Mid-October 2021 News from Ocean Beach and Point Loma

Tarballs Found at Mission Beach – How to Report Them

Tar balls were discovered on Oct. 8 in Mission Beach and San Diego regional lifeguards will be monitoring for tar balls and oil. Tar balls were collected Wednesday evening in Oceanside and more were reported Thursday in Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Del Mar.

To report tar/oil email: tarballreports@wildlife.ca.gov. In the email, include 1) Date the oil was observed, 2) Time the oil was observed, 3) Specific location where the oil was observed – GPS coordinates are preferred, 4) Descriptive photos of the oil (do not touch it), 5) A short visual/physical description of the oil, 6) Estimated quantity, 7) Contact information for follow-up.

STVR Ordinance Returns to City Council

Monday, Oct. 11, the San Diego City Council will hear specifics on some aspects of Council President Jennifer Campbell’s short term vacation rental (STVR) ordinance, which passed in February.  The City Council will hear two items: the first is an information item on the city’s proposed lottery program for Tier 3 and Tier 4 STVRs and the second is a discussion item laying out the application and licensing fees for STVRs.

Skateboarder Hit Tuesday Succumbs to His Injuries In Hospital

John Patrick Robinson, 27, hit by a car and badly injured on Tuesday while skateboarding through the Nimitz and West Point Loma Boulevard intersection, passed away Saturday in the hospital. Robinson had been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He had entered the intersection against a red light just before 6 a.m and was hit by a car driven by a man heading south on Nimitz. SD U-T

Gov. Newsom Signs Bill That Expands Outdoor Dining

On Oct. 8, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation that will expand opportunities for outdoor dining across the Golden State. Authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), Assembly Bill (AB) 61 will empower local jurisdictions and the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) to provide regulatory flexibility to neighborhood restaurants struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. AB 61 provides restaurants with regulatory flexibility on a number of key issues, including enabling more outdoor food preparation and service, allowing restaurants to better use their own spaces for increased outdoor dining capacity, and extending existing ABC orders allowing for alcohol service on outdoor premises. AB 61 also includes an urgency clause, meaning the measure goes into effect immediately. La Jolla Village News

Point Loma High Student Appointed to Mayor’s Youth Commission

Avery Wulf, a student at Point Loma High School, was just recently appointed by Mayor Gloria to his Youth Commission. Avery is a resident of Point Loma where she is very dedicated to giving back to her community. Her volunteerism experience includes currently serving as the Vice President of the Associated Student Body at PLHS, a member of the San Diego Youth Symphony, and an active volunteer for the Girl Scout Troop #4920. Charlie Nieto from Pacific Beach was also appointed. He provides emerging leadership in his community. Mr. Nieto currently serves as Chair of the Community Enhancement Committee on the Pacific Beach Town Council. He is also a talented graphic designer where he donates his talents toward non-profit organizations based in Council District 2. Mr. Nieto currently is a student attending San Diego State University where is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Marketing. Nieto is a resident of Pacific Beach.

Volunteer at Cabrillo National Monument Nationally Recognized

Like the many independent, strong women she so admires, Sita Antel is forging her own path and putting her time and talents into the causes she believes in. One of those causes is the Cabrillo National Monument, and the Mission Bay High School senior’s volunteer work in support of the park has earned her national recognition. Antel, 17, of Pacific Beach, first started volunteering for the park when she young. According to her family, she has always been interested in history and historical fashion. A chance meeting at a Farmer’s Market with a couple dressed in vintage garb led to an invitation for her to visit the Cabrillo park. PBMonthly

Point Loma Nazarene Included Among California Colleges That Do Not Require ACT or SAT Scores

Nearly 130 colleges and universities in California do not require students applying for the Fall 2022 semester to release their ACT or SAT scores, according to updated data from the National Center for Fair & Open Testing. They include the University of California San Diego, San Diego State University, the University of San Diego and the Point Loma Nazarene University. San Diego Union-Tribune.

Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Killing Mother in OB

A man who killed his mother by stabbing her dozens of times in Ocean Beach was sentenced Wednesday to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Daniel Chase McKibben, 39, pleaded guilty earlier this year to murder and other allegations stemming from the slaying of 59-year-old Heidi Green, whose body was found on May 1, 2019, inside a garbage can in the garage of a condominium on Niagara Avenue. The rental property was owned by Green, a Los Angeles County resident, according to preliminary hearing testimony. Deputy District Attorney Kristie Nikoletich said Green sustained more than 45 stab wounds, mostly to her face and neck. She also alleged McKibben stole Green’s jewelry, purse, wallet, credit cards, watch and other items, many of which were never recovered.

While armed with a knife, McKibben was shot by La Mesa police the day after Green’s body was discovered, then taken into custody. In addition to the murder count, McKibben admitted to allegations of using a knife in the killing, as well as special circumstance allegations of killing Green in the commission of torture and a robbery. Patch The OB Rag covered this series of incidents a the time: see here and here.

5 Drivers Arrested at DUI-Check Near SeaWorld

Five motorists were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol at a checkpoint Sunday near SeaWorld San Diego, police said. The checkpoint was conducted between 11 p.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday at 2700 Ingraham St., said Officer Anthony Obregon of the San Diego Police Department. Of the 782 vehicles traveling through the checkpoint, 654 vehicles were screened and six drivers were evaluated, the officer said. Eight citations were issued and five vehicles were impounded. Times of San Diego

A Look Inside a Police Sweep of Midway Homeless Camp

Officials said they took down a homeless encampment in the Midway District because it obstructed the roadway and constituted a risk to public health and safety. The residents and advocates were no less bothered by what they experienced. Voice of San Diego

Sunset Cliffs Oncologist Reminds Us of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A Sunset Cliffs resident and medical oncologist is sharing information about advances in battling the disease during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. “Unfortunately, one in eight women in their lives are going to be diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Dr. Carrie Costantini, breast medical oncologist at Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center and a Scripps Clinic physician. “In 2021 alone, an estimated 281,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. Though the number of deaths per year has gone down to about 43,000, that’s still way too much.” Costantini said new cutting-edge research and treatments such as immunotherapy “have improved outcomes allowing patients to live longer and without their cancers coming back.”

Leading a healthy lifestyle has also proven conducive to cancer treatment, noted Costantini, “General health, diet, and exercise are beneficial,” she said. “Studies have shown that women who’ve had breast cancer who do 150 minutes or more of moderate exercise a week that gets their heart rates up, that helps reduce their risk of cancer coming back.” There are other ways to cut down on cancer-risk factors too. “Studies have shown that women drinking less than a glass of alcohol a day have a reduced risk of not only breast cancer but many other cancers as well,” said Stephen Carpowich, Scripps Health public relations manager.