The San Diego Association of Governments increased vendor contracts by tens of millions of dollars more than their original amounts, internal auditors revealed in a new report this week. As with the regional planning agency’s other spending, the Office of the Independent Performance Auditor found SANDAG’s contract process lacks adequate oversight, proper documentation and sufficient employee training. Auditors found the agency’s 10 vendors with the…
A surge in coronavirus cases has spread across most of California — and Imperial County, among the hardest hit early in the pandemic, is no exception. After seeing improvements over the late summer, the county’s positivity rate for COVID-19 cases has more than doubled in the past month, and its two hospitals are nearing caseloads not seen since July. “We were hit hard and late…
Hundreds more Imperial County residents will soon be able to get checked for COVID-19 after state officials designated the area a “testing desert.” County officials said Monday the state is expected to open a local testing site by May 4. The site will be able to test 130 residents a day, said Dr. Stephen Munday, the county’s health officer. Only about 1,600 of Imperial County’s…
Palomar College President Joi Lin Blake, who’s been on paid leave since December for unknown reasons, has agreed to quit and will walk away with more than $600,000 in pay and severance. The resignation agreement, finalized Wednesday when Blake’s attorney signed it, allows her to continue on paid leave until she officially steps down on June 30. The college district’s governing board voted 3-1 to…