By Miriam Raftery

Photo from San Diego Fire Dept.: Metro Arson Strike Team investigates fire scene.

August 13, 2018 (San Pasqual Valley) – NBC reports tonight that investigators from the Metro Arson Strike Team have said that today’s Cloverdale Fire near Highway 78 in the San Pasqual Valley was deliberately set.  This is the third fire to occur in the San Pasqual area in the past couple of weeks, though authorities have not yet set whether arson is suspected in the earlier San Pasqual and Rangeland fires, which burned 240 and 250 acres respectively.

The Cloverdale Fire, under unified command of Cal Fire and San Diego Fire Department, started mid-afternoon and quickly scorched 100 acres. This evening, it is 15% contained and evacuation orders have been lifted.

East County News Service

August 13, 2018 (Borrego Springs) – Entries are being accepted now through December 1^st in the annual Anza Borrego Desert photography contest. The contest’s theme is the unique and natural beauty of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and all photos must be taken within the state park boundaries.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo via WikimediaImages/Pixabay

August 12, 2018 (San Diego's East County) - Fire investigators recently announced that the cause of the deadly Carr fire in Redding was a flat tire on a trailer. When the rim scraped the concrete roadway, it sparked a fire.

By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2018 (Lakeside) – Divers searching for a 12-year-old girl who fell overboard from a ski boat into San Vicente Reservoir will resume their efforts in the morning, but the mission has shifted from rescue to recovery after her damaged life jacket was found in the water.

Divers from San Diego Fire-Rescue have been searching since 6 pm. after the accident occurred during a family outing, 10 News reports.Sheriff’s deputies, Cal Fire personnel and helicopters all assisted in ground and aerial searches, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

 
By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2018 (Boulevard) -- Terra-Gen's proposed Torrey Wind project (with up to 30 giant turbines each up to 586 tall and 4.2 megawatts) in Boulevard is moving through the planning process quickly. Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale is asking all who have concerns or information to share on impacts of wind turbines to come to a public scoping meeting  August 23 at 6 p.m. in the new Cal-Fire/County Fire Station at 40080 Ribbonwood Road, Boulevard.

“These turbines could be twice as powerful and about 100 feet taller than the Tule Wind turbines installed on public recreation land next door,” says Tisdale. “Bigger turbines can churn out much more noise and low frequency vibrations and potential electrical pollution over greater distances that can trigger psychical and emotional stress and the body's fight or flight instinct in people and animals. Turbines have reportedly been deemed nuisances in some legal and administrative proceedings around the world, with some families abandoning their homes and other homes bought out by developers over noise impacts and related litigation.”

By  Dilkhwaz Ahmed

Jonathan Goetz and Nital Meshkoor contributed to this story

Photo: These 13 students are helping to help make America great.

August 11, 2018 (El Cajon) – Sharp Grossmont Hospital, the Grossmont Healthcare District and License to Freedom are preparing some promising young bilingual refugees in east county for nursing careers.

Thirteen high school juniors with good grades graduated earlier this month from a one-week intensive program at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Ten of them still plan to pursue nursing as a way to help their community and the community at large.

By Miriam Raftery

Our East County Fest 10-year anniversary celebration for East County Magazine on August 25^th at Mission Trails features an array of top musical talent from East County including prominent jazz/pop/ classical/Nuevo Flamenco guitarist Miles Moynier, award-winning fingerstyle guitarist Jim Earp, talented and creative performers from Visionary Dance Theatre, and the San Diego Native American Flute Circle, honoring 12,000 years of Native American history in our region.

By Mike Allen

Photo: Pam Kerzner testified, "We don't need any more houses," citing traffic delays.

August 9, 2018 (Santee) -- Voters in Santee hoping to have more say in future development projects will have to wait two more years to do so, following the City Council’s vote last night to prepare a report on the initiative’s possible impacts instead of putting the issue on the November ballot.

In a two-hour hearing Aug. 8 before an overflow crowd at City Hall, the Council voted 3-1 to prepare a report to be completed within 30 days. That effectively prevents a public vote in November because there isn’t enough lead time for a campaign, said City Attorney Shawn Haggerty.

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Source:  San Diego Sheriff's Department

August 9, 2018 (Ramona) -  It has been a record-breaking hot summer in San Diego County.  With temperatures hitting triple digits in our backcountry areas, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE San Diego and other agencies have been busy rescuing hikers who didn't prepare for the heat and sometimes treacherous terrain.  

August 9, 2018 (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

• Ramona laboratory accused of animal distress (NBC 7)
• Sheriff's Dept. investigating accusations that Spring Valley doctor sexually assaulted assistant (10 News)
• Facing numerous courtroom setbacks, embattled El Cajon councilman sues his former lawyer (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• These are the 10 airports where you're most likely to be hacked [San diego worst in nation] (CNBC)
• Over-billings on water meters in San Diego topped $2 million (SD Union-Tribune)
• SDSU wants to create a technology park similar to one that helped revitalize Atlanta (SD Union-Tribune)
• Thousands of Employees Face Uncertainty After Supreme Court Pension Case (Voice of San Diego)
• Chula Vista hiker who died on Lakeside trail hailed as loving father, leader and volunteer (SD Union-Tribune)

STATE

• So your lawmaker has blocked you on Twitter. What’s wrong with that? (SD Union-Tribune)
• DMV scrambles with ‘triage’ measures to ease horrendous long lines (San Jose Mercury News)
• Mendocino Complex fire now second-largest in California history, officials say (Los Angeles Times)
• After quarter century of rapid expansion, charter school growth slowing in California (EdSource)
• Constant Wildfires Leave California Firefighters Strained (NPR)
• Trump administration moves to open 1.6 million acres to fracking, drilling in California (Sacramento Bee)

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

August 9, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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

East County News Service

August 8, 2018 (El Cajon) – Cajon Valley students put on a ‘50s musical performance at El Cajon’s Classic Cars night this evening in Downtown El Cajon. Thanks to Jill Barto for sharing this video: https://www.facebook.com/cvusd/videos/10155942006118924/

By Alan Ridley

“Try fencing.  Other sports are pointless.”

August 8, 2018 (St. Louis) - Ten athletes from East County’s LionHeart Fencing Academy took part in the United States National Fencing Championship held in St. Louis, Mo. from June 28 – July 7.

More than 4,000 competitors from throughout the nation participated in the largest fencing event in the world where the best fencers in the United States vied for gold.   National Champions were crowned in age groups from ages 8 to 80 with 60 titles in all three fencing disciplines (epee, foil and saber) for both men and women.

By Miriam Raftery

August 8, 2018 (San Diego) -  A trendy snack called Dragon’s Breath is sending some consumers including teenagers to the hospital with serious burns and internal injuries, the Washington Post and other media outlets report. The snack is made from colorful cereal balls similar to Fruit Loops or other snack items drenched with liquid nitrogen, which freezes to around minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit. The Dragon’s Breath user then blows out condensed moisture that looks like smoke.