John Carroll

1 week ago | kpbs.org | John Carroll

When St. Teresa of Calcutta Villa opened in early 2022, it was hailed as a symbol of hope by Father Joe’s president and CEO, Deacon Jim Vargas. It offered 407 units of affordable housing for San Diegans transitioning out of homelessness — a place where they could connect with services. But residents said it wasn’t long before all that hope and promise descended into something quite different; a building that was not properly maintained, and at the center of it all, its bank of three elevators.

1 month ago | kpbs.org | John Carroll

Kitchens For Good gives away its mission in its title. The money made in their store goes to support apprenticeships helping people who face barriers to employment overcome those challenges. Those people go on to find meaningful, rewarding work as cooks, bakers and in the hospitality industry. Today, hundreds of people hold good, decent-paying jobs thanks to the start they got at Kitchens For Good.

1 month ago | kpbs.org | John Carroll

“It’s kind of like a quilt, you know, all the squares … we don’t have one chunk. It’s kind of a patchwork," Andy Lyall said, looking down on his family farm from a perch high above the Pauma Valley. Lyall pointed out the boundaries of his family’s farm. It was a beautiful vita, illustrative of much of San Diego County’s agricultural landscape. Lyall stood in the middle of an orange grove, talking about the crops he and his family have grown for decades on what the family calls a ranch.

1 month ago | kpbs.org | John Carroll

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” A group of San Diego County residents is living out that famous quote by anthropologist Margaret Mead, neighborhood by neighborhood. “I live right down the street here … and I’m a graphic designer," said Ocean Beach resident Aaron Null, standing outside his store in OB. Null has been called a community activist since 2018.

1 month ago | kpbs.org | John Carroll

“A bit of a reprieve.”That’s how Hyspan Precision Products President and CEO Eric Barnes described the three-month pause in reciprocal tariffs announced by the Trump Administration Wednesday. KPBS first spoke with Eric Barnes back in early March, as 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and China were about to go into effect. Hyspan is a Chula Vista-based company that manufactures metal products for industrial/commercial applications.