Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
James Gartland, San Diego's lifeguard chief since 2018 and a three-decade department veteran, is no longer a city employee, with no reason given; Deputy Chief Dan Eddy takes over as interim leader the same week Hurricane Rachel surf threatens San Diego County beaches.
Local Government
Tyler Muehl faces up to a year in prison after pleading guilty to kicking a sea lion at La Jolla Cove, while the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board's proposal to restrict Cove access during pupping season awaits city action.
Local Government
Local historian Diane Kane has nominated the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" list, citing tourism pressure, climate change and years of deferred maintenance along the coastline that includes La Jolla Cove and the Children's Pool.
Local Government
A federal judge blocked a DHS rule that would have capped F-1 student visas at four years, protecting the roughly 8,134 international students at UC San Diego who make up nearly one in five students on campus.
Local Government
San Diego confirms Oct. 6 as the start date for the $3.04 million guardrail replacement on Torrey Pines Road, bringing nightly lane closures and a bike-lane shutdown through March 2027.
Local Government
San Diego sent corrected trash fee data to the county after a billing error overcharged 44,041 property owners, including about 6,700 in La Jolla's Council District 1, and officials urge homeowners to wait for corrected statements before paying.
Local Government
A San Diego council committee unanimously advanced an ordinance banning smoking and vaping within 25 feet of outdoor diners, a rule that would apply to La Jolla's patio-heavy Girard Avenue and Prospect Street dining districts.
Local Government
A new EdSource report found that a 1,423-bed UC San Diego dormitory that opened in 2024 cost $260,000 per bed to build, and a state switch from grants to revenue bonds will add at least 50% to the total cost of California's $2 billion student housing program.
Local Government
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a new countywide Severe Weather Community Preparedness Resource Hub on Sept. 16 and directed staff to return Oct. 6 with a specific plan for communities hit by January 2024 floods, as NOAA forecasts a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter.
Local Government
A half-cent county sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot could raise $400 million to $450 million a year for healthcare, Tijuana River sewage cleanup and public safety, with supporters warning it's needed to offset federal Medi-Cal cuts.
Local Government
New federal Colorado River operating guidelines require California to cut 440,000 acre-feet of water use starting in 2027, but San Diego County Water Authority officials say local customers are insulated by senior water rights, desalination and reservoir reserves built over three decades of investment that also drove rates up 164%.
Local Government
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1709 and SB 1119 on Sept. 10, banning addictive social media features for California users under 16 and capping chatbot time for minors, with enforcement beginning Jan. 1, 2027.