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Thousands more will have access to San Diego Unified’s free afterschool program

 April 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM PDT

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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s THURSDAY, APRIL SIXTEENTH>>>> [SAN DIEGO UNIFIED’S FREE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM IS EXPANDING]More on that next. But first... the headlines….#######

THE SERRA MESA LIBRARY IS SET TO BE CONVERTED INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS 

CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROJECT BEGAN TUESDAY, TWENTY YEARS AFTER THE LIBRARY CLOSED 

THE SERRA MESA APARTMENT BUILDING WILL BE FIVE-STORIES WITH 59 UNITS 

HALF OF THE UNITS ARE BEING SET ASIDE FOR VETERANS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 

VETERANS LIVING ON SITE WILL RECEIVE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FROM THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

THE BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN THE FALL OF 2027

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THE U-S ARMY CORE OF ENGINEERS IS CURRENTLY  DREDGING THE OCEANSIDE HARBOR TO ADDRESS AN UNANTICIPATED EMERGENCY 

 

U-S REPRESENTATIVE MIKE LEVIN SECURED 8 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES DREDGING IN THE FALL.. 

HE SAYS THE BUILDUP OF SEDIMENT CAUSED TWO BOATS TO CAPSIZE FROM BREAKING WAVES AND ANOTHER TO GET STUCK.

OCEANSIDE HARBOR  SERVES  COMMERCIAL USERS AND MILITARY VESSELS GOING INTO AND OUT OF CAMP PENDLETON

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LA MESA IS HONORING LATE-NBA PLAYER AND LA MESA NATIVE BILL WALTON BY NAMING AN INTERSECTION AFTER HIM 

BILL WALTON WAY IS NEAR HELIX HIGH SCHOOL WHERE BACK IN BOTH 1969 AND 1970, WALTON LED THE HELIX HIGHLANDERS TO SAN DIEGO SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS 

HE WAS ALSO PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN ALL THREE OF HIS VARSITY SEASONS AT UCLA

ONCE BECOMING THE FIRST PICK IN THE 1974 NBA DRAFT, WALTON WENT ON TO LEAD THE TRAILBLAZERS TO A 1977 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

WALTON PASSED AWAY FOLLOWING A BATTLE WITH CANCER IN 2024 AT AGE 71

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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WORKING PARENTS OFTEN NEED A FEW HOURS OF CHILD CARE AFTER SCHOOL. BUT SPOTS IN FREE PROGRAMS ARE LIMITED. 

EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS THOUSANDS MORE FAMILIES IN SAN DIEGO UNIFIED WILL HAVE ACCESS THIS FALL.

PRIMETIME1 0:52 SOQ

San Diego Unified’s free afterschool program is in high demand.

Enrollment has nearly tripled over the last three years…and hundreds of families have been on the waitlist.

Next school year, that will change.

PACE

We are launching universal access to 144 elementary and middle schools for PrimeTime

Tobie Pace oversees San Diego Unified’s PrimeTime program. She says all interested students will be able to attend next year…if their parents enroll by May 1.

The district got additional state funding last year to start expanding the program.

PACE

The potential for next year is exciting. We could enroll up to 30, even 40,000 kids in our afterschool program now that we've received this funding.

Enrollment starts on Monday at 8 a.m. and closes May 1 at 3 p.m. Pace says parents will get an application link in a text and an email. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

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FREE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS CAN HELP CUT DOWN ON CHILDCARE COSTS FOR PARENTS, BUT FAMILIES COULD SEE AN INCREASE IN COSTS WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSIT…

THAT’S BECAUSE THE COST OF RIDING BUSES, TROLLEYS AND TRAINS IN THE COUNTY COULD GO UP SIGNIFICANTLY THIS YEAR. REPORTER KATIE FUTTERMAN WITH PUBLIC MATTERS PARTNER INEWSOURCE EXPLAINS WHY.

TRANSITFARE 1 (inews) TRT(1:03) SOQ

The Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District are considering plans this week to increase fares up to 40-percent.

The two transit agencies are trying to work together to make up for lost revenue and address future budget issues.

They’ve faced ridership losses since the pandemic and federal funding reductions, among other challenges.

Shawn Donaghy is the CEO of the North County Transit District.

“Our recommendation is what makes the best sense for the region so that the region is sustainable and consistent in its fare policies across the board, so that everybody sort of benefits from a county perspective,”

Current fares for North County’s breeze buses and Metropolitan Transit System’s trolley and buses are $2.50. The plans could raise them to $3 or $3.50. Both also have a monthly pass that could go from its current $72 to as high as $100.

