Help Wanted: Fire Fighters (San Diego News Now) – California News Times

Wildfires are burning throughout California while local fire departments face a shortage of recruits in firefighter positions. Meanwhile, a local Afghan family is talking about a recent escape from Afghanistan. Also, Army Sergeant. Ryan C. Naus died after being injured in a bombing at Kabul Airport. He was probably the last US soldier to die in a war that killed more than 2,400 people.

Good morning, I’m Anika Colbert … It’s Friday, September 3rd.

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Missing California Firefighters

Next up are the details, but first … let’s headline …

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Health officials at the University of California, San Diego have expressed concern about the possibility of a twin epidemic this fall, with both covid-19 and the flu exploding at the same time. Dr. Christopher Longhurst (Longhurst) is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the University of California, San Diego.

“It’s unlikely to be blocked and distanced like last year. On the other hand, if the obligation to mask indoors reoccurs, it can help stop potential twin demics. . “

And he encourages everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated against covid and the flu.

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State and federal authorities are investigating financial aid fraud attempted at state community colleges. This includes over 65,000 fake applications across California by those who claim to be students seeking money to attend a community college.

In San Diego County … Grossmont Tokuyama Community College District officials have identified 200 potential fake students who have applied for financial assistance. Many online scammers were believed to be bots in reality.

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A pair of orphaned bear cubs take care of the Ramona Wildlife Center at the San Diego Humane Society. The Cubs are estimated to be 6 months old. According to SDHS, the Cubs were captured not only for their own benefit, but also for public security reasons when they got too close to people. Project Wild Life rehabilitates turnips so that they can return to the wild when they are old enough to survive on their own.

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From KPBS, you are now listening to San Diego News.

Stay with me for more information on the local news you need.

Just as they are most needed, the California and US Forest Offices are experiencing a shortage of firefighters. KPBS North County reporter Tania Thorn investigated some of the reasons.

Rick Vokto, fire chief of the city of Escondido, says that, like many industries, fire departments are facing a shortage of staff.
“Many people think that thousands of people are lined up to get a job as an emergency medical or firefighter. That may have been true 20 to 25 years ago, but I Have seen change. “
Vogt says the pandemic has brought a pause to the world, including school and internship opportunities. It blocked access to new firefighters.
Nevertheless, the state exemption allowed the Palomar College Firefighters Academy to survive the pandemic.
Program director Dave Miller says the class is full.
“We have a lot of people in our education pipeline. They are not yet in a position to be hired.”
According to Miller, many graduates move north of San Diego County. In San Diego County, work requirements are low and wages are high.
TTK PBS News

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Due to the risk of wildfires, insurance companies are withdrawing more homeowners insurance in San Diego County. And inewsource reporter Camille von Kaenel explains that it’s not just happening in the local community.

Camille: The biggest jumps were made in East County like Poway and Jamal. However, problems also occurred in nearby areas of San Diego, such as Scripps Ranch and Claremont. Staci Pappazi (paw PAWsey) is an independent insurance agency and said it is more difficult to find insurance for city dwellers living near open spaces.
PAPPAZI: You can see it clearly on Google Earth, and that’s right. This house is right next to Cowles Mountain and you can see why this company no longer wants it because of the way they are brushing. (00:10)
You can see how many insurance policies your insurance company has dropped in your neighborhood on inewsource dot org.

inewsource is KPBS’s independently funded non-profit partner.

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When the Taliban took over last month, many families from the eastern counties of San Diego were stuck in Afghanistan. Some are now speaking following their recent escape. They are discussing how the Cajon Valley School District helped advocate a safe return. KPBS reporter Alexandra Langer has more from El Cajon.

“Why do you leave Afghanistan, why don’t you stay here with us?”
These were the cross-examinations that the Taliban asked Mohammad Faiji (PHI-zee) as they tried to cross the Taliban’s gates to get to the airport with their wife and five children.
His family is one of eight families in the Cajon Valley School District who traveled to Afghanistan during the summer vacation.
After being stuck there following the Taliban takeover, the eight families sought help to return home to the school district and the office of parliamentarian Darreluissa.
Mohammad Faiji, Afghan refugees
“Meet our family as this will be the last chance we get.”
PHI-zee did not expect the Taliban to enter Kabul until August 30, the day our troops were set to evacuate.
Things quickly turned into nightmares.
PHI-zee and his family have returned home, but the Cajon Valley school district says three students are still in Afghanistan and need help.
On Thursday, Congressman Issa met with a family member who helped him bring him home and called for action.
He asked the United States to facilitate the process for Afghan refugees.
He says hundreds of American citizens and SIV holders haven’t been helped yet.
Darrell Issa, (R) 5OTH Republican District
“We are responsible for failing to give them long-lasting secular democracy.”
The director of the Cajon Valley School District says he hopes to see three students still in Afghanistan soon.
I am grateful to my family for returning, but I ask my endangered family and friends not to close the door.
I don’t know the name “Famuri”
“Their lives are at stake, and they aren’t staying in one house every night, they’re moving to another.”
“There will be confusion.”
“Before these things start, we must evacuate them as soon as possible.”

