East County Roundup Includes the Most Important Stories About East County, or relevant to our readers, published by other media. Top stories from the past month include:

• Motorist to stand trial in young mother’s death
• Obama ushers in a new era for Indian Country
• Local GOP party calls for resignation of Poway Councilmember
• Buffalo Soldiers’ base recognized
• Teen’s threats trigger arrests
• FPPC won’t investigate Duvall’s mistress
• Under-fire Helix assistant vice principal is fired
• Long-time La Mesa City Manager stepping down
• Schools, stage budget and safety topics hot at forum
• Commission gives nod to Merriam for 2,700 homes
• The long road back: two years after the wildfires,recovery for many residents has been belated

East County Roundup highlights the best stories about East County issues found in other publications.

August 19, 2009 (San Diego's East County)

TOP STORIES in the past month include:

East County Roundup highlights the best stories about East County
issues found in other publications.

June 2009 (San Diego’s East County)

• Sycuan Wants Land Added to Reservation
• Pillars of Fire? Poway’s Twin Peaks Haven’t Burned since 1967
• Officials Warn Against Wimpy Solar Goal; SANDAG Rewriting Regional Energy Strategy
• “It’s a Nightmare” (SD Unified School District Cuts)
• Proposed Santee Cable Ski Park Draws Friends, Foes
• Couple: County Trying to Stop Home Bible Studies
• Grossmont Students Speak Out Against Calendar Cuts
• Hunter: Maintaining Defense Spending Top Priority

East County Roundup highlights the best stories about East County
issues found in other publications.

JAMUL’S
PLAN TO BUILD CASINO MAY NOT STAND TEST OF HISTORY

San Diego Union-Tribune (March 30, 2009)—

OVERVIEW

Background: The Jamul Indian Village partnered with Lakes
Entertainment to build a casino in East County that faced significant local
opposition.

What's changing: A U.S. Supreme Court ruling over tribal
land in Rhode Island raises legal questions about Jamul's casino plan.

The future: In addition to any impact the ruling may
have, Lakes Entertainment says the project will be delayed at least five years
because of financial concerns and a suit over access to the casino site.

COUNTY ADOPTS STRATEGY FOR MANAGING BRUSH:

Local environmentalists say approach
relies too much on controlled burns

North County Times (March 25, 2009)--The county on Wednesday adopted a strategy
for managing the dry brush that fueled two of the region's catastrophic wildfires,
but environmental regulations and a lack of funding could make it difficult
to implement key pieces.

The strategy, which emphasizes controlled burns as a way to clear vegetation,
was outlined in a staff report that was criticized by local environmentalists
as too narrow in its scope.

"If you don't look at the full equation, you may put vegetation treatment
where it's not needed," said Richard Halsey, director of the Chaparral
Field Institute in Escondido. "And, in fact, you may actually increase
fire hazards by converting some of this shrub land into (more fire-prone) weedy
grasslands."

THE END OF MOBILE COUNSELING

San Diego Reader (March 20, 2009)-- Today, March 20, marks the final day of
mobile counseling services for residents of the rural East County communities
affected by the Harris Fire. The October 2007 wildfire burned 90,440 acres
across Dulzura, Potrero, Tecate, and Jamul. In its wake, hundreds of homes
were damaged or destroyed, 55 people were injured, and 5 were killed. Numerous
recovery efforts were put in place after the fire, including a free door-to-door
counseling and community outreach service.

For the past four months, the nonprofit San Diego Foundation provided the
service, but because the grant money that funded the program has run out, the
program must end.

East County Roundup highlights the best stories about East County issues found in other publications.

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR PROPOSES ONE-STOP PERMITTING FOR ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION

New York Times (February 24, 2009) — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is proposing a single-stop permitting agency for electricity transmission and renewable energy projects.

The proposed state Energy Department would consolidate permitting efforts divided among at least nine agencies.

COUNTY FORECLOSURES SLOW AS LENDERS AWAIT HOMEOWNERS' AID

San Diego Union-Tribune (Feb. 23, 2009) — After surging in December, foreclosure activity in San Diego County fell by nearly 12 percent last month, as some lenders stopped repossessing dwellings in anticipation of President Obama's plan to help distressed homeowners.

