East County Magazine Live! Radio Show

East County Magazine Live! Radio Show

TRANSLATOR WHO HELPED U.S. MILITARY SAVES BABY FROM FIRE, BUT HIS FAMILY IN EL CAJON LOSES EVERYTHING

 

 

Hear our interview  on KNSJ with Mandy Mattis, No One Left Behind, on the Shurish family, how you can help this local hero and other translators relocated here after risking their lives to help Amreican troops.

By Miriam Raftery

February 1, 2018 (El Cajon) – Targeted by the Taliban for helping the U.S. military as a translator in Afghanistan, Ahmed Shurish fled his homeland with his wife and children, leaving everything else behind.  They arrived here just seven months ago, building a new life in El Cajon.

But now his family has once against lost everything, this time in a fire in which Shurish heroically saved his neighbor’s baby from the flames. So the community is pulling together to help this hero and his family rebuild their lives yet again.


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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW WITH SHAMUS SAYED, MODERATE REPUBLICAN RUNNING AGAINST REP. DUNCAN HUNTER

 

 

 

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

Hear our full in-depth interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, by clicking the audio link.

January 28, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Shamus Sayed, a Republican running in the 50th Congressional District for the seat currently held by Rep. Duncan Hunter, calls himself a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Republican.  He says he’s running, “because I want to make a change” and because he wants to bring “integrity and accountability” to the offices.

Rep. Hunter is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department for alleged use of campaign funds for lavish personal expenses.  A federal grand jury has recently been convened, raising the potential for an indictment, though Hunter has stated recently that he has no intentional of stepping down.

Audio: 

interview with Shamus Sayed, 50th Congressional District candidate

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: EL CAJON MAYOR BILL WELLS

 

By Miriam Raftery

December 28, 2017 (El Cajon)—El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells was our guest for an in-depth interview on our radio show last week.  You can hear the full interview, originally aired on KNSJ, by clicking on the “audio” link.  Our topics included the performing arts center, a major new goal for helping the homeless, and economic revitalization in the community.

Mayor Wells shared details about the city’s exciting new partnership with Live Nation to reopen the East County Performing Arts Center.  The Mayor, who plays several musical instruments, recalled how music made a big difference in his own life.  “It was the first thing I was really good at,” he reflected, also sharing a humorous anecdote about how he talked his way into the school band as a youngster growing up.

Audio: 

Interview with El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells Dec. 2017

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LISTEN NOW: OUR OCTOBER 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE ONLINE

 

Our October 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews click here or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included a two-part chad with Chida Warren-Darby on domestic violence and African-American issues and Emma Higgins, Grid Alternatives, on creating job training and solar opportunities for low income people locally.  We also covered top local and national issues, from wildfires across California to the Las Vegas mass shooting s and defunding of Children’s healthcare, as well as top local stories such as the hepatitis A outbreak, homelessness and invasive Aedes Egypti mosquitoes.

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.  Read more and listen to our October shows:

Audio: 


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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: JAMES ELIA, ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE RUNNING AGAINST RANDY VOEPEL

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

December 21, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- Last week, East County Magazine sat down with James Elia, a Democrat running in the 71st Assembly district against Republican Assemblyman Randy Voepel. Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.

Elia, an accountant, has set his sights on establishing a state bank -- a goal he estimates would bring in enough revenues to fund universal healthcare for all Californians. 

He is running on a populist platform that includes creating more affordable housing in East County, bringing economic development and good-paying jobs to the 71st Assembly district.

Audio: 

James Elia interview on 71st Assembly candidacy

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NEW SDG&E RATES WILL MAKE SOLAR COST MORE--UNLESS YOU HAVE A BATTERY BACKUP

 

 

Hear our interview with Daniel Sullivan, founder of Sullivan Solar, by clicking the audio link

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Battery storage unit on garage wall

December 18, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Many solar customers are unaware of new time-of-use rates that took effect December 1st. In an interview with ECM on KNSJ Radio, Sullivan Solar founder and president Daniel Sullivan explains that if you bought solar between June 30, 2016 and Dec. 1, 2017, your rates will be going up sharply after a five-year grace period. Rates for use during evening hours are doubling; a typical family will pay 143% more than in the past. If you buy solar in the future, your rates will also be higher, starting immediately.

