These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Feb. 23-March 2.
1. San Dieguito Teacher Resigns Amidst Complaints of Inappropriate Behavior
Fourteen students accused a long-time San Dieguito High School Academy math teacher of inappropriate touching, remarks and other behavior. The school district and teacher negotiated his resignation after Voice of San Diego requested documents related to the accusations. (Ashly McGlone)
2. Politics Report: Republicans Abandon Hunter
There’s a lot of jockeying going on in San Diego’s two Republican-held Congressional districts. Manchester tells friends it’s all #FakeNews, and the Democratic Party’s new YIMBY group launched with some high-ranking officials, and a few protestors. (Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts)
3. Civic San Diego Faces Forced Overhaul — Absent Its Leader
The president of the embattled agency, Reese Jarrett, abruptly announced his retirement Wednesday. The news came after a lawsuit gathered momentum and enough accusations to force the mayor to the table. Now, settlement negotiations, along with leadership changes, could mean the end of the agency, or major reform, is imminent. (Lisa Halverstadt and Andrew Keatts)
4. In Crowded CA-49, Applegate Positioned Himself to Run for County Supervisor
As Democrats jockeyed for position in the crowded 49th Congressional District, pressuring each other to step aside to cull the field, Doug Applegate changed his primary residency — which would have made him eligible to run for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. (Jesse Marx and Andrew Keatts)
5. San Diego Schools’ Land Swap Plan for New Headquarters Draws Fire from Attorney
San Diego Unified is trying to swap its run-down headquarters and other properties totaling 22 acres for land elsewhere in the city, where it can build a new central office. But not so fast: a lawyer says the plan runs afoul of state contracting law. (Ashly McGlone)
6. She Was Prosecuted for Pot; Then Prop 64 Gave Her a Second Chance
In November 2016, California voters legalized marijuana and gave the courts authority to change the sentences on certain marijuana crimes. It’s provided hundreds of people in San Diego County with relief. But for many, the damage is already done. (Jesse Marx)
7. Carlsbad Fish-Breeding Program Is a Mess, Report Confirms
The Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute has been raising white seabass to release back into the wild population for years. A new report, following a two-year-old Voice of San Diego investigation, found few of those fish were surviving in the wild, and many were deformed. (Ry Rivard)
8. Opinion: Let’s Stop with the Name-Calling and Unite to Stop Urban Sprawl
We need more housing. But we can only build a truly modern city when we stop relying on new land and force ourselves to innovate. A potential ballot measure would help hold developers accountable. (Russell A. York)
9. Opinion: Oceanside Deserves a Pot Ordinance That Reflects the City’s Vision
I opposed Proposition 64. But as an elected official, I am responsible for carrying out the will out the people. That’s what we’re attempting to do in Oceanside — by avoiding an industry-funded ballot measure. (Jerry Kern)
10. Escondido Passes on Federal Funds That Would’ve Required ICE Cooperation
Escondido is passing on federal funds that would’ve required the police department to work with ICE on immigration enforcement, but the police chief says the decision was purely financial. (Maya Srikrishnan)