By Miriam Raftery

May 28, 2015 (Lemon Grove) – If you’re looking for a wedding cake that’s personalized, beautiful and delicious,  you’ll find your heart’s desire at Grove Pastry Shop in Lemon Grove. When San Diego Style Wedding magazine held a competition for wedding cake bakers last year, Grove Pastry Shop won six of eight categories (and didn’t enter the other two). 

In business since 1947, the bakery has evolved with the times, now offering an array of options ranging from specialty cake flavorings from mango to margaritas, as well as decorating options from tiered chandeliers to tattoos.  One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the bakery’s commitment to quality –with all cakes hand-crafted and baked the old-fashioned way, with the finest ingredients using many personal recipes from owner Teresa Johnson.

East County News Service

May 26, 2015 (San Diego) – The House of Representatives will soon be voting on a controversial proposal to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, after the Senate approved the fast-tracking.  On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., activist groups led by the Sierra Club and SD County Democrats for Environmental Action plan a rally at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where they will call on Peters to oppose the fast-track deal.

May 25, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

NATIONAL

• Wealth of Congress Jumps $150 Million (Roll Call)
• Hackers Stole Data From More Than 100,000 Taxpayers, IRS Says (PBS)
• Senate Blocks Patriot Act Extension (AP)
• Storms kill 17 in Texas, Oklahoma; Houston flooded (Reuters)
• Pentagon plans long-range missile defense radar in Alaska (Reuters)
• Cleveland, U.S. Justice Department announce settlement over policing (Reuters)
• Obama administration loses bid to move forward on immigration action (CS Monitor)
• Could U.S. Supreme Court case shrink California's congressional clout? (LA Times)

INTERNATIONAL

• Report: Saudi Arabia in talks to purchase Pakistani nuclear weapons (JPost)
• Businesses quietly switch to dollar in socialist Venezuela  (AP)
• Tornado kills 10 in Mexican border city of Ciudad Acuna (AP)
• Mexico gunfight kills 43 as government hits gang hard (Reuters)
• Moscow issues travel warning over U.S. 'hunt' for Russians (Reuters)
• U.S., allies conduct 20 air strikes against Islamic State militants: military (Reuters)
• U.S., allies conduct 35 air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, Iraq (Reuters)
• Ireland backs gay marriage in historic vote (CS Monitor)
• Could cocaine-eating caterpillars replace herbicides in Colombia?  (CS Monitor)
• Heat wave responsible for more than 500 deaths, say Indian officials (CS Monitor)

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

May 26, 2015 (Santee) – West Hills High School in Santee was placed in lockdown today after staff received a call at 9:15 a.m. claiming that several bombs had been placed around the campus.

Sheriff’s deputies swiftly responded and found suspicious items, prompting a call to the Bomb Arson unit and a lockdown order for the campus.  Additional agencies were summoned including the Santee Fire Dept., San Diego Fire Bomb Squad, federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cal Fire, El Cajon Police and numerous Sheriff’s detectives.

East County News Service

May 26, 2015 (Sacramento) – The California Assembly has passed a controversial measure, Assembly Bill 775, that would require crisis pregnancy centers to disclose if they have no licensed medical provider on staff and to provide women with a list of options including public programs offering free or low-cost prenatal care for those wishing to carry pregnancies to term and abortions for those who don’t.

The bill comes in response to a year-long undercover investigation of the centers by the National Abortion Rights League, which claims the centers are mostly set up by anti-choice groups and that women are given misleading information. 

But opponents call the measure a “bully bill” that they contend threatens the existence of abortion-alternative clinics and violates constiutionallly protected religious freedoms.

East County News Service

Creative commons photo by Terry Gross

May 26, 2015 (San Diego) – More than a dozen young great white sharks have been spotted recently off the Southern California coast, mostly off Huntington Beach.  But this week, a six-foot-shark that lifeguards indicate could be a great white was seen off the shore in Oceanside.

By Miriam Raftery

May 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Stands of coastal redwoods have occupied California for millions of years. But now these towering giants are under threat following four years of drought and now, state mandates for cities to cut water.

By Miriam Raftery

May 26, 2015 (San Diego)—A new documentary called ‘The Hunting Ground’ is shining a light on the increasing rate of campus rapes nationwide—and the failure of campuses to take action, particularly when the accused perpetrator is a college sports star.

May 26, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The annual pancake breakfast is stacked up to be a fun time for the whole family, Sunday June 7 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the La Mesa Fire Station #11 in the city's civic campus (8034 Allison Ave, La Mesa).

May 25, 2015 (Julian) - Julian’s Sons of the American Legion invite you to the annual Julian Dance and Back Country Barbecue on Saturday, June 13^th from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.  The event will be held at Menghini Winery (1150 Julian Orchard Drive) and will feature three live bands: Shotgun Wedding, Freight Shakers, and Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash.

Rooftop Solar vs SDG&E’s Proposal to Build A 500 MW Gas Fired Plant 

Originally Published on the ECOreport

By Roy L Hales

May 25, 2015 (Carlsbad) - The battle for Carlsbad’s power is not over.  San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposal to replace the now retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is not popular in San Diego County. The City of Carlsbad tried to stop the developer, NRG Energy, from obtaining a license.

East County News Service

May 25, 2015 (Borrego Springs)--An emergency order issued by Governor Jerry Brown is having a harsher impact on some communities than others, since the slash-water-use requirements make no distinction between northern forested communities and places like Borrego Springs, which is located in the Anza-Borrego desert.

May 24, 2015 (Mt. Helix) – Can you say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?”  Christian Community Theatre San Diego celebrates its 35th anniversary at the beautiful Mt. Helix Park amphitheater with this summer's production of Mary Poppins.

Children and Families in Santee, Linda Vista, Tierrasanta and More Will Benefit

May 22, 2015(San Diego) – United Way of San Diego County is granting nearly $2 million to four community partnerships that are working collectively to help the youngest San Diegans and their families.