The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week.
1. Police Arrested Montgomery High Students in Operation Disguised as Active Shooter Drill
Officials at Montgomery High School ran an active shooter drill as cover so San Diego Police could arrest four students who allegedly committed serious crimes off campus. It appears to be a new and untested law enforcement strategy. (Will Huntsberry)
2. North County Report: Encinitas’ Other Half Speaks Out
An Army veteran struggling to afford rent in Encinitas says she finds the insinuation from wealthy residents that low-income people like her, living in denser developments, would disrupt otherwise charming neighborhoods offensive and demeaning. (Jesse Marx)
3. ‘What Else Are We Gonna Do?’: Sweetwater Grapples With an Unsustainable Financial Future
Despite the frenzy of a mid-year budget crisis, the greatest threat to the Sweetwater Union High School District still lies ahead: its growing structural debt compounded by the lack of a long-term plan to reduce spending. A new audit raises “substantial doubt” about the district’s ability to remain fiscally solvent moving forward. (Will Huntsberry)
4. All the Cases in Our Investigation of Sexual Misconduct in Local Schools, Mapped
We’ve compiled the cases we’ve reported on throughout our investigation into sexual misconduct in local public schools into this interactive map, so readers can see incidents by school, and read the stories associated with each one. We’ll add new cases and schools to the map as the investigation continues. (Ashly McGlone and Ashley Lewis)
5. Even Before Kim and Kanye Used Them, California Was Trying to Rein in Private Firefighters
After private firefighters helped save Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s mansion earlier this month, there’s been intense focus on the growing industry. (Ry Rivard)
6. A Judge May Force San Diego’s Most Housing-Averse City to Allow New Homes
A 2013 voter initiative in Encinitas has prevented the coastal city from meeting a state housing mandate to accommodate new housing. A judge is poised to sideline the local law and force the city to adopt a new blueprint for growth. (Jesse Marx)
7. Council President’s Office Prompted Homeless Camp Cleanup That Violated City Legal Settlement
This fall, in the midst of a re-election battle, City Council President Myrtle Cole’s chief of staff triggered the clearing of a homeless camp that violated a long-standing city settlement dictating rules for those clean-ups. The city only released details of the incident after Cole’s November election loss. (Lisa Halverstadt)
8. Everything You Need to Know About the Migrant Caravan, and Those That Came Before
The sudden attention on migrant caravans, which aren’t new, leaves out much context about the purpose of the caravans, the conditions driving Central Americans north and what will happen to them as they continue the journey. Here’s what we know. (Maya Srikrishnan)
9. Politics Report: Maienschein Holds Lead; The Fletchers Open Up
Brian Maienschein holds on to a slimming but steady lead, San Diego’s Dem power couple weighs in on charter schools, a beef between labor and a new city councilwoman and more. (Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts)
10. Beset by Problems, Thomas Jefferson Law School Is Trying to Avoid a Death Blow
The school has dramatically downsized its campus and taken on far smaller incoming classes as part of its effort to prevent the loss of its national accreditation. (Lyle Moran)