But there is a solution:  buy a back-up battery, which will not only lower your rates, but also provide backup power to keep your electricity on during future power outages. Back-up batteries, with subsidies, can be financed out for only about $20 a month – and you’ll likely save $100 a month on your electricity bill, says Sullivan. Rebates end in June 2018, so there's a strong incentive to get a battery soon before the rebates run out.

Audio: 

Interview with Daniel Sullivan, Sullivan Solar, on battery back-ups

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: EMMA HIGGINS, GRID ALTERNATIVES

 

 

Company seeks donors to bring solar job training and installations for low-income homeowners to East County

December 18, 2017 (San Diego) -- Emma Higgins with Grid Alternatives in San Diego sat down with ECM editor Miriam Raftery on our KNSJ radio show recently to discuss how the nation’s largest nonprofit solar installer is offering solar installations free to low and moderate homeowners, saving 75-100% on their energy bills.

The organization also provides job training to qualified persons in need including veterans and refugees. Participants can earn an income while training and after completing the program, can make $19 an hour. 

Audio: 

interview with Emma Higgins, Grid Alternatives

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LISTEN NOW: OUR SEPTEMBER 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

Our September 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews, click here or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included Ray Lutz of Citizens Oversight on the San Onofre nuclear waste settlement and election integrity, judicial candidate Tim Nader, peace activists Nancy Ryan and SueEllen Treadwell. Plus we went on the road to the Ramona grape stomp and covered hot issues across East County, California and the nation.

 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.  Read more and listen to our September shows:

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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: JUDICIAL CANDIDATE TIM NADER

Listen to the audio link to hear the full interview, and scroll down for highlights.

"Certainly, I would make sure that I would conduct myself in a way that litigants would know that whatever their background, they are going to be listened to, they are going to get a fair shake, and decisions are going to be made based on the evidence in the case and not based on other factors or biases. I think those are the most important prerequisites for being a good judge." -- Tim Nader

By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) –  In an interview originally aired on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ radio,  San Diego Superior Court Judge candidate Tim Nader discusses his experience and judicial values and views of our criminal justice system. 

Nader has criminal , civil and family law experience. He  worked for the state Attorney General  for many years.  He later served as Mayor and City Councilmember in Chula Vista, as a nonprofit executive director, as a community college board trustee, and  as a child support attorney for the County before returning to the Attorney General’s office.

His opponent, Judge Gary Kreep, was censured by the State Commission on Judicial Performance , which found Kreep engaged in 29 acts of judicial misconduct. demonstrating lack of judicial temperament and ran his courtroom in a manner that suggested bias. Kreep made derogatory comments about women attorneys, minorities and people with cases him, among numerous other controversies.

Audio: 

Interview with Tim Nader, San Diego Superior Court judicial candidate

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW ZELT, 50TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATE

 

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

October 17, 2017 (San  Diego’s East County) -- Recently we sat down with Andrew Zelt, a Republican challenger running against Rep. Duncan D. Hunter in the 50th Congressional District. He’s a sergeant in the Sheriff’s Department, where he’s spent his career, and a resident of Rancho San Diego.

Zelt says he’s running because he can no longer support Hunter, who is under investigation by the Justice Department for  allegedly using campaign donations for personal use. (Hunter has denied wrongdoing but did repay his campaign around $60,000 for vacations, payments to his child's school, oral surgery, jewelry and other expenses.)

“My top priority is listening to the people, finding out what are some of the things that affect you, your day to day lives, and then expand on that to the nation," he says, adding, "What are some of your concerns about the way our nation is going?”

  Hear our in-depth interview at the audio link, which originally aired late this summer on KNSJ radio, or scroll down for highlights.

Audio: 

Interview with Andrew Zelt, candidate for 50th Congressional District

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEWS: CHIDA WARREN-DARBY, SAN DIEGO VOICE AND VIEWPOINT EDITOR

 

East County News Service

October 13, 2017 (San Diego) – Recently,  we sat down for a two-part interview with Chida Warren-Darby, co-publisher of the San Diego Voice and Viewpoint newspaper. Chida is one of the youngest  black co-publishers in the U.S.

