to hold all the animals in their care.
“We find new ways, whether it's housing animals in classrooms or offices, whether it's really pushing our foster base and expanding that way to make sure animals have somewhere safe to go.”
Now through September 10th, they’re holding a Clear The Shelters event - 50-percent off the cost of adopting any animal. So, if you’ve been considering bringing a puppy, dog, kitten, cat bird, hamster or gerbil into your life - there’s never been a better time than now for them - and for you. John Carroll, KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Tune in tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Thursday.
