🌱 Mayor Wants To Send Mentally Ill People To Treatment + Wage Theft

Hey, everybody! I'm back with your fresh edition of the San Diego Patch newsletter. Sip that coffee/tea, crunch that waffle and maple syrup, and read on to find out what's happening around town today:

• Mayor wants to revise a 50-year-old law in order to send mentally ill people to treatment.
• Wage theft — A despicable practice rebounds.
• What's happening with San Diego weather?

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. 🌞 High: 60, Low: 43.

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Here are four of the top stories in San Diego today:

1. Mayor Todd Gloria supports a bill that would strike down a 56-year-old law that governs mental health conservatorships. The law states that people can be put into treatment only when they are a danger to themselves or others. The new bill would permit people to be detained against their will because of mental illness, and it would include people who suffer from mental illness or addiction and refuse to get help. The mayor believes this could save unsheltered lives and reduce homelessness in San Diego. Others think the law would be unconstitutional. (CBS News 8)
2. Wage theft is rebounding in San Diego. Nearly 15,000 claims of wage theft were reported between 2018 and 2022. During the same period, San Diego County courts ordered employers to pay back stolen wages of nearly $20 million. Wage theft more often affects women, people of color and immigrants. According to the Department of Industrial Relations, only 4% of stolen wages have been returned to workers to date. (inewsource)
3. With record rain, flooding and snowfall happening around us, you may be wondering what’s going on here in San Diego. According to climate scientist Julie Kalansky, it's due to the La Niña year, which brings cooler weather. Kalansky adds that San Diego has some of the most volatile year-to-year precipitation of any location in the U.S. What can we expect in the future? San Diegans can expect to see more extremes in our weather patterns in future years. (10 News)
4. The American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties is thanking humanitarians by honoring them during the 80th annual American Red Cross Month celebration. San Diegans may join in Red Cross Month by donating, volunteering, taking its lifesaving skills courses or by donating their blood or platelets. In addition, on March 22, supporters can join the Red Cross Giving Day campaign to provide shelter, food, relief items and other assistance for those affected by disasters. You can help at redcross.org/givingday. (Times of San Diego)

Today in San Diego:

• Tax Assistance — Serra Mesa/Kearny Mesa Branch Library. (10 a.m.)
• Signing Storytime — College Rolando Branch Library. (10 a.m.)
• Senior Center meeting/tour — Malcolm X Library and Performing Arts Center. (11:30 a.m.)
• Silver Age Yoga — Carmel Valley Branch Library. (1 p.m.)
• STEAM Discovery Hour — College Rolando Branch Library. (3:30 p.m.)
• Lego Club — Carmel Valley Branch Library. (4 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Choose the right houseplant: "Houseplants have so many wonderful features; They bring a bit of nature inside, increase the oxygen level in your home, and bring joy to your eyes. So, how do you choose the right houseplants for your home? How do you keep them alive?" (San Diego Botanic Garden via Facebook)
• Sign repairs: "As a precaution, the lanes adjacent to the Boulevard community sign at El Cajon Blvd and Georgia St. are temporarily closed as crews perform sign repairs. The lanes will reopen following the work. 👷🏼" (City of San Diego via Facebook)
• Meowness tournament: "It's time to hit the court for our 4th annual March Meowness Tournament! Enter a photo of your pet at sdhumane.org/contest by March 12 to join the cutest comPAWtition of the year. We have twice as many Petco prizes up for grabs." (San Diego Humane Society via Facebook)
• New world drama: "Old World monkey, new world drama
  #Gelada #Monkey #Drama #SanDiegoZoo" (San Diego Zoo via Instagram)
• March is Women's History Month: "San Diego Unified proudly recognizes March as Women's History Month, a time for honoring the historic contributions women have made to our communities, to the students and families in our schools, and to the growth and strength of our society as a whole." (San Diego Unified School District via Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Bettyann Pernice

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