Years after floodwaters inundated the southern San Diego neighborhood of Shelltown, residents are reporting health issues: breathing problems, boil-like skin infections, and unexplained bone pains are among them.
The lingering impacts from the 2024 flood aren’t unique. Governments often spring into action to provide victims of natural disasters with basic necessities like shelter and food, but medical issues don’t always receive the same attention.
“Emerging research suggests disasters cause a vast number of health complications and deaths years after the initial emergency which go largely uncounted,” write MacKenzie Elmer and Rami Alarian.
Many of the survivors’ lawsuits against the city focus on property instead of health impacts, as well. After all, it’s easier to prove the cost in dollars of a waterlogged home than that of a mysterious chronic cough.
For residents, that doesn’t make the health issues any less real.
Community Mourns Those Killed in Islamic Center Shooting
As San Diego continues to grapple with the impact of Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, details about the attack are coming into focus. The alleged shooters embraced neo-Nazi ideology, officials say.
The three victims of Monday’s shooting acted heroically, said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. He said they delayed the actions of the shooters and prevented further deaths.
The three victims have now been identified. Here’s what we know about them:
Amin Abdullah: Abdullah, a father of eight, worked as a security guard at the Islamic Center for more than a decade. Abdullah instructed teachers in the mosque’s school to lock down classrooms via radio before being killed in a gunfight with the two suspects, Wahl said.
“If he didn’t do what he did and sacrifice his life, the two suspects would have easy access to every single classroom,” Imam Taha Hassane, the director of the Islamic Center, told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re so proud of him.”
Nader Awad: Awad lived across the street from the Islamic Center. Upon hearing shots, he rushed to the mosque where his wife worked as a teacher. A family friend told NBC News he was “a pillar of the community.”
Mansour Kaziha: Kaziha, who managed the mosque store for nearly 40 years, was an integral part of the center, Hassane said at Tuesday’s press conference.
“He was the handyman, he was the cook, he was the caretaker, he was the storekeeper. He was everything,” Hassane said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do at the Islamic Center without his assistance.”
White supremacist ideology: The two teenagers suspected of carrying out the attack were found dead in a vehicle parked in Fashion Valley shortly after the attack. With them, police found guns and equipment emblazoned with Nazi imagery and insignia.
A manifesto reportedly written by the pair puts a finer point on their motives. In it, the suspects indicate they hoped to spark a race war and expressed admiration for a number of other racist mass shooters.
“My religion is the White race,” one of the suspected shooters wrote.
The mayor brought up the budget — again: At a Tuesday press conference, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria expressed his appreciation for the San Diego Police Department. “We are protected by the very best. We fund them, we train them, and we equip them to do their jobs.”
The underlying message was clear: Gloria believes he is right to increase police spending, even in dire budget times, while other services get cut.
Tough words for Todd: Meanwhile, some locals are calling out the mayor for not doing enough. During a press briefing on the shooting, a woman interrupted Gloria as he went up to the podium. She lit into him in a f-bomb laced tirade that has been shared widely on social media.
“This is a fucking direct result of your leadership! Your leadership! Our Muslim brothers and sisters have been talking to you for how long? You have to fucking listen to them, Todd.”
In another video, two residents are seen yelling at Gloria. “Show solidarity before it happens! Shame on you.”
Trash Fee Deal Back on Docket
A deal is back on the table.
The San Diego City Council is having another closed session meeting today to discuss a potential settlement to the trash fee madness. Signature gathering to put a full repeal on the ballot continues unabated and the time to reach a deal is drawing short.
A previous attempt at a deal failed last week. That deal would have lowered the trash fee to what city leaders originally proposed: $29 per month. In exchange, proponents of a full repeal would drop their efforts. The deal also would have reimbursed the signature-gathering campaign and attorneys for residents who are suing the city over the fee. Crucially, it would have also removed the fee from property tax bills and forced the city to create its own collections system, which would have been costly.
The details of the new deal are unclear. The last attempt at a deal got voted down 5-3.
Big Board Items Scuttled Due to Surprise Supe Absences
County supervisors on Tuesday delayed votes on competing governance reform measures – and failed to approve a policy to make secret board subcommittees more transparent. The votes on reform measures are now set for today.
The votes were delayed, because — as Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe announced — Chair Terra Lawson-Remer gave birth and would not attend. Montgomery Steppe, who led Tuesday’s meeting, said the board would take up Lawson-Remer and Supervisor Joel Anderson’s rival proposals Wednesday when Lawson-Remer plans to attend remotely.
“I wanted to make sure across the board there was as much opportunity for a full discussion of the board as possible,” Montgomery Steppe told Voice late Tuesday.
Anderson left the meeting in protest of Montgomery Steppe’s decision. He said Montgomery Steppe should have allowed a vote on his proposal or heard comments from those who came to speak.
“You guys can ramrod whatever you want through with your three votes,” Anderson told Montgomery Steppe. “But ultimately nobody wants a king for a president or three queens for county leadership.”
Awkward: An update on Anderson’s proposal to create policies to make board subcommittees held behind closed doors more transparent was on Tuesday’s agenda – and Montgomery Steppe opted to hear the item after he left. She told Voice she didn’t want to change the agenda she’d announced earlier in the meeting. But without Anderson, there weren’t enough votes to advance a policy on subcommittee transparency. It’s now unclear when – or if – the item will come back to the board. An Anderson spokesperson said he’s likely to request that it come before the board again.
Balcony Solar Bill Clears Senate Floor
A bill that would make it easier for renters to slap solar on their balconies and lower their energy costs cleared the California Senate on Tuesday.
Multiple states have already legalized the practice amid price shocks on fossil fuel energy following the U.S. invasion of Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
But California’s investor-owned utilities are against the bill, arguing balcony solar carries safety risks for the user and electrical workers. Supporters say utilities shouldn’t be policing residents’ use of the sun.
The bill now moves to the State Assembly.
Last chance to RSVP for Meet the Beat with MacKenzie Elmer
Meet the Beat is an in-person opportunity for you to meet the journalist behind the newsletter and discuss local news with the Voice of San Diego community. This month’s event will be hosted by Voice’s environment reporter, MacKenzie Elmer. Please RSVP here to reserve your spot.The event will take place this Thursday May 21, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at Grant Park. The address is 2310 Camino Del Rio N. San Diego, CA 92108.
In Other News
- The city of San Diego just got hit with a $16.45 million financial blow. A class action lawsuit alleged the city failed to provide legally sufficient notice to drivers before imposing parking penalties and fees. (SanDiegoVille)
- The San Diego Taxpayers Association also put out a new report that’s sure to stir the budget pot. The report details how City Council offices increased their staff by 47 percent since fiscal year 2021. (San Diego County Taxpayers Association)
- The South Bay air purifier program — which distributes air purifiers to Tijuana River Valley residents — has suspended new applications until new funding comes in. County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said the suspension is temporary with $4 million for the program expected to be released after the county’s budget is approved. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney, Mariana Martínez Barba, Lisa Halverstadt and MacKenzie Elmer. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.