East County Magazine Live! Radio Show

East County Magazine Live! Radio Show

MEET EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE RADIO SHOW’S TALENTED TEAM

 

To hear  recent podcasts of our show, visit:

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/east-county-magazine-live-radio-show/l...

 

The East County Magazine Show  airs in prime time Mondays and Fridays at 5 p.m. It reruns Tuesdays at 8 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM, a public educational station broadcasting in Descanso, heard from the mountains to the sea in the San Diego region. Send story ideas, news tips and underwriting inquiries to editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

East County Magazine has won 116 major journalism awards from San Diego Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists San Diego chapter and more, including top honors for investigative reporting and other categories.  Founded in 2008, ECM is a division of the nonprofit 501c3 Heartland Coalition.Our show, like our online magazine, has a mission is to reflect all voices in our region, particularly those under-represented in other media.

Our radio show hosts reflect the rich diversity of our region and bring a multitude of qualifications, experiences and passions to their work.  Scroll down to read more about these talented radio personalities and our behind-the-scenes team!


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CHINA BOY, A WORK THAT TRANSCENDS TIME

Author Gus Lee interviews with Anat Tour, host of East County Magazine Show’s “Bookshelf” feature on KNSJ

View video

Hear audio 

January 8, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- In an engaging conversation with esteemed American author and ethicist Gus Lee, Anat Tour, host of East County Magazine Radio Show’s “Bookshelf” on KNSJ Radio,  explores the depths of Lee's captivating novel, China Boy.  A best-selling author with many notable books, Lee's illustrious career includes serving his time at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his role as West Point's Chair of Character Development, and acting Deputy Attorney General.

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LISTEN NOW: OUR RADIO SHOWS FOR AUG.-DEC. 2023 ARE NOW ONLINE

December 31, 2023 --Our radio shows from August through December 2023 are now online. 

Highlights included coverage of Tropical Storm Hilary, the supervisorial special election, local representatives’ responses to the Israel-Hamas War, the e-billboard  controversy in La Mesa, financial troubles forcing cancellation of the Mother Goose Parade, interviews with GUHSD candidate Jay Steiger and CVUSD candidate Alex Welling, and Cailey Underhill from Solar Rights Alliance on efforts to repeal the utility tax.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Note: Some shows were reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

For links to listen plus an index with topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down. Audio links are below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)

Audio: 


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

REPEAL OF UTILITY TAX SOUGHT BY SOLAR RIGHTS ALLIANCE

View video of interview and scroll down for transcript.

December 12, 2023 (San Diego) -- East County Magazine recently interviewed Cailey Underhill,  Advocacy and Development Director for the Solar Rights Alliance, on our radio show aired on KNSJ. The topic was AB 205, which the Legislature passed to create what supporters called a fixed charge for utility rates,  but which opponents call a utility tax. It’s poised to become the largest utility tax in the nation. 

Solar Rights Alliance say this will be unfair to consumers—and they’re fighting to get the utility tax repealed. They are urging ratepayers to ask legislators to repeal the utiliity tax provision of AB 205 in January when the Legislature returns to session in Sacramento.

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CHERIE KERR, AUTHOR OF CHARLIE’S NOTES, SHARES MEMORIES OF HER JAZZ MUSICIAN FATHER

View video of interview

Hear audio aired on KNSJ Radio

By Miriam Raftery

December 12, 2023 (San Diego)—Anat Tour, host of the East County Magazine Radio Show’s Bookshelf, recently interviewed Cherie Kerr on her award-winning book, Charlie’s Notes. This moving memoir of her father, jazz musician Carluchi (Charlie) DePietro, chronicles his struggles from his roots in a New York immigrant family to his experiences in Hollywood performing alongside some of the top celebrities in the music and the film industries.

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ALEX WELLING, CAJON VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT CANDIDATE, SEEKS IMPROVED TEST SCORES, OVERSIGHT, AND RESPECT FOR PARENTS

 

“We have one of the highest paid superintendents in the state of California, so why are test scores continuing to tank? “ – Alex Welling

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2023 (El Cajon) – In an exclusive interview, Alex Welling, candidate running for the Trustee area 5 seat on the Cajon Valley Union School District board of trustees, speaks out. He’s concerned about respecting parents’ rights, increasing transparency, improving low standardized test scores, and holding staff accountable. He has also called for an audit of district finances.

