By Jonathan Goetz

January 17, 2018 (Lemon Grove) – On Tuesday, Lemon Grove City Attorney Jim Lough presented to Council Ordinance changes for the Municipal Code that the Council chose to table.  Council wanted more time to review it and compare differences between the new verbiage and the old verbiage.  Lough is expected to bring it back for a vote Tuesday, February 20.

By Miriam Raftery

January 17, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – Leaders of sanctuary cities and states could be arrested and charged with crimes, Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security told Senators in a committee meeting Tuesday.

East County News Service

January 17, 2018 (San Diego) -- The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for Friday through Saturday, when waves as high as 12 feet and dangerous rip currents are forecast. This high surf will be very dangerous, especially for inexperienced swimmers.

East County News Service

January 17, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes the award-winning Danny Green Trio at Mission Trails Golf, the Mousetrap at Lamplighters Theatre, in La Mesa, Hawk Watch in Ramona, Santee’s 50-kilometer race and Active Lifestyle Expo, author Diana Lindsay at local libraries, guitarist Jim Earp at San Pasqual Winery, and coffee with La Mesa Conversations.

Plus, we’ll have coming attractions including Mean Mary in concert in Santee, a Laurel and Hardy film night in Spring Valley, a local author expo in El Cajon, the Oak Ridge Boys live at Sycuan, a violin and cello concert at Mission Trails, San Diego Chamber Music Society musicians at the La Mesa Library, Seussical the Musical in Spring Valley, Stage 4 Jazz at San Pasqual Winery’s La Mesa tasting room, live music at the Riviera Supper Club, a Star Party at Mission Trails, and the Martin Luther King Jr. choir’s ensemble performing in Lemon Grove.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

January 17, 2018 (San Diego) - Gas and electric companies in California must lower utility bills so that ratepayers, not shareholders, will receive windfall savings from the federal tax reform bill recently signed into law. 

The 85,000 square-foot facility houses collaborative spaces for future engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs and is designed to foster new technologies and scientific discoveries.  

Source:  SDSU News Center

January 16, 2018 (San Diego) — San Diego State University is kicking off a new era of scientific and engineering collaboration with the new Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences (EIS) Complex, which formally opened its doors to the community today. 

"As we dedicate this new Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex, we celebrate the insights and innovations it will inspire," said SDSU President Sally Roush. "We celebrate a new chapter in university history and what this complex will add to our 120-year tradition of academic excellence and public service." 

By Miriam Raftery

January 16, 2018 (El Cajon) – The arrests of a dozen activists at Wells Park in El  Cajon for defying the city’s ban on feeding homeless people on public property over Martin Luther King Jr.'s  birthday weekend has made news around the world.  Headline stories have been reported in the BBC in England and Canada, Britain’s the Guardian newspaper,  MSN,  Huffington Post, and other national and international media.

A national petition on the Care2 site calling on El Cajon to end the ban has been signed by 37,000 people.

Yesterday the city has issued a statement standing behind its actions as appropriate to prevent spread of Hepatitis A during a countywide health emergency. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)has also issued a statement condemning the arrests as “unconstitutional and “cruel.” Activists arrested and their attorneys also held a press conference denouncing the ban and threatening legal action.

East County News Service

January 15, 2018 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend its first breakfast meeting of the new year on Wednesday, February 21 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Marie Callender’s, 6950 Alvarado Road San Diego. The speaker for this first breakfast in 2018 is Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

By Miriam Raftery

January 15, 2018 (San Diego) — A new storm will move into San Diego later this week, though precipitation is expected to be lighter than last week’s heavy downpour, but with hazards in coastal areas and some snow in the mountains locally.

East County News Service

January 15, 2018 (El Cajon) – The entertainment line-up at Sycuan’s Live & Up Close Theatre this season is widely varied, including Tejano musicians Flaco and Friends in April and Artrageous, an interactive art and music experience in July. 

By Miriam Raftery

January 15, 2018 (San Diego) – They seem to spring up faster than weeds after the winter rains.  Marijuana dispensaries, still illegal on unincorporated lands in San Diego County despite the state’s recent legalization of recreational use, continue to pop up and routinely be shut down by the Sheriff’s department.

By Paul Kruze and Miriam Raftery

Photo: Screenshot from video on James Elia’s Facebook page

January 14, 2018 (El Cajon)—Defying a city of El Cajon ban on feeding homeless people in public places,  a dozen individuals including a 14-year-old minor were arrested and given misdemeanor citations by El Cajon Police today, then released.

The feeding was one of many held around the country this weekend to carry on the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who in a 1964 lecture to Nobel laureates voiced concerns about those who “have no houses or beds to sleep in.“ Rev. King added, “If we feel this as a profound moral fact, we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health, when we have the means to help them.”

El Cajon’s City Council voted to adopt a temporary ban on feeding the homeless in public places during the countywide hepatitis emergency declaration, since there have been many cases among the homeless in the outbreak, which county health officials believe originated in El Cajon.

Source: San Diego Gulls

Photo via sandiegogulls.com

January 13, 2018 (San Diego) - San Diego fell 4-2 to the Tucson Roadrunners tonight at Valley View Casino Center to end a four-game win streak. Dylan Strome scored two goals and added an assist (2-1-3) for Tucson while Adin Hill stopped 31-of-33 shots in the victory. Despite the loss, San Diego has wins in four of their last five games (4-1-0-0), and has won 10 of their last 13 contests (10-3-0-0) and 12 of their last 16 (12-4-0-0). 

Aztecs outscored 50-27 in second half

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Geena Gomez led the Aztecs with 14 points vs. Boise State on Saturday.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

January 13, 2018 (San Diego) - The San Diego State women’s basketball team was unable to build on a seven-point halftime lead against visiting Boise State on Saturday, dropping an 86-70 decision in a Mountain West game at Steve Fisher Court.

By Miriam Raftery

January 13, 2018 (El Cajon) – On Thursday, one day after revelations that a Grand Jury has been convened and issued a subpoena in a federal criminal investigation into Congressman Duncan Hunter’s alleged use of campaign finances for personal use, the progressive group Indivisible called on Hunter to resign.