East County News Service

September 13, 2016 (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

• San Diego backcountry wildfire risk lessening, insurance group concludes (Los Angeles Times)
• Cancer Surgery Volumes at San Diego Hospitals May Warn of Complications (KPBS)
• 10,000th Syrian refugee will settle in El Cajon  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Affordability Report Ranks San Diego County Near the Bottom (KPBS)
• Mexican billionaire found guilty of buying political influence in San Diego (10 News)
• Judge sides with Monsanto in lawsuit  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Report probes Saudi links of San Diego's 9/11 hijackers (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Faux city for Alzheimer’s patients takes shape (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Yosemite National Park unveils 400-acre expansion (BBC)
• Sanchez calls on feds to takeover CPUC probe (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Southern Calif. Gas Co. agrees to $4 million settlement over massive gas leak (CBS)
• This Mojave Desert solar plant kills 6,000 birds a year (Los Angeles Times)

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

September 2, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Our latest newsletter just came out --with all the hottest news and events impacting you in East County all in one single-page newsletter.  You can view the latest edition here.   

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August 17, 2016 (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

• Sea level rise would redraw the map (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Dumanis, Filner subpoenaed in Azano trial (10 News)
• 2 Ramona medical pot shops can proceed (Ramona Sentinel)
• Water authority’s electricity plan kicks off power struggle with SDG&E (Voice of San Diego)
• Auditor finds insider hiring at San Diego utilities department (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• News In Numbers: Data Shows Proposed San Diego Election Change Would Help Democrats(KPBS)

STATE

• Scathing audit bolsters critics’ fears about secretive state gang database (Voice of San  Diego)
• California Bill Would Make It a Felony for Prosecutors to Withhold Evidence(Reason)
• Mass migration missing from Salton Sea (Borrego Sun)
• California’s largest utility found guilty of obstructing investigators after a deadly explosion (Business Insider)
• California Freeways Will Soon Generate Electricity (L.A. Weekly)
• California university chancellor resigns after ethics probe (Reuters)
• California’s Six Figure Pension Club Has More Than 20,000 Members (Reason)

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

August 3, 2016 (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

• Heartbroken family hopes baby’s death from whooping cough raises awareness (Good Morning America)
• Tule Wind project takes another step (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Sterling decides to leave council then changes mind (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Voters to decide Lilac Hills project (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Numbers show increase in assaults on San Diego Police officers in recent years (10 News)
• Cuyamaca College to launch fall program in Kumeyaay studies (Times of San Diego)
• Santee coach who had sex with student, 15, gets 1 year  in jail (Patch)
• Representative of CPUC addressed Alpine regarding EMF (Alpine Sun)

STATE

• State officials want these California reservoir owners to warn people not to eat the fish (Los Angeles Times)
• Big Sur fire spreads into Los Padres National Forest(San Jose Mercury News)
• Nuts, by the truckload,make appetizing targets for thieves (CNN)

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

By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2016 (Lake Morena) – An online petition has been launched asking the City of San Diego to stop draining Lake Morena and Barrett Lake. Rural residents seek help from San Diego residents and all who are concerned about wildlife or the prospect of a devastating firestorm to sign the petition.

The petition, posted by Campo resident Karen Noblitt-McIntyre, accuses San Diego officials of ignoring public safety, noting that two residents died during the recent Border Fire. Firefighting aircraft were diverted to water sources farther away due to lack of water in these lakes, witnesses stated in recent public meetings.

The petition states that the city has put wildlife and rural communities at risk, also failing to live up to its promise to repair the dam at Lake Morena. The city drained Lake Morena to less than 3% of capacity and Barrett Lake to below 6% of capacity, public records indicate.  Although San Diego claimed it needed drinking water during the drought, the city did not ask its residents to conserve water before draining East County’s lakes.  The water was pumped to Otay reservoir, which overfilled when rain fell, so the city dumped the precious water supply into the ocean.

By Miriam Raftery, East County News Service

July 10, 2016 (El Cajon)—In January 2015, Pope Francis issued a ruling to protect Father Noel Gorgis, a popular, zealous priest at St. Peter’s Chaldean Cathedral in El Cajon, as ECM reported. The Pope invalidated a decree issued by Patriarch Mar Louis Raphael Sako, which would have required Father Noel and several other U.S. priests to return to Iraq, where the Islamic State has been slaughtering Christian religious leaders. The Pope’s action was applauded by local Chaldean leaders. Father Noel has been a leading voice locally and nationally, on behalf of Chaldean-Americans and Chaldean immigrants.

