Palomar and UC San Diego Health agree to create joint powers authority
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson …it’s MONDAY, OCTOBER 27TH>>>> A SOLUTION IS IN THE WORKS TO HELP PALOMAR HEALTH THROUGH ITS FINANCIAL STRUGGLES More on that next. But first... the headlines…#######
TOMORROW, THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL IS VOTING ON A SERIES OF INCREASES TO WATER AND SEWER RATES.
THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO VOTE ON THE ISSUE A MONTH AGO, BUT DELAYED A DECISION TO ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE RATE INCREASES ARE DUE TO RISING WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS.
IF APPROVED, CITY WATER WOULD BE 63% MORE EXPENSIVE BY 2029.
#######
VOTE CENTERS ARE NOW OPEN ACROSS SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOR THE NOVEMBER 4th SPECIAL ELECTION.
YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON, DROP OFF A MAIL-IN BALLOT, USE AN ACCESSIBLE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE AND GET HELP VOTING IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
ADDITIONAL VOTE CENTERS WILL OPEN ON NOVEMBER FIRST.
SHAWN BROM (BRAH-m) IS THE COUNTY’S ASSISTANT REGISTRAR OF VOTERS.
VOTECENTERS2A [10s]
There will be less locations open this election than in other elections. So to avoid long lines, please, if you'd like to vote in person, visit one of these vote centers early.
VOTE CENTERS WILL BE OPEN FROM 8 A.M. TO 5 P.M. DAILY. VOTERS CAN ALSO RETURN THEIR BALLOTS TO DROP BOXES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
ALL VOTE CENTERS, DROP BOXES AND THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE WILL CLOSE AT 8 P.M. ON ELECTION DAY.
THE COUNTY REGISTRAR HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 450-THOUSAND BALLOTS AS OF FRIDAY.
########
THE SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE APPOINTED A NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO LATE LAST WEEK.
SHAWN DIXON GOT THE JOB FOLLOWING A GLOBAL SEARCH
AND AS IT TURNS OUT, SOMETIMES WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR IS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU
DIXON HAS BEEN SERVING AS INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS
PRIOR TO THAT, HE WAS THE ORG’S C-O-O FOR NINE YEARS
HE’S BEEN CREDITED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR PROJECTS AT BOTH THE SAN DIEGO ZOO AND SAFARI PARK LIKE WALKABOUT AUSTRALIA AND THE UPCOMING ELEPHANT VALLEY
THAT’S SET TO OPEN AT THE SAFARI PARK EARLY NEXT YEAR
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
<<<UNDERWRITING BREAK>>
######
<<<MUSIC BUMP INTO A BLOCK>>
##########
PALOMAR HEALTH HAS AGREED TO CREATE A JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY WITH U-C SAN DIEGO HEALTH.
UNDER THE AGREEMENT … PALOMAR WOULD TRANSFER LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF ITS ASSETS TO THE J-P-A … INCLUDING ITS POWAY HOSPITAL.
IT ALSO ESTABLISHES A 50 MILLION DOLLAR LINE OF CREDIT FOR THE DISTRICT.
THE MOVE IS AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE PALOMAR’S FINANCIAL POSITION AFTER RECENT STRUGGLES.
BUT BOARD MEMBER JOHN CLARK SAYS THIS IS THE START OF THE END FOR PALOMAR HEALTH.. AND HE ABSTAINED FROM THURSDAY'S VOTE.
UCPALOMAR 1A (0:13)
“Ultimately, we're going to be owned by UC San Diego Health. If everything goes to the planned agreement, Palomar Health essentially is going to go away, and then we will be just a part of the UC San Diego Health District.”
LEADERS OF THE TWO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS SAY IT IS NOT A TAKEOVER... THEY WILL WORK TOGETHER.
THEY ALSO SAY THE AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW U-C-S-D TO EXPAND TO NORTH COUNTY, AND PALOMAR WILL BE ABLE TO EXPAND SERVICES.
BUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WILL NEED TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT.
##########
THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FILED CHARGES ON FRIDAY AGAINST POWAY COUNCILMEMBER TONY BLAIN.
BLAIN IS CHARGED WITH FOUR FELONIES AND ONE MISDEMEANOR … INCLUDING PERJURY … ASKING FOR A BRIBE … AND DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC PAPERS.
HE IS CURRENTLY FACING A RECALL ELECTION FOR THE SAME ISSUES THAT HE’S BEEN CHARGED WITH.
JOHN COUVRETTE (coo-VRETTE) WITH THE ‘RECALL TONY BLAIN CAMPAIGN’ CALLS IT A VINDICATION.
BLAINCHARGED 1A (0:14)
“THIS IS AN OUTCOME OF GOOD PEOPLE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND SAVING THE GOOD LIFE WE HAVE IN POWAY. AND TONY WAS QUICKLY IN HIS CAPACITY AS COUNCILMEMBER TARNISHING THAT WAY OF LIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE.”
BLAIN IS AN ARMY RESERVE DOCTOR WHO IS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED.
IN THE PAST, HIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER HAS DENIED THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BLAIN.
FRIDAY, CAMPAIGN MANAGER STEVE MARIETTI SAID HE HAS NO COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
THE D-A’S OFFICE SAYS BLAIN’S ARRAIGNMENT IS SET FOR NOVEMBER THIRD… THAT’S THE DAY BEFORE THE SPECIAL ELECTION.
##########
THIS SUMMER WE BROUGHT YOU THE STORY OF A LOCAL NONPROFIT READY TO PROVIDE A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME TO VETERAN WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN.
MILITARY REPORTER ANDREW DYER SAYS FAMILIES HAVE NOW MOVED IN AND WOUNDED WARRIOR HOMES WANTS TO DO IT AGAIN.
VETHOMEFOLO 1 (AD) :55 (SOQ)
navy veteran emely coleman was at a crisis point this summer.
“i was like, i don't know how i'm going to finish school and make sure the kids are okay and make sure housing is okay.”
the full-time nursing student was ready to quit school to make ends meet when she saw a news story`. — it said a non-profit had a single-family home for a veteran just like her.
“and i applied”
coleman moved in last month with her two kids, they share the home with another veteran mom and her two kids.
rick espitia (es-speesh-uh) is the president and executive director of wounded warrior homes.
he says he’s proud of what coleman’s been able to do in a short amount of time.
“she's doing fabulous. her children, like to tease me.”
coleman is about to graduate and has accepted a nursing job in another state where she and her kids can start over.
espitia says they’re looking to expand the program. they’re also looking for another family to move in early next year.
andrew dyer, kpbs news.
##########
YOUNG CLIMATE ACTIVISTS SAY PLANET WARMING EMISSIONS ARE AFFECTING THEIR LIVES. THEY WANT POLLUTERS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER TAMMY MURGA SPOKE WITH SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE PUSHING FOR A STRATEGY.
WALKOUT 1 trt: 1:17 soq
Hours after the Border 2 fire erupted on Otay (O-TIE) Mountain in January, ash reached Hilltop High School in Chula Vista. Maria Echevarria is a junior there.
“Everyone had like, headaches. We saw like, the ash kind of like rain and stuff.”
Wildfires, floods and heatwaves are becoming more common as climate change intensifies.
Echevarria says oil and gas companies are generating pollution that's driving climate change.
She says there’s a state bill that could hold industries financially accountable.
“it is a superfund that is aimed to make big oil corporations pay for the climate damages that they have caused.”
Echevarria and hundreds of students across California walked out of their classrooms Friday to bring attention to the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025.
Students from 19 San Diego County schools were expected to participate.
“The money's going to go into the restorative and, conservation efforts that the state of California is kind of like hoping to hoping to pursue.”
University City High School student Haley Ross and her schoolmate Kaylee Tichenor are hopeful lawmakers are listening.
“We're showing our leaders that youth are paying attention and we care, and we will not stay silent while our future is on the line.”
The proposal remains stalled in state committees. Tammy Murga, KPBS News
##########
ALRIGHT SDNN LISTENERS, TODAY IS YET ANOTHER EPISODE OF THE ‘THE POD BEHIND THE PKG’!
ONCE PER WEEK, I’LL BRING IN A REPORTER, ANCHOR OR VIDEO JOURNALIST FOR A BEHIND-THE-SCENES, DEEP DIVE AND INFORMAL CHAT.
(audio starts with “with me this week is …”)
THAT CLIP WAS FROM ELAINE’S INTERVIEW WITH DUKE PROFESSOR KISHA DANIELS. THANK YOU TO REPORTER ELAINE ALFARO FOR BEING MY GUEST FOR THIS WEEK’S POD BEHIND THE PACKAGE. IF YOU MISSED HER STORY “GROSSMONT SCHOOLS ALREADY FEELING IMPACTS OF LIBRARY CUTS,” CHECK IT OUT AT KPBS.ORG
<<<SHOW CLOSE>>>
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
