Daily Business Report: Friday, Oct. 15, 2021
San Diego Press Club to present 48th annual
Excellence in Journalism Awards
The San Diego Press Club will host its 48th annual Excellence in Journalism awards program on Facebook and Twitter live stream on Monday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. The program will recognize 500 award recipients in more than 180 categories and 10 divisions.
The event will also highlight three special career achievement awards. Recipients are:
• Jeff McDonald: Harold Keen Award for outstanding contributions in journalism. McDonald is a member of the investigative reporting team at the San Diego Union-Tribune and writes about government and institutional misconduct and waste in San Diego County and beyond.
• Scott McGaugh: Andy Mace Award for career achievements in public relations. McGaugh began his career at a local San Diego marketing firm in 1985, serving clients in the hospitality, recreation, agriculture and real estate industries before opening his own firm with co-owner Peter MacCracken in 1996. Later, he became a founding board member and the founding marketing director of the USS Midway Museum before retiring in 2002.
• Phyllis Pfeiffer: Jim Reiman Award for excellence in media management. Pfeiffer Pfeiffer is president and general manager of the Union-Tribune Community Press, a group of nine community newspapers in San Diego County. She began her career as publisher at the La Jolla Light in 1977 and has also held such roles as general manager of the Los Angeles Times San Diego Edition.
TOP PHOTO: Award-winning journalists Jeff McDonald, left, Scott McGaugh and Phyllis Pfeiffer
Redistricting commissioner resigns following ethics complaint
Voice of San Diego
One of the members of the commission that’s working to redraw the political boundaries in the city of San Diego has resigned after being accused of improperly influencing the process.
A complaint filed with the city attorney’s office alleged that Mitz Lee pushed a community organization to support a proposed map that differed from what many community members in the area have been advocating for. The dispute revolves in part around whether UCSD should be included in District 6 to boost Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in a single City Council seat.
Lee said she took the allegations seriously but called them unfounded and agreed to step down to protect the commission’s work while reserving “my right to legal options later.”
On her way out, though, Lee accused the person who accused her of also behaving unethically. That person was recently ousted from the community organization at the center of the original complaint.
Maya Srikrishnan writes about the behind-the-scenes drama and reports that Lee’s resignation now leaves District 6 without representation on the city’s redistricting commission.
British Airways resumes nonstop flights
to London from San Diego International Airport
British Airways on Wednesday resumed its nonstop service between London, England, United Kingdom via Heathrow Airport and San Diego International Airport. The resumption comes after British Airways was forced to suspend service in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline is the first carrier to resume nonstop service to Europe from San Diego.
“Our global city needs efficient global connections and I’m grateful to British Airways for resuming service to London which will also provide access to other European countries,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO.
The year-round nonstop flights operate three times weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flight BA272 will depart San Diego at 7 p.m. and arrive in London the next day at 1:25 p.m. Flight BA273 will depart London at 1:45 p.m. and arrive in San Diego at 4:55 p.m. All flight times are local.
Cue Health to provide COVID-19 testing
for the 2021-22 NBA season
Cue Health Inc., a San Diego-based health care technology company, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that Cue will serve as the league’s Official Home and Point of Care Test for the 2021-22 season. The Cue COVID-19 Test for Home and Over The Counter (OTC) Use is the first FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test for at-home and over-the-counter use without physician supervision or a prescription.
Expanding on a relationship that began during the 2020 NBA Restart in Orlando, Cue will provide all 30 NBA teams and the league’s referees with the integrated Cue platform, which features both the portable Cue Health Monitoring System and easy-to-use Cue COVID-19 tests for use during the 2021-22 NBA season.
Cue’s platform is a molecular diagnostic system that delivers results directly to mobile smart devices – both Android and iOS – in about 20 minutes. The Cue Health Enterprise Dashboard allows for test results to be shared among players, teams, doctors, and the league through a secure, web-based application.
