Chula Vista Local Headlines: Food Pantry Launch, School Lockdown, Bayshore Bikeway Spotlight

Top local headlines (last 72 hours)

1) City opens South Bay’s first city-operated food pantry at the Civic Center Library

Chula Vista leaders held a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, February 25, for a new city-operated food pantry based at the Civic Center Chula Vista Public Library on F Street. The pantry is set to open to the public on Wednesday, March 4, with ongoing hours Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 7 p.m.

Residents will need to register ahead of time online or by phone, with support available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. City officials framed the pantry as a direct response to visible local need, after prior large distributions drew long lines and supplies ran out quickly.

Location: Civic Center Chula Vista Public Library, 365 F St.
Opening to public: March 4
Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, noon to 7 p.m.

2) Mater Dei Catholic High School lockdown after an anonymous threat

Mater Dei Catholic High School in East Chula Vista went into lockdown Thursday, February 26, after staff reported an anonymous threat. Police conducted a sweep of the campus and used a drone while working alongside school security, according to reporting that cited a police social media update.

Families were urged to rely on direct school messages and verified public safety channels during the response. The reporting said officers were working to confirm there was no active threat.

3) Bayshore Bikeway: coastal path south of Chula Vista highlighted as work continues

A regional outdoors roundup this week pointed residents toward the wide, flat paths south of Chula Vista that connect toward the Silver Strand, as broader work continues on the Bayshore Bikeway loop around the bay. The piece noted that some segments are still unfinished, but the connected stretches already offer an easy option for walking, running, and biking.

4) Chula Vista Elementary School District celebrates speech contest finalists

On February 26, the district recognized students who advanced through the 2025-26 Speech Contest, where participants addressed the prompt, ‘What Makes a Strong Community?’ The district said more than 100 students competed in semifinals and 22 advanced to finals, with first-place winners expected to present at upcoming civic and community meetings.

Sources

https://www.chulavistaca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/4027/17
https://hoodline.com/2026/02/anonymous-threat-triggers-mater-dei-catholic-lockdown-in-east-chula-vista/
https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/02/25/bayshore-bikeway-south-chula-vista-silver-strand-bike-path-imperial-beach
https://www.cvesd.org/p/~board/whats-new/post/2025-26-speech-contest