By Miriam Raftery

August 17, 2018 (San Diego) – Language expert, author, columnist and radio personality Richard Lederer will be a special guest at our East County Fest 10-year anniversary party of the decade on Saturday night, August 25. (Tickets are going fast! Get tickets and learn more.)

In addition to speaking and signing copies of his latest books, Lederer has generously donated two special auction prizes – an entertaining and educational appearance by Lederer for your group, and a poker lesson by Lederer, whose skills enabled his two children to become world and national poker champions.

Lederer is the author of 50 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current books, Amazing Words, Lederer on Language, and The Joy of Names. He is a founding co-host of “A Way With Words” on KPBS.

Dr. Lederer’s syndicated column, “Lederer on Language,” appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States, including the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has been named International Punster of the Year and Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel winner.

By Kathy Carpenter

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By Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

For video of women's soccer head coach Mike Friesen and football assistan coach Jeff Horton, click "read more" and scroll down

August 16, 2018 (San Diego) - With a new school year upon us, San Diego State football and women's soccer are gearing up for a new season.  Head coaches Rocky Long, Mike Friesen and baseball coach Mark Martinez (who recently signed a contract extension) and assistant football coach Jeff Horton joined the media today.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

August 16, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- “Listen for sprinklers, they sound like sprinklers,” says Tom Minga, a rattlesnake specialist.

Minga, a Flinn Springs resident, who owns Snake Solutions Removal & Relocation, recommends listening for rattlers when you are out in nature or even in your house.   

East County News Service

August 15, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• After disaster alert failures, U.S. moves toward national system (Reuters)
• FBI warns banks about ATM hacking scheme (CNN)
• Do children have a right to literacy? Attorneys testing that question (Washington Post)
• U.S. Farm-Export Prices Drop Most Since 2011 (Bloomberg)
• U.S. House candidates vulnerable to hacks: researchers (Reuters)
• Chinese Song Found on US Voting System, 11-Year Old Hacks Mock FL SoS Website, More News from DEF CON Vote Hack Village (Bradblog)
• Democrats and Young People Prefer Socialism to Capitalism, Poll Finds  (Reason)

WORLD

• Burying ‘One Child’ Limits, China Pushes Women to Have More Babies (New York Times)
• IAF levels Hamas security HQ after Beersheba hit (JPost)
• North Korea has not stopped nuclear, missile program: confidential U.N. report (Reuters)
• Man suspected of terrorism attack on UK parliament after driving into pedestrians (Reuters)
• U.N. says it has credible reports that China holds million Uighurs in secret camps  (Reuters)
• Surprise Taliban Attack Leads To Days Of Fighting, Hundreds Of Deaths (NPR)
• Police fire tear gas as Romanians rally against government  (Reuters)
• From laboratory in far west, China's surveillance state spreads quietly (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Source:  scdoe.net

August 15, 2018 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Board of Education (County Board) and the County Superintendent of Schools are currently seeking candidates interested in being appointed to the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) Personnel Commission. Letters of interest for appointment to the Personnel Commission are currently being accepted for the County Board/Superintendent-appointed personnel commissioner. The term of office will commence Dec. 1, 2018, at noon, and expire Dec. 1, 2021, at noon. The County Board/superintendent-appointed commissioner will assume office at the regularly scheduled Personnel Commission meeting on Dec. 19, 2018.

By Miriam Raftery

August 15, 2018 (El Cajon) – Citizens Oversight, a government watchdog group based in El Cajon, is calling for a thorough safety review of nuclear waste transfers halted at San Onofre after David Fritch, a whistleblower and federal OSHA safety inspector, described serious safety concerns. Those included an incident in which a 104-ton spent nuclear fuel cannister beamed lodged on a small piece of shim after a guide ring came loose, leaving the cannister teetering 18 feet above the bottom of the vault “hanging by about a quarter of an inch.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 14, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes Three Dog Night in concert at Viejas, Watermelon Days at the Oasis Camel dairy, night fishing at Santee Lakes, the Mighty Untouchables in Santee, the Ramona Country Fair and our own East County Fest at Mission Trails,

Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions for September including the Barona Powwow, Sycuan Powwow, Ramona Grape Stomp, and the Julian Music Festival.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Ken Stone

Originally published by Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo by Ken Stone

August 14, 2018 (la Mesa) - A year ago this week, 25-year-old Rebekah Basson attended her first meeting as a newly appointed school board member in East County — based in part on her pledge to run for a full term in November 2018.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo from San Diego Fire Dept.: Metro Arson Strike Team investigates fire scene.

August 14, 2018 (San Pasqual Valley) – The Metro Arson Strike team has reversed an earlier announcement and now believes yesterday's Cloverdale Fire in the San Pasqual Valley was not caused by arson, but instead by a rimless tire that threw off sparks, causing multilple ignition points, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

This is the third fire to occur in the San Pasqual area in the past couple of weeks, though authorities have not yet announced causes of the earlier San Pasqual and Rangeland fires, which burned 240 and 250 acres respectively.

The Cloverdale Fire, under unified command of Cal Fire and San Diego Fire Department, started mid-afternoon and quickly scorched 100 acres. Today it is 65% contained and evacuations have been lifted.

East County News Service

August 13, 2018 (Borrego Springs) – Entries are being accepted now through December 1^st in the annual Anza Borrego Desert photography contest. The contest’s theme is the unique and natural beauty of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and all photos must be taken within the state park boundaries.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo via WikimediaImages/Pixabay

August 12, 2018 (San Diego's East County) - Fire investigators recently announced that the cause of the deadly Carr fire in Redding was a flat tire on a trailer. When the rim scraped the concrete roadway, it sparked a fire.

By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2018 (Lakeside) – Divers searching for a 12-year-old girl who fell overboard from a ski boat into San Vicente Reservoir will resume their efforts in the morning, but the mission has shifted from rescue to recovery after her damaged life jacket was found in the water.

Divers from San Diego Fire-Rescue have been searching since 6 pm. after the accident occurred during a family outing, 10 News reports.Sheriff’s deputies, Cal Fire personnel and helicopters all assisted in ground and aerial searches, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.