He’s a conservative challenging board  chairman Jim Miller; both are Republicans. Welling has a master’s in legal studies as well as bachelor’s degrees in political science and government.  He’s the communications manager of wildfire resiliency for SDG&E and previously served a public communications officer for SANDAG and as field director for the American Action Network devoted to free market principals. He’s also served on the city of Chula Vista’s board of ethics.

View video  of East County Magazine’s interview,  hear audio aired on KNSJ Radio, or scroll down for highlights.

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ROBERT NEARY, STAR OF SO GOOD! THE NEIL DIAMOND EXPERIENCE AT THE MAGNOLIA OCT. 21, SPEAKS WITH ECM

By Miriam Raftery

View our exclusive interview with Robert Neary.

October 13, 2023 (El Cajon) – Musical entertainer Robert Neary, also a TV and Broadway actor, brings his acclaimed “So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience”  show to the Magnolia theatre in El Cajon on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.  His uncanny renditions of 22  of Diamond’s classic hits such as Cherry, Cherry,” “I’m a Believer,” “Solitary Man,” “Holly Holy,” “Coming to America,” and “Sweet Caroline” are backed by New York's premier band, The Mystic.  Neary will also share Diamond’s personal stories about some of his songs, and provide a finale that has dazzled critics. View a promo reel.

In an exclusive interview with ECM aired on KNSJ radio,  Neary talks about his inspirations growing up, his path to stardom on TV, stage and the musical world, what motivated him to create a Neil Diamond tribute show, and his favorite Diamond piece.


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JAY STEIGER, TEACHER AND PARENT, RUNS FOR GROSSMONT UNION-HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD TO STAND UP FOR ALL STUDENTS

Hear audio aired on KNSJ Radio

View video of interview with Jay Steiger (Note: Max Coston, whose name appears on screen, is Steiger's campaign manager)

September 27, 2023 (San Diego's East County)-- Jay Steiger is running for the Grossmont Union High School Board in Trustee Area 2,  Steiger is a middle school teacher who graduated from Monte Vista High School in the Grossmont District and he’s a parent of two children who graduated from Grossmont High School. In an exclusive interview, he shares his goals to assure a 21st century education for students and assure that all students, staff and teachers are treated with respect and inclusivity.

Steiger says he’s running because extremists have targeted school boards in the 2024 election, and he wants to prioritize students’ wellbeing and education over extremist policies he believes could harm our community.

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WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE GIVNER, THE MAN WHO FOILED THE WATERGATE BURGLARS

View video of interview

Hear audio,  originally aired on KNSJ

September 24, 2023 (San Diego)—Anat Tour, host of Bookshelf on the East County Magazine Radio Show, recently interviewed Bruce Givner. Givner is an attorney and the author of My Watergate Scandal Tell-All: How I Unwittingly Caused This Historic Event

As a 21-year-old intern in June 1972, Givner stayed late at the Democratic National Committee’s  Watergate offices until just after midnight, making free long-distance phone calls to friends and family. His presence substantially delayed the break-in and indirectly led to the eventual arrests of the burglars.  The ensuing investigations exposed a criminal conspiracy, leading to multiple convictions and the resignation of  President Richard Nixon. 

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SAPS AT SEA PRESENTS 'PRE-HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR' OCT. 21

East County News Service

September 21, 2023 (Spring Valley) - The Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the Laurel & Hardy fan organization, present their October "Pre-Halloween Spectacular" meeting October 21 at Williams Hall at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Spring Valley.


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LISTEN NOW: OUR RADIO SHOWS FOR MAY-JULY 2023 ARE NOW ONLINE

August 15, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our radio shows from May through July 2023 are now online. 

Highlights included our two-part forum with Supervisor candidates, our interview with Lilian Serrano from Southern Border Communities Coalition on migrant camps in Jacumba, interviews with several advocates for the homeless, and coverage of top local issues such as the VSV livestock disease outbreak, major wildfires, the controversies over Cottonwood Sand Mine and Loveland Reservoir, and more.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Note: Some shows were reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

For links to listen plus an index with topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down. Audio links are below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.) 

Audio: 


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SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES SPEAK OUT ON EAST COUNTY ISSUES IN ECM FORUM

By Miriam Raftery

View video of forum

Hear audio aired on KNSJ: part 1; part 2

July 23, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—Ballots have been mailed for the special election in the 4th Supervisorial District to fill the vacancy left by Nathan Fletcher’s resignation. East County Magazine hosted a forum for the candidates, who spoke out on issues including homelessness, housing, energy, policing, drug addiction, sand mines, wildfire safety, and more. ECM editor Miriam Raftery moderated the forum.