The fare hikes would go to the San Diego Association of Governments Transportation Committee for final consideration if approved this week.

For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporter Katie Futterman.

TAG: INEWSOURCE IS AN INDEPENDENTLY FUNDED NONPROFIT PARTNER OF KPBS.

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SAN DIEGO’S MAYOR IS PROPOSING BIG CUTS TO THE CITY’S BUDGET.  REPORTER JOHN CARROLL HAS MORE ON THE SPENDING PLAN RELEASED YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY).

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CITYBUDGET 1                        1:05                                SOQ

MAYOR TODD GLORIA HAS BEEN SIGNALING THAT MAJOR REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING WERE COMING… AND ON WEDNESDAY, THOSE CAME INTO FOCUS. THE BUDGET AIMS TO CLOSE A DEFICIT ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 120 AND 146-MILLION DOLLARS. THE CUTS ARE SPREAD ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS… WITH THE EXCEPTION OF POLICE AND FIRE. THOSE DEPARTMENTS WILL BOTH SEE SPENDING INCREASES. SPENDING ON INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE ROAD REPAIR ARE NOT CUT. BUT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS CALLED A NEARLY 12-MILLION DOLLAR CUT CATASTROPHIC AND DEVASTATING. SAN DIEGO ART MATTERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BOB LEHMAN SAYS THE CUT IS SHORT-SIGHTED.

“It's kind of like taking, you know, quitting your job to save gas money. We bring in dollars. You can't, if you stop funding us, that amount of flow of dollars is gonna decrease again.”

CITY DEPARTMENTS WILL NOW GO OVER THEIR BUDGETS AGAIN. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL TAKE UP THE BUDGET AT THEIR JUNE 9TH MEETING. IT MUST BE COMPLETE BY JUNE 15TH. JC, KPBS NEWS.

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SAN DIEGO IS ONE OF THREE FINALISTS TO HOST THE 20-29 INVICTUS GAMES, AN INTERNATIONAL ADAPTIVE SPORTS COMPETITION FOR SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS WITH DISABILITIES.

MILITARY AND VETERANS REPORTER ANDREW DYER TAGGED ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE INVICTUS GAMES’ FOUNDATION AS THEY TOURED SAN DIEGO THIS WEEK.

INVICTUSTOUR 1 (AD)

Selection committee members hear what the Rady Shell has to offer the 2029 Invictus Games.

*shell nats*

Also on the itinerary … the convention center and the USS Midway Museum.

*midway nats*

San Diego is one of three finalists to host the games.

Andy Soler is the co-chair of San Diego’s bid committee.

AS: They've already been to Denmark. They've already been to South Korea.

So now it's our turn for San Diego to put its best foot forward.

Service members and veterans from more than two dozen countries will participate in the games.

Invictus Games Foundation CEO Rob Owen says the games go beyond just the military and veteran community.

RO: for us, it's also about how do we help people change their attitudes towards all disabilities, not just those who have been in, because of, you know, conflict.

In June, San Diego’s bid committee will travel to London to make their final presentation to the Invictus Games Foundation.

The 2029 host city will be announced in July.

Andrew Dyer, KPBS News

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THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SAN DIEGO OPENS "GIANTS: ART FROM THE DEAN COLLECTION OF SWIZZ BEATZ AND ALICIA KEYS" THIS WEEK, WITH FREE ADMISSION ALL DAY SATURDAY. 

ARTS REPORTER JULIA DIXON EVANS TAKES A CLOSER LOOK.

GIANTS 1 TRT (1:00) SOQ

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"Giants" includes more than 130 significant works by 37 artists from the Black diaspora.

A diverse range of sculpture, painting, photography and installation sets historic and acclaimed artists alongside emerging art. There's work by Kehinde Wiley, Ebony Patterson, Nick Cave, Gordon Parks and many more.

"Gordon Parks was an incredibly prolific photographer, I believe he was the first Black photographer hired by LIFE Magazine

Curator Kimberli Gant says the Deans hold the largest collection of Parks’ work.

"he was so influential on many generations of photographers and artists, just generally"

"it's about, I think, for them, preserving the history of America, of, of an incredible giant within the art world"

Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS News

<<<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 subscribing; by doing so you are supporting public media and I really want to thank you for that. Have a great day!

First, enrollment begins this upcoming Monday for the recently-expanded San Diego Unified free afterschool program. Then, we’ll tell you why the cost of buses, trolleys and trains could increase. Also, Mayor Todd Gloria is proposing cuts to the city’s budget. And, we bring you an early preview of “Giants” opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego this weekend.