In part one, she discussed her experience as a survivor of domestic violence and her participation in “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”, a YWCA event to help domestic violence survivors.

In part two, she talked about issues impacting the African-American community in San Diego, from police use of force to the process for choosing a new San Diego Police Chief.

Audio: 

Chida Warren Darby interview part 1: domestic violence
Chida Warren Darby interview part 2: African-American issues

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LISTEN NOW: OUR JULY AND AUGUST 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

Our July and August 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews,  click here, or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included Eric Lund with the East County Homeless Task Force, 50th Congressional district candidates Josh Butner (ex- Navy Seal) and Andrew Velt  (Sheriff sergeant), La Mesa Interfaith Council’s Nancy Ryan and Suellen Treadwell on an International Day of Peace, and Mission Trails Regional Park ranger Rebecca Smart on dog safety for local trails. Plus we covered hot issues locally and nationally that impact people in our region.

 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.  Read more and listen to our July and August shows:

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CITIZENS OVERSIGHT TO ANNOUNCE TWO MAJOR PROJECTS AT SAN ONOFRE PUBLIC EVENT SUNDAY

 

 

Hear our interview aired earlier this month on KNSJ radio with Ray Lutz, founder of Citizens Oversight, talking about the settlement agreement, by clicking the audio link.

East County News Service

UPDATE:  Other organizations concerned about San Onofre nuclear waste have issued statements calling today's event as a "sham" and voicing criticisms of the settlement deal. Read more:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/critics-call-todays-celebration-settle...

September 23, 2017 (Oceanside) — Citizens Oversight, an El Cajon-based watchdog group, will be announcing formation of a settlement oversight panel to monitor efforts to move nuclear waste from San Onofre to a safer place pursuant to a settlement agreement with Southern California Edison and the California Coastal Commission.  In addition, founder Ray Lutz will unveil a “1,000-year dry storage challenge” that aims to find a long-term solution to the nation’s lack of storage for nuclear wastes. 

Audio: 

Interview with Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, on San Onofre settlement

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: RAY LUTZ, CITIZENS OVERSIGHT FOUNDER, SPEAKS OUT ON BILL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD NEGATE HIS COURT WIN AGAINST SAN DIEGO’S REGISTRAR OF VOTERS

 

By Miriam Raftery

September 10, 2017 (San Diego) – After Citizens Oversight sued San Diego’s Registrar of Voters, a judge ruled that in future elections, the 1% manual tally must include mail-in ballots dropped at the polls or received days after the election, as well as valid provisional ballots.  But now a last-minute amendment slipped into Assembly Bill 840 by an organization of election officials  would eliminate that requirement statewide – a move Lutz says puts election integrity at risk and could allow tampering with certain ballots to occur undetected.

Listen to our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio, by clicking the audio link amd scroll down for highights. Also hear about a major difference in votes cast late vs. early – and why Lutz believes if all the local ballots had been examined, it may have changed the outcome in the Democratic presidential primary.

Audio: 


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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: JOSH BUTNER, EX- NAVY SEAL OFFICER AND SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE RUNNING FOR CONGRESS

 

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

Hear our interview with Josh Butner at the audio link and scroll down for highlights.

September 4, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Josh Butner says he’s running for Congress against Representative Duncan Hunter in the 50th Congressional District to “put people first, not personal profit or special interest politics.” 

A former Navy Seal Lieutenant Commander and current trustee on the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District board, he wants to champion a strong public education, restore integrity, and provide strong leadership on issues ranging from foreign policy to helping military families to combating climate change.

East County Magazine’s Show recently sat down with Butner for an in-depth interview originally aired July 21 on KNSJ radio. Hear the full 42-minute interview by clicking the orange audio link, and scroll down for highlights. He is one of five Democrats in the race; two Republican challengers to Hunter have also announced intentions to run. With Hunter under a federal criminal probem, this race is drawing national attention.