"We are seeing some lenders in self-imposed foreclosure moratoriums," said Sean O'Toole, founder of the ForeclosureRadar research firm.

January was the first month to show a year-over-year decline in county foreclosures since March 2005. There were 1,107 foreclosures, a 15 percent drop from a year earlier, the MDA DataQuick research firm reported Monday.

KOPPA WILL NOT ALLOW HEDGE ON PROPERTY

Ramona Sentinel (February 20, 2009) — Saying he does not want a convicted sexually violent predator living on his property, Ramona resident Charles J. "Poppa" Koppa wrote "Return to Sender" and "Contract Void" on an envelope containing an uncashed check for $7,350 he had received from Liberty Healthcare Corporation. The check was to hold a vacant home he owns off Highway 67 off the market until a March 13 Superior  Court hearing on the state Department of Mental Health proposal to house convicted child molester Matthew Hedge there when Hedge is released from in-hospital treatment and placed in outpatient treatment.

Links to top stories in other publications on East County issues

AUDITOR: CITY BOTCHED DEBRIS REMOVAL, At least $775,000 at issue after '07
fires, report says

San Diego Union-Tribune (December 20, 2008) — San Diego's auditor has concluded
that the city was not equipped to manage the large debris removal program it
developed after the wildfires of 2007, and its lack of preparation, internal
controls and contract monitoring cost more than $775,000.

In a report released yesterday, City Auditor Eduardo Luna recommended the
city bill two contractors for overcharges and be better prepared for future
wildfire disasters.

For the auditor's full report, go to uniontrib.com/more/documents

NEARLY 30 PERCENT OF SAN DIEGO MORTGAGES UNDERWATER

Voice of San Diego (December 22, 2008) — Nearly
30 percent of homes in San Diego County with a mortgage are worth less than
their owners owe on their mortgage, according to new data.

The 29.4 percent share of county homes "underwater" or "upside-down" compares
to 27.4 percent for the state and 18.3 percent for the nation. The San Diego
County data was prepared for voiceofsandiego.org by
First American CoreLogic, and was the only county-level data of its kind released
for the quarter ending Sept. 30

VANDALS RANSACK RAMONA’S FIRE RECOVERY CENTER

Ramona Sentinel (December 18, 2008) — For the fourth
time in a year, Bonnie Fry has arrived at work to find Ramona Fire Recovery
Center ransacked.

Opened after the Witch Fire in October 2007, the center at 1710 Montecito
Road has been a resource and refuge for fire victims whose homes and property
were destroyed or damaged in the wildfire.

Fry and others do not understand why someone would want to destroy a place
that offers so many people comfort, counsel, information and support. This
time vandals even knocked over and threw paint on the Christmas tree decorating
the center. Fry had hoped to give the tree to a family in need next week.

Links to top stories in other publications on East County issues

WATER RATIONING GROWS INCREASINGLY LIKELY

San Diego Union-Tribune (Sept. 26, 2008) --| For the first time since 1992, San Diego is facing the possibility of water rationing, a step that could happen as soon as January. The threat is expected to loom for years as Southern California readjusts to the tightest drinking water supplies it has experienced in almost two decades.

The Metropolitan Water District, the Los Angeles-based wholesaler that provides about 75 percent of San Diego County's supply, will consider as soon as January whether to cut deliveries to the 13 million people it serves -- including the San Diego County Water Authority, which provides water to the city of San Diego and 23 other local agencies.

REGION:  STILL NOT READY TO FIGHT FIRE

Move toward regional fire agency could be pivotal, some say

North County Times (September 20, 2008) -- As San Diego County moves into that scary time of year when hot, dry winds roar in from the desert and threaten to transform even the tiniest spark into an inferno, a question lingers: Could another deadly wildfire strike this fall?

The answer, experts say, is yes.

The disasters of 2003 and 2007 reduced much of the county to ashes. But two-thirds of the chaparral-carpeted backcountry remains and would provide plenty of fresh fuel for wind-fanned flames.

FARMERS PREPARE FOR TERMINATION OF WATER PROGRAM

California Farm Bureau (September 17, 2008) -- In a move that will affect crop production across much of the region, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California plans to end its discount program for agricultural irrigation water. The move, expected to be approved in October, will open the door to increased water costs for many Southland farmers…