Giant pandas return to San Diego Zoo

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, August 9th

Giant pandas are back in San Diego.More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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Warmer weather is returning to the inland areas of the county this weekend, with the highest temperatures expected tomorrow (Saturday).

The National Weather Service says there’s also a chance of thunderstorms in the mountain and desert areas.

Today (Friday), we’re looking at coastal temperatures in the mid 70s… and in the mountains, temps will be in the high 80s.

Folks in the inland valley will see highs in the 90s and triple digit heat is expected in the deserts.

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The annual Veterans Village of San Diego Stand Down event starts today (Friday) and runs through Sunday.

The event serves as a one-stop shop for veterans who are homeless or at risk for becoming homeless.

Veterans can get medical and dental care, a place to sleep and food.

VA staff will also be available to help veterans enroll in VA healthcare and apply for disability benefits.

Veterans Village president and CEO Akilah Templeton says about 800 volunteers make the event happen.

“So it's just, it's a great opportunity for us to actually bring our homeless veterans in show them that we care about them and get them access to some much needed resources in a very short period of time.”

She says this year there’s an emphasis on housing and expects some veterans coming through will find housing from the event.

Stand Down is at the South County Lighthouse in National City.

Registration and shuttle information is available at VVSD.net.

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The US Women’s soccer team is going for gold tomorrow (Saturday) morning. They’ll face Brazil in the final match of the Paris Olympics at 8 AM.

If you want a place to catch the game, San Diego Wave FC is hosting a watch party at Novo Brazil Brewing in Mission Valley.

Fans can enter giveaways, take home limited edition posters, and former national team player Shannon Mac Millan will be there with her silver and gold medals.

Doors open at 7:30 AM.

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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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Locals and tourists alike saw the San Diego Zoo’s new pandas for the first time yesterday [Thursday].

Reporter Katie Anastas says elected officials called it a celebration of global conservation efforts.

Paola Barajas got to the Zoo at 7:30 in the morning. As a San Diego native, she’s seen generations of pandas come and go.

I’m feeling emotional. I’m feeling so excited, I’m feeling so happy that I finally got to see our new pandas. This is just a very joyful day.

Pandas haven’t been at the San Diego Zoo since 2019. Last fall, Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested they could send pandas to the United States once again.

Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng says he’s been hearing from panda lovers ever since.

Two little panda fans from California wrote several letters to me proposing giving China grizzly bears to get pandas.

The new Panda Ridge exhibit is four times bigger than the zoo’s previous enclosure. It’s inspired by the pandas’ mountain habitat in China. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

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Now that the pandas are back, big crowds are sure to follow.

Reporter John Carroll has a suggestion for how to beat the traffic … and save money.

With the weekend nearly upon us, it’s a safe bet a lot of people will be heading to the zoo to see the pandas. To beat the traffic and the hassle of parking, MTS spokesman Hector Zermeno says two bus lines, the Rapid 215 and Route 7 both drop you off steps away from the zoo entrance.

“It is just have to walk a few steps to the main entrance and you're there. So it's very convenient for people, especially for families who have children that are going to the Zoo.”

Zermeno says children five and under ride free, so do teens 18 and under with a youth opportunity pass. Adults pay just $2.50 for a one-way pass. Info on schedules and more can be found at sdmts.com.  John Carroll, KPBS News.

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As heat waves continue, isolated seniors in rural areas are at greater risk.

Health reporter Heidi de Marco says volunteers are helping them stay safe in extreme temperatures.

Welfare check, point 9. 

My name is Stacy Coble. I'm 63 years old. I've been a volunteer of the sheriff volunteer patrol for the past two years.  

I gotta get the mileage. I already did. Oh, you did? All right. I take care of you. You sure do!

I am my dad’s partner. We cover a 400 mile radius. We are out in the backcountry. We go as far as the Imperial County line up to the Cuyamaca Mountains, to Potrero and right along the border. 

Stacy Coble and her dad Bill Huskey work out of the Pine Valley sheriff station. They’re among 336 sheriff volunteers who check on elderly and disabled people living alone in San Diego County. Today, they’re visiting 82-year-old George Floore and his dog Olive. 

George, he used to be a logger. But he lives way out in the East County. And lives in a little trailer, him and his dog. And we've been going and seeing George now for at least five years.

Hi George. It’s Stacy. 

