These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Sept. 1-8.
1. Meet the Megaflood: How ‘The Other Big One’ Could Devastate S.D.
A 2011 report envisions hundreds of billions in statewide damage, and researchers say it’s not even the worst-case scenario. (Randy Dotinga)
2. County, City Say They’re Taking Steps to Move Quickly on Hepatitis A Outbreak
After weeks of bureaucratic hand-wringing, San Diego County’s top official directed the city to allow hand-washing stations in at least 30 locations in the city – and the city’s pledging to act quickly. (Lisa Halverstadt)
3. Call it the Anti-Drought: Water Officials Hope to Drive Up Water Usage
As recently as the first months of this year, Californians were asked to conserve water. Well, they did. And they still are. Now, that’s a problem. (Ry Rivard)
4. Turmoil Engulfs Somali Charter School in City Heights
A raft of complaints prompted a San Diego Unified investigation into the school, which found problems ranging from issues with special education to improper hiring practices. The school adamantly denies the findings. School leadership and the board have been disrupted by departures, and some parents have pulled their kids out. (Maya Srikrishnan)
5. City to Downtown Homeless: Don’t Get Comfortable
A hepatitis A outbreak disproportionately hitting San Diego’s homeless reveals a fundamental tenet of the city’s homeless policy. For years, the city has opted against giving a modicum of comfort to the homeless, while failing to put forward a long-term solution. (Lisa Halverstadt)
6. Sacramento Report: Brown Hits San Diego; Faulconer Hits Sacramento
Sen. Toni Atkins makes changes to her affordable housing bill, the state Supreme Court poked a big hole in the two-thirds vote requirement and more in our weekly roundup of news from Sacramento. (Sara Libby)
7. I Made it in San Diego: The Fitness Franchise That Started it All
One fitness franchise helped pave the way for businesses like OrangeTheory and Barry’s Bootcamp, and it started with a woman teaching classes out of rec centers in Oceanside. (Sara Libby)
8. Officials Fumbled With Permits, Pilot Project as Deadly Hepatitis Outbreak Surged
In the two months since officials decided to set up hand-washing stations to help combat a deadly hepatitis A outbreak, the county has deployed just two stations – and they’re both miles away from the downtown streets that are essentially ground zero of the outbreak. (Lisa Halverstadt)
9. Desal Plant Is Producing Less Water Than Promised
Over the last year, the privately owned plant failed to deliver nearly a fifth of the water the San Diego County Water Authority ordered from it. (Ry Rivard)
10. The State Supreme Court Just Changed Everything We Knew About Local Tax Hikes
Many of the local tax increases people have talked about in San Diego just got a lot easier to pass if they’re proposed by a citizens’ group instead of local government. (Scott Lewis)