MARINA DISTRICT – The woman killed by a hit-and-run driver Sunday night has been identified as Salma Idris Khan of Bombay, India.
Khan was crossing Harbor Drive at Fifth Avenue, outside the San Diego Convention Center, shortly before 10:30 p.m. She had been attending a business conference there.
A light-colored sport utility vehicle traveling west on Harbor Drive struck her and the driver sped away without stopping, San Diego police said. – Debbi Farr Baker
Bases ban phone
use while driving
Starting tomorrow, Navy Region Southwest will ban people from using hand-held cell phones while driving on its bases in California and Nevada.
Drivers can put cell phones on speaker or use hands-free devices, said Lt. Kyle Raines, a Navy Region Southwest spokesman. Emergency, fire and law enforcement personnel are exempt from the ban while they are on duty.
Violators will be subject to reprimands or penalty points on their state driving record, Raines said. Repeat offenders could lose on-base driving privileges.
In December, the Pentagon asked all the services to restrict cell phone use by drivers, and most are expected to implement rules this year. Marine Corps bases in California already have instituted similar restrictions.
– Steve Liewer
Public views sought
for casino project
PALA INDIAN
RESERVATION –
The Pala Indian band is planning a $100 million expansion of its North County hotel-casino and is soliciting public comment on aspects of an upcoming environmental report.
The project would add 70,000 square feet to Pala Casino, increasing the floor space by about one-third at one of the region's largest casinos.
The plan also calls for adding 50 rooms to Pala's 500-room hotel and 1,500 more spaces in a parking-structure expansion, as well as other upgrades to state Route 76, Pala Spa and the resort's wastewater treatment system.
Construction is expected to begin in June 2007 and be completed in about a year, said Jerry Turk, Pala's managing partner.
A San Diego firm is undertaking a Tribal Environmental Impact Report that will cover 16 issues, including traffic, aesthetics and natural resources. Suggestions regarding the report's preparation will be accepted through July 10 and should be addressed to: Project manager, Pala Band of Mission Indians, 35008 Pala Temecula Road, PMB 40, Pala, CA, 92059.
The report is expected to be completed and circulated for public review in August, said Michael Baksh, president of Tierra Environmental Services.
– Chet Barfield
