Category: History

On September 22, local news reported that there had been four rapes and one sexual assault at or near the campus of California State University San Marcos. Given the heightened awareness these days of how universities treat such sexual assaults like at Cornell, one would think that the local media would be on top of the most up-to-date news of the cases, their investigations, possible suspects.

Yet it’s been a full two weeks since the last news report of the scandal in San Marcos. And according to our take on the media, there hasn’t been anything.

The rapes and assault all occurred within a month — three on campus and one at an on-campus residency hall.

The only announcement coming out of the university administration is what they’re going to do to prevent future assaults.

The four incidents of rape reportedly occurred from Sept. 5 to 18, Cal State San Marcos representative Jerry McCormick said.

• Sept. 5 incident happened at The Quad Residence Hall
• Sept. 6 incident happened at the University Village Apartment
• Sept. 13 incident happened at Black Oak Hall
• Sept. 18 incident happened at The Quad Residence Hall
• Sept 21 sexual assault in Black Oak Hall.

All incidents are unrelated, and in each case, the people involved knew each other, except for the most recent incident.

By Debbie Sklar / Times of San Diego / October 6, 2026

For a brief moment in the 1880s, Ocean Beach was supposed to become one of San Diego’s grand seaside resorts.

At the center of that dream stood an imposing Victorian hotel at the foot of Niagara Avenue, overlooking the ocean.

It was called the Cliff House.

Built by real estate promoters William H. “Billy” Carlson and Frank J. Higgins, the Cliff House was designed to attract vacationers, prospective land buyers, and anyone willing to believe that the remote stretch of Point Loma was about to become San Diego’s next great resort destination.

The timing seemed perfect.

San Diego was in the middle of a spectacular real estate boom, and Carlson and Higgins were selling lots in their new Ocean Beach subdivision. They filed their subdivision map on May 28, 1887, and promoted the area with elaborate public events, including mussel roasts, bands, free ice cream, rental bathing suits, and hot-air balloons.

The developers needed something impressive to give their new community a centerpiece.

They built the Cliff House.

By Kate Callen

The OB Rag has always gotten pushback on its endorsements of political candidates and ballot measures. But our choice of Nicole Crosby for the District 2 Council seat has triggered an unusual backlash from supporters of Richard Bailey.

We expected individuals to post negative comments on our Crosby story — that comes with the territory. But we never thought an advocacy group like San Diego United Communities (SDUC) would use its Instagram account to vilify us as “the worst and cringiest newspaper in San Diego.”

We respect the work of SDUC in fighting for sustainable growth in residential neighborhoods. But we are saddened by their scorched-earth tactics. They don’t just disagree — they attack, and often in personal terms.

by Amie Parnes and Julia Manchester / The Hill / October 6, 2026

President Trump is stoking outrage among California Democrats and at least one House GOP candidate after he suggested at a midterm rally that he would allow Iran to “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) led the charge, telling The Hill on Tuesday that Trump is “mentally ill.”

“TIME FOR THE 25TH!” the governor said in a statement.

The sentiment follows a social media post from Newsom on Monday where he called Trump “deranged and dangerous.”

Newsom is widely seen as a prospective presidential contender for Democrats in 2028.

“Gavin Newscum is the worst governor in America, and he also may be the dumbest,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in response to the remarks.

Newsom was far from the only California politician lashing out at Trump, however.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) said Trump’s remarks are “dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety,” while San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (D) told Trump in his own statement to “keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”

Meanwhile, Republican Jim Desmond, who is running for a San Diego-area House district, said he “vehemently” disagrees with the president.

by Ernie McCray

September 2026
found me in high spirits,
thanks to quality time I enjoyed simply
being in the company
of good people
at a time when we human beings need each other
so urgently,
and the folks formed a nice range:
new and old friends I visited in my hometown,
a number of inspirational individuals
with whom I broke bread at a memorable dinner,
sharing so much laughter
and stories overflowing with wit,
and I’ll forever remember the time I spent with
a room of young high school artists
who are illustrating a collection of my poetry
and, on the subject of writing,

The OB Rag is endorsing Martha Abraham for the District 4 seat on the San Diego City Council. Abraham is a registered Democrat running in a intra-party race (two Democrats) and her core campaign endorsement roster features major environmental, healthcare, and labor organizations.

