SD Unified leaders reverse decision to remove middle school from Bethune K-8
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson, it’s FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH>>>>
FAMILIES IN SOUTHEAST SAN DIEGO PUSHED BACK AND HAVE NOW BEEN HEARD… More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines…
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DEMOCRATIC LEADERS MIKE LEVIN AND ADAM SCHIFF WERE AT A TRUE-CARE CLINIC IN OCEANSIDE ON THURSDAY WARNING HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS COULD RISE IF CONGRESS FAILS TO EXTEND PANDEMIC-ERA TAX CREDITS FOR AFFORDABLE CARE ACT RECIPIENTS.
TRUE-CARES CEO MICHELE GONZALEZ SAYS THESE TAX CREDITS ARE CRITICAL.
LEVIN SCHIFF 2A (0:12)
We watch this play out every single day. Patients who benefit from screenings to prevent cancer or heart disease. Children who can refill their asthma medication to avoid an adverse outcome.
THE CREDITS, WHICH SAVED CALIFORNIANS AN AVERAGE OF $800 A YEAR, ARE SET TO EXPIRE IN DECEMBER. WITH JUST DAYS LEFT BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINE, HEALTH LEADERS SAY THE STAKES FOR SAN DIEGANS ARE TOO HIGH TO IGNORE.
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[INSERT ICE OUT OF SAN DIEGO PROTEST CHANTS SOT + (NATS)]
DOZENS GATHERED FOR WHAT HAS BECOME A WEEKLY PROTEST AGAINST ICE AT THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENCY’S SAN DIEGO FIELD OFFICE DOWNTOWN
PROTESTER CHRISTOPHER MARTIN TOLD OUR PARTNER STATION 10NEWS HE’S WORRIED ABOUT LOSING CERTAIN CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
“somebody needs to come speak out,especially when free speech has been threatened.It's a use it or lose it for free speech.So I feel like I need to be here on the streets with everybody else to show the government that if they keep pushing,the people will push back.”
THE PROTEST COMES AMID HEIGHTENED CONCERNS OF POLITICALLY MOTIVATED VIOLENCE NATIONWIDE. A RECENT FATAL SHOOTING AT AN ICE FACILITY IN DALLAS IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION.
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STRONG SURF WILL HIT SAN DIEGO SHORES STARTING THIS WEEKEND.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXPECTS HURRICANE NARDA TO MOVE FURTHER OFFSHORE AND POTENTIALLY STRENGTHEN INTO A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE THIS AFTERNOON
SWELL ENERGY FROM THE STORM COULD BEGIN TO REACH THE COUNTY LATE FRIDAY AND BUILD THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY
SEVERAL BEACHES WILL SEE FOUR TO SIX FOOT WAVES.SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST INTENSE SURF IS EXPECTED AT BLACKS BEACH MONDAY MORNING
THE FORECASTERS AT SURFLINE ARE PREDICTING WAVES OVER HEAD HIGH THERE
STAY SAFE OUT THERE AND PLEASE CHECK CONDITIONS BEFOREHAND!
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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SAN DIEGO UNIFIED IS KEEPING MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES AT A SOUTHEAST SAN DIEGO SCHOOL.
EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS THE REVERSAL CAME AT A COMMUNITY MEETING THIS PAST WEEK(Wednesday).
BETHUNE1 1:17 SOQ
Bethune K-8 School was one of four schools set to lose its middle school grades in the next two years. District leaders said middle schools provide more electives and the courses students need to prepare for college.
At the meeting, teachers highlighted Bethune’s strengths, including Spanish language classes, a leadership program and sports.
Spanish teacher Desiree Rauterkus says she builds relationships with students and their families over time.
RAUTERKUS [8s]
I think that's the benefit of a K-8. And I think developmentally, you know, 11, 12, 13 year olds, they need that.
Jonathan Nagtalon’s [nag-TALON] daughters graduated from Bethune. He says the school has what the district wants for its middle schools.
NAGTALON
I've never sat in a meeting where you basically go through all that emotion, hear all the wants and needs, basically have to go ahead and prove your case, and at the very end, realize that this is what we need.
At the end of the meeting, Superintendent Fabiola Bagula [fa-vee-OH-la ba-GOO-la] announced middle school grades would stay at Bethune.
BAGULA
Please know we're not touching Bethune. [applause]
Three other TK-8 schools in the district will still lose their middle school grades next year. Those are Audubon, Fulton and Golden Hill. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
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IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN — HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO GO TO THE MIRAMAR AIRSHOW THIS WEEKEND.
MILITARY REPORTER ANDREW DYER GOT A PREVIEW OF THIS YEAR’S SHOW.
AIRSHOW 1 (ad) :48 SOQ
JET NATS
01;44;03 - 01;46;02
COL. ERIK HERRMANN, COMMANDING OFFICER, MCAS MIRAMAR
FREE PARKING, FREE ADMISSION...
COLONEL ERIK HERRMANN IS THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR WHICH WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.
HE SAYS THERE’S A LOT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT FOR THIS YEAR’S AIR SHOW. MORE THAN 300,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED LAST YEAR.
