**Officials Discuss Mental Health Challenges with Local Students**
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, September 12th. Officials in the U.S. government are discussing mental health challenges with local students. More on that next. But first… let’s do the headlines….
######FDA Approves New COVID-19 Vaccines
The FDA this week approved a new round of vaccines to fight against COVID-19. The new vaccines are from Moderna, Pfizer, and its partner, BioNTech. They were approved for those 12 and older and under an emergency use authorization for children 6 months to 11 years old. The vaccines target the omicron subvariant X-B-B-point-1-point-5. But that’s not the most common strain anymore. Health officials say the vaccine should still provide good protection against the new emerging variants. The shots will be given as a single dose for most people, regardless of prior COVID-19 vaccination history. A panel of advisers to the CDC will meet today to make recommendations on the rollout of the vaccines.
########Rise in County Suicide Rates
The number of people who died in the county by suicide rose slightly last year. 360 people died by suicide last year, and 358 the previous year, which was the lowest in a decade. There was a downward trend in suicides overall in the county from 2012 to 2021. But death rates during those years increased 7 percent for 10 to 24-year-olds, and 3 percent for adults 25 to 44. County officials shared the findings late last week as part of the Suicide Prevention Council’s annual report. If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide… call 9-8-8 for help.
########Median Home Prices Reach Over $1 Million
The median price of a single-family home in the county reached more than 1 million dollars last month. The Greater San Diego Association of Realtors says median prices for single-family homes were up nearly 14 percent compared to August last year. Plus, median prices for condos and townhomes were up almost 9 percent compared to a year ago. Given the high prices, home sales overall were down 19 percent from last August.
########Students Discuss Mental Health with Officials
Students in North County discussed mental health with their congressional representative and a national health official yesterday. North County reporter Alexander Nguyen says a similar discussion in 2019 inspired a law passed last year that prioritizes funding for student mental health. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm started the discussion at Bernardo Heights Middle School by recognizing that students today face more challenges than the previous generation… from bullying to suicide to school shootings. That’s where the Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act or StandUP Act, introduced by Congressman Scott Peters, comes in. Sam Boyce, a Rancho Bernardo High School student, spoke about the importance of talking about mental health and how he has personally witnessed the impact it can have. According to Rady Children’s Hospital, pediatric psychiatric crisis has increased nearly 28 times from ten years ago.
########Rise in Antisemitic Flyers in Del Cerro
Neighbors in a Del Cerro community awoke again yesterday to antisemitic flyers. This time promoting misinformation about 9/11. Reporter Matt Hoffman has details. KPBS isn’t revealing the messages on the flyers. Del Cerro and nearby communities have seen a rise in recent months of people dropping off antisemitic flyers. Council-member Raul Campillo represents the area and held a news conference with Jewish faith leaders last week addressing the issue. He says the ‘cowardly’ actions only have him doubling down on a proposal to up penalties for actions like this. Right now, people can be cited with littering, but Campillo is proposing a new misdemeanor for hate-littering that could see penalties of up to a year in jail and even restitution. A San Diego Police spokesperson says they are actively investigating what happened.
########CSU Trustees Discuss Tuition Hike
Cal State University trustees are meeting in Long Beach this week, with plans to discuss a tuition hike before they wrap up tomorrow. At the same time, students who work for the CSU say they want a pay raise. More than 19,000 student assistant workers across the Cal State system are trying to unionize, demanding better pay and lower tuition costs. Some of those workers like Colin Culver make less than minimum wage. The student workers are waiting on word from the California Public Employment Relations Board, which must approve an election for them to vote on whether to join the Cal State Employees Union.
########Financial Boost for San Diego’s Fishing Industry
San Diego’s fishing industry is getting a financial boost from the federal government. It’s a warm, humid morning at the G Street Pier. I’m meeting the head of the San Diego Fisherman’s Working Group, Pete Halmay. Right now, the main way all that fish caught off San Diego gets to the public is the fish market, run by the fishermen, every Saturday at Tuna Harbor. The fishermen worked with the San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center to get a 300,000-dollar grant from the US Department of Agriculture. It’s being used to get organized and market the fish to the hundreds of restaurants around San Diego County.
Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
Original Story at www.kpbs.org – 2023-09-12 12:00:00
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