February 9, 2015 (Alpine) - For more than a year, community members in Alpine have pulled together to support the family of Kylie Rowand, a toddler battling neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer. Pink ribbons painted the town pick, as we reported. Alpine residents held fundraisers to help pay the family's medical bills.

February 9, 2015 (El Cajon)—The Stagecoach Theatre at Grossmont College will present Romeo and Juliet, arguably the greatest love story in English literature, in eight performances in March.  This production has a twist—set against the turbulent backdrop of Prohibition Era Chicago, blending a mafia family drama with the timelessness of forbidden love.

February 9, 2015 (San Diego’s Esat County)--On Friday, March 6, 2015 the cities of La Mesa and Santee will hold one of their most grand traditions, the Miss La Mesa and Miss Santee Pageants.  Pageant organizers are currently seeking outgoing residents ages 13-26 to participate in a program that has been a tradition in the cities since the late 1960’s and is an outstanding mentoring program for young women.  The pageants are sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and focus on community service, networking, public speaking and interview skills.  There is no swimsuit competition!

County News Service

February 9, 2015 (Mount Laguna)--The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has issued a Boil Water Order and Public Notification for the Mount Laguna water system located on Sunrise Highway, Mt. Laguna, CA 91948 effective immediately.

Update February 10, 2015:  NBC has suspended Williams without pay for six months.

By Miriam Raftery

February 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Journalists know that in  the news business, credibility is everything.  Former CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America.

But now Brian Williams, news anchor at NBC TV, has come under fire after apologizing for claiming he was in a helicopter struck by enemy fire in Iraq when others at the scene disputed the story. His recollections of occurrences during his coverage of Hurricane Katrina have also been cast into doubt.  Williams has announced he will take a few days off as the firestorm grows, fueled by ridicule on social media. 

The Twitter hashtag  #BrianWilliamsmisremembers  is abuzz with Photoshopped images of Williams boasting of roles in various historical events, to the amusement of the Twittersphere and doubtless the chagrin of NBC. Below are a few of the more creative examples:

Photo credit: iStock courtesy UC news service

By Miriam Raftery

February 8, 2015 (San Diego)--The University of California  has announced that it will require incoming students to be  vaccinated for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, meningococcus, tetanus and whooping cough.  Students must show proof of these vaccinations and also be screened for tuberculosis, starting in 2017. However individual campuses can choose to begin implementation earlier, a press release issued by the UC system states.

February 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Here are some of the most important items on the agenda at councils, boards and commissions representing East County this week.

East County News Service

February 7, 2015 (La Mesa)--Chartered in February 1940, the Kiwanis Club of La Mesa celebrates its 75^th Anniversary with a special, invitation only event at the La Mesa Community Center on Thursday, February 19, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.  An opportunity drawing will be held.  Complimentary hors d’oeuvers will be served, and there will be a no-host bar. Although the event is by invitation only, persons interested in attending may contact the event chair, Glenna Bloemen, at 619-743-5192 to receive an invitation.

February 7, 2015 (El Cajon)--The City of El Cajon Teen Coalition presents a “Youth of the Year” Award, recognizing those who go above and beyond in serving their community through their leadership abilities and/or community service in El Cajon.  These are the young individuals that have made a big difference in this community.

An interview with Wayne William Smoke-Snellgrove

by KB Schaller

Reprinted with permission of Indian Life Newspaper

"The hardest thing I ever did in my whole life was to grow up."

--Wayne William Smoke-Snellgrove

February 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - The tone of my friend, Beaded Wing's, email was excited: "You really need to talk to this brother and write his story. I've already told him you'll be contacting him."

"Brother" or otherwise, I wondered what he could share that I had not heard before. But, when Wayne William Snellgrove  mentioned the term "60's Baby Scoop" during our first telephone conversation, I knew that his story would be as riveting as any tale of fiction in its unearthing of an era largely cloaked in secrecy.

Hear our interviews with representatives of San Diego County’s “Farm to School” program aired on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

February 7, 2015 (San Diego) – The second annual State of Farm to School in San Diego County Report reveals growth in farm to school programs bringing healthy produce to area school children – also generating returns for our region’s health and economy. See our earlier article on the program’s success here.   Recently we held a radio show on the County's Farm to School task force. We interviewed JuliAnna Arnett Director of Operations & Food Systems for the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, Community Health Improvement Partners, along with Eric Larson, Executive Director at the San Diego County Farm Bureau,Johnna Jenkins, Director of Child Nutrition at Valley Center-Pauma school district, and Jill Wittenberg, Child Nutrition Director, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District.

They shared success stories on how this innovative program is helping farmers and students reap healthy rewards.  More participants are sought to meet rising demand for fresh produce in our public schools.

Photo: Ceonothus (wild lilac) on Middle Peak in Cuyamaca

February 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - Cleveland National Forest is slated to continue prescribed burning from now through June of 2015, depending upon weather and fuel conditions. But at least one environmental organization has raised questions about impacts of the burns.

East County News Service

February 6, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Eugene Niggel has been charged with first degree murder and domestic violence resulting in the death of Linda Sue Irwin.  Irwin was admitted to Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa on November 19, 2014 with blunt force trauma. She was transferred to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, where she later died of her injuries.