EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

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June 18, 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

 

Iraq Humanitarian Crisis Is Personal In San Diego(KPBS)

San Diego County is home to nearly 80,000 Iraqis and thousands of veterans of Operation Iraqi freedom — two groups with a lot at stake in the future of Iraq.

 

DMV bribes put unsafe drivers on streets (U-T San Diego)

The case provides a glimpse into just how easy, and for how little money, official driver’s licenses can be bought and sold, and the potential threat such corruption poses to our national security.

 

El Cajon school site cleanup ratchets up (UT San Diego)

The former owner of an El Cajon aerospace plant that emitted toxic chemicals into the groundwater beneath Magnolia Elementary School is stepping up efforts to remove pollution, but it could still take years to complete the cleanup.

 

The salary you must earn to buy a home in 27 metros (HSH)

San Diego is the second highest after SF, and higher than NYC.

 

Average Wait For VA San Diego New Patient Care Is 44 Days (KPBS)

More than 57,000 veterans have been waiting 90 days or more for their first VA medical appointments, and an additional 64,000 appear to have fallen through the cracks, never getting appointments after enrolling and requesting them, the Veterans Affairs Department said Monday. The audit showed that the wait time at VA San Diego for new patient primary care on average was 43.8 days. The average wait time for new patient mental health care was 34.5 days. The audit also reported that VA clinics in Escondido and El Centro "were flagged for further review and investigation."

 

The 500 Percent Fee Hike on Developers That Passed With Barely a Peep (Voice of San Diego)

Developers are about to pay a whole lot more in fees to build homes in San Diego’s mid-city area. The City Council approved a plan Tuesday that will increase fees there by nearly 500 percent. It will take up fees in other communities over the next two years. It’s a risky bet that could pay off in more parks – or drive a wedge between the city and developers at the expense of the communities that need them.

 

New water treatment methods begin at Padre Dam (UT San Diego)

East County needs to diversify its water supply, district CEO says.

 

Sweetwater joins suit against contractors (UT San Diego)

More than two years after a citizen lawsuit was filed asking for contractors to return millions of dollars paid by the Sweetwater Union High School District, the district itself has joined the effort, seeking $26 million.

 

Toni Atkins talks budget, fracking and taxes at press club (Sacramento Bee)

Newly elevated Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, discussed balancing fiscal caution and calls for new spending in remarks to the Sacramento Press Club on Wednesday.



La Mesa City Council (La Mesa Today)

City Signals It Has Settled With Workers.

 

La Mesa robbery spree participant sentenced to over 23 years (Scoop San Diego)

One of two men who participated in a robbery spree, including a heist in La Mesa in which a 16-year-old Arizona boy was shot, was sentenced Friday to 23 years and four months in prison.

 

Lobbying fine for labor group (UT San Diego)

San Diego’s Ethics Commission levied a $3,000 fine Thursday against the region’s largest labor group for failure to promptly disclose lobbying efforts last year related to Barrio Logan zoning changes and city ordinances on prevailing wage and living wage.

 

 Nuclear settlement gets mixed reception (UT San Diego)

The public weighed in Monday.

 

Unlicensed contractors caught in sting (UT San Diego)

An undercover sting operation designed to capture unlicensed contractors preying on homeowners whose property was damaged in last month’s Cocos wildfire led to the arrest of 10 men on misdemeanor charges Wednesday.

 

USC might acquire Scripps Research Institute (UT San Diego)

Faculty say they've been told about a potentially historic takeover or merger.

 

Seized asset fund has more problems (U-T)

City failed to include revenue in its unified federal audits

 

STATE

 

NORAD scrambled fighters after Russian bombers seen off California coast (Reuters)

Two Russian long-range bombers were spotted just 50 miles off the California coast earlier this week and air defense officials scrambled a pair of F-22 fighter jets to make visual identification, a NORAD spokeswoman said on Thursday.

 

'Community choice': Transparency key in choosing utility option (UT San Diego)

By Richard Barrera & Aimee Faucett -- A labor official and a utility executive make the case for the bill.  True customer choice involves making sound decisions based on facts.

 

'Community choice': Alternative to private utilities badly needed (UT San Diego)

By Dianne Jacob & Dave Roberts -- two county supervisors warn that the bill is a terrible idea. /California ratepayers are under attack in the Legislature.

 

Unions push legislatures for labor history courses (Sacramento Bee)

Unions and their allies are trying to flex their muscle in state legislatures, pushing for labor history to be included in social studies curriculum and hoping a new generation of high school students will one day be well-educated union members. 

 

California or Corrupt Public Utilities Commission? (San Diego Reader)

CPUC fires lawyer pressing for PG&E pipeline records.

 

California lawmakers reject bill requiring labeling on GMO foods (Reuters)

California lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a bill that would require labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the second time in two years such legislation has failed to take hold in the state.

 

Film tax credit bill unanimously passes California Assembly (Reuters)

A bill to lure filmmakers into California with tax incentives passed unanimously in the state Assembly on Wednesday, bringing the state a step closer to extending and increasing existing tax credits for the entertainment industry.  

 

The Most Blistering Findings from the Big Teacher Tenure Ruling (Voice of SD)

For years, we have watched and curated a debate about teacher quality and the protections that make it difficult to dismiss ineffective educators.  The debate got the most comprehensive hearing possible in the landmark Vergara v. California case that challenged teacher tenure and seniority protections locked into California law....

 


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