October 26, 2013 (Santee) – If you bought a Fantasy 5 lottery ticket at the CVS Pharmacy in Santee, you may be the winner of a $379,925 prize.  The store, located at the corner of Mission Gorge Road and Cuyamaca Street, sold a winning ticket that has not yet been claimed since Friday's drawing. The winning numbers are 5, 24, 30, 32 and 36.

Lottery officials have indicated that another local winning ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven store in Downtown San Diego, worth $186,723.

East County welcomes “You Missed”, a new comedy program starring Diane Jean, Al Gavi, Chris Clobber, Young Lucas, and Charlie the Yellow Bird. 

“You Missed” is packed with humor, lots of strange stories from around the world, political perspectives from the right, left and people that just don’t give a damn.

“You Missed” is recording live  at the Space Bar in La Mesa on Sunday Nights from 6-7PM.  The show will air on KNSJ  89.1 Community Radio, Networking for social justice, Friday-Sunday at 4PM streaming worldwide on www.KNSJ.org. “You Missed” Pod Cast coming soon.

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2013 (Ocotillo) – Wind turbines in Ocotillo went offline on October 21 for several days due to SDG&E maintenance on Sunrise Powerlink, according to Matt Dallas with Pattern Energy .  Flashing red lights on the turbines that normally warn aircraft of the 500-foot-tall structures have also been dark, raising questions of safety for pilots at the site near the Borrego airport.

By Alex Riggins

October 23, 2013 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday night to once again delay a vote that could put term limits for the mayor and the city council on ballots next year.

After nearly an hour of discussion by the council and public comments, Councilmember Ernie Ewin motioned for the matter to be delayed once again so that he and the council could have more time to decide if they will put the matter on the ballot themselves.

“I want this to be vetted, and to give us all a chance to come back and really think about this,” Ewin said as he motioned for the delay.

By Marsha Kay Seff

October 24, 2013 (San Diego) – In your job as a caregiver, you probably won’t be able to avoid a crisis.  But being prepared for one will help make things easier for you and your parents.

The biggest mistake you can make is being complacent until the inevitable happens.  By then, you will have to move too quickly with limited options and a big chance of making mistakes.

Don’t waste time in denial.  It’s a given that your parents will get older and frailer.  By the time they fall, are hospitalized, or end up with full-blown dementia, it’s too late to set up a plan.

Commemoration of the 2003 Cedar Fire ten-year anniversary will take place October 26 from 1-4 pm at the Crest Clubhouse in Crest.

The Crest Community Association is planning to mark the occasion with a commemorative event that will bring the community together to share their experience, thank those who helped Crest get back on its feet, and to learn how to be more prepared for any natural disaster.

By Janis Mork

October 23, 2013 (El Cajon)- Rocking Horse Ranch has been in business since 2006, and  now its operators are asking for help to help save the property. The ranch pairs up troubled horses with abused and neglected children, and in time, both child and horse learn to heal.

ECM recently sat down with founder and executive director, Kathy Plaisted to learn more.

She told us that the ranch is special because “it is such a unique environment.. .We bring horses that come from troubled backgrounds and pair them up with people who have suffered as well.. We’re volunteer driven and serve over 500 people each month. We rehabilitate [the horses], work with kids, adopt the horses to forever homes, and bring in another one.”

October 23, 2013 (San Diego) -- A limited quantity of San Diego State men's basketball single-game tickets will go on sale on Monday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at GoAztecs.com, by calling 619-283-7378 or by visiting the Aztec Ticket Office at Window E at Qualcomm Stadium.

There are no single-game tickets available for games against Arizona and UNLV, but fewer than 100 remain for the rest of the Aztecs' home slate, including dates against 2013 NCAA tournament teams Boise State, Colorado State and New Mexico. There are also less than 100 tickets left for SDSU contests vs. perennial powers Washington and Utah State.

October 24, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) --ECM 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:

U.S.

• Toyota recall: spiders are causing airbag problems (CS Monitor)
• Schumer to introduce debt limit legislation (The Hill)
• Study: Wind power costs taxpayers billions of dollars (Townhall)
• Obamacare said to take in almost a half million applications (Bloomberg)
• California health exchange reports 94,500 application starts (Los Angeles Times)
• Healthcare.gov: What works and what doesn’t (CNN)
• Oregon launching new program to tax drivers per mile (Fox News)
• AP CEO: Press freedom v. security a `false choice’ (U-T San Diego)
• Inside the Fox News lie machine: I fact-checked Sean Hannity on Obamacare (Salon)
• U.S. high court declines to hear privacy lawsuit against Thomson Reuters (Reuters)
• Protecting Detroit pensions may violate bankruptcy code: judge(Reuters)

