This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in November 2020. San Diego native Deja Fields said Moxie Theatre changed her life six years ago when she was a junior at San Diego Creative and Performing Arts. The small Rolando theater with a mission to empower women in the theater and arts industry cast Fields as Ermina in “Crumbs from the Table… Read more →
‘It’s a Horrible Narrative’: Black Women Are Losing Their Jobs Faster Than Others
This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in November 2020. Native San Diegan Shakema Martin says she may still be employed today if she weren’t Black. Martin, a Mira Mesa native, was working at a Carlsbad company until August when she caught COVID-19. She quarantined until she felt better and returned to work with a doctor’s note, clearing her of the… Read more →
From City Heights to City Hall: Viet Vote Aims to Empower Vietnamese Community
This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in September 2020. Jean-Huy Tran grew up in Orange County, home to more than 200,000 Vietnamese-Americans, one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the U.S. He became accustomed to seeing elected officials of Vietnamese descent in office, including Tony Lam, the first Vietnamese person to hold elected office in the U.S. But, when Tran… Read more →
Pandemic Spreading Like Wildfire in California Prisons, Employees Say
This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in August 2020. Gilbert Polanco is described as a man who was “proud of his job” and represented “the best of CDCR.” After working at San Quentin State Prison for three decades, Polanco became infected with COVID-19 and died Aug. 9 — two weeks before his 30th wedding anniversary. He was 55. Polanco is… Read more →
The Heart of San Diego: How The Asian Economy Keeps Beating
This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in August 2020. Allen Chan is a fixture in the Convoy District. In fact, it would be difficult to tell any story about this Pan-Asian community without talking to Chan, a judicious figure who stands out among the hundreds of business owners in the area. Chan is the owner of Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, one… Read more →
In San Diego Blue Wave, GOP and Independents May Not Ride
This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in August 2020. When it comes to the race for San Diego mayor, the local GOP has made its decision: “LEAVE IT BLANK – BOTH are terrible.” In a contest pitting two Democrats – Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria – against each other, the Republican Party of San Diego County isn’t taking sides. In… Read more →
The Pole to Pole Pilot
This story was reported for San Diego Magazine in April 2020. It’s the recipient of a Press Club award for magazine feature writing. It’s December 16, 2019. While friends and family back home in San Diego are surrounding themselves with loved ones and dreaming of a White Christmas, Robert DeLaurentis is alone. He’s 10,000 feet above the most frigid destination… Read more →
Glam Squad Targets San Diego’s Low-Income Seniors
This story was reported for San Diego Magazine in November 2019. She doesn’t sport a cape or power suit, but San Diegan Callie Ahern does have a caboodle of tools that have transformed the lives of more than a hundred low-income seniors. Ahern is the founder of The Glama Project, a year-old charity that gives makeovers to the elderly with… Read more →
Mystery Clouds CA Inmate’s Death; Cellmate’s Past Uncovered
This story was reported for Patch Media on Oct. 17, 2018. It is the recipient of multiple awards for investigative journalism. SAN DIEGO, CA — What remained of inmate James Leonard Acuna’s troubled life was delivered to his family in a box months after his decomposed body was found hidden in a cell at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility… Read more →
‘Cold Hard Truth’: Why San Diego County Schools Are In The Red
This story was published for Patch Media on Aug. 28, 2018. SAN DIEGO, CA — As students return to classrooms this month for another year of reading, writing and arithmetic, school districts in San Diego County will be grappling with math problems of their own: How to make ends meet in an era of escalating costs. Although California’s record $139… Read more →