August 15 is the last day to vote in the special election primary.

The three candidates who participated are Monica Montgomery Steppe, an attorney and president pro tem of the San Diego City Council, Amy Reichert, a private investigator and founder of Reopen San Diego, and Janessa Goldbeck, a former Marine and CEO of a nonprofit helping veterans.  (A fourth candidate, Paul McQuigg, a military veteran and U.S. Labor Dept. employee, RSVP’d that he would attend but said he was unable to get connectivity for the forum on Zoom while traveling overseas.)

Click the video to view highlights of the forum,  listen to audio for the version aired on radio (edited slightly for length), and scroll down to read highlights.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS GABOR, COAUTHOR OF AMERICAN CARNAGE: SHATTERING THE MYTHS THAT FUEL GUN VIOLENCE

 

July 5, 2023 (San Diego) – Most Americans may not know that gun control was common throughout much of America’s history, even in such iconic wild west settings as Tombstone, Arizona. The idea that the right to own guns is a foundational American belief is among the misperceptions shattered in an explosive interview with Thomas Gabor, Ph.D., author of American Carnage: Shattering the Myths That Fuel Gun Violence, conducted by Anat Tour, new host of the Bookshelf segment on East County Magazine’s radio show.

Dr. Gabor is an internationally recognized expert on firearms and public safety.  A professor of criminology for 30 years at the University of Ottawa, he holds a doctorate from Ohio State University and runs a criminal justice consulting firm, Thomas Gabor LLC, in Florida. His clients have included the United Nations, Canada’s Dept. of Justice, and the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister’s office. He has authored over 200 publications including articles and books.

His coauthor of American Carnage is Fred Guttenberg, an activist whose 14-year-old daughter was murdered in the Parkland High School massacre. Together, the authors have created a valuable resource book documenting that much of what many Americans believe about gun rights and gun violence are, in fact, fallacies.

Scroll down to read highlights of the interview and find links to audo, video, book review, author's website and more.

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DRAMATIC SUBMARINE RESCUE 50 YEARS AGO RECALLED IN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR OF "THE DIVE"

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2023 (San Diego) -- A desperate race against time to find and save passengers and crew aboard a missing submarine at the Titanic wreckage site is making worldwide news. Knocking sounds have led searchers to believe people are still alive aboard the missing vessel, the Titan. But oxygen will likely run out tomorrow.

The effort evokes memories of  a similar story nearly 50 years ago in August 1973, when two San Diegans, Bob Watts and Larry Brady, were involved in the dramatic rescue of two men trapped above a submarine on the floor of the  Atlantic Ocean.

In  September 2021, Reina Menasche interviewed Stephen McGinty, author of the true-story thriller, The Dive: The Untold Story of the World’s Deepest Submarine Rescue during the Bookshelf segment on East County Magazine's radio show.  You can listen to the full  interview aired on KNSJ, and read highlights below.

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL LEADERS HELPING REFUGEES

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: East County Magazine Radio Show host Miriam Raftery,  Dilkhwaz Ahmed, CEO of License to Freedom, and Bob Gan, Co-Chair of Welcome Home in San Diego

June 3, 2023 (San Diego) – San Diego is a national hub for refugees fleeing war and persecution from nations around the world. Welcome Home in San Diego and License to Freedom in El Cajon are two organizations helping people who have been legally designated as refugees. 

Recently, ECM Editor Miriam Raftery interviewed Bob Gan,Co-Chair of Welcome Home locally and Dilkhwaz Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of License to Freedom. 

You can hear our full interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, by clicking the audio link, or scroll down for highlights to learn how you can help these nonprofit organzations welcoming new Americans.

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HEAR OUR RADIO SHOWS FROM JANUARY TO APRIL 2023

May 29,2023 -- Our radio shows from January through April 2023 are now online. 

Highlights included interview with Supervisor Joel Anderson over ICE dropping migrants off at the trolley in winter, human trafficking victim and advocate for survivors Kathi Torres on how to protect young people locally, Bob Gam on how his parents survived the holocaust, Dilkhwaz Ahmed, License to Freedom, and Bob Gam, Co-chair, Welcome Home, on helping refugees and asylum seekers; Bill Powers on the County’s Regional Decarbonization Framework, Clovis Honore, Grid Alternatives and Green New Deal Alliance on the future of solar energy in Calif., Amie Zamudio and Joanne Standlee: Housing 4 the Homeless on hospitals dumping homeless and seniors on streets, plus highlights from a heated hearing in Alpine on closure of Loveland Reservoir after extreme draining and other top local issues.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Note: Some shows were reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

For links to listen plus an index with topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down. Audio links are below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.) 

