Category: San Diego

Three people were injured Friday in a fire at a 12-story residential building in downtown San Diego. The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Sixth Avenue near A Street, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Firefighters extinguished the blaze on the sixth floor and then worked to clear smoke from the building, officials said. Fire officials reported that three people were injured, with two of them taken to UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. The extent of the injuries was not immediately known. A total of 44 personnel were assigned to the fire, including six engines, three medics and two trucks, officials said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks posted solid gains as Wall Street put the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4%. Both indexes closed out November with their best monthly performances of the year. The Nasdaq added 0.8%. Friday was an abbreviated trading day, with stocks closing at 1 p.m. ET and the bond market an hour later. Investors were looking to see how much shoppers are willing to spend on gifts for the holidays. Black Friday unofficially kicked off the holiday shopping season, although retailers had been offering early deals for weeks. Macy’s and Best Buy each gained around 2%. Apple rose 1.1%. The technology giant is hoping recently added artificial intelligence features are enough to entice consumers to treat themselves or their relatives to a new iPhone for the holidays. The Dow rose 7.5% in November, easily its best month of 2024. The Walt Disney Co. has the biggest percentage gain for the month at 22.1%, but the price-weighted index also got a boost from Goldman Sachs

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The long-awaited grand reopening of the iconic Botanical Building at Balboa Park is just around the corner, signaling the $28 million renovation project is nearly complete. Earlier this week, the city of San Diego announced the Botanical Building will reopen during the park’s December Nights weekend with limited hours. Visitors will be able to visit the building Friday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 7 from noon to 6 p.m. RELATED: Here’s when the Balboa Park Botanical Building is set to reopen The structure recognized as Balboa Park’s crown jewel was built in 1914. In January 2022, it was closed to the public to undergo the early stages of its two-phase transformation. On Nov. 18, the city posted a video to its Instagram account, showing the newly renovated Botanical Building uses a misting system that uses digital temperature and humidity sensors to care for the plants in the greenhouse. Check out the video of the misting system in action above. AIDS memorial to open in Bankers Hill, along with new park The project was originally estimated

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Chula Vista Border Patrol Station arrested a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang last week as he attempted to enter the country illegally, officials said. Border Patrol agents encountered a group of individuals who had unlawfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border around 3:15 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22. Among the group was one man who, when questioned about his citizenship, initially claimed to be from Mexico, CBP officials explained. However, after further investigation, it was discovered that the man had provided false biographical information in an effort to conceal his true identity. US faith-based missionaries build homes for Mexican poor south of the border Upon further processing at the Border Patrol station, agents confirmed that the individual was actually a 32-year-old citizen of El Salvador and a member of the MS-13 gang. He is now in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, pending expedited removal under the Presidential Proclamation on Securing the Border. “I applaud our San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents for their dedication and diligence to protecting our country,” said

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Although affordability continues to be top of mind for potential homebuyers, the most recent S&P Case-Shiller Indices report shows the home price growth in the San Diego metropolitan market has been slowing down. The report, released Tuesday, said month-over-month home price declines were the steepest in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, all of which saw a -0.9% drop in September. La Jolla residents make push to advance secession from San Diego San Diego’s annual home price growth was 4.7% in September, compared to a staggering 5.7% just the month before. In fact, the trend of slower year-over-year appreciation was recorded in 17 of 20 metros in the report. Home sales around the county dropped and the median home sales prices stayed steady around the $1 million mark in September, according to the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors. The three metros that saw annual gains increase from August to September were Minneapolis, Minn., Cleveland, Ohio and Portland, Ore. Nationwide, home prices saw a 3.9% annual gain in September, down from 4.3% in August.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 72-year-old woman was sent to the hospital Thursday evening following a head-on collision in Scripps Ranch, authorities said. According to the San Diego Police Department, the driver of a 2021 Mercedes Benz GLC300, 83, was traveling northbound in the 10030 block of Scripps Ranch Boulevard shortly before 7 p.m. At that same time, a 50-year-old man was driving a 2014 Nissan Maxima southbound in the 10000 block of Aviary Drive along with three passengers. For reasons still under investigation, police said the woman turned right onto Aviary Drive, meaning she was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of traffic. The woman then collided head-on with the Nissan Maxima. A 72-year-old woman, a passenger in the Nissan Maxima, suffered a skull fracture and was transported to a local hospital. Her current condition is unknown. Police said alcohol was not a factor in the collision. Traffic Division officers responded to the scene and will be handling the investigation. Anyone with information related to the crash is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

By KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday for talks with North Korean military and political leaders as the countries deepen their cooperation over Russia’s war in Ukraine. In announcing the visit, Russia’s Defense Ministry didn’t say whom Belousov would meet or the purpose of the talks. North Korean state media didn’t immediately confirm the visit. Belousov, a former economist, replaced Sergei Shoigu as defense minister in May after Russian President Vladimir Putin started a fifth term in power. Photos released by the Defense Ministry showed Belousov walking alongside North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol on a red carpet at a Pyongyang airport. North Korean military officials were seen clapping under a banner that read, “Complete support and solidarity with the fighting Russian army and people.” Belousov noted after his arrival that military cooperation between the countries is expanding. He applauded a strategic partnership agreement signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following their June meeting in Pyongyang, which he said is aimed at reducing tensions by maintaining

By BEN NUCKOLS, Associated Press Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The NCAA’s yearslong efforts to get lawmakers to address myriad problems in college sports could finally pay off in the new, Republican-controlled Congress. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who is set to take over as chair of the powerful Commerce Committee, said recently that a college sports bill will be a top priority, accusing Democrats of dragging their feet on needed reforms. He still needs Democratic support for any bill to pass the necessary 60-vote threshold in the Senate, and that means some compromise with lawmakers who are more concerned about athlete welfare than giving the NCAA more authority. “Clearly the situation is much more doable with Republicans in control,” said Tom McMillen, a former Democratic congressman who played college basketball and for several years led an association of Division I athletic directors. “From the standpoint of the NCAA’s perspective, this is sort of an ideal scenario for them.” What’s at stake Cruz and others want to preserve at least parts of an amateur athlete model at the heart of college sports that has

If tougher immigration policies mean a significant loss of workers, American business hardships will lean toward industries with lower-wage jobs. President-elect Donald Trump has strongly hinted that he’ll order significant deportations of people living in the US without proper documentation. Others can debate the societal, constitutional and political ramifications of such a forced exodus, but my trusty spreadsheet is just looking at how many workers the nation’s economy could lose. One challenge of debating the business value of immigrants – especially those without proper paperwork – is that statistics on the legal status of immigrant workers are hard to find. Consider the Census Bureau’s statistics on worker citizenship. It tracks “noncitizens” – a broad category that includes workers from other countries who are approved to be employed in the US, plus those who don’t have such authorization. Please remember this significant caveat as my spreadsheet looks at the census tally of employment sliced ​​by citizenship for 2022, the latest data available. Topline By census math, there were 14.7 million “noncitizen” workers across the nation in 2022. That flock equaled 9% of all people employed in

New and existing small businesses in El Cajon will soon have a place to learn marketing and finance skills, network and even have their own office space inside the city’s Small Business Incubator. “There’s still a lot of work to do,” said Murtada Kamaluldeen, director of the incubator. “There’s the carpets to do, and the walls need to be reconstructed. But we have a plan.” Kamaluldeen, who’s known as M.K. by his American friends, said work on the building that’s home to the Chaldean Community Council and the incubator could begin later this month and be complete in 60 to 90 days. When finished, the city-owned building at 405 E. Lexington Ave. will be an asset to many of El Cajon’s Chaldean residents and all small business owners in the city. The incubator will be available for all El Cajon small business owners, not just Chaldeans, who are largely Christians from Iraq. The number of Chaldeans in El Cajon is estimated at around 15,000 to 20,000, or up to 19% of the city’s population. The Chaldean Community Council operates a small business incubator, social services

