City News Service

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a $24.2 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that will be used to address COVID-19 disparities among underserved populations.

The American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties, along with Jewish Family Service, said they have encountered 19 families between January and May that underwent "varying degrees of separation."

Since the program launched in San Diego, more than 1,000 firearms have been confiscated through GVROs, which the San Diego City Attorney's Office claims has prevented "multiple violent incidents, including mass shootings."

With its vote, the board also authorized the county Department of Purchasing and Contracting to negotiate with New Alternatives Inc. on a contract extension at a cost of $6.27 million.

Funeral services will be held next week for Father Joe Carroll, a San Diego icon of charitable services whose decades of work for the homeless made him a noted figure nationally and a beloved civic fixture in his adopted hometown.

In a study published Monday, UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers and their collaborators found evidence that liver fibrosis might be treatable with immunotoxins which can stop liver cells from producing collagen.

The announcement comes after a judge struck down San Diego's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying only the state can make that a requirement.

Earlier this month, supervisors unanimously voted to oppose any further placements of sexually violent predators until local jurisdictions are able to fully participate in the placement process, including having full veto authority.