Local News and Opinion for San Diego

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove has signed a one-year endorsement agreement with Sycuan Casino Resort. Musgrove, a San Diego native, will be featured in marketing campaigns, promotions, social media content and casino appearances, a Sycuan statement said.

A Sycuan spokesperson told Times of San Diego the agreement will continue until March 2023. Also, ads with Musgrove will begin in the coming weeks and months, the spokesperson said.

In April 2021, Musgrove became the first Padres pitcher in the ballclub’s 51-season history to throw a no-hitter. Last season, he set career highs in several categories, including 181.1 innings pitched, 203 strikeouts and 3.18 ERA. He graduated from Grossmont High School in 2011.

“We are thrilled to have the support of starting pitcher Joe Musgrove as our first MLB ambassador,” said Rob Cinelli, general manager of Sycuan. “We knew he was the perfect fit for our brand because much like Sycuan, Joe has very strong ties to the local San Diego community.

“Joe grew up playing baseball not too far from the Sycuan Reservation and is now back in his hometown making Padres history. We are honored to have Joe as part of the Sycuan family and look forward to being able to offer our guests exclusive experiences through this new partnership.”

“I am very excited for my new partnership with Sycuan Casino Resort,” Musgrove said. “Not only has Sycuan been a longtime supporter of the San Diego Padres, but they truly embody Padres baseball at their resort with their exclusive Padres Club Sycuan Card and an official Padres Hotel Suite not offered anywhere else.

“Being from San Diego myself, it’s really cool to be able to represent such a well-known local brand that is all about entertainment, fun and giving back to our community.”

Weed for Warriors, a Sacramento-based nonprofit advocacy group promoting access to medical cannabis for military veterans, reports it has purchased advertising for one month on two billboards located near San Diego area military installations.

Along State Route 78 near Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, a billboard displays the words “Cannabis Dispensaries” with an up arrow and equal sign, as well as “Opioid Deaths” with a down arrow.

Along Miramar Road in San Diego, near the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, another billboard has the message, “Restricting Access to Cannabis = Increased Opioid Addictions And Suicides.”

The group said the billboards underscore the plight of veterans struggling to access life-saving medical cannabis.

“California and the nation’s veterans are dying at horrific rates from opioid addiction and suicide,” said Sean Kiernan, CEO, Weed for Warriors. “A lack of local access to safe, legal medical cannabis in San Diego threatens the livelihood of veterans who depend on this medication.

“Local control has severely disrupted access to a product that veterans rely on. Despite serving their country overseas, the state’s legal cannabis prohibition demonstrates veterans are being left behind.”

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Kiernan told Times of San Diego the cost for the two billboards for one month will be about $30,000. “Donations from our supporters made the billboards possible,” he said. “San Diego is our first market for billboards because San Diego has the highest density of military veterans in the state.”

Kiernan said Weed for Warriors, founded in 2014, is an all-volunteer group operated by three disabled veterans. In a press release, Weed for Warriors describes itself as a “social justice lifestyle brand supporting holistic rehabilitation for veterans through community-based projects, proactive care advocacy, cannabis education and compassion.”

KNSD-TV NBC 7 San Diego and KUAN-TV Telemundo 20 have announced the hiring of Wendy Warren as assistant news director.

For the past five years, Warren worked in Philadelphia at NBCUniversal’s owned-and-operation NBC and Telemundo stations. There she served as director of integrated media and was responsible for managing both station’s websites. She also oversaw the launch of the Philadelphia NBC station’s FAST channel, an over-the-top programming service that delivers content over the Internet.

Also in Philadelphia, Warren served as vice president of Philly.com, a partnership between the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News for four years. She also spent eight years with the tabloid Philadelphia Daily News as assistant managing editor, assistant city editor and editor of “Rethinking Philadelphia,” a special section publication.

Warren has been honored with numerous awards in print, digital, and broadcasting, including multiple regional Edward R. Murrow awards.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She is also a fellow in the Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism and participated in the inaugural session on editing for narrative journalism at the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University.

“Wendy is a journalist through and through,” said Greg Dawson, vice president of NBC 7 San Diego. “She loves reporting, writing, and telling important stories. She is also a leader with a proven track record of analyzing and improving systems and workflows. These skills will be helpful as we look to reinvent our newsroom to serve our audience on all platforms.”

KOCT-TV, an Oceanside-based, public access TV station airing city, county and state government programming, will host its 15th annual KOCT Outback Steakhouse Fundraiser on Thursday, May 12, at Outback Steakhouse, 2485 Vista Way in Oceanside.

Two luncheon times are available at 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Cost is $25 per person. Tickets are available online or by calling (760) 722-4433.

Carly Starr Brullo Niles, KOCT executive director, said the fundraiser will support public access media in the North County. The fundraiser will include a raffle and auction. Niles told Times of San Diego she is expecting up to 200 people at each seating.

Founded in 1984 as a non-profit corporation, KOCT provides a voice in North County for programming about nonprofit and community groups. It also serves as workforce development with volunteers and interns who have gone on to work in commercial broadcast, film and online entities.

Viewers can watch KOCT on Cox Cable in Oceanside on two channels, including Channel 18 for arts, culture and education, and Channel 19 for history, local politics and city government, or the station’s webside.

Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.

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