Newsletter: 📍What’s your neighborhood like?
Plus, hundreds march through City Heights during anti-ICE demonstration.
San Diego State University journalism professor Amy Schmitz Weiss is researching local neighborhoods to see how San Diegans define their communities and connect to local news.
The San Diego Mapping Project prompts participants to draw the boundaries of their neighborhoods on a digital map before filling out a quick survey about what they call their neighborhoods, its characteristics and where they get news about their community.
Participants will also be entered in a random drawing to win one of ten $50 gift cards. The project is collecting submissions through the end of October. For more information, email Schmitz Weiss at aschmitz@sdsu.edu.
— Lauren J. Mapp
City Heights rallies against ICE
Hundreds took to the streets of City Heights on Wednesday evening to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement's increased arrests in the area, including of parents dropping their children off at schools. Organizers called for volunteers to support local organizations doing work on the ground to support immigrant communities and for elected officials to do more, including getting rid of Flock surveillance.
— Kate Morrissey
(If you're wondering how to get involved to support San Diego's immigrant communities, this recently updated guide can help.)
Mexican Independence Day events
San Diego is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with festivals, live performances, food and El Grito ceremonies throughout September. From Chula Vista to Oceanside, local communities are hosting events that honor Mexican history, culture and tradition.
— Emma Chen
Here's what happened last week in immigration news.
ICE’s unpaid medical bills contributed to delays in specialty care for people in custody, a Chinese man died hours after entering ICE custody, and a California nonprofit is sending more than $10,000 a week to help detained families buy food and necessities for their children.
— Emma Chen
CalPERS faces lawsuit over pension errors
A government retiree is suing the California Public Employees’ Retirement System over how it claws back money from those who run afoul of pension law. In particular, the lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court alleges that CalPERS is ignoring a three-year statute of limitations on pension errors and that the penalties it issues in those cases are excessive.
— Story by Adam Ashton, CalMatters
California limits chatbots and bans social media for teens
California teens will be barred from “addictive” social media products and limited in their interactions with chatbots under two of the 13 bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week to protect kids online.
— Story by Colin Lecher, CalMatters
This week, San Diegans can listen to vinyl DJ sets, attend a free financial education workshop and volunteer during cleanups across the county. Rumi Wine Bar is hosting a poetry night in North Park, and there are several events being held in honor of Latino Conservation Week, including a reptile walk and beach fiesta. I Love A Clean San Diego is also hosting its 42nd annual coastal cleanup for volunteers to tidy up beaches, parks and neighborhoods.
— Lauren J. Mapp
|
Other news
County officials warned Otay Mesa Detention Center that it may take professional licensing actions against the facility if it continues failing to report cases of communicable diseases, including tuberculosis, within one work day.
San Diego City Council wants to make its own decisions about whether driverless cars — like those operated by Waymo — can roam the city streets, Voice of San Diego reported. The state currently has jurisdiction over autonomous vehicles, meaning local governments can’t regulate whether driverless cars operate in their cities.
The council also unanimously adopted a definition of Islamophobia in a step to take action against hate nearly four months after the fatal attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, NBC 7 reported.
The San Diego District Attorney’s office decided not to file criminal charges against a San Diego cop who fatally shot a teenager in January 2025, KPBS reported. The decision follows the City Council’s unanimous vote to pay 16-year-old Konoa Wilson’s family $30 million in a settlement last year.
As the region prepares for the second annual San Diego Climate Week, organizers are accepting submissions to host events through Sept. 24. The call to action this year is "Say No To Offshore Drilling," along with a focus on the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
San Diego State University President Adela de la Torre wrote in a 2023 email that campus police were “engaged proactively” after an anonymous personals submission to The Koala called for readers to “Pull up to Adela’s” with her home address, according to an email acquired by The Daily Aztec through a public records request.
Police and lifeguards are getting big pay raises despite San Diego’s budget crisis and unpopular cuts to arts programming and city libraries, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
An exhibit celebrating the art of lowrider bikes decked out with colorful paint jobs, chrome and roses opened at the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center last weekend, Times of San Diego reported.