And that report from Alexandra Rangel of KPBS.

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The US asylum system continues to face a huge number of unprocessed proceedings, but Mexico is also on the rise. In recent years, the number of people seeking asylum in Mexico has skyrocketed. From the Frontera desk in Hermosiyo, kjzz’s Kendal Blast reports that the country has set a new record for asylum applications.

Brest: In August Mexico received more than 13,000 asylum claims, according to Andre Ramirez, head of the Mexico Refugee Commission. As a result, the total number of people seeking evacuation in Mexico in 20-21 exceeded 77,000, surpassing the national record for the year. About asylum application in the first 8 months of this year. In 2019, Mexico set a record high for more than 70,000 asylum applications. In last year’s pandemic, numbers fell slightly, but are clearly back on the rise. According to recent data, those fleeing Honduras make up the majority of those seeking evacuation, followed by asylum seekers from Haiti, Cuba and El Salvador.

And that was the report of Kendal Blast from Hermosiyo

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Coming …. Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Naus was the last of 13 US soldiers to die after a suicide bombing at Kabul Airport.

“And I just saw the uniform, and I just knew. I think I screamed. They asked, they asked, are you Arena Naus? And I … .Ya … I was. “

Next is just after the break

The last of the 13 US soldiers who died after the suicide bombing in Afghanistan was the sergeant.Ryan C. Naus [Kuh-NOW-ss].. He was a 23-year-old special operations soldier from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from Tennessee.

His widow, Arena, spoke with Jay Price, an American Home Assurance project.

Price: She was a military kid and lived in various base towns when her father was transferred. However, he was a man who wanted to be in the army since he was in elementary school.
KNAUSS: He hasn’t seen anything else for himself. … he was one of those who could have done whatever he wanted to do. He was great. … but he just wanted to serve his country … that was all he wanted and he thought it was the best way he could help people. ..
Price: Ryan Naus had previously toured Afghanistan for nine months and saw battles, but most of the time he led Afghan troops. It was a major US mission up to that stage of the war. It was very similar to the deployment that the US military had done for 20 years.
This was different. It was all about helping American civilians and Afghan refugees escape.
KNAUSS: That’s why he was where he was at the time … because these people needed help. That was their only hope.
Price: The couple worked together at a pizzeria at the age of 15 and met and started dating a few years later. She says his big thing was to solve the problem.
KNAUSS: He was just a fixer. And it flowed into his work life, his love life. That is all. He had a magical touch to fix anything.
Price: She means head and mind. Man.
KNAUSS :, it was fun because he couldn’t fix anything by hand. Conveniently, it was me. But mentally, he was always very interested in psychology. .. If you were the exact opposite of him, he would sit for hours talking to you and understand why you thought of your way.
Price: She handled this deployment, as he often did when he took up the mission. She worked on a home renovation project. This time, I tiled the hallways, laundry room, and bathroom and tried to finish it before I left.
Arena decides to spell her and Ryan’s initials with small black tiles.
KNAUSS: And I thought this would be so cheap and he would hate this, but I only put the years “A” and “R”.
Price: She had those black tiles in her hand when the door was knocked.
KNAUSS: I just saw the uniform and knew it, but I think I screamed … they asked, were they so? Arena Naus? And I, yeah, I was.
Price: She couldn’t sleep, so at least finished her initials and sobbed as she went .. Somehow it seems important even though she already knew she would sell the house It looked like.
And the future they were planning … suddenly disappeared.
KNAUSS: My sister-in-law and I were at TJ Maxx that morning. … And we always end up in the baby section. There was this little pink cardigan and I was hooked on it. … One of the last things I said to him on Facetime’s phone was that when you returned, we knew we needed to be in baby mode.
Price: Instead of taking him home for baby mode, she met those of the C-17 who flew to Dover and carried his body and the other 12 soldiers killed in the blast. , The other family who fell down joined her. So did President Biden, who had to lean forward to talk because he couldn’t stand up.
Arena Naus said her husband was a history enthusiast and wanted to help others, serve his country, and remember as part of history.
He is now
According to a Pentagon spokesman, Naus did not die immediately, but died after doctors tried to save him. He may be the last American soldier killed in the war.
KNAUSS: He was helping people, and thank you that if he was the last, no one would feel what I was feeling. And to know that, yes, I’m in a state of confusion and I’m hurt-but I know that mothers, fathers, wives, siblings don’t have to feel such emptiness. I hope you know he was the last one.
Price: The last of over 2,400 US military personnel killed in the war and over 100,000 Afghan troops and civilians.
This is Jay Price.

The story was created by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.Funds come from public broadcasters

That’s it for today’s podcast. Catch the KPBS Midday Edition at noon on KPBS Radio or check out the Midday podcast. You can also watch the KPBS Evening Edition at 5 o’clock on KPBS TV. As always, you can find San Diego news online at KPBS dotorg. This is Anika Colbert. Thank you for listening and have a great day.

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