🌱 Fight The Bite! + City Of SD Eyes 3 Hotels For Permanent Housing

Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful San Diego day, so drink your morning beverage of choice, munch that bagel and cream cheese, and read on for news of what's happening here today:

• San Diego County schedules Fight The Bite!
• City of SD will convert three hotels to permanent housing for the homeless.
• Walk for the cause — Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Walk today.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and nice.🌞 High: 74, Low: 56.

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Here are the top stories in San Diego today:

1. Not only do they cause painful bites, but mosquitoes also spread West Nile virus, Zika and other diseases among animals, birds and humans. To protect residents, the county scheduled monthly larvicide drops throughout the region, April- October, on over 1,300 acres and 51 local waterways where mosquitos breed. According to county officials, the larvicide used is not harmful to people or pets. (Times of San Diego)
2. The San Diego Housing Commission wants to acquire three Extended Stay America Hotels in Mission Valley and Kearney Mesa, and refurbish them for people experiencing homelessness. The project will focus on getting the elderly, veterans and people with disabilities off the streets. (NBC San Diego)
3. More than 1,300 people are expected to participate today in the Walk MS San Diego event to raise awareness of the disease and to find a cure. Hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the walk spotlights the illness and those whose lives are affected by it. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. at NTC Liberty Station. For more information, check out the MS website at: https://mssociety.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=1311 (NBC San Diego)
4. Blood and platelets are urgently needed to replenish a blood supply lost when storms caused Hawaii’s main generator to lose power. The San Diego Blood Bank is lending a hand to the Blood Bank of Hawaii and asking San Diegans to donate blood for patients undergoing bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, surgeries, and organ transplants. Call 619-400-8251 to donate. (Times of San Diego)

Today in San Diego:

• Earth Day Potting Station - Riford/La Jolla Branch Library (All Day)
• Gardening program - Logan Heights Branch Library (9:30 AM)
• Spring Into STEAM: Geology Rocks! - Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center (10:00 AM)
• Show & Tell Storytime - North Clairemont Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• Tech Help - Skyline Hills Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• Earth Day Seed Starting Workshop - Ocean Beach Branch Library (10:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Everybody in the pool/beach: "Ready to spring into a warm weekend! ☀️ 📷 IG: picturesandiego" (Visit San Diego via Facebook)
• Crime stats: "Our 2022 Annual Report is out. The latest crime statistics show that overall crime in San Diego has dropped by 7.5%. While vehicle theft is up by 2.6%, robbery is up by 18.4%, and aggravated assault is up by 1.2%, there has been a 4.5% drop in burglary, a 14.9% drop in theft, a 13.1% drop in rape, and a 10.5% drop in murder. As we move forward, we remain committed to working together to create a safer San Diego for everyone." Check it out at SDPD site at: #SaferTogether
• Love orchids?: "The World of Orchids exhibition celebrated its third year with another amazing spring showcase. A huge thank you to our amazing partners from the San Diego County Orchid Society (@sandiegocountyorchidsociety) and the Palomar Orchid Society (@palomarorchidsociety) for providing these unique and dazzling blooms. Each week, the growers swapped out their beauties and our Artist-in-Residence Rene Van Rems carefully created magical displays and arrangements for all to enjoy." (San Diego Botanic Garden via Facebook)

• Avoiding health misinformation: "Telltale signs of health misinformation: 1) The content is not backed by evidence 2) It’s not written or reviewed by experts 3) Emotional or outrageous claims The San Diego Circuit libraries, including San Diego Public Library, are part of the campaign to stop the spread of health misinformation in San Diego County and beyond.
  Spread awareness! More information can be found on our online guide: libguides.sdsu.edu/health/avoid-misinformation #StopMisinformationSD"
• Design SD Pride library card: "We're still accepting library card designs for our SDPL Pride annual commemorative card with SD Pride! Interested in getting your design on this year's card? Pick up a form (or print it online) and submit your design to any of our locations during the month of April. We also accept digital submissions via email, too. For the full list of rules, forms and to see past designs, check out our website: mysdpl.org/pride"

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• Spencer Comedy Hypnosis Show (April 22)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Bettyann Pernice

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming San Diego Patch newsletter? Contact me at sandiego@patch.com