HOLIDAY WEEKEND KEEPS LOCAL LIFEGUARDS ON TOES Lifeguards with the San Diego Fire/Rescue Department’s Lifeguard Services Department saw an estimated influx of nearly 451,000 ocean and bay lovers over the three-day Memorial Day weekend as temperatures rose to near-perfect levels.
Lifeguards, who cover Mission Bay and city beaches from Point Loma to Torrey Pines State Beach, reported about 80,500 visitors on Saturday, May 24, resulting in 29 medical aids and 10 rescues. On Sunday, May 25, lifeguards reported more than 167,000 visitors, 96 medical aids and 89 rescues. Memorial Day, on Monday, May 26, drew an estimated 203,000 visitors, causing lifeguards to respond to 144 medical aids and 88 rescues, according to San Diego Fire/Rescue Department spokesman Lee Swanson. MISSION BEACH MAN PLEADS TO ROLE IN MASSIVE DRUG RING
Morgan Dimmitt, 27, the only Mission Beach resident who was arrested in a sweeping undercover drug investigation in North County, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute.
Dimmitt, a construction worker who now lives with family members in Utah, is free on $75,000 bond. He will be sentenced June 9 in U.S. District Court in San Diego. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wheat filed a court document indicating he will be seeking a 30-month federal prison term for Dimmitt. His attorney is expected to argue for probation.
A year-long investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the sheriff’s department yielded 65 arrests, mostly in Ramona and Poway, on Sept. 10. It was called “Operation Mountain Shadow,” and authorities seized 93 pounds of methamphetamine, 56 pounds of cocaine and 14 pounds of heroin. In all, 73 people were rounded up in the sting.
— Neal Putnam LONGBOARD CLASSIC SET AT TOURMALINE ON JUNE 7 The Pacific Beach Surf Club will hold its 16th annual Summer Longboard Classic on June 7. The all-ages contest is an open invitational to locals and beyond, and will be held at Tourmaline Beach, beginning at 7 a.m.
The event will feature food, prizes, entertainment and more. Proceeds will benefit the Mission Bay Surf Team.
To register, visit www.pacific-beachsurfclub.org. For more information or to become a sponsor, email [email protected]. TRANSIENT ARRESTED AFTER ATTACKING ANOTHER
Police officers arrested a transient May 21 after he allegedly got into an altercation with another transient man in the 1500 block of Thomas Avenue.
The incident unfolded around 4:15 p.m. when the two men got into a fight and one of them suffered a stab wound under his eye. Police did not specify the nature of the weapon. The transient to blamed in the attack was arrested at the scene and the victim refused treatment for what police said was a minor injury. PB GRAFFITI CLEANUP DRAWS AT LEAST 100
More than 100 people showed up to the seventh annual Graffiti Clean Up Day in Pacific Beach this month to demonstrate community dedication and pride. The event is a partnership by the Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) and the PB Presbyterian Church. “We removed more than 800 graffiti tags this year,” said Town Council vice president Adam Meyer. “Although that’s not as much as previous years, it’s good news because every year there’s less graffiti to clean up.” San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman has been involved since the beginning. She said cleaning up Pacific Beach helps promote San Diego as a tourist destination. “The cleanup not only makes the community look nice, but it makes it safe, too,” Zimmerman said. “We’re the ambassadors to the hundreds of thousands of people who come to San Diego every year.” Other organizers agreed.
“The people we train at this event tend to remove graffiti on their own throughout the year, and that cuts down graffiti overall, because taggers get discouraged when their tags are removed quickly,” said Marcie Beckett, a PBTC member who has been involved in this event from its inception. “Events like this encourage everyone to have more pride in and respect for Pacific Beach.”