The Coronado Unified School District board of trustees approved a multimillion-dollar loan expected to help the district comply with a San Diego County Office of Education directive to maintain a positive fund balance that meets the state’s 3% reserve requirement through 2027. During the first week of school in August, the board unanimously approved a […]
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.
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Scripps scientists are working on swimmer illness risk forecasts
Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography recently launched a tool that can predict the health of water conditions five days in advance, and now a second phase will inform the public how much norovirus is in the water. A team of researchers is working to improve the newly unveiled Pathogen Forecast Model, […]
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100-day plan to treat more Tijuana sewage could breach pollution permit
A tentative cease-and-desist order is being considered by a California water protection agency to enforce effluent discharge regulations as the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission moves forward with a 100-day plan to rapidly increase the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant’s daily treatment capacity. The IBWC, as the boundary commission is known, this year […]
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Coronado to enforce plastic-free regulations beginning Sept. 16
Food service and retail facilities will be expected to comply with regulations for single-use plastics and polystyrene in September after the City of Coronado adopted new rules earlier this year. On Sept. 16, establishments that use polystyrene and single-use plastic foodware and utensils, beverage bottles, bags and balloons can face penalties from the city for […]
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Making a difference through education
Lisa Kinzel committed herself to education after visiting a classroom in college – and she still remembers the kindergarten teacher who launched her learning journey more than a half-century ago. “I still remember my kindergarten teacher,” said Kinzel. “I remember what she looks like. I remember the things that she taught me. I mean teachers make […]
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A young artist heads to sixth-grade
Soon to be a sixth-grade student, Antonella Rebecca Aurora Smith is days away from starting a new chapter in her life. Amid summer camps and back-to-school shopping, Smith (who goes by the name Ara) is about to start middle school on Monday, Aug. 18. At 11, Ara literally carries her future in her hands, a […]
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Mitch McKay looks to prioritize sewage crisis as new Imperial Beach mayor
Resolving the sewage crisis and restoring the economic landscape for small businesses are top-of-the-mind priorities for newly appointed Imperial Beach Mayor Mitch McKay. “To me, those are the two paramount, kind of hand-in-hand, issues right now that I think need the attention,” said McKay. “We’re going to continue pushing forward.” McKay, 67, will be sworn […]
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What steps is Imperial Beach taking to find a new mayor?
Imperial Beach is looking to fill a vacant mayoral seat and there’s more than one possibility its City Council can navigate in these circumstances. At the first regular meeting in August, Imperial Beach council members will determine if a new city leader will be decided through direct appointment or via an application followed by an […]
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Rite Aid in Coronado closes its doors on Aug. 24
Almost entirely bare shelves and an empty pharmacy department was the sight for customers entering the Rite Aid in Coronado on the last day of July. Bearing storefront discounts and closing signs, the Rite Aid at 836 Orange Ave. will cease all operations Sunday, Aug. 24, following its pharmacy department closing on Wednesday, July 30. […]
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The U.S., Mexico sign a memorandum addressing the Tijuana sewage crisis
The United States and Mexico announced new deadlines for projects to address the decades-old Tijuana River sewage crisis identified in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that reiterates a pact adopted by both sides years ago. “This isn’t just an agreement for 2025,” said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. “It was a product of […]
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Caltrans: The future of the Silver Strand Highway is at risk
Faced with a rising sea level triggered by climate change, state transportation officials are exploring ways to strengthen vulnerable areas along California State Route 75, the scenic Silver Strand stretch connecting the cities of Coronado and Imperial Beach. According to Caltrans, that seven-mile strip of land already sees flooding during storms and is likely to […]
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Coronado once more raises developer fee for new units that don’t provide affordable housing
Coronado City Council members voted to increase the city’s affordable housing in-lieu fee beginning at $25 per square foot this year and in 2026, followed by $10 per square foot increases every year through 2029. Developers are required to pay a fee when they build in Coronado without setting aside 20% of the units for […]
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Coronado supports bill for additional sewage crisis funding
Bipartisan efforts to bring relief to South Bay communities suffering from the cross-border sewage crisis are underway in Congress. Rep. Scott Peters, who represents Coronado, introduced legislation in March to authorize the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to accept funding from federal and non-federal entities for wastewater treatment, flood control projects, or other water […]
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City Council OKs fencing around the Coronado Cays Dog Park
In response to public concerns about dog attacks, Coronado officials have decided to add fencing at least 42 inches tall to enclose the existing 1.5-acre green space of the Coronado Cays Dog Park, matching the height of the existing stone wall to the west of the area at the southern end of Cays Park. City […]
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CDC survey: South Bay residents, visitors feel threatened by sewage crisis
Over two-thirds of South Bay people who responded to a federal survey about their experience with the Tijuana River Valley and polluted beaches in San Diego said they do not believe those sites are safe to work in, live in or visit. On July 8, San Diego County announced results from an Assessment of Chemical […]
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A wastewater spill shut down beach access in the Coronado Cays
A sewage spill at the Coronado Cays temporarily shut down beaches July 1 along a stretch of bay front, but the closure was lifted in less than 24 hours. Residents of the Jamaica, Montego and Green Turtle neighborhoods were advised to keep out of the water after the San Diego County Health Office found that […]