But now the new interim Bishop for the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic diocese of San Diego, Shlemun Warduni, has issued an order for Father Noel to leave St. Peter’s effective Friday, July 15, 2016, multiple church sources have confirmed.  Bishop Warduni is a temporary replacement for Bishop Sarhad Jammo, who recently retired and had been a defender of Father Noel, as ECM reported.

5 homes lost

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Facebook post by Kerra Elizabeth McAhren

June 23, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – This morning, the Border Fire is now 20% contained and has scorched 6,8450 acres as over 1,900 firefighters battle the blaze.  Five homes (of which 3 were secondary homes on the same property) and eleven outbuildings were destroyed, while one other home was damaged, Cal Fire confirms. Residents on the Campo-Lake Morena Neighborhood Watch page on Facebook have been posting eyewitness accounts, photos and videos as well as thank you messages for firefighters at https://www.facebook.com/groups/345408365593244/.

There will be a community meeting at the Los Coches Creek Middle School located at 9669 Dunbar Ln., El Cajon, CA at 7:00 pm today hosted by the Cal Fire IncidentManagement Team with an update on the Border Fire.  Representatives from agencies managing and supporting the incident as well as local dignitaries will provide a briefing and answer questions.  Public inquiries regarding the Community Meeting or Fire Information, please call 2-1-1.

“The fire still remains a threat to the communities of Lake Morena Village, Campo as well as the outlying recreational assets as the fire continues to move north and northeast. This is still a dynamic and active fire, residents in the surrounding area of the fire should continue to be prepared to evacuate if need be,” Cal Fire’s latest update reads.

June 15, 2016 (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

• Broken from baseball: the rise in youth baseball injuries (10 News investigation)
• Ninth circuit approves Tule Wind farm approval (Courthouse News)
• Former desert rail line prez penalized (Reader)
• San Diego County deputy D.A. accused of texting naked selfies, sexting  on county time (10 News)
• Strike vote to be taken by supermarket workers in San Diego(Reporting San Diego)
• Chinese migrants flocking to San Diego, stats show (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Desalination test facility in the works (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Judge in Stanford rapist case must go, California lawmakers urge (SacBee)
• Man with weapons and explosives arrested, was going to L.A. gay pride parade, police say (L.A. Times)
• California water savings increased despite eased mandates (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• California panels approve raft of gun control bills in wake of Orlando shootings (San Jose Mercury News)
• California Budget To Eliminate Contentious Welfare Policy  (KPBS)

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

East County News Service

Photo: Memorial in Hillcrest, posted on Twitter by Shawn Van Diver

June 12, 2016 (San Diego) -- The worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history is being investigated as both a terror attack and a hate crime.  Omar Mateen, 29, a U.S. citizen born to Afghan immigrants, killed 50 people and injured 53 during a gay pride celebration at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida early this morning. 

The gunman called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS, the Islamic state before the massacre, the FBI has indicated.

The massacre has prompted outpourings of sympathy across the nation and here in San Diego.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: Mara Elliott, City Attorney candidate

June 9,2016 (San Diego) --San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer, a Republican,  won re-election handily Tuesday with 58% of the vote, avoiding a run-off with independent Lori Saldana, a former Assembly member who received 22%, and Democrat Ed Harris with 19%.

Republican Council members Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman also secured their seats with over 50% of the vote, as did Senate Chief of Staff Chris Ward in the race to succeed fellow Democrat Todd Gloria in District 3.The San Diego City Council Seats that continue into a November run-off are Districts 1 and 9. San Diego may also break one more glass ceiling in November, if Mara Elliott is elected as the first woman City Attorney.

By Miriam Raftery

May 24,2016 (San Diego) – Patrick Malloy is the endorsed Democratic candidate challenging  Congressman Duncan D. Hunter in the 50^th Congressional District.  A realtor running on a platform of “reigniting the American Dream,” he sat down for an exclusive, in-depth interview with the East County Magazine Show originally aired on KNSJ Radio. 

You can hear the full interview by clicking the audio links at the bottom of our story for part 1 and part 2 (sound files may take a few moments to load.)  You can also scroll down to read highlights of his proposals for creating jobs in the district and rebuilding the middle class and helping small businesses, as well as his views on the Middle East, refugees, immigration and other hot topics.

May 26, 2016 (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

• Patient secretly recorded by Sharp Grossmont files claim against hospital  (NBC 7)
• MTS faces possible bus walkout (Patch.com)
• KUSI goes one on one with Senator Bernie Sanders (KUSI)
• Voter guide to San Diego and California races in June 7 primary (Times of San Diego)
• Locals rally for fawn rescue center (Ramona Sentinel)
• San Diego’s top cops comment on ACLU report, UT article about asset seizure (Patch.com)
• San Diego County Dams Old But Still Passing Muster (KPBS)

STATE

• Labor unions, environmentalists are biggest opponents of Governor Brown’s affordable housing plan (Sacramento Bee)
• Study: humans responsible for 90% of wildfires in California (KPBS)
• California Senate approves broad new gun restrictions (Sacramento Bee)
• Lake Mead declines to lowest level in history (Desert Sun)
• California Agencies Send Mixed Signals On Drought Conditions (NPR)
• National Park Service loses early round over Yosemite trademarks fight (Miami Herald)
• Groups got $11.6M from board they serve on (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

May 4, 2016, 2016 (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

• Two Home Invasions, Two Families Who Waited on Hold With 911 (Voice of San Diego)
• Growing water crisis in Borrego (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• What’s behind San Diego County’s alarmingly high C-section rates? (KPBS)
• Annual count finds nearly 9,000 homeless in San Diego County (KPBS)
• Senate Demands Department Of Energy Remove San Onofre Nuclear Waste (KPBS)
• Mom: brain-eating amoeba killed my daughter (10  News)
• San Diego Needs Transit More Than Ever — and SANDAG’s Plan Doesn’t Have Enough (Voice of San Diego)
• San Diego Home Prices Jump 6.4% From 2015 (KPBS)
• After 47 years, La Mesa volunteer says bye to kindergartners(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Five Apollo astronauts to visit San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Hispanic entrepreneurs do best in Texas (San Diego Reader)

STATE

• Deadline passes in Probe of San Onofre nuclear deal (KPBS)
• Jerry Brown raises California smoking age to 21, tightens vaping rules (Sacramento Bee)
• CPUC meets with Wall Street types, too (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Three-day drama led to UC Davis Chancellor Katehi’s suspension (Sacramento Bee)

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

April 20, 2016 (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

• What Elections Have San Diego Political Candidates Missed? (KPBS)
• San Diego County Water Authority Files Lawsuit Against MWD (KPBS)
• MTS Compass Card Was Insecure From The Beginning (KPBS)
• DA won’t file charges against Supervisor Dave Roberts (KPBS)
• Political fine from 2012 mayor's race sets record (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• The California Democrat setting the national agenda (Atlantic)
• Hunter repaid funds spent on surf shop, garage door (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego County Crime Rate Up 6 Percent (KPBS)

STATE

• Harris Questioned For Representing Gov. Brown During San Onofre Probe (KPBS)
• Donald Trump to speak at California Republican convention (Sacramento Bee)
•  Your Speeding Ticket Might Not Be Enforceable (Voice of SD)
• Calif. university spent $175,000 to counter negative Internet posts: newspaper  (Reuters)
• State nabs more than 80 for unlicensed contracting(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Brickbat: Youthful Offender taken off terrorist watch list (Reason)

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

March 30,  2016 (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

• In San Diego, Syrian refugee family finds safe haven (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• U.S. Border officials accused of denying food to asylum seekers (KPBS)
• Janitors carry the cross and have feet washed (Reporting San Diego)
• Elderly man robbed at his Rancho San Diego home (10 News)
• Sheriff investigates Ag Boosters missing funds (Ramona Sentinel)
• UCSD caught in debate over fetal tissue research (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• HIV trial set for next year (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Many Latino, African-American Students Opting Out Of AP Classes (KPBS)
• Records show dead frogs, moldy classrooms (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Transit Funding Emerges As Key Issue For SANDAG Tax Increase (KPBS)
• Water bill jump hard to swallow in Rainbow (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Despite the Porter Ranch disaster, the top executive at SoCalGas is getting an enormous bonus (Los Angeles Times)  
• Audit: University of California undermines resident students (KPBS)
• Kamala Harris the `female Obama’ plots her course on the road to Washington (Guardian)
• Solar arrays in the desert: killing more birds than you imagine (Memories of the People)
• FPPC opens limited probe of Brown aide  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Dianne Feinstein to Obama: Turn on the Taps! (Breitbart News)
• Everything We Thought We Knew About the Two-Thirds Voter Requirement Could Change if New Ruling Holds (Voice of San Diego)
• As Chinese Investors Sweep Into Bordeaux Region, French Winemakers Are Buying Up California Vineyards (The Daily Meal)

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