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. Student Complaints About a Teacher’s Behavior Came and Went, Until One Reported a Rape
At least one dozen students at Mission Middle School in Escondido complained about a teacher’s inappropriate behavior toward them. But it was only once one student reported several years after the fact that the teacher had raped her inside a locked classroom that officials sprang into action. The teacher denies the allegations, and has never been charged with a crime. (Will Huntsberry and Kayla Jimenez)
2. High-Profile Escondido Development Would Bring Only a Fraction of the Units Allowed
The transformation of Palomar Hospital is seen in Escondido as the key to the future growth of the city. The developer that bought the site plans to build only 450 units — one third of what’s allowed there. (Jesse Marx)
Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s proposal to eliminate building height limits near transit stations represents an acknowledgement that previous density decisions contradicted his stated housing and environmental proposals, and signals a new willingness to engage the fight with residents who oppose new housing. (Andrew Keatts)
4. Opinion: The Housing Crisis Requires Bold Solutions — and There’s One on the Table
SB 50 would dramatically increase the capacity for housing production, resulting in more affordable housing opportunities. (Brendan Dentino and Maya Rosas)
5. Bids to Remake the Plaza de Panama Are $20M Higher Than Expected
The lowest bid for the project to clear Balboa Park’s central mesa came in almost 40 percent higher than a previous estimate — at least $83.5 million for construction alone. The cost spike leaves city officials and philanthropists to decide whether to proceed with a project hampered by legal challenges that have also spurred increased costs. (Lisa Halverstadt)
6. North County Report: Carlsbad Councilwoman Is Out to ‘Change the Narrative of North County’
San Diego is hoping North County cities will join its public energy utility, a disturbing investigation into a former Escondido middle school teacher and more in our biweekly roundup of news from North County. (Jesse Marx)
7. Politics Report: GOP Drama Settles, Peters Decision Shakes Up Mayors Race
GOP’s chairman won’t change anything after all. A congressman’s decision shakes up the mayor’s race and Kristin Gaspar goes to the White House. Again. (Scott Lewis and Lisa Halverstadt)
8. Things Are Getting Crazy on the Colorado River
The Colorado River, the source of much of the American West’s economic productivity, essentially functions like a bank. This month, the nation’s largest water agency, the Metropolitan Water District, began what amounts to a run on the bank. (Ry Rivard)
9. Sacramento Report: New State Treasurer Wants to Tackle the Housing Crisis
Money from a Sen. Toni Atkins law that provides a funding stream for affordable housing is beginning to roll in, consumer advocates are urging caution on crafting digital privacy protections and more in our weekly roundup of news from Sacramento. (Voice of San Diego)
10. San Diego Explained: Why Some Pay for Trash Pick-Up and Others Don’t
On this week’s San Diego Explained, NBC San Diego’s Catherine Garcia spotlights a century-old city law that has complicated local trash policies ever since. (Adriana Heldiz)