Audio: 


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

KNSJ IS BACK ON AIR AFTER ANTENNA REPLACEMENT

By Susan Taylor

Miriam Raftery contributed to this report

 

May 21, 2023 (Descanso) -- You might not know that KNSJ 89.1 FM, the station that brings you East County Magazine’s radio show, broadcasts from atop Monument Peak in the Laguna Mountains, a 90-minute drive from its studio in City Heights.  A drive to the mountaintop will reveal its beautiful site and fantastic view, but the location can also wreak havoc on cell and radio towers.  Last year’s severe winter storms battered the station’s antenna with ice, knocking it off air for weeks.

The good news is that the antenna has been replaced and listeners can resume hearing their favorite shows.

Transmitter replacement was no easy matter and involved money, brave climbers, and a need for constant maintenance.  Martin Eder, CEO of KNSJ, hired Soelberg Construction Company to do the work.  Owner Victor Soelberg and his two sons shimmy up antennas when repairs of this type are needed, which can be quite frequent. Eder and two other volunteers with the station supervised and tested the reception from the control room next to the antenna before driving down.


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KNSJ ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC GRAND OPENING AND RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY OF ITS NEW STUDIO SATURDAY, MAY 20

By KNSJ Staff

May 19, 2023 (San Diego) -- KNSJ, San Diego’s radio network for social justice, announces an open house of its new studio from 10 am-3 pm Saturday, May 20, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon.  Lori Saldaña, former Speaker of the California House will be the official ribbon cutter opening up the new studio.  Located inside the Employee Rights Center at 4161 Home Avenue in San Diego, the new studio will be open to its friends, listeners and supporters who have helped make KNSJ’s vision a reality, as well as welcoming the general public to the open house.  From 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., KNSJ will be broadcasting live, taking calls, serving refreshments, and connecting with its most valuable resource:  members of the listening community.

East County Magazine's Radio Show airs on KNSJ and EMC's editor/producer Miriam Raftery will be among those broadcasting live on Saturday from the new studio.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

LIVES IN DANGER: REPORT PROMPTS HUMANITARIAN GROUP TO FILE FEDERAL COMPLAINT ACCUSING BORDER PATROL OF ENDANGERING MIGRANTS IN JACUMBA

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Lilian Serrano, Director, Southern Border Communities Coalition

May 18, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) —the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California, San Diego, issued a blistering report accusing Border Patrol of endangering migrants’ lives by depriving them of food, water, shelter, medical care and other necessities. The damning report is titled Lives in Danger:  Seeking Asylum Against the Backdrop of Increased Border Enforcement. It was published on May 16, two days after ECM broke the story of some 1,000 to 2,000 migrants in Jacumba Hot Springs who were aided by residents after Border Patrol failed to provide food or shelter.

In addition, the nonprofit humanitarian group Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) has filed a federal complaint with Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, alleging mistreatment of the Jacumba asylum-seekers and violations of both U.S. and international law.

Lilian Serrano, director of SBCC, told ECM in an interview for KNSJ radio that volunteers withessed ”families, children, elders waiting outdoors for days without access to food or water.”  Regarding filing the complaint, she said, ”Our hope is that we can find out why were there outdoor detention facilities in our area, what was the reasoning behind that, and why were agents in full, clear violation of their policy – but more importantly, what can we do to prevent this from every happening again? Because regardless of your situation, whether you are coming in for asylum or not, basic standards need to be met. We cannot allow another child to go hungry in front of a federal agent.”

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HOSPITALS ARE DUMPING HOMELESS SENIORS WITH SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS, ADVOCATES FOR HOMELESS REPORT

Advocates describe "crisis," call for state, county and city of San Diego to take action

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview aired on KNSJ

April 16, 2023 (San Diego) – Last year, hospitals in San Diego County discharged over 500 vulnerable patients onto the streets late at night in violation of state law, according to Amnie Zamudio and Joanne Standlee, co-founders of Housing 4 The Homeless (H4H).  In an interview with ECM, they described dumping of homeless or indigent patients, many wearing only hospital gowns and booties. Those discharged after midnight included seniors with dementia,  people in wheelchairs,  patients with catheters, and an elderly man with a broken hip. 