So we make sure that they are happy, they're safe. We can't always control the weather or the conditions that they live in. But if they say they're hungry, then we reach out to  Meals on Wheels, PACE. We try to find every resource that there is that can help make their life a little better.  

Hey George. Hey, how are you my brother?

George, a neighbor signed him up, but a lot of the people that are signed up, a deputy has been called out on a welfare check, sees what's going on and they get them signed up. Now the person has to agree to it that we can come by and visit them every day.

I just love it when they come out here and check on me. I got diabetes and the last thing I want to do is go into a diabetic coma and lay there and die. You know, so I really like it when people come out and check on this old fart, you know?

Seniors are expected to make up 40% of rural households by 2030, according to the Urban Institute. In San Diego County, nearly 101,000 seniors are spending their golden years alone and facing increased health risks in solitude.

Some of them don't have any air conditioning. And it is 100 degrees out here right now. We're going through a real hot spell, but it's every summer. So, we check on them to make sure that they're getting some kind of relief from the weather. Making sure they have water, making sure they have food. 

Heat poses greater risks to older adults, especially those with pre-existing conditions, social isolation, or limited access to air conditioning.

How am I doing with the heat? Not very good. Not very good. I got an air conditioner, but I don’t like to run it cause I don't have that much money. You know what I mean? Cost a fortune. I got a fan going in there. 

Heat can be especially challenging for individuals with emphysema, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that heightens the risk of breathing difficulties.

It’s nice to have somebody looking forward to seeing me, which is very unusual. (Coughing) Oh, I got emphysema. Oh, dear. 

Heat wave studies reveal that older adults living alone face the highest risk of heat-related death. A University of Waterloo study calls for policy reforms to enhance air conditioning access for seniors in the southern U.S. It recommends both mandatory air conditioning in new homes and solutions to reduce operating costs.

Oh, Olive, honey, I love you so. You’re keeping this old man alive, aren’t ya? It's sad because when you talk to them, they all have families and a lot of them say, well, they never come and visit us.

Three girls and a boy and I love every one of them dearly. Two of them I wouldn’t know if I saw them on the street. That’s how long I’ve been away from them. I love my kids. Oh, well. 

I wish this program was more known. I am sure there are a lot of people that could benefit and it's all over San Diego County.

Coble says the program needs more volunteers. 

I don’t know what I’d do without people checking on me, you know? Find me dead, you know? Well, we’re not going to do that. You’re going to be here a long, long time. Oh, ya ya, I have no intention of passing. I’m too young. That’s right. 

Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.

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The state’s earthquake warning system was on display this week after earthquakes hit near Bakersfield.

Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge tells us how those warnings work.

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Kern County Tuesday was felt throughout much of Southern California. Prior to the shaking, hundreds of thousands of Californians were warned of its coming by the Myshake smartphone app 

San Diego county has its own earthquake warning app you can download. Jeff Toney is director of the county office of emergency services. The app is connected to land sensors through the state that pick up on the initial bursts of energy prior to the shaking. 

“It’s the S-wave that comes after that’s the shock wave where you’ll feel the shaking. So between those sources of energy, there’s time where you can take personal protective action before the shaking starts.”

The time you have to prepare for the shaking is measured in seconds. Toney says during those, perhaps ten seconds, you should cover, drop to the floor, cover yourself and hold onto something heavy. Thomas Fudge, KPBS News.

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When disasters hit and the roads are not passable, rescuing those in need can be impossible.

Video journalist Matthew Bowler met up with one group organizing to solve that problem with a race on saturday.

In Southern California we never know when the big one is going to hit.

A bike mechanic named Mike Cobb in Portland Oregon saw how challenging it was to get supplies to those in need after the Haitian earthquake in 2010 and he started an event called The Disaster Relief Trials. 

It’s a bike race for cargo bikes simulating supply runs during a natural disaster.

Brian Hoffman is bringing it to San Diego. 

The bicycle is really the ideal tool to get around town when, when you don't have, you know, fuel. When the roads are blocked. 

The race starts at 8AM at the North Park Mini Park on 29th Street one block South of University.  Matthew Bowler KPBS News.

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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast was produced by Brenden Tuccinardi and edited by Emilyn Mohebbi. We’d also like to thank KPBS editor Joe Guerin for helping the podcast team this week. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again on Monday to start the week together with the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.