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Story and photos by Liz Alper

October 20, 2017 (El Cajon) - ECM Friday Night Lights is back in action this week with our first-ever visit to El Cajon Valley.  The Braves are struggling at 2-5 and 0-1 in league play.  Tonight the Monarchs of Monte Vista paid Darryl R. Priest Field a visit.  The boys in red and gold are 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Grossmont League.

Photo by Miriam Raftery: 2007 Harris Fire in Rancho San Diego

Video by José Eli Villanueva:  https://youtu.be/kgnVYh3lQrM

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications

October 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- As firefighters struggle to get deadly wildfires under control in Northern California, San Diego County and City officials marked the 10^th anniversary of the 2007 Wildfires and called upon residents to do their part to prepare for another emergency.

East County News Service

October 20, 2017 (Sacramento) – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has announced a $120 million multi-state settlement with General Motors Company (GM) over allegations that the company concealed safety issues related to defective ignition switches in GM vehicles. California will be receiving over $7 million and GM must cease making misrepresentations to consumers regarding unsafe vehicles.

Source: CAL FIRE

October 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- As Firefighters in Northern California continue to make progress on 9 large wildfires burning across the State, the true magnitude of the devastation of loss of life and property is beginning to come to life.  This recent series of fires is the deadliest in California State History. Since the start of the October Fire Siege on October 8, there have been 21 major wildfires that burned over 245,000 acres, forced 100,000 people to evacuate, destroyed 6,900 structures and sadly took the lives of 42 people.    

After President Donald Trump drew criticism for not calling families of U.S. soldiers killed in Niger, he accused former presidents of not calling fallen soldiers’ families to offer condolences, though all other presidents did so. Trump then insulted the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, saying he “knew what he was signing up for," failed to praise Johnson as a hero, and left her crying after his call. Trump called the Congresswoman who reported his remarks a liar, even after the slain soldier’s mother confirmed the Congresswoman told the truth. Other families of soldiers killed confirm Trump never called them. Now Gold Star mother Candie Glisson has penned this open letter to the President, originally published by Common Defense PAC:

October 19, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- My son was killed in Iraq. Here’s my message to Trump: On October 4th, 2017, four of our troops were killed in an ambush in Niger. For twelve long days, we didn’t hear a word from this Commander in Chief. Twelve days. Total silence.

By Miriam Raftery

October 19, 2017 (San Diego) – Governor Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 932 authorizing suspension of state and local building standards for three years upon declaration of a shelter crisis in specified areas, including the City of San Diego, in order to create homeless shelters on an emergency basis.

East County News Service

October 19, 2018 (San Diego) - In the days and weeks following a high-profile tragedy, violent confrontations, mass shootings, or natural disasters, news stories may cause stress and anxiety for the younger audience. It is normal for adults and kids to feel anxious after a devastating event, but there are ways to help minimize the stress and maintain a sense of normalcy.

“With the pervasiveness and invasiveness of TV news and social media, children today have more access to disturbing news and images than ever before. The most common reason I’m seeing for children being referred to therapy (even as young as 4) in the last several years is excessive, and sometimes debilitating, anxiety,” said Susan Kelsey, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist specializing in mental health services for children and adolescents.

Here are a few suggestions for parents to help reduce their child’s risk of becoming overly anxious during trying times:

East County News Service

October 19, 2017 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host “Eating a Fiber Rich Diet,” a free program on the benefits of a fiber rich diet, from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25. The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served, including tasting samples of a fiber rich recipe. Advance RSVP is not necessary.

East County News Service

October 18, 2017 (Lakeside) - Trevi Hills Winery, which produces premium red and white varietals on hillside vineyards in rural Lakeside, celebrates its grand opening Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 21-22, from 10 a.m. to dusk. The 3,000-square-foot winery, tasting room and patio is located at 13010 Muth Valley Road and offers panoramic views of the historic Muth Valley and the 800-acre Trevi Hills community.  The grand opening festivities celebrate the 2017 harvest of Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc and will include discounted wine flights, food trucks and bocce ball.

East County News Service

October 18, 2017 (La Mesa) -- You’re invited to join La Mesa Conversations and La Mesa First United Methodist Church's Community Outreach Ministry for a joint presentation of the new film "Tony - The Movie," a film about homelessness in San Diego.  The film we be showed on October 30^th.  Please visit http://tony-themovie.com/ to learn more about the film.

The screening at the church (4690 Palm Avenue, La Mesa) will be followed by a panel presentation and discussion about homelessness in San Diego and La Mesa, with a question and answer session.

By Miriam Raftery

October 18, 2017 (Alpine) -- No, Ariele Brooke and I didn't just plop down into a movie scene from "Jurassic Park." 

But we did find the last remaining dinosaur  statue from Dinosaur Land, a roadside attraction in the early 1960s, that still stands today along a creek bed in the Alpine Mobile Home Estates on Alpine Boulevard in Alpine, California. 

October 18, 2017 (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 waterways are not being tested for hepatitis amid health crisis (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• No one is recording what happens in family law court anymore (Voice of San Diego)
• Cheers for badger den near Julian (San Diego Reader)
• In wake of scandal, SANDAG overhaul signed by Governor (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SANDAG Releases Substance Abuse Monitoring Report (Times of San Diego)
• Military film festival to highlight deported veterans (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego to provide safe parking for homeless living in vehicles (10 News)
• The Learning Curve: Behind the Schools Educating ‘the Most Difficult Kids’ (Voice of SD)
• Study: San Diego 4th best place in the country for startups (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California bosses can no longer ask about your previous salary (Orange County Register)
• Investigators Look Into Downed Power Lines, Exploding Transformers As Possible Cause of Fires (KPBS)
• Challenge to Feinstein tests where California stands (Fox and Hounds)
• California's GOP members got a big boost from group that held fundraiser with Vice President Pence (Los Angeles Times)
•  State senator:  PG&E should be ‘split’ if negligence caused fires (San Francisco Chronicle)
• List of wineries damaged or destroyed in wine country fires (San Jose Mercury News)
• How Local Food Trucks are Helping with California Fire Relief (Food 52)
• Pot farmer's dreams go up in smoke during California wildfires (Reuters)
• They survived six hours in a pool as a wildfire burned their neighborhood to the ground (Los Angeles Times)
• Regulators demand answers into status of CPUC criminal probe (SD Union-Tribune)
• State utilities commission seeks to close San Onofre proceeding (SD Union-Tribune)
• Coastal Commission 'sympathetic' but defends 2015 SONGS nuclear waste permit (SD Union-Tribune)
• California unveils revised rules on self-driving testing (Reuters)

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

Update October 19, 2017:  The man killed while standing beside his disabled vehicle has been identified as Cesar Duenas, 55. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 18, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A Lexus driver struck and killed a disabled motorist who was on the shoulder of State Route 94 at the Lemon Grove off ramp at 5:50 p.m. yesterday.   A tow truck driver, 39, from Santee who was assisting the disabled motorist also was struck and sustained minor injuries.

By Jonathan Goetz

October 17, 2017 (Washington, D.C.) – Days after President Donald Trump announced cancellation of Affordable Care Act subsidies to insurance companies, an action critics contended would destabilize the health insurance marketplace, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington have announced a plan to fund healthcare cost-sharing reduction payments until 2019 and offer states more flexibility in healthcare regulation.