EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

February 18, 2015 (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

• GOP backs Anderson over Jacob in supervisor race (UT San Diego)
• County to pay $1.1M for invasive exams (UT San Diego)
• Grossmont school district to appeal injunction (UT San Diego)
• SDG&E Gets $5M Grant To Expand Borrego Springs Microgrid (KPBS)
• Huge Funding Disparity Lingers for San Diego’s Homeless (Voice of San Diego)
• More Than 2,000 Trees Planted Along River In Santee (KPBS)
• Flu Season Death Toll Rises To 43 In San Diego County (KPBS)
• Nuke group: Unhand emails, Edison (UT San Diego)

STATE

• California Committee Explores Road Usage Charge In Place Of Gas Tax (KPBS)
• Lawmakers press for tighter leash on CPUC (SF Gate)
• San Francisco commuters possibly exposed to measles on train (Reuters)
• Broke California cities can slice pensions (U-T)
• California leaders announce investigation into missing bond funds (Reuters)
• UCSA calls for divestment from bodies involved in alleged human rights violations (Daily Bruin)
• Solar jobs surge in California (U-T)
• Senator blasts Cal over Peevey party (UT San Diego)

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

LOCAL

GOP backs Anderson over Jacob in supervisor race (UT San Diego)

Party again takes sides in a Republican election battle

County to pay $1.1M for invasive exams (UT San Diego)

Family claimed probing of their children was unconstitutional.

Grossmont school district to appeal injunction (U-T)

 Grossmont district Governing Board members voted 3-2 Feb. 12 to appeal Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman’s Jan. 22 ruling that says the district must set aside $14 million in bond money immediately and another $28 million by January 2016.

SDG&E Gets $5M Grant To Expand Borrego Springs Microgrid (KPBS)

The state grant will help the utility company provide electricity to all 2,800 customers in Borrego Springs.

Huge Funding Disparity Lingers for San Diego’s Homeless I(Voice of San Diego)

San Diego’s homeless population was fifth largest among major American cities last year, but its federal funding from a key source was dramatically less than cities with a fraction of the homeless population.

More Than 2,000 Trees Planted Along River In Santee (KPBS)

Employees from a San Diego biotech company hope to offset paper consumption by planting the trees.

Flu Season Death Toll Rises To 43 In San Diego County (KPBS)

Another 14 people in the San Diego region died of influenza-related causes last week.

Nuke group: Unhand emails, Edison (UT San Diego)

Demand comes in response to revelation of long-secret Warsaw meeting.

STATE

California Committee Explores Road Usage Charge In Place Of Gas Tax (KPBS)

 The state has mandated cars have high-fuel efficiencies, and encouraged drivers to buy hybrid and electric vehicles, all in an effort to reduce gas consumption. And it's been working - so well, that we now have to find a new way to finance road maintenance

Lawmakers press for tighter leash on CPUC (SF Gate)

 Two Bay Area state senators are proposing bills for greater oversight and transparency at the California Public Utilities Commission in the wake of revelations that executives at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. colluded with top officials at the regulatory agency for favorable rulings.

San Francisco commuters possibly exposed to measles on train (Reuters)

Tens of thousands of commuters on San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system may have been exposed to measles after an infectious Bay Area resident rode a train to and from work for three days last week, public health officials said on Wednesday.

Broke California cities can slice pensions (U-T)

 The federal judge was clear: When California cities go bankrupt, pensions can be cut.

California leaders announce investigation into missing bond funds (Reuters)

California officials and lawmakers said on Thursday they will hold legislative hearings following allegations of embezzlement of $1.3 million in bond funds held by a Bay Area government financing entity.

UCSA calls for divestment from bodies involved in alleged human rights violations (Daily Bruin)

 The University of California Student Association passed two resolutions Sunday calling for the University to divest from American companies that some say profit from alleged human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as several governments including the U.S. that some say commit human rights violations.

Solar jobs surge in California ((UT San Diego)

California is No. 1 in solar jobs, and has more solar workers thanfirefighters, dental assistants or even actors. / An annual job survey, released Thursday by the Solar Foundation research group, counted 54,690 solar employees in California as of October. That’s a 15.8 percent increase from 2013 and represents nearly one-third of the solar jobs in the nation.

Senator blasts Cal over Peevey party (UT San Diego)

The school is the beneficiary of party for outgoing utilities chief