Audio: 

interview with Josh Butner, candidate, 50th Congressional District

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LISTEN NOW: OUR JUNE 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

July 22, 2017 (San Diego's East County)-- Our June 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews,  click here, or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included El Cajon’s new Councilman Steve Goble, Morgan Cook, the San Diego Union-Tribune Reporter named Journalist of the Year by the San Diego Union-Tribune for her investigation of  Rep. Duncan Hunter,  Glenn Jensen, a Democrat and information  technology specialist running against Hunter, and Dr. James Veltmeyer, a doctor with a conservative proposal for healthcare reform. Plus we had coverage on hot local, state and national 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.  Read more and listen to our June shows:

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: GLENN JENSEN, CANDIDATE RUNNING AGAINST DUNCAN HUNTER

 

By Miriam Raftery

July 21, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Recently, Glenn Jensen joined us on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ to talk about his candidacy against Rep. Duncan Hunter in the 50th Congressional District.  A Democrat who calls himself a “recovering Republican”, he’s a lifelong resident of the district,  a graduate of Helix High School who raised his family in East County, helped save homes in the Cedar Fire, and works in information technology sales.  You can hear his full interview by clicking the audio link or scroll down for highlights.

Jensen says he’s running to “set this country back on track” with integrity and a progressive but fiscally responsible agenda.  He’s also concerned about the criminal F.B.I. and Justice Department investigations against Hunter. 

“It’s obvious to me he’s been enriching himself …but has not introduced any legislation to benefit his district,” says Jensen, who calls Hunter's lavish spending of campaign funds on personal uses "pretty damn close to embezzlement." Those expenses included a family vacations to Europe, jewelry, dental bills and airfare for the Hunter family's pet rabbit.  (Hunter has denied wrongdoing, but did borrow money to repay $62,000 to his campaign. Hunter has since spent nearly all of his recent campaign contributions on his legal defense.)

Audio: 

Interview with Glenn Jensen, 50th Congressional District candidate

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: EAST COUNTY REGIONAL TASK FORCE ON HOMELESS CHAIR ERIC LUND

 

By Miriam Raftery

July 15, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Recently, we sat down with Eric Lund, chair of the East County Regional Task Force on the Homeless  and president of the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, for an interview that originally aired on KNSJ radio. 

He shared details about the Task Force's vision and proposals for a compassion approach to helping the homeless obtain housing and services, while also keeping communities clean and safe for residents and businesses.

Listen now by clicking the audio link.

Audio: 


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LISTEN NOW: OUR MAY 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

 

July 2, 2017 (San Diego's East County)-- Our May  2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews,  click here, or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included  author Mollie Moon, author of Five Wishes, Ammar Campo-Najir, Congressional candidate running against Duncan Hunter, paleontologist Tom Demere from the Natural History Museum on a discovery suggesting early man occupied our area thousands of years earlier than previously believed,  Mark Hanson and Terri Steele from Heartland Youthbuild  on opportunities for young people locally thanks to a federal grant.

Plus we  have highlights of last year’s Julian Fiddle and Pickin’ Contest with clips from winner Shira Ellison and national champion Matt  Hartz.  We also had coverage and analysis of hot national issues including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey’s testimony,  and hot local issues ranging from a gas pipeline proposed in Santee to toxic vapors in El Cajon to a revival of La Mesa’s summer car shows.

 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.  Read more and listen to our May shows:

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: JOHN FORD, FORMERLY HOMELESS NAVY VETERAN TURNED POOL SAFETY FENCE ENTREPRENEUR

 

By Miriam Raftery

July 2, 2017 (San Diego) – East County Magazine recently conducted an exclusive interview on KNSJ radio with John Ford about his experience leaving the Navy,  becoming homeless in San Diego, and ultimately becoming a successful business entrepreneur all in one year. 

You can hear the full interview by clicking the audio link, or scroll down for highlights of the interview plus pool safety tips to protect your children.

Audio: 

Interview with John Ford, Life Saver Pool Fence and former homeless veteran

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: MORGAN COOK, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST, ON HER INVESTIGATION INTO REP. HUNTER

 

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview by clicking the audio link and scroll down to read highlights.

