In a compelling new portrait, our Tigist Layne writes about how frighteningly easy it was for one North County family to slip into homelessness.
Jose, Mercedes and their three children sometimes stayed at a motel on weeknights when it was cheaper. Sometimes they stayed in rental vehicles. When things got really bad they could rent a U-Haul for $20 and make sleeping pads in the back.
But life didn’t begin that way for them. Jose had a job with a company that manufactured parts for heavy-duty trucks. Mercedes was a stay-at-home mom. When Jose lost his job the family quickly spiraled into instability. You really should read the full story.
Families like Jose’s and Mercedes’ are much more common than many people realize. That’s because families, unlike some other homeless people, tend to stay hidden.
“A lot of individuals who are experiencing homelessness are typically out and about in areas where we can see them. Families don’t do that,” said one homelessness services provider. “They’re typically hiding in their cars or places where they’re not visible because they’re trying to stay safe, especially those with children. So, it’s a lot harder to see an unsheltered family.”
To find out about the help that finally came Jose’s and Mercedes’ way read the full story.
A Push to Rein in School-Shooter Drills
Local Assemblymember Chris Ward wants to put some guardrails on school-shooter drills, reports our Jakob McWhinney.
On Tuesday, McWhinney reported about a drill at a charter school that left some students and staff traumatized. An administrator played the sounds of screaming and shooting over staff members’ handheld radios. Some people thought a real shooting was taking place and began to text their loved ones.
It’s not the first instance of an unhinged drill. In another case, a janitor wore a mask and carried a fake gun during a school-shooter drill.
All these drills got Ward thinking: Maybe legislators need to step in. As McWhinney writes, “Ward’s bill would prohibit the use of simulated gunfire, mandate that drills be age-appropriate and require schools to help connect students with resources after a drill should they be needed. Schools would also have to notify parents before and after a drill takes place.”
Read the full Learning Curve here.
In Other News
- Ever wonder how big of an apartment you could get in San Diego? CBS 8 reports on a new study that found a renter could get 442 square feet for $1,500 in the city of San Diego.
- KPBS reports that two Navy officers could be out of a job over the death of a SEAL trainee. Seaman Kyle Mullen died in February 2022 after completing an intense training week in Coronado.
- Encinitas has a new public arts and cultural center. It’s located inside a building that used to house Pacific View Elementary School. (Times of San Diego)
- A former Chula Vista councilmember is in hot water again. Andrea Cardenas must pay a $100 fine to resolve a civil complaint that accused her of failing to publicly disclose that the company she worked for represented cannabis companies. Cardenas is due in court in a few weeks for her sentencing hearing related to the two felony charges she pleaded guilty to in February. (Union-Tribune)
- Today is officially, “Panda Day.” If you’re into that sort of thing, read about the governor’s new proclamation in honor of San Diego’s new panda duo. Here’s how you can see the pandas at the San Diego Zoo. (Fox5, CBS8)
Correction: An earlier version of “‘Students and Staff Feared for Their Lives’: Lessons from a Traumatic Active Shooter Drill,” published on Aug. 6, mistakenly identified Andrea Bravo as a human resources manager at San Diego Unified. She is employed by Harriet Tubman Village Charter School. Additionally, teachers sent a letter to Harriet Tubman’s board, not San Diego Unified’s.
The Morning Report was written by Will Huntsberry and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.