Earlier this month, San Diego Magazine highlighted 31 people influencing the region’s arts scene. The arts issue features Deixis Gallery founder and curator Bilal Bikile, Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center Executive Director Monica Delgadillo Hernandez, The Pompom Project creator Katie Ruiz, alto sax player and composer Charles McPherson, Malashock Dance’s Lauren Christie and artist Hugo Crosthwaite.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 17
Verbatim Books in the Park 'til Dark: Verbatim Books is hosting its community reading series at Morley Field's Bird Park along with a book swap. Bring a blanket, chair, dinner or snacks and your current read. The event is open to all ages, dog friendly and free.
⏰ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
🌎 Morley Field's Bird Park, corner of Upas Street and Pershing Drive, North Park, San Diego, CA 92104
Politics in Paradise: The San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce is hosting an evening for community members to hear from local political candidates ahead of the midterm elections. Tacos, wine, beer, sodas and horchata will be available during the event.
⏰ 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
🌎 The Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon, CA 92019
🎟️ Register online. Tickets are $40 for members, $45 for nonmembers and $10 for students with a college ID in advance, or $45 at the door.
Latino Conservation Week Beach Fiesta: A coalition of local organizations is hosting a beach party in celebration of Latino Conservation Week with games including lotería and giveaways.
⏰ 6 - 9 p.m.
🌎 Mission Beach/Bay Area, register for exact location
🎟️ Register for free online
Sept. 18
Yoga in the Park: Odessa Wilson leads a donation-based yoga class at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa every Friday. All levels are welcome. Participants should bring their own yoga mats and water bottles.
⏰ 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
🌎 Harry Griffen Park, 9550 Milden St., La Mesa, CA 91942
🎟️ Donation-based
‘Our Lady Of The San Diego Convention Center’: TuYo Theatre is performing “Our Lady Of The San Diego Convention Center” at Casa Familiar Sept. 18-20, followed by other performances throughout San Diego County. Written by playwright Mario Vega and directed by Maria Patrice Amon, the production is set in spring 2021 when the convention center was used as a holding facility for young asylum seekers.
🗓️ See the schedule for the full list of performances and locations
⏰ 7 - 8:30 p.m.
🌎 El Salon Theater, 114 W Hall Ave., San Ysidro, CA 92173
🎟️ Reserve tickets online on a pay-what-you-can basis
Sept. 19
Community Yard Sale: Bates Nut Farm is hosting a community yard sale with vendors offering everything from furniture and clothes to electronics and tools.
⏰ 7:30 a.m.
🌎 Bates Nut Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center, CA
Rooted in Community: The Urban Collaborative Project and Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek are hosting a community stewardship day with resource booths, live music and free coffee from Grinds & Vinyl. Attendees can plant trees, water plants, spread mulch and participate in an upcycling workshop.
⏰ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
🌎 Chollas Creekside Park, Market St., San Diego, CA 92102
42nd Annual Coastal Cleanup Day: I Love A Clean San Diego is hosting its annual event for volunteers to clean beaches, parks and neighborhoods.
⏰ 9 a.m. - noon
🌎 A full list of cleanup sites is available online
Sept. 20
Latino Conservation Week: LCW Stewardship: San Diego Refuges and San Diego Bird Alliance are celebrating Latino Conservation Week with interactive activities, arts, crafts and a guided kayak marsh cleanup at Chula Vista Marina View Park.
⏰ 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
🌎 Chula Vista Marina View Park, 900 Marina Parkway, Chula Vista, CA 91910
🎟️ Free
B-sides & Best Friends: Mutt Scouts and Vinyl Junkies are hosting a dog adoption event in South Park. Dogs who will be on site to meet are included in Mutt Scouts’ Instagram post, and more available pets are listed online. Fill out an adoption or foster application form in advance if you’d like to bring home a pet that day.
⏰ 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
🌎 Vinyl Junkies Record Shack, 2235 Fern St., San Diego, CA 92104
No More Markets & Anti-work Festival: No More Markets is hosting its monthly swap event at Freedom Park where guests are invited to swap skills, tools, art, clothing and food. This month includes an anti-work festival with a "do nothing" contest, resignation writing and other activities centered on imagining life without work.
⏰ 12 - 4 p.m.
🌎 Freedom Park, 2601 Jacaranda Place, San Diego, CA 92104
