Every now and then a poacher makes the news.
Well, this time, two accused poachers are well-known San Diego yachtsmen.
On a late summer day, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife got a tip that guys were diving off a boat near Catalina Island and illegally bringing up lobster and abalone. One of the alleged poachers turned out to be the former head of the San Diego Yacht Club. The incident has sent shockwaves through that genteel world.
Capt. Patrick Foy, a spokesman for the department’s enforcement division, described what happened that day: One game warden dove beneath a boat called the EZ Rider the ocean to find evidence, wardens then searched for the perpetrators and eventually got in the middle of a sailboat race and pulled over one of the sailboats to question suspects.
The former Yacht Club head, known as a commodore, is Kyle Clark and his alleged accomplice is a man named … Jesse James (yes, really).
Though it all makes for some fun reading, the potential consequences are no joke: “James and Clark now face $164,000 in total fines, though how much each could be asked to pay will depend on how prosecutors decide to divide up the charges against them.”
Relax, Scooter Regs Are on the Way
Earlier this year, San Diego was invaded by dockless scooters, and the ensuing hellscape on our city streets has permanently scorched the sanctity of our social contract.
Just kidding.
But people are understandably concerned about where these devices can and cannot go.
Ahead of Wednesday’s public safety committee hearing, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced new proposed rules for the dockless scooters. Some of the highlights of what the mayor is proposing:
- Each device needs to say, “Riding on Sidewalks is Prohibited”
- Geofencing technology will be used to slow speeds in areas with a lot of pedestrian traffic, including the boardwalks in Mission Beach and Pacific Beach
- Scooter companies will need to pay an annual permit fee and share data in monthly reports
Santa Monica, San Francisco and other California cities have cracked down on dockless scooters. Circulate San Diego, a transportation advocacy group, called the mayor’s proposal “thoughtful,” the Union-Tribune reports.
Hunter’s Attack Dog Generals Are Lobbyists
The three retired Marine generals who signed their names to anti-Muslim attacks against Rep. Duncan Hunter’s Christian opponent are not just retired generals. They are also lobbyists, according to the Daily Beast.
Hunter was in a position to help their clients when he was on the Armed Services Committee. After Hunter was indicted for allegedly spending campaign money on himself, he was taken off that committee by House Speaker Paul Ryan, but he could be put back on it if he beats the charges.
“That makes him a potentially valuable investment for companies with financial interests in the outcome of legislation considered by his committees,” the Daily Beast reports. “All three generals who signed onto the Hunter campaign’s letter have just such interests, and Hunter has actively supported some of their clients in the past.”
In Other News
- John Cox, the San Diego-based Republican candidate for governor, has taken aim at his Democratic opponent Gavin Newsom’s well-known marital infidelity. But Cox may have one of his own, according to divorce filings from his first wife. Two decades ago, his wife in Illinois claimed that Cox had a girlfriend in Massachusetts, which she learned about from their children. She said he wanted to remain married with the “understanding he would continue to maintain a relationship with the other woman in Massachusetts,” according to court filings. (KPCC/LAist and KQED)
- More bad signs for Thomas Jefferson School of Law: It’s not admitting students in the spring, which is something it’s done in the past, and its dean stepped down after just a year on the job. (Inside Higher Ed, Above the Law)
- The San Ysidro School District paid $276,000 for an after-school sports and cheer program that never happened. Now officials want the money back. (inewsource)
- The Union-Tribune fact-checked a pro-SDSU West TV ad featuring former Mayor Jerry Sanders and found a mix of false, misleading and true claims.
- A new program is providing driving instruction to female refugees, so they can earn a license and a little independence. (KPBS)
- The Port of San Diego is elevating a portion of Chula Vista’s Bayfront in preparation for a $1 billion hotel and convention center in anticipation of sea level rise. (Union-Tribune)
- Several months ago, China stopped accepting lots of recyclable material that San Diego was sending it, which may now make the city’s money-making recycling program a money loser. (Union-Tribune)
- A local newspaper’s food reporter couldn’t come up with a list of San Diego’s Top 10 Italian restaurants, so she settled for seven — Antica Trattoria, Monzù Fresh Pasta, Cucina Urbana, Vivace, Biga, Isola Pizza Bar and Mona Lisa. We like Italian food, so we’ve got seven more to add to the list: Piacere Mio, Buona Forchetta, Monello, Civico 1845, Cucina Sorella, Bencotto and Solare. Now you have 14 great Italian spots to choose from. (Union-Tribune)
- Introducing the new king of San Diego: This cool dude was spotted downtown riding a lawn chair taped to an electric skateboard while vaping and blasting Jack Johnson.
The Morning Report was written by Ry Rivard and Jesse Marx, and edited by Sara Libby.