Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s WEDNESDAY, APRIL FIRST>>>>More on that next. But first... the headlines…

San Diego Ranked Among Healthiest Cities

WalletHub has ranked San Diego tenth overall in the nation for its assortment of healthy restaurants. The website utilized 41 key indicators across multiple categories including food, healthcare, and available greenspace. San Diego also boasts the sixth-most hiking trails per capita in the nation.

Beach closures remain in place for Imperial Beach, Tijuana Slough, and Silver Strand and North Beach in Coronado due to sewage impacts and potential health risks. Water quality samples are being monitored.

UC San Diego Joins Pac-Twelve Soccer Conference

UC San Diego's men's soccer team will compete in the Pac-Twelve Conference next season, alongside three other California schools. This partnership aims to strengthen and sustain Division One soccer opportunities across the Western U.S.

UC-SD's men's soccer coach Jon Pascale says it will give the team an opportunity to play new, quality opponents and establish a cross-town rivalry with San Diego State.

ICE Transfers from San Diego County Nearly Tripled

Last year, San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez transferred almost three times more jail inmates to ICE custody than in 2024. Reporter Gustavo Solis reports this dramatic increase has renewed calls to end the practice.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s department transferred 83 people to ICE in 2025, up from only 30 in 2024. This spike is primarily due to an increase in warrants from ICE.

Sheriff Martinez presented these numbers at an annual forum last week. San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre expressed concerns, stating, “I don’t need to repeat this, but we know we’re living in a time where fear is real in our communities. I would even call it terror.”

Immigrant advocates at the forum called for an end to all ICE transfers, noting that transfers are discretionary. However, Sheriff Martinez stated she has no plans to stop the practice, arguing it’s safer for ICE agents to apprehend targets in jail rather than in the community.

She explained, “If they’re going to go into the community there will be collateral damage and that’s my bigger concern.”

State Audit of “Fusion Centers” Announced

The state auditor has announced it will audit so-called “fusion centers” in California. Reporter Scott Rodd explains these centers allow law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and investigation leads, but some lawmakers worry about a lack of oversight.

Fusion centers were established after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to improve information sharing. California has about a half-dozen, including the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center.

Mike German, a former FBI agent and national security expert, noted the difficulty in understanding how these centers operate. He stated, “FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials operate within these fusion centers with access to all of their federal systems sitting side-by-side by with emergency response personnel, public health personnel, law enforcement personnel, and these unknown private sector entities with no clear regulation about how they're supposed to share information. they're collecting about the rest of us and what they do with it.”

The audit will examine oversight and ensure information sharing with federal immigration agencies complies with California’s immigrant sanctuary laws. The San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center director Roy Frank stated the organization is transparent and will comply with the audit.

Local Non-Profits Receive Electric Vehicles

Three local non-profits – the Chicano Federation, Healthy Day Partners, and Serving Seniors – have been awarded new electric vehicles. Funding was provided by SDG&E and Citizens Energy Corporation.

Melinda Forstey, president and CEO of Serving Seniors, explained the EVs will save the organization money on gas. She stated, “So in a typical day, one vehicle may drive up to 200 miles at a time sometimes. We serve meals from Oceanside to Imperial Beach to La Mesa. So the amount of energy we're going to be able to save with these vehicles is really remarkable.”

The EV grant program aims to provide $14 million to organizations supporting low-income and marginalized communities.

Gas Prices Continue to Rise in San Diego

Gas prices in San Diego continue to increase. Triple-A reports the average price for a gallon of regular is now $5.95, with diesel exceeding $7.00 a gallon.

One San Diego resident, Robbie Holley, urged politicians in Washington to address the issue, stating, “Oil prices, Iran and everything going on right now, it’s just a mess…so the message is just clean up the Iran mess and get oil back, get it back down to where it should be.”

Triple-A predicts the introduction of the summer blend of gasoline this week could add another 20-25 cents per gallon.

Navy SEAL Museum Opens in San Diego

A new museum dedicated to Navy SEALs has opened in San Diego, across from the Santa Fe Depot. The 10,000 square foot facility tells the story of the elite members of the armed forces.

Executive Director Brian Drechsler, a retired Captain and SEAL, emphasized the importance of accurately portraying 80 years of Naval special warfare history. The museum features immersive exhibits, artifacts, and virtual reality experiences, including a simulation of a hostage rescue mission.