OB Rag

By Andrew Childers / Democracy Docket / October 19, 2026

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking a federal court to immediately prevent California from counting the ballots of 20,000 people the Trump administration has accused of being noncitizens who illegally registered to vote.

The request for a temporary restraining order is the latest escalation between California and the Trump administration over the midterms. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the weekend accused President Donald Trump of attempting to rig the election.

“California not just refused to act; it made clear that it is committed to treating ballots from those likely noncitizens equal to ballots from American citizens, prompting this suit and motion that seeks commonplace election relief when ballots are called into question,” DOJ said in its filing in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The standoff began last week when the DOJ sent California a thumb drive with a hand-scrawled password on a sticky note that it claimed contained the names of 20,000 suspected noncitizens registered to vote in the state. The Justice Department gave California only 48 hours to validate those names and demanded that California not count the ballots of anyone on the list. State officials declined, calling the request “outrageous.”

By Rag Staff

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and the general San Diego public informed about important Council hearings and other city public meetings.

Monday, October 19: City Council, Closed Session, 10:00 a.m.

Agenda:

Item CS-6: January 22, 2024 Flooding Litigation

Why it matters: Two years later, as 57 civil cases against the city move slowly forward, and Southeastern San Diego victims are still struggling to rebuild, we have to ask: Is City Hall better prepared for flood control when the new massive El Nino arrives?

Monday, October 19: City Council, 2:00 p.m.

Agenda:

Item S400: Confirming Appointment of Bethany Bezak to Position of City Manager (Chief Operating Officer)

Volunteers and residents gathered at 24 locations across San Diego County and Temecula on Saturday for “No Kings: Vote Early” events focused on encouraging early voting ahead of the November election. Rather than a single large rally, the day featured locally organized events shaped by the communities hosting them. Across the county, the mood was festive and welcoming with costumed attendees, drum lines, live music and passersby in cars honking in support.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY

• Rep. Sara Jacobs visited events in La Mesa and Julian, speaking with attendees and encouraging early voting.
• Balboa Park’s “Drag Out the Vote” featured stilt walkers, drag performances, inflatable costumes, music and a “Power” wall created by attendees with their “I Voted” stickers.
• University City and Ramona included mock-voting booths for children, giving younger participants a chance to learn about voting.
• Several events built in a walk to a library or community ballot drop box, including Fallbrook, Julian, La Mesa, Mira Mesa, University City, La Jolla and Alpine.
• Scripps Ranch and Alpine held their first organized No Kings events.

Check out this short video by OBcean Phil Rockhold of the “No Kings” event in Ocean Beach on Saturday, October 17th.

By Michael Hernandez

It was a night like any other for Ocean Beach resident Scott Martinez, who says he was playing Scrabble in the garage of his next-door neighbor in the 4600 block of Del Mar Avenue when another neighbor popped in with news that left their jaws on the floor. A single-family home in the neighborhood was put up for sale, with a proposal for the construction of a 12-unit ADU “farm” in the backyard. Almost immediately, neighbors began to organize, and Scott found himself swept up in the fight to stop the project in its tracks.

The property at the center of this issue is 4637 Del Mar Avenue. Neighbors say the house used to belong to an elderly woman who lived there for decades. After her death, her children sold the house, and up until recently, it was listed as a short-term rental. However, neighbors allege the property may not have had the proper notices required by the City of San Diego for Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.

Melissa Scherer, another neighborhood resident who has lived on the block for about four years now, is deeply involved in the fight against the potential ADU farm. She recounts how early one Sunday morning in September, a maintenance crew arrived and began to do some work on the lawn and the house. By that afternoon, the crew was installing the frame for a real estate sign.

Experience more than 35 Ocean Beach restaurants, breweries, and wine bars in one night.

By: Dani Miskell / 10News / Oct. 15, 2026

U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff visited Point Loma High School on Thursday, October 15, to discuss how immigration enforcement has impacted San Diego schools.