June 25, 2017 (San Diego) – East County Magazine sat down for an interview with Morgan,  the San Diego Union-Tribune reporter who has been named “Journalist of the Year” by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in San Diego. 

In our exclusive interview, aired earlier this month on KNSJ radio, we asked what led her to investigate Congressman Duncan D. Hunter’s campaign finances, how his office responded, and what challenges she faced in her investigation.  Cook’s findings helped lead to an ongoing U.S. Justice Department criminal probe of allegations that Hunter spent lavish sums on personal expenditures and charged them to his campaign, including a family vacation to Italy , expensive jewelry, resort visits, money paid to his children’s school, first-class airfare for his son’s pet rabbit, and more. 

Audio: 

Interview with Morgan Cook, SPJ Journalist of the Year

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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 APRIL 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

 

 June 25, 2017 (San Diego's East County)-- Our April 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews, click here, or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included Dave Myers, who is running for Sheriff, 50th Congressional district candidates Pete Beauregard and Gloria Chadwick, and former homeless veteran John Ford, who now runs a pool safety company. We also covered top local, state and national news, from Earth Day activities to Women’s History Month to the border wall and immigration reforms.

 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.  Read more and listen to our April shows:

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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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: DR. JAMES VELTMEYER SPEAKS OUT ON HEALTHCARE REFORM PROPOSAL

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 16, 2017 (La Mesa) – Dr. James Veltmeyer, Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, has proposed a new Medical Association Membership (MAM)  direct-payer health reform plan.   He has previously been named “Top Medical Doctor in San Diego,” for 2012, 2014, and 2016 according to his colleagues in the San Diego Medical Society,

He recently sat down for an interview with East County Magazine on KNSJ, which you can hear by clicking the audio link.

Dr. Veltmeyer has been a vocal critic of  the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare based in part on his wife, Laura, and her battle with breast cancer. 

Audio: 

Interview with Dr. James Veltmeyer on KNSJ

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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 MARCH 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

June 3, 2017 (San Diego's East County)-- Our March 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews, click here  or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

We covered timely local stories, such as highlights from Rep. Duncan Hunter’s town hall and flooding after the heavy rains. Our newsmaker interviews included immigration attorney Steven Risnyk, Coast to Cactus guidebook author Diana Lindsay,  Dr. Fred Baughman on his theory that psychoactive drugs are causing deaths of young military members and veterans, filmmaker Mike Garcia on his documentary on the 50th Congressional district race, plus Bonnie Baranoff from La Mesa Conversations and Lois Knowlton from La Mesa First United Methodist Church on homelessness. 

 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.  Read more and listen to our March shows:

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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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: AMMAR CAMPA NAJJAR, CANDIDATE RUNNING AGAINST DUNCAN HUNTER, WITH BACKGROUND IN CREATING JOBS FOR BOTH LABOR DEPT. AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

 

 

 “This campaign is about solving economic injustice, regardless of your views or hues. Regardless of whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, pain is pain.”—Ammar Campa-Najjar

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

May  29, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Earlier this month, we sat down for an in-depth interview with Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Democrat running for the 50th Congressional  district seat held by Republican Duncan Hunter.  (Hear the full interview, which aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link and scroll down for highlights.)

 He has a rare combination of qualifications, with  background in helping promote job creation both as public affairs officer for the Labor Department under President Obama and as director of communications for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. 

A native San Diegan of Hispanic and Arab descent, he’s also  the son of immigrants and a Christian who’s worked with his church to help working people and  deported veterans.   Now he says he’s running to listen to the problems faced by all people in the district,  use his experience in Washington to bring good-paying jobs to East County including rural areas, and bring “national pride, not national shame” as our region’s representative in Congress.

Audio: 

Interview with Ammar Campa-Najjar, 50th Congressional district candidate

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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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: PALEONTOLOGIST TOM DEMÉRÉ SHARES NEW INSIGHTS INTO EARLY HUMAN ACTIVITY SIGNS AT LOCAL MASTADON DISCOVERY SITE

 

 

May 27, 2017 (San Diego) --Dr. Tom Deméré, curator of paleontology and director of PaleoServices at the San Diego Natural History Museum, was our guest recently on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ.   Deméré vigorously defended his team’s conclusions that  bones from an ancient mastodon skeleton found locally were broken and sharpened with stones onsite by early humans 130,000 years ago.  

