English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in San Diego, CA

Honored as one of five California teachers of the year, Kristen LoPrell is a high school mathematics and AP calculus teacher at Grossmont High School in the Grossmont Union High School District. Students often come to LoPrell dreading math class and leave with a new appreciation for the subject, confidence in their abilities, and a sense of belonging.

“This is the honor of my career,” LoPrell said. “Teaching mathematics is pure joy for me. My students make my days brighter and helping them realize they can do math is my favorite.”

Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Mike Fowler praised LoPrell for helping countless students discover the beauty of mathematics.”

“She is an outstanding educator whose dedication to ensuring every student has a path to success is demonstrated by her fierce commitment to improving instructional practices and by the many students who have testified to the positive influence she has had on their lives,” Fowler said.

The state also named six finalists for teacher of the year, including Mackenzie Levine, a 3rd- to 5th-grade mild to moderate special education teacher at Perry Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District.

“Our students and our region are so lucky to have these stellar educators in our classrooms, ensuring belongingness and inclusivity so our young people can truly thrive in school and life,” said Dr. Gloria E. Ciriza, San Diego County superintendent of schools. “Without a sense of safety, of feeling like they can be their authentic selves and still be accepted and loved, our students can’t be brave in their learning and growth. This is what these two educators excel at and what we can all learn from.”

The San Diego County Office of Education coordinates the nomination and application process for the state program. This year, all the district nominees were celebrated with an August event presented by Cox Communications in partnership with SDCOE and sponsored by the San Diego County Credit Union. The California Department of Education selection committees review applications; evaluate teachers’ rapport with students, classroom environments, presentation skills, and teaching techniques; and interview the teachers to select the finalists.

Kristen LoPrell

Students often come to LoPrell dreading their math class and leave with a new appreciation for the subject. In her classroom, the desks face each other so students can work together to solve problems in teams that are randomly selected each day.

“I firmly believe that it is our job as math educators to create classrooms filled with joy where student

thinking is celebrated equal to the teachers,” she explained.

LoPrell supports the Gender and Sexuality Alliance and Academic League at her school. She also serves as the freshman orientation coordinator, training older students to mentor incoming freshmen. She works to ensure that all students feel safe in her classroom so they feel comfortable taking risks in their thinking as they practice arithmetic using real-life examples.

Mackenzie Levine

Levine’s classroom is a home away from home and a safe haven for her students. It’s a highly structured and organized environment that is active, led by students, and welcoming.

She collaborates with a team of education specialists and general education teachers to develop a model for students where they can move throughout the day to the environment that is most appropriate for them based on their individual needs.

“I am incredibly proud to be honored as a California Teacher of the Year finalist,” Levine said. “It has been a true privilege to experience this journey.”

Learn more about the 2025 San Diego County Teachers of the Year at sdcoe.net. Video of the San Diego County Teacher of the Year surprises for LoPrell and Levine are available here.

Tagged: California Teacher of the Year, named, San Diego, San Diego County Educator

SoCal Digital Marketing Inc. has opened a new office in Oceanside, CA, expanding their SEO and digital marketing services to businesses in the San Diego area. This expansion allows the agency to provide tailored, data-driven strategies to help local companies improve their online visibility and generate high-converting leads.

OCEANSIDE, Calif., Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SoCal Digital Marketing Inc., a leading provider of digital marketing and SEO services, is excited to announce the opening of its new office in Oceanside, CA. This expansion allows SoCal Digital Marketing to better serve clients in San Diego and the surrounding communities, offering comprehensive SEO and digital marketing solutions tailored to local businesses.

With a proven track record of helping businesses improve their online presence and grow their revenue, SoCal Digital Marketing is now positioned to provide SEO services in San Diego and the North County region with greater accessibility and personalized attention. The new Oceanside location marks a significant step in the company's commitment to providing local businesses with the tools and strategies needed to succeed in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

"We're thrilled to expand our internet marketing services to Oceanside and the surrounding areas," said Andrew Guida, founder of SoCal Digital Marketing Inc.. "As an Oceanside SEO company, we're excited to partner with local businesses, helping them improve their search engine rankings, increase traffic, and ultimately grow their customer base. Our focus has always been on delivering customized strategies that drive real, measurable results."

The new office will offer a full suite of services including:

SoCal Digital Marketing's local team of experts is dedicated to understanding the unique needs of businesses in the San Diego market and delivering tailored strategies that provide long-term results.

About SoCal Digital Marketing Inc.

Founded in 2012, SoCal Digital Marketing Inc. has been a trusted partner to businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. The agency is known for its client-focused approach, leveraging data-driven insights to create SEO and digital marketing strategies that enhance visibility and boost conversions. Now, as a leading Oceanside SEO company, SoCal Digital Marketing Inc. is excited to bring their expertise to North County, empowering businesses to thrive in today's digital world.

