The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a request from local leaders to analyze if the Tijuana River Valley qualifies for Superfund designation – a verdict determined based on a 6-year-old study. The EPA said in a Jan. 3 letter to local officials that inspecting for Superfund designation – which could allow the EPA […]
Julieta Soto
Julieta is a reporter for The Coronado News, covering education, small business and investigating the Tijuana/Coronado sewage issue. She graduated from UC Berkeley where she studied English, Spanish, and Journalism. Apart from reporting, Julieta enjoys reading, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Posted inOpinion
Op-Ed: A year in review from The Coronado News staff
It’s the start of 2025 and that means resolutions, reflections and photo recaps are in full swing. I’ve never been a huge resolutions gal, but I am big on reflecting. And man, has 2024 been a crazy year – in a good way – both for me and our paper. You see, this January not […]
Posted inNews
CUSD restores shortfall following an estate gift to the district
A $1.3 million estate gift will help Coronado Unified School District meet San Diego County budget requirements. Deputy Superintendent Donnie Salamanca announced the gift during a presentation of the First Interim Budget to the board Friday evening, reporting the district will have enough money to meet budget and reserve needs until a new funding system […]
Posted inSchools
New technology to map Coronado schools
Guardian Vision Solutions, an organization that equips first responders with maps to expedite emergency rescues, is partnering with the district to do pro bono work that will map schools in the district using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to help prevent, respond to, and recover from threats. This decision was announced at the Dec. 13 […]
Posted inNews
Rates will increase at swimming complex
In the school board meeting on Dec. 13, the board approved rate increases for public use of the swimming area at Coronado High School. The fees will rise according to four tiers of criteria, with a 20% fee increase to the winter rate of the instructional pool. Deputy Superintendent Donnie Salamanca said the Brian Bent […]
Posted inSchools
Elected school board trustees take office
As a result of elections last month, Renee Cavanaugh and Fitzhugh Lee are the newly elected Coronado Unified School District trustees. Before the Dec. 13 school board meeting, Superintendent Karl Mueller administered oaths for Cavanaugh, a returning trustee and former CUSD educator, and Lee, a first-time school board member. The board voted to keep trustee […]
Posted inNews
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre named vice chair of California Coastal Commission
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre will serve as vice chair of the California Coastal Commission throughout 2025. Commissioners unanimously elected Aguirre — the first Latina mayor of Imperial Beach — as vice chair for the upcoming year during this week’s monthly commission meeting in Newport Beach. She joins newly elected Chair Justin Cummings, the first […]
Posted inNews
A joyous tradition of holiday lights returns to Coronado
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, yeah!” said the voice of one kid who joined in unison with a countdown heard throughout a Coronado intersection as green, red, orange and blue bulbs flickered over Rotary Plaza. That was the moment, as if picked directly for a Hallmark film, crowds awaited after […]
Posted inLifestyle
San Diego Bay Parade of Lights returns on the 8th and 15th of December
Twinkling strings of light from dozens of 15- to 100-foot boats will illuminate the water in San Diego Bay this year celebrating the theme, “Peace On Earth.” The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, in its 54th year, will return on Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 to showcase approximately 100 festive water vessels to thousands […]
Posted inSchools
Coronado students show higher college and career readiness
Local high school students showed mixed results in recent evaluations of academic achievement, according to a report presented at the Coronado Unified School District. High School Principal Karin Mellina said students significantly improved their scores for college and career readiness, but recorded substantially lower scores in a state assessment of student performance. In a report […]
Posted inSchools
State university guarantees Coronado Unified student admits
College application submissions are around the corner and over a dozen Coronado students graduating this spring are taking advantage of a program to secure a spot at a local university campus. Coronado Unified School District and California State University, San Marcos, a public university in San Diego’s North County, approved an agreement last school year […]
Posted inNews
South Bay residents sue Veolia, allege “negligent and reckless operation”
A group of South Bay residents has filed suit against operators of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, blaming the company for sewage pollution that has shut down local beaches and endangered public health. James P. Frantz, CEO of Frantz Law Group, said the complaint, filed Nov. 15 in San Diego Superior Court, so […]
Posted inNews
Silver Strand triathlete swims, runs and bikes to youth ranking
On a windy afternoon, 10-year-old Kailani Miante pedals a blue road bike along Coronado’s Spreckels Park to the Bayshore Bikeway and then home, completing about a 6-mile ride with her nana. The next day, Kailani chooses between swimming with her sister, running, or biking with her parents while she listens to Taylor Swift. Such is […]
Posted inSchools
Renee Cavanaugh and Fitzhugh Lee leading in school board race
Unofficial election results this week show Renee Cavanaugh and Fitzhugh Lee significantly leading in polls for the two open Coronado Unified School District trustee seats. Cavanaugh, a retired educator who is the only incumbent seeking reelection, and Lee, a retired naval aviator and CUSD parent, had each garnered more than 3,900 votes as of Nov. […]
Posted inNews
A salute to veterans in the Coronado community
Smiles decorated the faces of Coronado Middle School students as U.S. veterans and current service members paraded through a “Line of Gratitude” procession the Thursday before Veteran’s Day, surrounded by small American Flags waved in the air. The procession – mostly parents of the schoolchildren – was part of a larger celebration that featured speeches […]
Posted inNews
Renee Cavanaugh continues to lead school board race, Shawnee Barton Merriman concedes
As of 6 p.m. on Saturday night, Renee Cavanaugh, a retired educator who is the only incumbent seeking reelection, was leading the four Unified School District candidates at 31.34%, with Fitzhugh Lee, a retired naval aviator, trailing closely behind at 29.45%. Bill Sandke, a former Coronado council member, was in third with 22.2% of the […]