Joe Hong
Education ReporterJoe Hong covered education stories across KPBS platforms. Prior to joining the KPBS newsroom, he covered three school districts for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs. He has written about school finance, negligence in special education, and school board misconduct. Previously, he covered equity issues and historically black colleges and universities for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine based in Fairfax, Virginia. Before a career in journalism, he was pursuing a doctorate in comparative literature at Rutgers University. He pivoted to journalism in 2016 and earned a master's degree from Columbia Journalism School in 2017, specializing in investigative reporting. In September 2019, he completed The Data Institute, a two-week workshop for journalists of color taught by ProPublica in collaboration with the Ida B. Wells Society.
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San Diego County public health officials Wednesday reported 247 new COVID-19 infections and 12 additional fatalities, raising the region's totals to 41,324 cases and 721 deaths from the coronavirus. -
KPBS Midday EditionThe Valley Fire in Japatul Valley near Alpine continued to burn on Labor Day, scorching 17,345 acres with just 3% containment, and causing four new evacuation orders. -
The parts of San Diego County that have seen the highest rates of COVID-19 infection also contain the schools serving the vulnerable student groups who need in-person learning the most. -
With Monday marking the all-virtual start to the school year in the county’s largest district, students grappled with unfamiliar class schedules and wondered how they would meet new friends. -
Administrators in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District terminated the contract days before the new school year after hearing reports about the content from districts in other states. -
KPBS Midday EditionSan Diego State University started the new school year with 90% of courses being online-only and dormitories filled to just half capacity. Students must wear masks both inside and outside.
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Gusty winds are expected in San Diego County Monday and could prove hazardous for high-profile vehicles traveling through mountains passes, according to the National Weather Service.
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