Contact Information

For more information about SoCal Digital Marketing's Oceanside office and their SEO services in San Diego, please contact:

SoCal Digital Marketing Inc. Phone: (949) 309-8845 Email: aguida@socaldigitalmarketing.com Website: https://www.socaldigitalmarketing.com Address: 1225 Breakaway Dr, Oceanside, CA 92057

Media Contact

Andrew Guida, SoCal Digital Marketing Inc., (949) 309-8845, aguida@socaldigitalmarketing.com, https://www.socaldigitalmarketing.com/

SOURCE SoCal Digital Marketing Inc.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a challenge by Uber and Lyft to lawsuits by the state of California on behalf of drivers who signed agreements to keep legal disputes with the ride-hailing companies out of court in a legal fight over their status as contractors.

The justices turned away appeals by the two companies of a California state appeals court’s ruling that let the Democratic-led state’s attorney general and labor commissioner pursue claims that Uber and Lyft owe money to drivers who were misclassified as independent contractors rather than employees.

The companies have argued that federal law bars states from suing on behalf of anyone who signed agreements to bring legal disputes in private arbitration rather than court. That includes more than 60 million U.S. workers and virtually any consumer who joins a subscription service, accepts a company’s terms of service or registers a product.

Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Uber, in an emailed statement maintained that the California court’s ruling was incorrect, and said the Supreme Court could decide the issue in a future case.

California filed separate lawsuits against the companies in 2020. A state appeals court in 2023 ruled against the companies in their challenge to the lawsuits. The California Supreme Court subsequently declined to hear their appeals.

California is one of several Democratic-led states that have accused Uber and Lyft of depriving drivers of minimum wage, overtime pay, reimbursements for expenses and other protections by labeling them as independent contractors. Most federal and state wage laws apply only to employees, making it much cheaper for companies to hire contractors.

Uber, Lyft and other app-based services have denied that they are employers of “gig workers” who may benefit from the flexibility of contracting.

The industry has advocated for state ballot measures allowing companies to treat workers as contractors in exchange for providing certain benefits. California’s top state court in July upheld such a measure backed by Uber and Lyft and overwhelmingly approved by voters in the state in 2020.

Uber and Lyft in June agreed to adopt a $32.50 hourly minimum pay standard for Massachusetts drivers and pay $175 million to settle a lawsuit by the Democratic-led state’s attorney general alleging they improperly treated drivers as independent contractors.

Uber and Lyft also have been sued by thousands of U.S. drivers who have said they should have been treated as employees. But few of those cases have yielded definitive rulings and many of them have been sent to arbitration, since most of the drivers for the companies sign arbitration agreements.

To prevent the disease from spreading, County Vector Control began spraying this weekend for mosquitoes at about 170 homes in Escondido.

Kristina Houck, Patch Staff

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County health officials are investigating the first-ever case of locally acquired dengue virus.

An Escondido resident became sick with the mosquito-transmitted disease, but did not travel to an area where the virus is common, according to the county. No additional locally acquired cases have been identified, although there have been at least 49 reported cases of travel-related dengue this year in the county.

To prevent the disease from spreading, County Vector Control began spraying this weekend for mosquitoes at about 170 homes in Escondido. Treatments started on Friday and will continue through Thursday.

"While the risk of widespread transmission of dengue remains low in San Diego County, County Public Health and Vector Control are working closely to respond quickly to prevent mosquitoes from spreading the illness in this area," said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, the county's interim public health officer.

Vector Control did similar treatments in Oceanside in September and in the Mount Hope area of San Diego in July of this year. Both treatments were initiated as a precaution to prevent potential local spread of dengue due to travel-associated dengue cases and the high numbers of Aedes mosquitoes in the neighborhoods.

Find out what's happening in San Diegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dengue is a tropical viral disease that is not commonly found in the U.S. Since the invasive Aedes mosquitoes were first detected in the county in 2014, there had been no locally acquired case of dengue until now.

Los Angeles County recently reported five cases of locally contracted dengue this year. Long Beach and Pasadena had their first cases of locally acquired dengue in late 2023.

Dengue is spread by mosquitoes when a mosquito bites an infected person and then feeds on another person.

It can take four to seven days for someone who is bitten by a mosquito infected with dengue to start feeling symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever, chills, aches and pains, nausea, vomiting and rashes.

Symptoms can be moderate and last two to seven days. Most people recover after about a week. Symptoms can also become severe and deadly, which include shock and respiratory distress and can require hospitalization. There are no specific medicines to treat dengue.