By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Kremlin.ru

August 4, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill imposing sanctions against Russia over its efforts to meddle in the U.S. election and Russian aggression in the Ukraine. 

The bill also prohibits President Trump from easing those sanctions without Congressional approval.  The action is a stinging rebuke to Trump, who has previously opposed sanctions and drawn criticism for his close ties to Russia and praise for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

By Miriam Raftery

Scene photos credit:  Lynn Spicer

Photo: Kristina Andarus, 6, of Santee suffered a spinal injury in the crash. Her mother, Aneta Andarus, has asked for prayers.

August 3, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The two people killed yesterday after a big-rig lost control on State Route 125 were a mother and daughter from Ramona:  Nancy Jeanette Bauerlein, 57,  and Jennifer Campbell, 29. Campbell leaves behind a husband and two children.  Bauerlein had a husband, five children and 10 grandchildren.

The crash has also left 6-year-old Kristina Andarus of Santee with severe spinal injuries.  She has undergone surgery but may be left paralyzed, her mother told 10 News. Her mother, Aneta Andarus, an Iraqi immigrant and owner of Threading by Aneta in Clairemont, has asked for prayers.

By Miriam Raftery

August 4, 2017 (El Cajon) –The San Diego Reader reports that a second contestant in the 2016 Miss Middle East Pageant has filed a lawsuit against Ben Kalasho and the pageant that he runs.  Paris Kargar told the Reader that on the eve of the pageant, Kalasho, an El Cajon Councilman, pulled her aside and told her, “You stay here at the hotel tonight with me, and you win.”

Major CEOs say bill would harm tech industry; policy has roots in racist organizaitons

By Miriam Raftery

August 3, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Going far beyond rounding up  undocumented immigrations, President Donald Trump is now backing a bill that aims to cut legal immigration in half.  It proposes a skills-based immigration system that includes English proficiency and job skills, also prohibiting immigrants from bringing any family members here except for spouse and minor children.

Lemon Grove kicked off its 40^th Birthday Celebration at Tuesday’s City Council meeting

Photo: (left to right) Councilman David Arambula, Councilman Jerry Jones, founding Councilman W. Dale Bailey, Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Mendoza, Mayor Racquel Vasquez, founding Councilman Jack Doherty, Councilman David Arambula, former Mayor Mary Sessom and her grandson, former Councilman Tom Clabby and Helen Ofield with the Lemon Grove Historical Society.

By Jonathan Goetz

August 3, 2017 (Lemon Grove) –  To commemorate the city’s 40^th birthday, Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez presented certificates to founding Councilmembers W. Dale Bailey and Jack Doherty; Matt Jennings presented a certificate to the City from Senator Joel Anderson at this week’s Council meeting.

Review by Kathy Carpenter

Associate Reviewer sdtheatrereviews.com

Freelance writer Splash Magazine

August 3, 2017 (El Cajon) - Adventure is where you make it. In this rendition of Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson's beloved tale adapted for the conservatory by Jeanette Thomas, Jim is now Jamie, a girl, and she finds life is the adventure. Escape your every day life for a couple of hours and live the adventure of Treasure Island, directed by Brian Rickel & Mitzi Smith and with scores by musical director John Reynolds, complete with pirates, surprises and fun.

By Joey Collado, General Manager at The Montera 

August 2, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Over time our bodies go through more changes than we might often realize, and our everyday beauty regimens should evolve to work with these changes. As we age our hair, skin and nails have the biggest changes, with hair color fading, skin acquiring wrinkles and age spots, and nails losing some shine and strength. It’s vital to make sure our daily routines are modified to embrace and enhance our changing appearance. While aging will always involve some stress and fear, encouraging your loved one to embrace aging with some beauty tips can help them maintain their mental and physical wellness:

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

August 2, 2017 (San Diego) -- More people lose their LIVES in floods than in any other weather-related event. Eighty percent of flood deaths occur in vehicles, and most happen when drivers make a single, fatal mistake - trying to navigate through floodwaters.

Watch for the following signs:

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

August 2, 2017 (La Mesa) – A long-term highway closure is in effect at State Route 125 and I-8 in La Mesa, where an out-of-control big rig truck struck multiple vehicles, killing two women in a green Chevy car and injuring six other people, including two children, ages 6 and 3.

The children were in an SUV that was struck.  The 6-year-old was not in a carseat suffered major injuries including a broken neck, KNSD reports. She was reportedly not breathing when emergency responders arrived but she was resusciated.The children were taken to Rady Children's Hospital.

According to the CHP site, the big rig on southbond  125 struck a center divider, then careened into northbound lanes, striking multiple vehicles before coming to rest, jackknifed across the freeway. 

By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2017 (Sacramento) – Covered California premiums are slated to rise 12.5 percent next year, according to the 2018 rate guide.  Actual rates will vary from company to company.

The spike is due partly to rising healthcare costs and partly to threats by the Trump administration’s threat to cancel $7 billion in subsidies for insurance companies. Trump has said he will “let Obamacare fail” but in fact is actively working to make it fail, by injecting uncertainties into the market that force insurers to hike rates to consumers.

By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2017 (El Cajon) — The El Cajon Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 15 at 7 p.m. to consider termination of the former Broadway Market sit'es Deemed Approve Status and Revocation of a Conditional Use Permit for the off-sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits.

East County News Service

August 2, 2017 (La Mesa) – NBC News reports that a 20-year-old woman says she spotted a cell phone camera held under the door of a fitting room where she was trying on clothes at Macy’s department store in Grossmont Center last Thursday, July 28^th.

By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – The number of honey bee hives lost to Colony Collapse Disorder dropped 27% over the past year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports in a honeybee health survey. In addition, the total number of commercial honeybee colonies has risen 3 percent.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

August 2, 2017 (San Diego’s East County)   -- The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch Wednesday morning for San Diego’s inland region that includes the East County communities of La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Pine Valley and Julian as well as other inland areas of Escondido, Poway and San Marcos. 

The flood watch is in effect through tonight, with the threat of flash flooding and debris flows greatest in areas burned bare by brush fires. A deluge could bring over an inch an hour to some areas.