Attorneys Emily Berman and Harry Harrison
promoted to partner at Tyson & Mendes law firm
Civil litigation and insurance defense firm Tyson & Mendes announced the promotion of attorneys Emily Berman and Harry Harrison to partner. Both are based in the firm’s San Diego office.
Berman joined Tyson & Mendes in 2017 as an associate before being promoted to senior counsel. She focuses primarily on general liability, commercial and insurance litigation, including personal injury defense, representing individuals, businesses, and insurance companies in litigation across California state courts. Prior to joining Tyson & Mendes, she was an associate at an insurance defense firm in Los Angeles and a business litigation firm in San Diego.
Harrison joined Tyson & Mendes as senior counsel in 2019. His practice focuses on personal injury, employment, and the defense of entity and organization defendants involving allegations of sexual misconduct. He has litigated hundreds of civil matters and is experienced in all aspects of civil disputes, from pre-lawsuit strategy and negotiations through trial and appeal. He also regularly handles matters in business, construction, environmental, insurance, products liability, professional liability, toxic torts, and class actions.
MetroConnect’s Export Accelerator Program
available for small and medium-sized companies
MetroConnect, the flagship program of World Trade Center San Diego, provides small- and medium-sized companies with the resources necessary to engage in global markets.
Awards will be given to 15 organizations to match funds and connect businesses with relevant export-oriented partners and resources. Specialized workshops will be arranged to increase organizational knowledge and awareness of global export trends and regulations.
Applicants Must:
• Be headquartered in San Diego.
• Be export-ready, meaning the company is already exporting its goods/services or looking to pursue international sales as a near-term priority.
• Have been in business for at least one year.
• Be an SBA-designated small businesses.
The deadline to apply for this program is Nov. 15.
Businesses can get economic assistance
from county’s Small Business Grant Program
The Small Business Stimulus Grant Program is funded by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors allocated federal CARES Act funding and County General Fund. The grant provides economic assistance to help businesses and nonprofit entities impacted by COVID-19.
Financial assistance will be allocated to eligible, qualified small businesses and nonprofit entities with final award recommendations made by individual district offices based on the availability of funds, program guidelines, and the submission of all required information and supporting documentation. Applications are now open for eligible businesses, subject to the availability of funding.
City of San Marcos offers COVID-19
Nonprofit Community Grant Program
The City of San Marcos is debuting a $3 million COVID-19 Nonprofit Community Grant Program, aimed at helping essential nonprofits that serve San Marcos residents who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Eligibility to Qualify:
• Be a tax-exempt charitable organization in good standing, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Focus all or in part on benefiting the lives of San Marcos residents. Applicants will be required to indicate the number of San Marcos residents you intend to serve on the funding application and report participant ZIP codes, should funding be awarded.
Priority will be given to projects in which participants are economically disadvantaged per HUD’s Qualified Census Tract. However, recipients may also provide these services to other populations, households, or geographic areas disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
City of Carlsbad approves revisions
for its COVID-19 small business loan program
The Carlsbad City Council approved revisions and the extension of terms for its COVID-19 small business loan program, allowing more businesses to access financial assistance when they need it most and to further support loan recipients who have ongoing impacts from state and county health orders.
Carlsbad businesses can apply for one or both types of loans outlined in the city’s $5 million economic recovery and revitalization initiative including:
• Micro-loans — $5,000 to $10,000
• Small business recovery loans — $10,000 to $50,000
California Competes Tax Credit Program
The California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) is an income tax credit available to businesses that want to locate in California or stay and grow in California. Businesses of any industry, size, or location compete for over $180 million available in tax credits by applying in one of the three application periods each year.
For fiscal year 2021-2022, GO-Biz will accept applications for the California Competes Tax Credit during the following periods:
• Jan. 3, 2022 – Jan. 24, 2022
• March 7, 2022 – March 28, 2022
Prior to each application period, GO-Biz hosts online webinars about the California Competes Tax Credit program. All businesses are encouraged to participate and view the GoBiz webinars to receive instructions on how to apply. SDNEDC can also assist with applications and connecting North County businesses with the right resources so as to increase their potential to win one of the awards.