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: BOB GANS, ON HOW HIS PARENTS SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST AND WHY IT MATTERS TODAY

Hear the audio of ECM’s inhterview with Bob Gans on KNSJ.

View the slideshow, The Life Saving Kindness and Courage of Strangers, the story of Greta and Ruby.

By Miriam Raftery

April 14, 2023 (San Diego) -- In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 16,  ECM interviewed Bob Gans,the son of Holocaust survivors. He has created an educational project titled, “The Life Saving Kindness and Courage of Strangers, the story of Greta and Ruby.”

The 55-minute slide show that he presents to local groups relates the story of how his parents survived the Holocaust and  it’s relevance today.  He believes the most important aspect is “the lessons that can be learned” and applied today, encouraging people to speak out if they see wrongdoing and to offer help to those in need.

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: CLOVIS HONORE, GRID ALTERNATIVES, ON NEW SOLAR RATES AND FREE SOLAR FOR LOW-INCOME HOMES

By Jonathan Goetz and Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Miriam Raftery and Clovis Honore

April 1, 2023 (San Diego) – In an interview with ECM aired on KNSJ, GRID Alternatives senior outreach coordinator Clovis Honore discussed the importance of signing up for solar now, before a mid-April statewide rate change kicks in. He also discussed options for free solar available to low-income homeowners in some communities.

Honore has spent much time speaking before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which gives him an informed view on the new net energy metering 3.0 rates for solar that take effect April 14, although applications submitted by that date will be grandfathered in.

GRID Alternatives provides free solar on low-income homes. The government determines where they can locate free solar and their San Diego office serves a small area around Gillespie Field in El Cajon, an area around the freeway in Lemon Grove, a coastal area around National City and Chula Vista.

When asked if solar installations are going to make sense to add after the new rates, he responds, “Absolutely. Absolutely… For our clients it’s always going to be good, because it’s free. For folks who have to invest in solar it’s going to take them longer to recoup their investment.”

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW WITH SHERIFF KELLY MARTINEZ

View video of full interview; Hear audio

March 24, 2023 (San Diego) – Earlier this month, East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery interviewed San Diego County’s new Sheriff, Kelly Martinez, for our radio show on KNSJ.  She’s been in law enforcement since 1985, working her way up the ranks from Deputy Sheriff to Undersheriff before winning election as Sheriff last November. She’s also the first woman to serve as San Diego’s top law enforcement officer. In our interview, she spoke about efforts to improve jails and reduce jail deaths, combat human trafficking and fentanyl overdoses, hold deputies accountable for wrongdoing, address homelessness issues, and expand staffing - including some jobs currently open, and more.

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST COUNTY OVER DECARBONIZATION PLAN

 

Hearing April 5 for County Supervisors to weigh the Regional Decarbonization Framework

Public urged to speak at meeting and submit comments by March 31 deadline at project website

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview with Bill Powers, Protect Our Communities Foundation, recorded four days before the nonprofit group filed a lawsuit against the County.  The interview originally aired on KNSJ radio. View video of  interview.

March 8, 2023 (San Diego) – The Protect Our Communities Foundation (POCF) has filed a lawsuit against the County of San Diego contending that the County hired a  biased utility industry consultant direct the County’s Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF) and that the RDF’s conclusions are skewed toward utilities’ interests over consumers’ interests based on flawed data. The suit also names the University of California as a defendant, contending that UCSD concealed researcher David Victor’s financial ties to the utility industry when it won a no-bid contract from the County to prepare the report that Victor co-authored.  

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine aired on KNSJ radio four days before the suit was filed in late February, Bill Powers, an engineer and board member on the Protect Our Communities Foundation, discussed why the organization is taking a stand against the RDF. He contends that if approved by Supervisors as written, it could result in fast-tracking industrial-scale wind and solar projects in our backcountry, even waiving environmental impact reviews, when it would be more economical to build rooftop and parking lot solar in urban areas – without harm to local communities and environmental habitats.

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TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR SPEAKS OUT, OFFERS HELP TO OTHERS

"God allows U-turns." -- Kathi Torres

By Miriam Raftery

View video interview by clicking image, right

February 26, 2023 (San Diego) – Kathi Torres with Freedom from Exploitation, an organization that helps survivors of human trafficking, is also a survivor of sex trafficking. In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine originally aired on KNSJ radio, Torres speaks out on her own experience, how to protect teens from traffickers, and how to get help for victims here in San Diego County, a national hub for human trafficking.

