EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

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February 12, 2014 (San Diego's East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

STATE

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

LOCAL

Low-tier utility rates to jump (U-T San Diego)

The California Public Utilities Commission is considering a proposal to shift charges away from heavy users of home electricity toward low-use customers. San Diego Gas & Electric, the author of the proposal, says its low-use customers have been paying far less than it costs to serve them.

With Faulconer, San Diego pivots back towards business as usual (Voice of San Diego)

After almost 1,000 days, tens of millions of dollars and one resignation, San Diego’s new mayor looks a lot like the mayors who have come before him. Kevin Faulconer, a 47-year-old moderate Republican city councilman, won Tuesday night’s special election by a much bigger majority than expected.

Another skirmish leaves Madrid spurned (La Mesa Today)

At its last regular meeting, the City Council let die without a second a proposal by Mayor Art Madrid to seek national All-American City status for this city. At Tuesday night's meeting, council members learned the effort is going on without them. Madrid, under questions from fellow council members, acknowledged he is leading a consortium of community groups -- including the city's Interfaith Council -- to seek the designation without official city involvement… Madrid said his All-American City effort would raise any fund necessary to pay for the application.

Mayors accuse MWD of hoarding funds (U-T San Diego)

Despite big reserve, water rates continue to rise.

 Helix Water District shares drought news (U-T San Diego)

Helix Water District has some better-than-expected news for its customers.

Motives of SDG&E project questioned  (U-T San Diego)

SDG&E wants to spend $418 million to "rebuild" five 69-kilovolt transmission lines. But some watchdog groups wonder if there isn’t more going on. They suggest this could be a first step in a grander plan to eventually increase the amount of power that could be carried by the lines.

STATE

The emptying of Northern California’s reservoirs (ECO Report)

The dry bed of Folsom Lake has become an unlikely tourist attraction for visitors to the Sacramento area this year.

Nine Million Pounds of Beef from "Diseased and Unsound Animals" Recalled by California Company (L.A. Weekly)

A California company is recalling nearly 9 million pounds of beef because it processed "diseased and unsound animals," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Rancho Feeding Corp. of Petaluma also processed the 8.74 million pounds of meat without full federal inspection, according to the agency, which called the meat "adulterated" and "unsound, unwholesome or otherwise unfit for human food." … No illnesses have been reported. However, the FSIS has ranked this a Class I recall, with a "high" health risk: "This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

State’s median income up more than 3% (Sacramento Bee)

In another indicator that the economy is shaking off the recession, state tax officials reported Tuesday that median incomes – for 2012 – were up more than 3 percent for individuals across California.

California solitary confinement changes questioned at hearing (Sacramento Bee)

Lawmakers on Tuesday cast doubt on proposed changes to how California prison officials identify gang members and place them in solitary confinement. The issue burst into prominence during a widespread hunger strike this summer, the third in two years, during which convicts and their allies likened prolonged physical isolation to torture.

 

 


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