The visit marked the first time in 13 years that a U.S. senator visited a school in the San Diego Unified School District, according to the district. Former Sen. Barbara Boxer last visited a district school when she stopped at an elementary school in Barrio Logan.

About 100 juniors and seniors had the opportunity to meet with Schiff and ask questions, including about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations near schools.

Although no incidents of parents being detained near Point Loma High School have been reported, similar concerns have surfaced elsewhere in the district.

Rag reporter Michael Hernandez ended up going to two events in his area.

By Debbie L. Sklar / Special to the OB Rag

A December 1928 photograph captures the Strand Theatre on Newport Avenue when it was only about 3 years old, its Mission Revival architecture standing prominently along one of Ocean Beach’s emerging commercial streets.

The theater opened Nov. 6, 1925, replacing the earlier Ocean Theatre and giving the growing beach community a larger movie house. According to the city of San Diego’s Ocean Beach Community Plan, The Strand became an important neighborhood landmark and helped spur development along Newport Avenue. The building was designated Historic Resource Site No. 561 on Dec. 20, 2002.

The Strand arrived at an interesting moment in American entertainment. Movies were evolving rapidly, and theaters were becoming gathering places as well as destinations for the latest films. The Strand served children and adults, with Saturday serials for younger audiences and new movies for evening crowds. A plaque on the building recalls the weekly screenings and the black-and-white sundaes sold at the neighboring Strand Sweet Shop.

For generations of Ocean Beach residents, The Strand was much more than a neighborhood movie theater. By the late 1970s, it had developed a following for its eclectic programming, including Friday and Saturday night screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It also showed films such as Woodstock, The Endless Summer, Gimme Shelter and Rust Never Sleeps, according to OB Rag’s retrospective on the theater.

By Lori Saldaña

On October 13 the San Diego city council voted to approve the Seaworld master plan and expansion update on Mission Bay, across the river from the Sports Arena/ Midway region. This includes plans for a hotel and below-grade parking

To the Park’s credit, they did an excellent Sea Level Rise (SLR) assessment and vulnerability analysis- but it’s already nearly 7 years old.

Also- the park is counting on the city to maintain adequate access roads as sea level rises around Mission Bay:

“Based on the information above, a SLR of 3.3 feet has been identified as the threshold for exposure in Planning Area 2 (Guest Parking). In order to maintain uninterrupted access to SeaWorld facilities, adaptation measures outside of the leasehold would be required. As impacts to public infrastructure (i.e., roads) are anticipated, it is likely that before SLR has reached 3.3 feet, adaptation measures that look to address inundation of the public roads will have already been implemented by the City.” [emphasis added] From here

The Council approved this plan – and if they had read this SLR analysis, they did so with the understanding the city will be taking “adaptation measures” to maintain “uninterrupted access to SeaWorld facilities.”

Does the city have an adaptation plan and money for maintaining these access roads? SeaWorld Drive is already showing signs of SLR stress. It’s in very rough shape. Groundwater pressure is already creating problems in this area. It has lifted up the road and stressed the asphalt and road bed on Sea World Dr.

Here’s a series of articles highlighting recent developments over the last few weeks in San Diego development.

 Another Lawsuit Emerges to Challenge Controversial Development at Emerald Hills – It Alleges Racial Discrimination

By Katie Hyson / KPBS / September 30, 2026

Another lawsuit is challenging the controversial development coming to Emerald Hills — 123 homes on a hilltop that neighbors have long hoped would be a park.

Andrea Hetheru was the community planning group chair in 2024. She didn’t understand how the development was allowed. The area wasn’t zoned for that density. It sent her down a long, complicated rabbit hole. “Did I think it was going to take two and a half years of my life? Hundreds of hours? You know, not going to sleep – for how many days have I not had any sleep at all over Footnote 7 and particularly this issue? Heck no,” she said.

The city council voted to add Footnote 7 to city code in 2019. It allowed for much denser development only in the mostly Black, Latino and low-income neighborhoods in southeastern San Diego.