03;25;03 - 03;38;11
COL. ERIK HERRMANN, COMMANDING OFFICER, MCAS MIRAMAR
IT IS A GREAT EVENT, AND IT'S, THERE'S TONS. OF ROOM FOR EVERYBODY. SO DON'T LET THE HIGH NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, MAKE YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN'T GET IN HERE AND GET A GREAT VIEW OF THE ACTION. YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. AND WE'RE DOING IT ALL THREE DAYS — FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY.
THAT ACTION INCLUDES A REAL-TIME DEMONSTRATION OF A MARINE TASK FORCE “TAKING” THE AIRFIELD, SEVERAL TYPES OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT NEW AND OLD AND, OF COURSE, THE NAVY BLUE ANGELS.
INFORMATION ON SCHEDULES, COMING ON BASE AND ITEMS NOT TO BRING IS AVAILABLE AT MIRAMAR AIR SHOW DOT COM.
ANDREW DYER, KPBS NEWS
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THE NONPROFIT APP WATCH DUTY IS REVOLUTIONIZING HOW PEOPLE GET INFORMATION ABOUT WILDFIRES AND EVACUATIONS.
REPORTER SCOTT RODD SAYS IT’S NOT JUST RESIDENTS IN VULNERABLE AREAS USING THE APP — WATCH DUTY IS QUICKLY BECOMING AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR FIREFIGHTERS ON THE FRONT LINES.
WATCHDUTY (5:09) FEATURE (SOC)
An automated notification flashes on Liam Winstead’s computer screen, alerting him to a potential grass fire.
WINSTEAD
[31:54]
“It looks like it's near the mall here in Carlsbad along the 78 on the Oceanside border.”
Now, the clock starts ticking.
Winstead is a staff reporter with Watch Duty. He needs to confirm if this fire is real and whether it poses any danger.
Winstead pulls up live lookout cameras in the area.
[32:55]
I see there might be one super far away on Pendleton, there’s this San Marcos Peak camera…I don't see anything super obvious.”
He checks out live traffic maps from CalTrans to see if there’s a slowdown along highway 78. Drivers tend to rubberneck when there’s a fire nearby.
Then Winstead pulls up multiple radio streams. He usually listens to two feeds at once.
[35:00]
[radio chatter]... “So this is the Oceanside fire battalion chief telling the dispatcher to notify that Carlsbad has a possible vegetation fire…[more chatter] this is radio traffic from local ham radio operators, which is also picked up on this feed.”
If you’re picturing Winstead in a command center surrounded by walls of monitors and high tech equipment…think again.
The recent college grad is working from the bedroom of his UTC apartment. He uses a small Macbook, a single computer monitor and a radio.
But from this unassuming setup…Winstead carries tremendous responsibility. He confirms the Carlsbad fire is real…and poses a danger to nearby residents.
2326
[1:36]
“It looks like we are going to upgrade the fire, so now everyone is going to get a notification.”
Winstead sent the notification to Watch Duty’s San Diego County subscribers. The alert lit up more than half a million phones.
Watch Duty has only been around since 2021 …but it’s widely considered the app to use when you need fast, reliable updates on a wildfire.
PIMLOTT
[18:07]
“If I've seen anything have the single greatest impact on engaging the public … this is the tool that's done it.”
Ken Pimlott is the former chief of Cal Fire…the state’s fire prevention and response agency. He retired in 2018 after more than 30 years in firefighting.
PIMLOTT
[1:11]
“Watch Duty has really found a niche that, honestly, needed to be filled as the fire problem continues to grow across the Western United States, but certainly here in California. People are hungry for information.”
Watch Duty collects updates about wildfires and evacuations from a number of agencies…and then funnels the information into an intuitive app. Paid staff reporters and an army of volunteer contributors monitor radio traffic to provide real-time updates.
Before Watch Duty…you’d have to comb through a bunch of stand-alone websites, apps and social media pages to glean that information.
MERRITT
[6:30]
“We're trying to synthesize all the stuff that's going on, especially during the initial attack when a fire is first developing.”
David Merritt is the co-founder and CTO of Watch Duty.
MERRITT
[6:43]
“We're trying to make it relevant — not too much, not too often, but give people enough information to start making decisions on their own.”
Merritt emphasizes that Watch Duty reports on updates and orders from official sources. It does not, for example, issue evacuation notices on its own.
The app now covers 22 states and has 17 million users. That includes many firefighters and emergency responders.
MERRITT
[3:08]
“It was a big surprise that the information gap also existed on the professional side. With mutual aid, with different firefighting agencies working together — there isn't a common operating platform for that.”
Watch Duty offers multiple paid membership tiers, including one geared toward professionals. The basic version of the app with the most essential information remains free.
Volunteer contributors played a huge role in allowing Watch Duty to scale up. Some are retired firefighters and dispatchers. Others are fire-tracking enthusiasts.
Winstead … the San Diego-based staff reporter … started monitoring and posting about wildfires on social media in high school.
He was a student at UC San Diego when he joined Watch Duty as a volunteer.
WINSTEAD
[13:27]
“I was kind of all in, was probably putting in like 10, 20 hours a week in college. And then when summer came, instead of having an internship, I volunteered with Watch Duty.
