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Redeveloping the Sports Arena property

 May 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM PDT

Good Morning, I’m Annica Colbert….it’s Wednesday, May 4th.>>>>

What’s going on with the sports arena property
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######

About 200 people turned out for a rally in downtown San Diego yesterday evening. It was organized by groups that support abortion rights. And was in response to the Supreme Court’s leaked draft majority opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade.

Another rally protesting the potential ruling is planned today at 6 p.m. at the Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego.

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Amazon says it will add 25-hundred jobs across Santa Monica, Irvine, and San Diego. More than 700 will be in San Diego. According to the company, the new jobs will include positions in software development, game design, user experience, HR, finance and IT. To make room for its San Diego expansion, Amazon has signed a lease for office space at U-T-C . It’s expected to open next year.

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San Diego city council women jennifer campbell and marni von wilpert said Tuesday that they intend to fund a conservator-ship and treatment unit for homeless individuals. They say they’ll make it part of their budget priorities for the next fiscal year.

The unit would find housing and treatment programs for unsheltered individuals who are unable to care for their own needs, and who have no family or friends to look out for them. The council women want to allocate 500-thousand dollars for it. The city begins its budget review process today.

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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.

San Diego is getting closer to choosing a developer to build much-needed housing on the Sports Arena property. But KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen says housing for the middle class doesn't seem to count for much.

AB: One of the proposals the city is considering promises to build 1,100 affordable homes for middle-income households — far more than any of its competitors. But that may not matter. State law requires the city to pick the project with the most low-income housing, even if it has fewer homes overall. Mayor Todd Gloria says the city is in close contact with state officials on what's required.

TG: "What we've received is nothing but favorable feedback. They're very excited about what we're doing here. And my aim is to stay on that track to deliver a project that the state can support."

AB: State housing officials rejected the city's last attempt to redevelop the Sports Arena because those plans did not adequately prioritize low-income housing. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

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Changes could be on the way for two transit stations in Carlsbad. KPBS North County reporter Tania Thorne has more.

The North County Transit District is taking bids for the redevelopment of Carlsbad’s transit stations.

The Carlsbad Village and Poinsettia station each have more than 10 acres of land that could potentially be reimagined to be mixed use developments.

Tracey Foster is with NCTD.

“We think that, as part of this highest and best use analysis that the carlsbad village site could yield between three hundred to four hundred residential units and approximately 140 at the poinsettia site. And then some commercial uses mixed in,”

The transit district owns the land and would lease it to developers.

Proposals from developers will be turned in by July. The transit agency hopes to start negotiations with the selected party by November.

TT KPBS News

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In a lab at UC San Diego, scientists have discovered a gene marker for Alzheimer's disease. KPBS science and technology reporter Thomas Fudge says this means researchers can better predict Alzheimer's… and maybe find the path to a cure.

The study looks back on 15 years of blood testing and observation of hundreds of people over 65. And it has found a clear connection between an overactive gene and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

UCSD bioengineering professor Sheng Zhong says the gene, and serine, the nutrient it produces, play a key role in brain development. But in older people, overactivity of the gene seems to cause damage.

Our hypothesis is that a pronounced oversupply of serine makes neurons too active for too long a time and thus become toxic.

And that may help create the conditions that lead to Alzheimer’s. Zhong says ongoing experiments could help researchers find a way to tone down the overactive gene… in hopes that will block the development of the disease. Thomas Fudge, KPBS news.

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Next fall the San Diego Unified School Board will have two new student members.

KPBS Education Reporter M.G. Perez has more on the young man who was the first student representative on the board.

Zachary Patterson graduates from University City High School in a few weeks, leaving a legacy as the first-ever student member of the San Diego Unified Board of Education.

He campaigned for the job starting as a middle school student. Since October 2019 when he was elected, he’s supported COVID protections and mandatory vaccinations. He’s also developed mental health programs. On his way out, he has convinced the board that two student members are better than one.

“we have a lot of issues in our district and that’s no secret, but we’re not going to solve them by complacency. We’re not going to solve them with people who don’t speak up. We need students willing to make the system a little bit better than they found it.”

Applications from high school students are now being accepted on the district’s website. MGP KPBS News

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Coming up.... How do you get your household to zero waste? We’ll have more on that, and what's at stake for the Navy with the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. That’s next, just after the break.

Each week the majority of us fill a plastic garbage bag with waste that is hauled to the landfill. We throw away everything from non-recyclable plastics to food waste and plenty of other things.

Not Fredrika Syren’s family. They aim to not create any trash. Fredrika Syren is the author of a new book, “A Practical Guide to Zero Waste for Families.” She spoke to KPBS Midday Edition Host Jade Hindmon. Here’s that interview….

And that was Fredrika Syren, author of A practical guide to zero waste for families. She was speaking with KPBS MIdday Edition host Jade Hindmon.

TopGun: Maverick is set to premiere in San Diego today

KPBS Military Reporter Steve Walsh says the Navy is banking on the film striking gold twice for Naval Aviation.

That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Annica Colbert. Thanks for listening and have a great day.

San Diego is getting closer to choosing a developer to build much-needed housing on the Sports Arena property, but the developer with the project that would build the most housing may not be chosen. Meanwhile, North County’s transit agency is asking for proposals to build mixed use developments at two transit stations in Carlsbad. Plus, what’s at stake for the Navy with the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick?