Good morning, San Diego ☀️
Here’s what we have for you today:
- City lowers boom on smoke shops over kratom.
- The Padres sale could be official before the month is up.
- Friday is International Beer Day! In craft-happy San Diego, beer claims supremacy on most days, but there is a fest this weekend where you can celebrate an extra day.
Jennifer Vigil
News editor
Top story
Dealers allegedly sold more than $2 million worth of cocaine a month on notorious stretch of Imperial Avenue
Offenses defined as “crimes against society” are up in San Diego. That category includes drug violations.
Based on a three-year average comparison, those offenses have risen by 8% this year, according to the San Diego Police Department’s Neighborhood Crime Summary Dashboard.
You don’t have to tell the residents who live, shop and work near Imperial Avenue and 29th Street. They’ve seen one violation after another.
Those in the Grant Hill neighborhood witnessed rampant drug sales on the block, thousands of transactions a year, according to law enforcement, and surrounding communities felt the effects too, as our Andi Ruiz reports.
A task force attempted to put a stop to what they called the “Imperial Avenue Crack Market” last month in raids that netted 28 arrests.
Criminal activity was obviously a concern for local residents, but, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, living under the threat of violence has far-reaching consequences too. Long-term, it’s also associated with “increased risk of developing chronic diseases … (which may) prevent some people from engaging in healthy behaviors, such as walking, bicycling, using parks and accessing healthy food.”
All in all, the CDC concluded, such an atmosphere “slows community progress.”
The July bust may have given the neighborhood a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. A downtown activist who monitors drug activity in his own community hopes it’s a sign that law enforcement is ready to target more open air drug markets.
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Stories you should know about
📈 SDG&E parent Sempra reports “strong” second-quarter earnings, led by Texas: The San Diego-based utility-holding company pleased shareholders. The company earned $796 million, or $1.21 per share, compared to $461 million, or $0.71 per share, in the same quarter last year.
🏥 Former Navy swimmer suing Amazon over severe burns from ethanol fire pit: The injured man, 31, in a lawsuit filed Wednesday, is targeting the online shopping giant and the fire pit’s manufacturer. He said he suffered third-degree burns when the fire pit exploded on his balcony.
🎶 Alela Diane brings road-worn wisdom to latest album, ‘Who’s Keeping Time‘: The folk singer performs at Soda Bar next week. Her latest release has earned widespread acclaim, including being named MOJO Magazine’s Americana Album of the Month.
💧Opinion — We know more about Taylor Swift’s wedding than the water we drink: The writer wonders, “when did we become a society that cares more about a celebrity wedding … than a public health nightmare unfolding in our own backyards?”
What else we’re reading
🌇 Mayor Todd Gloria talks with KQED’s “Political Breakdown” about hot-button local topics from homelessness to Midway Rising, along with how big cities are faring under President Trump. He also tells host Marisa Lagos how serving at other government levels made him realize, “I’m just a city guy.” (KQED)
🎨 In “The Finest” podcast, the hosts look at how artists are using artificial intelligence tools – or not – to create new works. The key question they say artists face is “deciding what role technology should play in creative work.” (KPBS)
Locals Only
📸 We asked you: Where’s the best photo-op spot in coastal areas? Here’s what San Diegans had to say:
🌊 Sunset Cliffs from Melissa B., Alex A.
📷 Cabrillo National Monument from Tom C.
🎞️ H Street Overlook in Encinitas from Bruce H.
📹 La Jolla Cove from Lisa R.
If you’re looking to take a roadtrip:
📸 Montaña De Oro State Park in Los Osos (~6.5 hours from downtown) from Peter M.
🌊 Laguna Beach (~1.5 hours from downtown SD) from Beth H.