Many San Diego Unified kindergartners are already arriving at school behind grade level in reading, and reading scores take a hit when students reach middle school, district testing data show. This month San Diego Unified released the first major batch of scores from its own internal literacy tests taken during the fall, which are different from state standardized tests. The district will administer these internal tests to elementary and middle school students in the winter and spring to see how they’re progressing. State standardized test scores measure performance only once a year and are published months after students have moved on to the next grade. Overall, San Diego Unified students score above standard on state tests for English language arts. About 54% of San Diego Unified students met standards on the test — compared to a statewide average of 47%. But the district’s performance on the state English test has remained nearly flat from last year. The district improved its overall average reading score by less than half a point from last year. That “isn’t going to cut it to get us to our goal of 18

SAN MARCOS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The lights spark in fits in starts as San Marcos’s Mr. Christmas rummages around flipping breakers like Chevy Chase in A Christmas Vacation. The wonder created by the illuminating architect inspired nearly 80 years ago. “I come from a very poor family. Our Christmas was to look at Christmas lights and I told my mom, someday I was going to do this, and here I am,” said Bill Gilfillen, a retired Navy Master Chief and long-time San Marcos resident. With 38 years of marveling neighbors, his Christmas decorations, the thousands of lights and ornamentals displayed, have gone beyond pretty decorations solidifying a place in San Marcos lore. “I had a lady go into labor down here one year,” Gilfillen said. The nightlight nostalgia sweeps up kids and adults alike. “He got down on his knees and proposed to her and she said yes. There must have been hundreds of people out here and they all started clapping,” Gilfillen said. With the lights on, dozens of neighbors show up seemingly out of nowhere, enjoying the cool evening. The Knob Hill

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A National City boy’s brave fight against testicular Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, comes after a shocking diagnosis that turned his family’s world upside down.  Alex Balbin, 10, has stopped attending school in person due to his weakened immune system caused by chemotherapy treatment, which he recently started. His teacher and classmates have written him letters filled with words of encouragement as he navigates his health. Doctors removed a five-pound testicular tumor in late October and since then, the boy said he “feels more free.” For six months before his surgery, Alex’s mother, Vee Balbin, said her son kept the mass growing inside his body a secret until it led to the emergency room. She explained that her son never had any pain and hid the tumor under oversized sweatshirts. The child’s family knows getting through the next year of chemotherapy will be challenging, but they feel the support.  “I’m grateful for my friends and my friends’ parents who’ve helped a lot,” said his sister Nina Balbin. They hope to make a difference in the lives of others

SANTEE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — It’s definitely a happy Thanksgiving for students at a children’s dance studio in East County. On Wednesday, FOX 5/KUSI reported about a thief seen on surveillance video stealing a large nutcracker that they need for their performances. But now, the thief may have had a change of heart because it has now been returned. Tara Koji, owner of Dance and Arts Studios Santee, saw on her surveillance camera a woman hiding her face while returning the nutcracker that she had stolen early Tuesday morning from outside Koji’s business. “A lot of relief because, it seems like it’s in perfect condition, kind of the same condition we left it in,” Koji said. The nutcracker the thief took was named Gregory by one of Koji’s students. She also named Gregory’s nutcracker buddy George, and over the years, the two would stand outside the children’s dance studio during the holidays, serving as props during winter performances as well. Student Lily Russell said “it was really heartbreaking” after seeing that Gregory was stolen. The woman who stole Gregory must have seen the story aired on Wednesday

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — More than a hundred people were given a free Thanksgiving meal from Interfaith Services in Escondido on Thursday afternoon. It’s something Interfaith has done for the last 38 years, and Ann Fleming has been enjoying her Thanksgiving meal at Interfaith for the last 15 years. “I’m just really grateful to be here,” said Fleming who has a milestone to celebrate this year. “I’m 25 years today clean and sober and I have my own place now and it just means so much to me.” There was a line out the door before it opened, and in just the first 20 minutes, they were open. Eighty people enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal from a salad, turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, a roll and also a big slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream. “There’s people in need and we’re here to serve,” said Jazmin Oregon, Director of Inland Services with Interfaith Services. She brought 15 of her family members to help serve. Geri Mu has been a weekly volunteer at Interfaith Services for 12 years, all because of her