Over the last year or so, careful observers of City Hall have noticed Abraham’s activism which is rooted in her community. She has shown a commitment to responsible planning and growth, environmental justice, historic preservation, and putting residents first. She has voiced opposition to some of the City’s poorly thought out upzoning policies (like the Bonus Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program and the under-the-radar rezoning in her community known as Footnote 7), which were supported by past and current City Councilmembers.

She believes San Diego can address its housing needs while protecting the character and qualities that make each neighborhood unique. These words, “People first, always,” express her community service mindset and desire to help build a better San Diego for all.

About Martha Abraham
Martha Abraham is a registered nurse (who works in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)),

Join the OB Historical Society on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7:00 PM, as they presents Kathy Blavatt, who shows us that the Peninsula is truly a “Garden of Eden” with its perfect climate and wide variety of plant life that springs from the local soil.

Mankind has nurtured this landscape and lived on it for centuries, from Indigenous peoples to today’s population.

By Tammy Murga / kpbs / Oct. 2, 2026

A bright yellow circle slowly formed in the water at Glorietta Bay Park in Coronado on Thursday afternoon.

They were surfers, clean water advocates and community members on surfboards, paddleboards and kayaks. Except they weren’t wearing wetsuits. They donned hazmat suits.

“The hazmat suit is a visual cue that we’re in a crisis,” said Corey Cleary-Stoner, one of the community members. “The most essential natural resource is under attack, and it’s under attack by us.”

He was referring to what’s been happening for years on the other side of the San Diego Bay, about eight miles south of the park: beaches closed for swimming because of sewage contamination that makes its way from Tijuana.

The pollution has forced lifeguards to adapt by limiting their time in the water and using mobile showers attached to their vehicles; children in local summer camps are bussed to beaches outside of their communities, and residents have become sick from exposure to the sewage contamination.

By Staff

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

Monday, October 5: City Council, 2:00 p.m.

Agenda:

Item S400: 11370 Paymogo Court, Appeal of the Environmental Determination

Why it matters: As the project map shows, construction of a 2,653-square-foot three-level single family home would carve into a heavily wooded area, wiping out trees and wildlife habitat. It’s hard to see how such environmental destruction is justified.

Democrat With Local Roots Outshines Triple-Time Trump Voter and Carpetbagger Richard Bailey

Candidate Nicole Crosby has won the OB Rag’s endorsement for the general election to be held in 30 days. Coming to this stance, I looked at Nicole’s campaign website, my experiences over the last year with Richard Bailey, reviewed candidate debate reports from the U-T, Times of San Diego and our own Rag account.

Bailey has been campaigning for over a year and has polished off a number of campaign phrases — he’s into policies not politics, and the city doesn’t have a money problem, it has a spending problem. Yet, of course, he’s into politics.

Although not perfect, Crosby has a more compassionate heart than Bailey does when you compare their positions on San Diego’s homelessness, rent-control, city staffing,Trump’s immigration policies and the constitutional rights of all citizens in the area.

Of note are Crosby’s local roots — they particularly stand out in heavy contrast to the current District 2 officeholder, Jen Campell. Crosby and her family have lived in Clairemont for many years; she was the president of the PTA for her daughter’s school and was the chair of the Clairemont Town Council. This is also a huge contrast between her and the other candidate, Richard Bailey. Bailey — the former part-time mayor of the tiny community of Coronado – just recently moved to Point Loma so he would be eligible to run. That type of movement is often called “carpetbagging.”

Merriam-Webster defines carpet-bagging as “an outsider moving into a new area to exploit a situation or seek personal, financial, or political gain without having local connections.”  A similar definition states it’s a politician who runs for office in a region where they do not live or have no prior ties, just because they think it will be easier to win. This is what Bailey has done.

Yet, setting that aside, on the issue of homelessness, Crosby believes the city is spending too much on enforcing the so-called “camping ban” and sees that as a serious waste of money and the use of police officers, that it costs more than providing housing. Bailey wants to cut city funds for homeless programs.

Crosby believes in rent control for senior citizens as a way to cut into future homeless seniors; Bailey takes a typical Republican view and doesn’t believe in rent-control at all.