WORLD

• High temperatures and winds worse Australian wildfires (CS Monitor)
• Oops! Azerbaijan Releases Election Results Before Voting Begins (NPR)
• EU Parliament urges ending data agreement with US (AP)
• China smog: Super smog blankets China city, 40 times higher than international safety standard (CS Monitor)
• Mexico calls alleged U.S. spying on Calderon ‘unacceptable’ (Reuters)
• Images show new work at NKorea's nuclear test site (U-T San Diego)
• Did Turkey Sell Out Israeli Agents To Iran? (NPR)
• Japan delaying cleanup of towns near nuclear plant (U-T San Diego)
• China to restrict satellite TV stations to one foreign program  (Reuters)

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

By Jerrie Dean

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

October 23, 2013 (Spring Valley) -- Sharon “Shari” Chipman, 35, from San Diego has been missing since Oct. 10.  She walked away from her group home in Paradise Hills and was reported missing by her grandmother on Oct. 12.  She left behind a cryptic note that said, "Leaving everything behind, Jesus told me to," Shari's brother David Chipman, told East County Magazine. She has been diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. Her family is concerned for her safety.

Sheriff's deputies talked to Chipman at the Jack in the Box on Jamacha Road and Sweetwater Road in Spring Valley on Oct. 11. Since she did not appear to be a danger to herself or others, she was released at the scene. Her family had not yet reported her missing; the Sheriff has since issued a missing person bulletin. Chipman also made a banking transaction in Spring Valley on Oct. 11. On October 18, a week later, her purple Magma mountain bike was spotted locked to a bike rack at a McDonald's near Sweetwater Road and Jamacha Blvd.

By Miriam Raftery

October 22, 2013 (El Cajon ) – By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council today voted to enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement with Excel Hotel Group to develop a Marriott Courtyard hotel at the northeast corner of Magnolia Avenue and Rea Street in the Civic Center block. 

The proposal hinges on the state selling and to the city of El Cajon at the corner of Magnolia and Rea.  The City would then sell the land to Marriott for a dollar and give up a portion of the transient occupancy tax (TOT) for a few years.  At the end of ten years, the city expects to receive enough revenue from property taxes and TOT to repay the city the cost of the land.

“It sweetens the pot for them to spend several million dollars,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told East County Magazine.  He calls the deal a “win-win” for all parties.

October 22, 2013 (Borrego Springs) – A big-rig truck driver lost control entering a curve on Montezuma Valley Road and overturned, crashing through a guard rail and plunging down an embankment at 6:15 this morning.  The driver, 28, and his 18-month-old son were extricated from the wreckage and airlifted to the Borrego Springs Airport, where Mercy Air flew them to Riverside General Hospital.

The driver, who is from Coachella, sustained minor injuries to his knee and back.  His young son sustained a broken leg.

Photo: Dog Dreaming, by Marc Kitaen

October 22, 2013 (El Cajon) – East County artist Marc Kitaen, El Cajon, won third place in the 10 annual Digital Art Show of St. Mark's United Methodist Church.

The show, which has the theme "Visions of Peace," includes 28 works by 12 San Diego County artists. It will run October 13 to November 10 in the church sanctuary, 3502 Clairemont Drive. The juror was Professor Craig Carlson, SDSU.

The other winners are: first place, Michael Sussna, La Jolla; second place Rachelle Farber, Carlsbad; and Honorable Mention T. Antoinette Fassel, University City, and John Valois, Mission Hills.

October 22, 2013 (San Diego) – In celebration of Disability Awareness Month and as part of its ongoing commitment to cultural diversity and responsible banking, Union Bank, N.A., has joined with KPBS to honor two inspirational individuals as local heroes.  The 2013 Disability Awareness Month honorees are: Linda Bounds, founder of L.E.A.P.S. (Lovingly Energetic Artistic Programs for Seniors) and BOUNDS; and Al Kovach, Jr., national senior vice president of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).  Both will be recognized with other heritage month honorees during a November celebration in San Diego.

October 22, 2013 (Sacramento) – School bus safety is a two-way street, a responsibility shared by professional school bus drivers and the rest of the motoring public.  To help bring awareness to the safe transportation of students throughout the state, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is proud to observe National School Bus Safety Week, October 21–25, 2013.

Nearly one million California students ride on school buses every day and more than 25,000 certified drivers are dedicated to providing safe transportation for children in the state.  These drivers go through 40 hours of intense training by the Department of Education, in addition to a rigorous certification process by the CHP, physical examinations, and drug tests.  Drivers must also possess a valid first aid and medical card and obtain a background clearance from the California Department of Justice.  Additionally, the CHP inspects and certifies every bus annually.