Author: Frank Gormlie

It’s been totally underplayed by local media, but last week on Friday, March 14, the United States Geological Survey sent out an alert for a magnitude 4.6 earthquake in the Salton Sea area.

The USGS report included details about the epicenter, the depth and how widespread the impact was.

The problem is that it never happened and the earthquake report was pulled down from the agency’s website.

USGS Public Affairs Specialist Paul Laustsen conceded the earthquake never occurred. He said:

“The message was sent in error during a system testing. There was no earthquake of that magnitude at that time or at that depth. We are still looking into what happened. This is definitely a rare occurrence.”

This is what the DOW looks like today, so far. Down nearly 600 points. Wall Street didn’t believe Trump when he promised to enact tariffs on the campaign trail.

This Thursday storm has indeed brought snow to our local mountains.

Everyone of the Democrats should have gotten up and walked out with Al Green when he was escorted out of the Chambers.

At least three lawmakers were injured on Tuesday, March 4th during Trump’s state of the union address before a joint session of Congress, one of them seriously.

It was a chaotic scene as Democratic congress people and Senators reacted to Trump’s lies and attempts to stage a coup over the government and install an oligarchy.

Smoke bombs and flares were thrown, further fueling political tensions in the Capitol but preventing Trump from speaking further — he was rushed from the floor. Elon Musk was also chased from the floor by irate congresswomen and seniors.

Lawmakers were scheduled to listen to over an hour address by Trump, but the opposition party found its footing and role in the attempted coup and refused to allow it to happen. They said that Trump and Musk’s moves were illegal and that lawmakers should first insist on the resignation of Musk from any official role in the government.

Editordude: Here’s a brief summary of yesterday’s city council hearing from Neighbors for a Better San Diego.

From Neighbors for a Better San Diego

TBD…
An internal memo by the Planning Department — distributed to Councilmembers on Friday but not shared with the public — changed Council direction on the Bonus ADU program. We won’t know what we got yesterday until the Planning Department comes back with concrete details on how they are going to implement the Council’s motion.

The Council Chambers were completely packed, mostly with people wearing yellow supporting the repeal of the Bonus ADU program. Many people spoke to how the Bonus ADU program has affected their lives personally.

Here is a link to the full meeting. The Bonus ADU item starts around the 2:10:00 mark with a forceful presentation by Councilmember Foster’s staff.

After hours of testimony — and at times some fiery debate by Councilmembers — here was the final motion:

City Council Hearing is on Tuesday, March 4

A number of neighborhood groups are urging their constituents and other San Diego residents to attend a City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 4th to protest the city’s Bonus ADU Program, but they’re also asking people to submit written comments — and the deadline is today, Monday, March 3.

Some are asking residents who attend to wear yellow in solidarity with Encanto residents who are trying to have the infamous Footnote 7 abolished.

For example, the group UC PEEPS have been broadcasting the council meeting where council members will consider rolling back San Diego’s excessive Bonus ADU Program regulations to align with State law.

They are stressing to have folks submit their written comments. Here’s their instructions:

As tariffs on Canada and Mexico go into effect on Tuesday, March 4, local San Diego industries prepare to suffer. From the building industry and new homes to the city’s craft beer businesses, all expect to be hurt.

Even while U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday, March 2 that Trump will determine whether to stick with the planned 25% level or not, San Diego will undoubtedly be affected negatively.

For example, Nat Bosa is a developer whose company, Vancouver, Canada-based Bosa Development, is in the middle of construction on a 389-unit condo tower called Andia in downtown San Diego, with plans to build a 211-unit apartment building next to Children’s Park. He is flabbergasted at the looming tariffs.

Bosa told the U-T, “To have the illusion (tariffs) would not cost us more money is absolute insanity. Right now, we have no idea to what extent.”

Mt Laguna at 8 a.m. this morning, Monday, March 3, 2025. This is at 6,000 feet. This is definitely more than hail. You saw it first here.

In an unexpected development, the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) of Mission Valley has decided to abandon plans to sell the historic Point Loma United Methodist Church property to developers for affordable housing.

The shift comes after a recent meeting between the FUMC task force overseeing the initiative and Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank, who represents the California-Pacific Conference (Cal-Pac) of the United Methodist Church

The Rag has been informed that the First United Methodist Church that owns the property at at 1984 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard where Water’s Edge Church now stands will entertain a motion to place the property out for bid at a meeting on Saturday, March  1.

The church leadership have indicated they intend to demolish the historic building complex and sell it, ostensibly for a huge housing project with some units as affordable housing. Members of what’s being called the Ocean Beach Community Hub Initiative want the large property to be turned into a community hub.

This controversy has been quietly raging in the background as the two sides jostle for ground in a public relations battle. People from the Community Hub network, which includes a number of OB organizations, claim the church has refused to be transparent about their action or even negotiate with the neighborhood. 

The San Diego City Council is all set to formally accept a $3 million for the expansion of the Ocean Beach Library. The formal acceptance was scheduled for Tuesday, March 4th but has been postponed to March 11.

This will be a momentous occasion for OB residents as the expansion has been on the City’s backburner for years. Members of the Friends of the OB Library are elated.

Here’s some of the formal language — the agenda item is number 100: