The Morning Report
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These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Aug. 11-18.
1. San Diego DA’s Prosecution of Pot Attorney Has Sent Chills Through the Legal Community
Lawyers in San Diego and beyond worry the prosecution of a lawyer who represents a marijuana business could force a central tenet of practicing law – attorney-client privilege – to go up in smoke. (Jonah Valdez)
2. District Admits Pushing Struggling Students Toward Charters
Not only does new data show the lowest-performing students in the class of 2016 were transferring out of San Diego Unified, school officials now admit that’s exactly what has happened in the past – a major reversal after the district vehemently denied that was the case. (Mario Koran)
3. It’s Done: San Diego Sports Media Decides to Largely Stick With Chargers Football
After grappling with months of disbelief and uncertainty about their business models going forward, most in local media have decided to still treat the Chargers as the local favorite worth following, though with a bit of distance. (Dallas McLaughlin)
4. The Downfall of John Collins
With high-achieving students and a compensation package that made him the second highest-paid public school superintendent in the state, former Poway Unified superintendent John Collins had a firm spot among the upper echelon of California educators. Now he’s facing multiple felony charges. Though Collins’ fall from grace may seem abrupt, it was more of a slow burn. (Ashly McGlone)
As part of a crackdown on illegal marijuana dispensaries, San Diego police conducted a raid on Aug. 2 and arrested 12 employees for illegally selling and distributing marijuana. (Adriana Heldiz)
6. School Officials Wanted Everyone But Disabled Students to Move Into Gleaming New Campus
The stark differences in facilities proposed for Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach felt like blatant discrimination to some parents of students in an adult transition program on campus. Many of them say the problems extend beyond just buildings. (Maya Srikrishnan)
7. When it Comes to Special Education in California Schools, ‘Funding Is Very Unequal’
Special education costs are increasing across the state. State funds for special education are inequitably distributed, so sometimes the districts with the highest needs are getting less money per student than districts with lower needs. (Maya Srikrishnan)
8. New Arguments Emerge Against AB 805
In recent weeks, a few new arguments have popped up from opponents of AB 805, a state measure written by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher that would overhaul the scandal-plagued San Diego Association of Governments. (Andrew Keatts)
9. Pot Entrepreneurs Want the Babies of Lemon Grove and La Mesa to Pack Their Bags
As pot entrepreneurs rush to scoop up real estate in cities with clear regulations allowing dispensaries, they’re running up against rules about how far away they must be from places like day cares and schools. Some are approaching day cares with offers of cash and other deals if they agree to move or shut down. (Kinsee Morlan)
10. Amid Homeless Crisis, Police-Run Shelter Beds Sit Empty
Some shelter beds offered by San Diego Police officers are often vacant even despite weeks-long waits to get into other programs. The beds have a built-in Catch 22: Those who need them are often wary of any help being offered by the police. (Lisa Halverstadt)