Updated to include remarks from Kim Hamilton.

By Miriam Raftery

October 27, 2017 (Jamul) --The Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego has been granted a permanent license to serve alcohol by the state department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Administrative Law Judge Adam Berg.  The ruling came over the objections of Supervisor Dianne Jacob, the Sheriff, the Jamul-Dulzura School District, and numerous residents in rural Jamul. 

The decision makes permanent a temporary alcohol license granted when the casino opened approximately a year ago, but also mandates that the tribe continue its previously voluntary restriction to limit alcohol sales to the hours of 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m..  View the decision.

Smoke from fires in Mexico drifting into San Diego County

October 26, 2017 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego’s Air Pollution Control District (APCD) issued a smoke advisory Thursday, suggesting people should limit their outdoor activities if they smell smoke from the fires burning in Mexico. Portions of North County were also impacted by a brush fire in Riverside County.

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2017 (San Diego) -- East County Magazine picked up four more awards at the San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Awards dinner held on Tuesday night, bringing our total to 105 journalism awards over the past nine years.

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2017 (Santee) – The Santee City Council will hear proposals from two companies vying to build the city’s first multiplex movie theatre at today’s 7 p.m. meeting. In addition, the agenda includes  a hearing on adopting a mobility element that could include expansion of Mast Boulevard to Santee, as well as bike lanes and other items.

Source:  Caltrans

October 24, 2017 (San Diego) -- Caltrans has 15 fix-it-first projects in San Diego and Imperial counties that will benefit from the passage of the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act.  Almost half of those projects will began much sooner than expected due to the passage of SB 1, the state’s transportation agency announced today.  The list includes one East County project, fixing a dangerous curve on State Route 94 in Dulzura.  Another will impact commuters from East County, including a paving improvement project on a section of State Route 52.

East County News Service

October 23, 2017 (San Diego) - Open enrollment to get coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2018 begins on November 1st and ends December 15^th.  Many Americans aren’t getting this important information, since the Trump administration has taken the following steps to sabotage getting word out and discouraging people from signing up.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Smoke from crash visible on UCSD’s HP Wren camera

October 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The small plane that crashed late Saturday afternoon east of the El Capitan Reservoir, sparking a 20-acre brush fire during a red flag warning for high fire danger, was an Extra EA-300/L plane registered to KD Leasing in Henderson, Nevada, National Transportation Safety Administration (NTSA) records indicate. 

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alert Service

October 22, 2017 (San Diego) - The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a red flag warning for high fire danger as well as an excessive heat warning. Temperatures on Monday and Tuesday could top 100 degrees in our inland region and may stay above 70 degrees even at night. 

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alert Service

Photo by Don Lumb, taken minutes after the fire was reported.

Update Octoer 22, 2017 7:45 a.m.:  The Church Fire in Campo is now 75% contained, and Cal Fire has revised size downward to 100 acres.

Photo by Miriam Raftery: 2007 Harris Fire in Rancho San Diego

Video by José Eli Villanueva:  https://youtu.be/kgnVYh3lQrM

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications

October 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- As firefighters struggle to get deadly wildfires under control in Northern California, San Diego County and City officials marked the 10^th anniversary of the 2007 Wildfires and called upon residents to do their part to prepare for another emergency.

Federal judge rules action violates Constitutional rights of detained immigrants

By Miriam Raftery

October 19, 2017 (San Diego) – A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration has violated the rights of a 17-year-old undocumented immigrant detained in Texas by refusing to allow her to have an abortion.  The Trump administration has appealed.  “Failure to comply with this order may result in a finding of contempt,” wrote D.C. Circuit Judge Tanya Chutkan.

Source: Helix Water District

October 19, 2017 (Lakeside) -- Lake Jennings – the lake, not the campground -- will be closed to all activities, including fishing and boating, from October 30 to November 16 so Helix Water District can study the lake’s hydraulics.

Update October 19, 2017:  The man killed while standing beside his disabled vehicle has been identified as Cesar Duenas, 55. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 18, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A Lexus driver struck and killed a disabled motorist who was on the shoulder of State Route 94 at the Lemon Grove off ramp at 5:50 p.m. yesterday.   A tow truck driver, 39, from Santee who was assisting the disabled motorist also was struck and sustained minor injuries.

By Jonathan Goetz

October 17, 2017 (El Cajon) - Hawaii’s request to temporarily block President Donald Trump’s third version of a travel ban was granted by a federal judge a day before it was set to go into effect.

By Miriam Raftery, photos by Richard Edwords

October 17, 2017 (San Diego) – A contracted firefighter from Missouri has died in Napa Valley after the water truck he was driving overturned.  Fatigue may have been a factor, according to Cal Fire. 

Richard Edwords, a contracted water truck driver from Alpine on the scene in Napa, has been sending photos documenting his experience in the fires to East County Magazine, including poignant notes of thanks, such as this one (right):