Emergency storm drain replacement begins Recent traffic bottle necks on east Garnet Avenue at the intersection with Soledad Mountain Road have been caused by an emergency storm drain replacement project, and more work is expected. The city Engineering and Capital Projects Department stated that the work is necessary to improve drainage infrastructure and eliminate any safety concerns related to a recently discovered pipe failure under the street. Work began Feb. 12 to stabilize the roadway and all underlying utilities. The emergency work is being done in phases. The initial phase — the pipe repair work — involved closure of one eastbound and one west bound lane on Garnet Avenue and one of the left-turn lanes on Soledad Mountain Road onto Garnet Avenue. The next phase — the pipe replacement work — should begin during the week of Feb. 22 and will involve similar lane closures. The start date for the replacement effort is contingent on the completion of custom piping being manufactured specifically for this area. The project is scheduled for completion by April. There will be some occasional delays as the pipe is excavated and replaced. Schools honored for making academic gains Crown Point Elementary School and Pacific Beach Elementary School are among 10 schools in the San Diego Unified School District that have been honored with Title I Academic Achievement Award for 2010. Title I Academic Achievement Awards are given annually to schools that receive federal funds under the Title 1 program, a federal program which helps students living below or near the poverty level. To win this award, the school shows that students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California’s academic content standards, meeting state targets for two consecutive years. PBPG needs volunteers Those who would like to have a say about parking, traffic, development and future planning in Pacific Beach might consider joining the Pacific Beach Planning Group (PBPG), which advises the city on these and other community issues. Pacific Beach residents, property owners and business owners are eligible to serve on the PBPG. Applications are being accepted now. For more information visit www.pbplanning.org, call Marcie Beckett at (858) 483-8908, or come to the next PBPG meeting on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Pacific Beach Library, 4275 Cass St. 2009 murder of student remains unsolved San Diego County Crime Stoppers, working with the San Diego Police Department homicide unit, is asking for the public’s help to identify and locate the person responsible for the murder of Hannah Podhorsky, a resident of National City and a student at Mission Bay High School. On Feb. 1, 2009 at approximately 2:40 a.m., Southeastern Division patrol officers received a radio call of a shooting in the 700 block of South 42nd Street. When officers arrived at about 2:45 a.m., they found Podhorsky suffering from a gunshot wound. The 16-year-old victim did not survive her injuries. The investigation has revealed that Podhorsky was visiting friends and was standing on the sidewalk in front of the residence with at least one other person when they were approached by the unknown suspect(s) who fired two to three rounds from a handgun. The motivation for the shooting is not clear, nor is it clear whether or not Podhorsky was the intended target. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to a felony arrest in this case. Anyone with information on the murder is asked to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line, (888) 580-8477. Anonymous e-mail and text messages can be sent via www.sdcrimestoppers.com. Assailant to be deported A Turkish immigrant who stabbed a man in Pacific Beach was sentenced Feb. 10 to 285 days he had already served in jail and will be deported. Agahan Alemdar, 23, who had been living in La Jolla, was released to immigration authorities, Deputy District Attorney Steve Marquardt said. Alemdar will be deported because of his felony conviction in the Aug. 3, 2009 incident. Nathaniel Thompkins was stabbed in the neck with a knife following an argument with Alemdar at 4 p.m. in a courtyard at 1038 Hornblend St. San Diego Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers fined Alemdar $1,060. Marquardt said Alemdar had been placed on an immigration hold after his arrest. Alemdar pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon on Jan. 11 and could have been sentenced to four years in prison, according to court records. The judge ordered authorities not to release him from jail, but process him through immigration authorities for deportation. — Neal Putnam Man convicted of rape and kidnapping Brandon Shawn Burrus, 23, of San Diego, faces up to 105 years in prison after a jury convicted him of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman he met at a bar in Mission Beach. Sentencing was set for Feb. 26 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser. Following a month-long trial, a jury convicted Burrus of five counts of forcible oral copulation, two counts of rape and kidnapping in the Feb. 20, 2009 incident. The victim, a college student who was in her 20s, met Burrus at a bar in Mission Beach and agreed to let him give her a ride home. Burrus, who worked as a security guard, instead took her to a park and sexually assaulted her in an isolated area, according to court records. Burrus later took the woman to a motel where he attacked her further. Burrus remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility on $2 million bail. — Neal Putnam Local humanitarian receives recognition Beryl Westwood is among those who received the Bishop’s Servant Ministry Award for outstanding service work in their church and community. Winners are also recognized for their humility, dedication and faithfulness. Westwood was nominated by the Rev. Leland Jones at St. Andrew’s in Pacific Beach. The Rt. Rev. James Mathes, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, was scheduled to present the awards during a gala dinner of the diocesan convention Feb. 12 in Mission Valley.