Episode Details

Good morning, this is San Diego Local Pulse for Friday, October tenth. We're waking up to cloudy skies across the county, temperatures hovering around seventy degrees, with light winds from the northwest. There's a slight chance we'll see some afternoon showers or even a thunderstorm, so if you have plans outdoors, it's smart to keep an umbrella handy. It should stay mostly dry and mild, with highs reaching around seventy-four inland and low seventies along the coast. Looking ahead, we can expect patchy fog Saturday morning and more of these classic autumn clouds through Sunday. Mariners are advised that northwest winds will pick up this afternoon, and there’s a slight risk of thunderstorms offshore.

Turning to breaking news, officials are investigating a frightening crash in Encinitas yesterday evening at South Coast Highway and West D Street, where a pickup truck driven by a sixty-four year old man slammed into a gelato shop. A young boy inside the store was trapped beneath the vehicle but was conscious and quickly taken to Rady Children’s Hospital. The driver was arrested for suspected DUI and is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. In Eastlake, police responded swiftly after shots were fired during a large fight near Eastlake High School Thursday. No injuries were reported, but the investigation is ongoing. Escondido Police will be ramping up DUI checkpoints tonight, so if you're out in the area, plan ahead.

On the public safety front, Mayor Todd Gloria continues to push the adoption of new technologies to address our city’s police staffing shortage. Absorbing the Harbor Police into the San Diego PD is on the table, along with using drones and AI to improve response times as the department works to close a 200 officer gap.

Weather has played its own part in local events. East of Ramona, a rollover crash Thursday sparked a fast-moving brush fire, prompting evacuations. Quick work from Cal Fire crews got it under control in hours, but witnesses described large flames and a tense escape.

Big news on the community front: in the Midway District, the long-awaited Pacific Village affordable housing complex has officially opened its doors. Once a Ramada, it now provides permanent housing and vital support services for people experiencing homelessness. This marks another step forward for our city’s housing efforts, which also saw new units open downtown this week serving both low-income and chronically homeless residents.

The county rolls out deliveries of new gray trash bins to more than two hundred twenty-five thousand households starting next week. Expect them on your regular trash day, and crews will take away your old black bins at the same time. Some addresses will get new bins in the coming months.

In business, debates over police technology continue, and we’re seeing Mayor Gloria inspired by innovations piloted in Chula Vista—think drones and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, local refineries are still feeling the pinch from last week’s fire at the Chevron plant near El Segundo, and though gas prices haven’t spiked yet here, officials are watching supply closely.

San Diego County is also investing seventy-five million dollars to train three thousand new mental health providers through the Elevate program, which will offer zero-interest loans and paid internships. This tackles a critical gap as thousands of current therapists near retirement.

Sports highlights today include local high school football teams celebrating wins last night and regional soccer squads keeping playoff hopes alive. If you’re out near the Del Mar Fairgrounds, youth rugby kicked off its fall league under muddy skies. And cheers to La Jolla High, whose robotics team just clinched top honors at a state competition.

For community events, Ocean Beach hosts its annual Oktoberfest through Saturday, complete with live music on Newport Avenue. Over in