EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

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July 7, 2023  (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

STATE

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

 

LOCAL

SDG&E is no longer buying power for more than 1 million electricity customers  (KPBS)

San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) marked a significant milestone this summer as the company moves away from being the region’s primary power buyer. More than 80% of SDG&E’s customers now buy electricity from either San Diego Community Power or North County’s Clean Energy Alliance. Both were formed in 2019. That number should jump to 90% next year when Oceanside and Vista make the transition.

​Man Arrested After Setting Fire In Santee Riverbed: Sheriff (Patch)

The fire burned a patch of brush about 20 yards long, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Ex-Youth Theater Worker To Stand Trial In Child Sex Abuse Case (Patch)

A former employee of the El-Cajon based Christian Youth Theater is accused of engaging in sex acts with a 13-year-old girl in early 2007.

Pallets of Red Bull and drained EBT accounts: Romanian crime groups plunder public benefits in San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Romanian crime rings have a long history of stealing credit and debit card information. Now they’re targeting those receiving food stamps and unemployment in San Diego.

San Diego’s new Border Patrol chief is first woman to lead local sector (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Patricia McGurk-Daniel, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, has taken over as chief patrol agent in charge of the San Diego sector, the Border Patrol announced Thursday. McGurk-Daniel, who most recently served as chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector in Arizona, is the first woman to lead the local sector.

Sea lion, possibly affected by toxic algae bloom, bites teenager twice in Del Mar (NBC San Diego)

SeaWorld experts blame harmful algal bloom in the Pacific Ocean.

Great white sharks now a tourist attraction off a San Diego beach (USA Today)

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and State Beach is known for its sweeping views of the Pacific. Migrating whales are sometimes spotted in the distance. But these days great white sharks are the premier attraction for some hikers at the reserve near San Diego. Dozens of juvenile white sharks have spent the summer and early fall off Torrey Pines and Del Mar, just to the north.

Mayor Bill Wells responds to threat from San Diego Housing Comission Vice Chair (KUSI)

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells was witness to a message from Ryan Clumpner, the Vice Chair of the San Diego Housing Commission, containing threats to derail Mayor Wells’ political career and prevent his future election if he continues to speak out against the housing voucher program in El Cajon and San Diego County. Mayor Wells has continually spoken out against Housing First in the state of California and its impact on San Diego.

Affordable housing causes parking shortage in National City (CBS 8)

Neighbors living across from a new affordable housing complex in National City are frustrated with the parking issue.

Judge says San Diego’s encroachment law doesn’t violate rights of homeless people(San Diego Union-Tribune)

The pre-trial ruling in a woman’s case was issued days before San Diego enacted a new law cracking down further on encampments.

Skateboarder 'flash mob' loots, rampages through downtown stores  (10 News)

New videos show the path of chaos carved out by a skateboarding ‘flash mob,’ believed to be the same group involved in a melee at Balboa Park earlier this week.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Crash That Killed East County Motorcyclist (Patch)

Sarah Meland, 51, was charged in the Feb. 13 crash that killed 67-year-old El Cajon resident Dane Terry.

Was death in women’s jail a crime? Case against doctor, nurse begins(San Diego Union-Tribune)

By every account Elisa Serna died a horrible death, slumped alone on the floor of a Las Colinas women’s jail cell for an hour while San Diego County sheriff’s deputies and jail medical staff went about their business. Now, nearly four years after Serna died in San Diego County custody, a nurse and doctor assigned to the jail will be fighting criminal charges in an El Cajon courtroom.

Local women in politics face more threats over social media than men (KPBS)

[Researchers at USD] reviewed the Twitter accounts of elected officials in the county — mayors, council members, supervisors and school board members — dating back to 2018. Out of a cache of half a million, they extracted around 13,000 aggressive tweets…. researchers found women are three times more likely than their male counterparts to be threatened over social media. “Women tended to receive threats or harassment that were much more personalized in nature, sexualized in nature that involved family members…”

Tijuana, reliant on the Colorado River, faces a water crisis (AP)

Among the last cities downstream to receive water from the shrinking Colorado River, Tijuana is staring down a water crisis driven also by aging, inefficient infrastructure and successive governments that have done little to prepare the city for diminishing water in the region.  More than 90% of Tijuana’s water comes from the Colorado River….

STATE

Goats can help prevent wildfires, but a law could end some businesses (Scripps News)

Goats have been eating overgrowth that could lead to more devastating wildfires, but a change in pay could put the practice out of business.

Hollywood directors approve new contract with studios (Los Angeles Times)

The contract includes a 13% boost in wages over three years and a new payment linked to foreign subscribers of the largest streaming platforms. It also calls for restrictions on the use of AI and new safety measures on film sets.

Rare video shows pod of 30 killer whales playing, socializing off California coast (CBS 8)

The killer party was seen off Monterey Bay leaving tourists and experts blown away. The video…shows a pod of 30 killer whales – made up of whales from 11 different families.

Avian Flu infects flock of endangered California Condors(10 News)

The strain of avian flu that has killed millions of birds across the country is now beginning to devastate one of the flocks of endangered California Condors. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service tells ABC 10News that 21 of the roughly 100 birds that make up the Arizona flock have died from the virus. That's approximately 6% of the total wild California Condor population.

 Decision whether Chula Vista police must release drone video could get second hearing (KPBS)

The 4th District Court of Appeal is expected to soon decide whether to hear a case about a local journalist’s fight to review the Chula Vista Police Department’s drone footage.  If the appeals court takes up the matter, its ruling could affect police departments across California. The issue of whether law enforcement should be required to publicly release video from its drone flights echoes past legal fights over automated license plate readers  and body cam footage and the need to independently substantiate how police are using rapidly advancing surveillance technology.

 

 



 

 


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