EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

April 3, 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

• San Diego’s playing with fire - Why the city can’t maintain enough emergency trucks (SD CityBeat)
• Critics worry railroad firm is off-track (UT San Diego)
• Helix Water District holding drought workshop (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa City Council (La Mesa Today)
• Arapostathis announces mayoral intention in La Mesa (UT-San Diego)
• Daughter to testify in high-profile California murder trial of Iraqi man
• The Scope Of San Diego's Gang Problem (KPBS)

STATE

• PG&E criminally charged in pipeline explosion (10 News)
• Leland Yee pulls out of Secretary of State’s race as pressures mount for him to leave Legislature (Sacramento Bee)
• The Story Of Calif. Senator's Arrest Reads Like Pulp Fiction (NPR)
• Ruling favors secret Gmail for officials (UT San Diego)
• Truckin': Salmon Take A Long, Strange Trip To The Pacific Ocean (NPR)
• California quake: why L.A. faces something worse than the 'Big One' (+video) (CS Monitor)
•  Storms give boost to dismal Sierra snowpack (Sacramento Bee)
• For Los Angeles, La Habra earthquake could offer hints about 'Big One' (+video) (CS Monitor)

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

LOCAL

San Diego’s playing with fire - Why the city can’t maintain enough emergency trucks (SD CityBeat)

As of the beginning of last week, there were only three fully equipped reserve fire engines ready for use, Fire Department officials say.

Critics worry railroad firm is off-track (UT San Diego)

A company granted a 99-year lease by the Metropolitan Transit System to run a freight line considered a key to boosting cross-border commerce is beset by management turmoil and accusations of suspicious financial transactions..

Helix Water District holding drought workshop (UT San Diego)

…The workshop, set for 5:30 until 7 p.m. April 17 at the district's operations center in El Cajon, will inform the public and elected officials from jurisdictions around the East County about statewide, regional and local water supply issues and ways to conserve water.

La Mesa City Council (La Mesa Today)

Watching the La Mesa government machine is truly a tale of two cities these days. / Professional city staff quietly goes about pretty sophisticated operations in efficient, laudatory ways, while the elected oversight can look more and more like a Balkan tragic comedy.

Arapostathis announces mayoral intention in La Mesa (UT-San Diego)

La Mesa native Mark Arapostathis, a City Council member for the past eight years and up for re-election this year, has decided to run for mayor this November, opposing Art Madrid, who has been mayor since 1990.

Daughter to testify in high-profile California murder trial of Iraqi man

(Reuters) - .... El Cajon is in the heart of east San Diego County, which is home to the second-largest Iraqi community in the United States, behind Detroit.

The Scope Of San Diego's Gang Problem (KPBS)

Here's a primer on San Diego's gang landscape.

STATE

PG&E criminally charged in pipeline explosion (10 News)

Pacific Gas and Electric has been charged with federal felony counts involving safety violations linked to a 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The indictment filed Tuesday charges the utility with 12 felonies and accuses the company of violating numerous federal pipeline safety laws.

Leland Yee pulls out of Secretary of State’s race as pressures mount for him to leave Legislature (Sacramento Bee)

A day after Sen. Leland Yee was charged with corruption and conspiracy to traffic weapons, he dropped out of the race to become California’s next secretary of state and faced mounting pressure to leave the state Senate.

The Story Of Calif. Senator's Arrest Reads Like Pulp Fiction (NPR)

It's a case that has stunned California's political community: A prominent Democratic lawmaker has been accused in a federal complaint of participating in an elaborate conspiracy involving guns, gangs, drugs and bribery. State Sen. Leland Yee was known as a champion of open government and gun control, but not any more.

Ruling favors secret Gmail for officials (UT San Diego)

A court ruling out of San Jose involving emails of public officials could have implications in San Diego and across the state.

Truckin': Salmon Take A Long, Strange Trip To The Pacific Ocean (NPR)

California's severe drought has left rivers so dry that young salmon can't make their usual migration. To save the fish and the industry, the state is giving millions of salmon a lift.

California quake: why L.A. faces something worse than the 'Big One' (+video) (CS Monitor)

 The Puente Hills fault could do more damage than the 'Big One' even with a smaller quake, seismologists say, because it runs under downtown Los Angeles and a population of 4 million people.

Storms give boost to dismal Sierra snowpack (Sacramento Bee)

A string of storms is giving a much-needed boost to a dismal Sierra snowpack just before the traditional peak of the snow season.

For Los Angeles, La Habra earthquake could offer hints about 'Big One' (+video) (CS Monitor)

The La Habra earthquake Friday was only a magnitude 5.1. But the fault runs beneath downtown Los Angeles, meaning it could be a bigger concern than other, better-known southern California faults.