He graduated with a degree in real estate development. But decided to stick with Watch Duty when they called offering him a job.
While Winstead reports on fires across Watch Duty’s entire coverage area… he specializes in covering the San Diego region.
WINSTEAD
[17:10]
“Knowing where the fire is going to spread, knowing which communities are going to be impacted — you really can't understand without local knowledge.”
Sometimes it brings him a little too close to the action. Like in June when a fire broke out near his parents home, where he was staying at the time.
WINSTEAD
[21:40]
“I went outside and … the smoke started billowing towards me, ash started falling on my computer, on me.”
Winstead evacuated out of an abundance of caution. He finished reporting on the fire from a nearby Starbucks as Cal Fire planes passed overhead.
SOC
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THE DOCUMENTARY TURA! HAD ITS WORLD PREMIERE AT THE SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL LAST NOVEMBER. KPBS CINEMA JUNKIE BETH ACCOMANDO SAYS YOU CAN NOW FIND THE DOCUMENTARY STREAMING, AND IT’S WELL WORTH CHECKING OUT.
TURADOC (ba) 1:13 SOQ
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Tura Satana was the best role model I could have. Not a traditional one but one that boldly proclaimed you didn’t have to obey any rules. When I saw her as Varla in Faster Pussycat Kill Kill I knew she was dangerous. Not just to the characters in the film but to a society that feared strong women it could not control.
CLIP Look I don’t know what your point is but… the point is of no return and you just reached it.
CODY JARRETT Varla was an authentic female badass when that really did not exist.
Cody Jarrett chronicles the iconic actress’ life and legacy in Tura!
CODY JARRETT Tura had a very, very hard life and being able to bring all of her experiences to the camera as Varla, that's what really made the magic. That was like lightning in a bottle.
Jarrett captures some of that lightning in his documentary, which plays out like a thriller full of trauma, triumphs, plot twists, and deep appreciation for this amazing woman. No one has ever matched her ferocious vitality. She was like a force of nature, breathtaking to behold, and this documentary does her justice.
Beth Accomando, KPBS News.##########
A NEW STAR-STUDDED MOVIE ABOUT TO HIT THE SILVER SCREEN … HAS ALREADY BEEN A BIG FINANCIAL BOOST FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
REPORTER JACOB AERE SAYS LOCAL FILM LEADERS HOPE IT HELPS TO REVITALIZE THE TV AND MOVIE INDUSTRY IN THE REGION.
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SDMOVIE 1 (ja) :54 soq
“One Battle After Another” is the new Warner Bros. movie written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
When the film debuts this weekend, it’ll highlight some San Diego landmarks.
Last year crews for the production spent about six weeks filming across the region … including the border and east county.
Jodi Cilley (SILL-ee) is founder and president of Film Consortium San Diego. She says this movie could be a turning point for the filmmaking industry in the region.
“Having big productions here brings jobs to our local film community. Which allows us to stay here and work and not have to move to LA or New York or somewhere else.”
The county said filming for the movie added nearly $7 million into the local economy through things like lodging, food and wages for movie extras and technicians. JA KPBS News.
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HAPPY FRIDAY YA’LL, IT’S TIME FOR SOME WEEKEND EVENTS!
EACH AND EVERY FRIDAY, I DO MY BEST TO FIND A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY SO LET’S KICK IT OFF!
ALMOST EVERY NIGHT THERE’S AN OWL THAT FLIES PAST MY BALCONY
I MISSED THE CHANCE TO ADMIRE THEIR FLIGHT LAST NIGHT SO FOR THE BIRD WATCHERS LIKE ME OR YOU, THERE IS ‘CRITTER ENCOUNTERS’
THAT’S HAPPENING AT 10 AM THIS FRIDAY MORNING AT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND IS FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION
OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET THE ANIMALS ARE LIMITED AND CONTINGENT UPON THE ANIMALS WELL-BEING
ARRIVING EARLY IS THE BEST WAY TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES!
FOR THE HIKERS AND ADVENTURE TYPES, EVERY FOURTH SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER IS ‘NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY’!
THIS MEANS NATIONAL PARKS THAT TYPICALLY REQUIRE ADMISSION FEES ARE OPEN FOR FREE
FOR EXAMPLE ONE OF OUR CLOSEST NATIONAL PARKS IS JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK WHICH I’VE VISITED AND ABSOLUTELY LOVED
LASTLY, FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO BUILD UPON THEIR GREEN THUMB OR JUST DEVELOP ONE THERE IS GARDENING 1-0-1 ON SUNDAY
CITY FARMERS NURSERY IS HOSTING A FREE OUTDOOR WORKSHOP AND WILL LEAD A CLASS ON WHICH PLANTS THRIVE BEST AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THEM HERE IN OUR COUNTY
THAT’S STARTING EARLY AT 9 AM UNTIL NOON AND IS LOCATED AT THIRTY-ONE TEN EUCLID AVE
ENJOY!
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That is it for San Diego News Now this week! Serving as editor for the pod this week is Brooke Ruth & Quinn Owen. This podcast is hosted and produced by me, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
