These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Dec. 1-8.
1. The Four Big Differences Between SoccerCity and SDSU West
The two initiatives are very similar. But they differ in size, the promises of a park along the San Diego River and how much they pledge (or don’t) to pay for the stadium property in Mission Valley. (Scott Lewis)
2. What it Took to Clear 17th Street
More than two months after a dramatic police crackdown on 17th Street, the impact is beginning to come into focus: Court records show many of the 75 who were arrested were jailed for days while they awaited arraignments. More than a quarter have yet to be charged despite being held in jail. Some homeless residents who’d stayed there for months or years moved to other neighborhoods; others have settled nearby. (Lisa Halverstadt)
3. 11th Hour Maneuvering Could Threaten Council President’s Re-Election
San Diego’s City Council is set to choose the Council president for the next year, and people on the right and left of City Hall’s 10th floor are jockeying in a way that could mean the end of Myrtle Cole’s short time in the seat. (Andrew Keatts)
4. Tijuana Has the Ingredients for a Booming Startup Scene But Not a Lot to Show for it
With an affordable but skilled workforce, proximity to the border and an extremely low cost of living, Tijuana has a lot of strengths that could help it achieve that elusive goal of modern cities: becoming a hub for tech startups. But the border’s tech startup scene is still stuck in its infancy. (Kinsee Morlan)
5. Environment Report: The Plan to Build a Giant Water Battery in San Diego County
The battle over who should pay for the 2007 wildfires likely isn’t over yet, the Water Authority will decide whether to extend a major water deal and why San Diego urine samples were in the news in Germany last week. (Ry Rivard)
6. SoccerCity Analysis Is Bad News for the Project – and the City’s Climate Goals
A new analysis of SoccerCity casts doubt on whether San Diego can ever hit its ambitious goals to increase the share of people who commute without cars.
7. Nearly 9,000 Homes in San Diego Are Vacation Rentals, But Not All Year
New data on San Diego’s short-term rental market shows most whole-home rentals are being offered up less than a quarter of the year. (Lisa Halverstadt)
8. Women Say Complaints of Unwanted Touching by La Jolla Teacher Went Largely Ignored
Four women who attended La Jolla High School between 2002 and 2013 say they were groped or touched inappropriately by a physics teacher at the school. An investigation by Voice of San Diego found no records of their complaints were kept by the San Diego Unified School District. Some student complaints may have never left the principal’s office. (Ashly McGlone)
9. Parents Say They Fear for Students’ Safety Amid Special Ed Staffing Shortage
San Diego Unified has 100 special education aide vacancies. The district also has roughly 11 full-time teacher vacancies, nearly all for classes for students with the most severe disabilities. Parents of students with special needs say that without aides, their children have wandered out of class or eaten rocks. (Maya Srikrishnan)
10. VOSD Podcast: La Jolla High’s Open Secret Finally Came Out
On this week’s podcast, Voice of San Diego reporter Ashly McGlone Talks about how she uncovered a sexual harassment story she’s been trying to nail down for years. (Kinsee Morlan)