Midge Thomas carried a paper bag up some steps, across a porch and knocked on the door. The sack sagged a bit from the cooked turkey and mashed potatoes inside. No one, however, answered to claim the food. Thomas rang the bell, waited a few moments and then found a different door to knock on. Still nothing. She stepped back and weighed her options. The meal in Thomas’ bag was one of hundreds prepared this week by volunteers with the Fallbrook arm of Veterans of Foreign Wars, a nationwide nonprofit. VFWs act as gathering places and can offer a range of services for people who served in conflicts abroad.  This one was among several hosting feasts across San Diego County, but its home deliveries extended the bounty. You didn’t even need to be a veteran to receive it. Men and women had already been cooking for days when the sun rose on Thanksgiving. There was enough food for 300 meals. While some would be eaten in the dining hall, more than half was to be driven all over town. Volunteers at the Fallbrook VFW prepare food that will

Travelers going through San Diego International Airport experienced more than 100 flight delays for routes in and out of the city, during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Heavy rain and snow in other parts of the country were cited for the 150 flight delays, but there were no reported flight cancellations at the San Diego airport on Thanksgiving Day, according to the airline tracker FlightAware. Six flights were canceled at the San Diego airport on Wednesday. The average delay for airline passengers at the airport Thursday was estimated to be 36 minutes. According to the American Automobile Association, about 5.4 million people planned to travel by air for Thanksgiving, about a 2.1% increase from last year. About 460,000 airplane passengers were expected in San Diego between Tuesday and Monday, according to the regional airport authority. Those planning to travel through the rest of the peak Thanksgiving travel period are encouraged to check their flight’s status with the airline or by using their flight tracker before arriving at the airport. City News Service contributed to this report.

Above: Dan Plante’s Nov. 27 report for KUSI on the holiday travel rush. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Dozens of flights are delayed on Thanksgiving at San Diego International Airport as inclement weather causes headaches for travelers across the country. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, 154 delays were reported both in and out of San Diego, with zero cancellations, according to airline tracker FlightAware. Nearly 60 of these are for flights scheduled to land in or depart San Diego in the afternoon, per the airport’s flight tracker. The average delay for passengers is estimated to be about 58 minutes, FlightAware adds. It comes after a rough day for airline passengers during the busy travel season ahead of Thursday’s holiday, when more than 300 of San Diego’s scheduled flights reported delays. Six flights were also cancelled on Wednesday, FlightAware says. Patchy fog along coast overnight but warm, dry for Thanksgiving Day Nationwide, thousands of flights had seen some level of interruption since the start of the peak holiday travel season on Tuesday, caused in part by heavy rain and snow falling in some parts of the country.

Skrypnykov Dmytro/Shutterstock A person holds a plastic bag filled with a white substance. SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Medical Board of California wants to create a confidential program for substance-abusing physicians that critics say will eliminate oversight of doctors who have drug problems. However, the board maintains its plan would allow impaired physicians to get help before they harm a patient. “This is intended to be a comprehensive substance abuse and mental health program,” said board president Kristina Lawson during an interview from Walnut Creek, CA. The board voted last Friday in Los Angeles to approve a draft legislative proposal that would allow a non-profit to be contracted to run a new “Physician Health and Wellness Program.” Critics say the plan would overturn state laws meant to provide transparency to the public. If the proposal moves forward, doctors could voluntarily enter the program and avoid getting reported to the medical board for being impaired on the job. “We’re really going backwards,” said Michele Monserratt-Ramos, a patient safety advocate at Consumer Watchdog. Monserratt-Ramos said the proposal would bring back a secret diversion program that numerous audits

A man was found shot to death in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego, police said Thursday. Shortly before midnight Wednesday, San Diego police received a call about a shooting in the south alley near National Avenue between South 37th Street and South 38th Street, according to a police statement. Officers found a man in the alley suffering from a gunshot wound with bystanders giving aid. Police took over until paramedics arrived, but the man died at the scene, the statement continued. The 46-year-old victim lived nearby, police said. His name has not been released. No suspect description was immediately available. The motive for the shooting was unknown, police said. Anyone with information was asked to call police at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.