Click the audio link to hear our full interview, and scroll down for highlights.

Audio: 

Interview with Dr. Tom Demere, San Diego Natural History Museum

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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.

OUR FEBRUARY, 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE: LISTEN NOW

 

May 20, 2017 (San Diego's East County)-- Our February 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews, click here. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

We interviewed representatives from the International Rescue Committee and Survivors of Torture on impacts of President Trump’s refugee restrictions and travel ban,  Dr. Patrick Sullivan, an anesthesiologist suing Grossmont Hospital over patient privacy concerns, women’s rights advocate Bonnie Price,  SDSU climate scientist Walter Oechel on melting permafrost, and Victor Crosswaite Contreras on Twainfest, who performed a dramatic reading of bandito Joaquin Murrieta.  We also covered top East County issues as well as regional and national news headlines.

 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.  Read more and listen to our February shows:

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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW WITH NOVELIST MOLLIE MOON, AUTHOR OF FIVE WISHES

 

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

May 20, 2017 (San Diego) – Mollie Moon, author of the novel Five Wishes,  sat down for an exclusive interview with Reina Menasche, host of the Bookshelf segment on East County Magazine’s Show on KNSJ radio.  Hear the full interview by clicking the audio link eand read highlights below.

Her novel tracks the journey of a teen girl escaping a shanty town in Honduras in hopes of finding a better life in America .  Her journey includes living on  city streets and falling prey to a human trafficker, nightmares that befall far too many immigrants coming to America. A German immigrant, Moon has empathy with immigrants around the world in today’s political climate.

Audio: 

Interview with Mollie Moon, author of Five Wishes, on KNSJ Radio

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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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: NURSE GLORIA CHADWICK SEEKS TO UNSEAT DUNCAN HUNTER TO REMEDY HEALTHCARE AND MORE

 

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link, or scroll down for highlights.

April 27, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Gloria Chadwick is a registered nurse who has worked in the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital. She's been elected to serve five terms on the Grossmont Healthcare District Board.  The first woman elected nearly 20 years ago, she's currently Vice President of the healthcare district serving East County. 

At a town hall meeting held by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), she announced plans to challenge him for  his seat – and passed out a pill bottle with her remedy to fix Congress:  “restoring integrity, providing affordable healthcare, creating more jobs, and protecting Medicare and the rights of Veterans.”

Voters couldn’t ask for a greater contrast.  Hunter, at his town hall, said he doesn’t believe healthcare is a right, but merely believes in “access” for those with the ability to pay for it. Chadwick describes herself as a “nurse warrior” who has been a fierce advocate for her patients – and now wants to do battle for constituents across the 50th Congressional District.  In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine aired on KNSJ, she shared her vision for reforming healthcare, strengthening services for veterans and military families, and protecting a clean, healthy environment.

Audio: 

Gloria Chadwick Interview

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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.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: PIERRE “PETE” BEAUREGARD, RAMONA RANCHER AND EX-MARINE CORPS MEDIC RUNNING AGAINST DUNCAN HUNTER

 

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our complete interview by clicking the audio link,  and scroll down for highlights

April 22, 2017 (Ramona) – In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine aired on KNSJ Radio April 3rd,  Pierre “Pete” Beauregard talked about his candidacy challenging Republican Duncan Hunter in the 50th Congressional district.

“My motto is `country over politics,’” says Beauregard, a Ramona rancher,  and formerMarine Corp medic who later helped start a medical clinic to help low-income people.  He’s worked as a cowboy, enjoys hunting and fishing,  and  is  ex-rodeo bull rider who believes  he’s tough enough to take on Hunter and stand up against Washington lobbyists if elected.  ““Once you ride a 2,000 pound bull,” he reflects, “Why in the hell should I be afraid of you?”

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.

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