She also calls for repeal of a state law, Senate Bill 357, that decriminalized loitering to solicit prostitution, which she says has cut off the main avenue for victims to get help. 

“Because of this new law, police can’t stop, cite or arrest anyone for loitering to solicit prostitution,” including victims as well as men driving around looking to pick up prostitutes. But when police can’t detain trafficking victims, the victims don’t get referred to programs that can help them escape from being trafficked, says Torres, who was also a panelist at a recent presentation of “Stolen,” an NBC San Diego investigative series on trafficking.

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

LISTEN NOW: OUR RADIO SHOWS FROM JUNE-DECEMBER 2022 ARE NOW ONLINE

Our radio shows from June through December 2022 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Highlights included interviews with Supervisor Joel Anderson on the dumping of asylum seekers at local transit stations, environmental activists on the draining of Loveland Reservoir, Lemon Grove residents working to reopen their recreation center,a Water Conservation Garden expert on monarch butterflies, women’s rights advocates on the overturning of Roe v. Wade,  El Cajon officials on homelessness concerns, as well as candidates running for offices across East County (published pre-election in our Politics section) and more.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Note: Some shows are reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

HUNDREDS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS DUMPED AT LOCAL TRANSIT STOPS OVER HOLIDAYS

Supervisor Anderson to introduce measure to help those stranded, seek funds from FEMA – and asks public to sign petition in support

By Miriam Raftery

 

View video of interview with Sup. Joel Anderson

Hear audio of our interview aired on KNSJ Radio

 

December 31, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – With extreme cold gripping much of the nation and shelters for asylum-seekers full, the federal government sent hundreds to San Diego County. Border Patrol agents dumped at least 880 asylum seekers off at transit stations, including 140 abandoned at the El Cajon Transit Center last weekend starting on Christmas Eve.

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SWEETWATER DRAINS LOVELAND RESERVOIR TO DEAD POOL LEVEL TO SAVE ITS RATEPAYERS MONEY-- AT THE EXPENSE OF RURAL RESIDENTS, WILDLIFE, AND FIRE PROTECTION

By Miriam Raftery

Photo  left:  water drains from Loveland Reservoir in Alpine to Sweetwater Reservoir in Otay;

Photo, right: bare mudflat at Loveland, once  400 surface acres, now doomed to be dropped to just 10.

November 23, 2022 (Alpine) – Without any regard to impacts on wildlife, fire danger, rural residents or recreational users at Loveland Reservoir near Alpine in San Diego's East County, the Sweetwater Water Authority (SWA) on November 16 began draining down the lake with an intent to reduce it to “dead pool” level – less than one-half of one percent of the reservoir’s capacity, once draining is completed over the next couple of weeks or so.

The water is being transferred to Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley. From there, it will be used to provide drinking water and other water needs to residents in the South Bay communities of Chula Vista, National City and Bonita.

But critics say  the action is destroying habitat for wildlife, perhaps forever, also eliminating fishing at the area's only reservoir with free fishing access, and threatening firefighters' ability to combat fast-moving wildfires .  Critics also contend that draining the reservoir so low is unnecssary at current drought levels. Yet the people most negatively impacted have no representation on the SWA board, which doesn't include East County.

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

LA MESA MAYOR MARK ARAPOSTATHIS SHARES HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS FOR THE CITY IF REELECTED

 

October 12, 2022 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis is a life-long La Mesa resident, a teacher once honored as a County Teacher of the Year, and Director of Theatre Arts at La Mesa Arts Academy.  Known as Dr. A, he holds a doctorate in education from USD and SDSU. He served on the La Mesa City Council and headed up the La Mesa Arts Alliance before becoming mayor, and now he’s running for reelection.

In an interview with East County Magazine also airing on KNSJ radio, he spoke about his accomplishments, key issues and challenges facing the city, and his goals if reelected. View the full interview by clicking the image above, or scroll down to read highlights.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

MEJGAN AFSHAN, LA MESA CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE, SEEKS EQUITY FOR ALL

 

By Miriam Raftery, based on interview by Henri Migala

October 6, 2022 (La Mesa) – In an interview with East County Magazine’s Henri Migala originally aired on KNSJ radio, La Mesa City Council candidate Mejgan Afshan shared her experience as a civil rights leader and her goals to build a more equitable La Mesa if elected. She is one of four candidates running (a fifth, Kathleen Brand, has dropped out); ECM will be publishing interviews with all of the candidates over the next several days.

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

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