EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: APRIL 30, 2010

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East County Roundup highlights important stories impacting East County published in other publications.

 

Roundup stories for this month include:

 

  • Jail land to be acquired by eminent domain: legal action okayed for expanded Las Colinas facility
  • Streamlined zoning code proposed in El Cajon; City to hold hearing on revised rules
  • Salas, Vargas financing debate turns ugly
  • Crackdown curbs crime on trolley
  • How a strict earthquake safety law doesn't apply to all schools
  • Famliy, friends remember slain Poway couple
  • New info prompts release of woman in elderly thefts
  • King parents, Fletcher lobby for Chelsea's Law
  • Santee man catches child in 30-foot mall plummet
  • Energy: solar fire raises questions about panel safety; building code leaves firefighters unable to fully kill power
  • Mingei Escondido latest casualty of economy
  • Council's oversight of meeting knocked;public isn't given chance to comment (El Cajon hearing on East County Performing Arts Center)

JAIL LAND TO BE ACQUIRED BY EMINENT DOMAIN
Legal action okayed for expanded Las Colinas facility

April 29, 2010 (San Diego Union-Tribune) SANTEE— An effort to replace the region’s only all-female jail — an endeavor that has drawn three lawsuits — has become even more complicated.
County supervisors this week voted 4-1, with Dianne Jacob dissenting, to use eminent domain to take control of about 15 acres in Santee needed for the new Las Colinas Detention Facility. Although the county currently owns the land, it is trying to seize the development rights on the acreage from Minneapolis-based developer Ryan Cos., which is developing a mixed-use project on more than 100 acres in the area.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/30/las-colinas-jail-land-to-...

STREAMLINED ZONING CODE PROPOSED IN EL CAJON; CITY TO HOLD HEARING ON REVISED RULES

April 29, 2010 (Union-Tribune) — Telegraph services and Green Stamp redemption centers are out, but computer centers will be included for the first time in El Cajon’s zoning code as city officials propose revisions to outdated regulations.
Some changes also are being considered that could rile some residents and please others. Carport tarps for recreational vehicles and landscaping with gravel no longer would be permitted, and El Cajon residents wouldn’t be allowed to hold more than 12 garage sales a year.
…With the revisions, a permit for a child-care business would cost $200 instead of $4,700 and would be easier to obtain. A restaurant owner who wants to add outside dining would pay $200 instead of $1,250 and wouldn’t have to get a major permit.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/29/streamlined-zoning-code-p...
SALAS, VARGAS FINANCE DEBATE TURNS UGLY

April 30, 2010 (San Diego News Network) -- A routine campaign news conference Friday morning turned into a sidewalk shouting match between supporters of rival Democratic state Senate candidates Mary Salas and Juan Vargas that at one point degenerated into a brief scuffle.
Rep. Bob Filner, D-Chula Vista, joined Salas, an assemblywoman from Chula Vista, in front of the Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego to accuse Vargas of being bankrolled by insurance companies, oil companies and other interests spending money on his behalf through independent committees.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/30/salas-vargas-finance-deba...


CRACKDOWN CURBS CRIME ON TROLLEY

Officials say theft, robbery are most common incidents
April 26, 2010 (Union-Tribune) -- Serious crime on the San Diego Trolley fell last year as ridership on the red cars dropped and authorities cracked down on iPod thefts and other snatch-and-run offenses.
Officials for the Metropolitan Transit System reported a 2009 crime rate of 0.52 incidents per 100,000 passengers, down from 0.63 the previous year. San Diego crime rates fell over the same period last year.
Stops with the highest number of reported crimes included the ones at Encanto/62nd Street, the El Cajon Transit Center and the Grossmont Transit Center in La Mesa. Offenses ranged from robberies and drug abuse to vandalism and public drunkenness.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/26/crackdown-curbs-crime-on-...
 

HOW A STRICT EARTHQUAKE SAFETY LAW DOESN’T APPLY TO ALLL SCHOOLS
April 14, 2010 (Voice of San Diego)--San Diegans have earthquakes on the mind after a series of Baja temblors rattled homes and nerves here two weeks ago. They have less to worry about their children's schools: California public schools are seen nationally as the gold standard for seismic safety under an exacting law called the Field Act.
But not all schools are subject to the rules. Preschools aren't covered by them. Private schools are covered by a separate, slightly less demanding law, which doesn't apply at all to older private schools. And charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run, don't fall under the Field Act unless they accept state facilities money -- something that is rare here -- or use district buildings.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/education/article_0409877a-483b-11df-bc18...


FAMILY, FRIENDS REMEMBER SLAIN POWAY COUPLE

April 12, 2010 (Pomerado News) -- Joyful remembrances of Mitch and DeeDee Cunnyngham brought a mixture of tears — and at times robust laughter — during a Saturday memorial service at North City Presbyterian Church.

…The mood during the service was in sharp contrast to the horrific tragedy on Easter Sunday that claimed their lives at the hands of neighbor Robert Reed, who reportedly pumped shotgun blasts into their home, killing them in the process.
http://www.pomeradonews.com/article/News/News/Family_friends_remember_sl...

 

NEW INFO PROMPTS RELEASE OF WOMAN IN ELDERLY THEFTS
Deirdria Nicholson, 50, Arrested Last Thursday

April 12, 2010 (Channel 10 News) El Cajon -- Questions about the suspect's identity prompted prosecutors Monday to drop their case against a La Mesa woman accused of stealing the purses and pocketbooks of seven people after talking her way into homes in El Cajon, Lake Murray and San Diego.
http://www.10news.com/news/23121800/detail.html

KING PARENTS, FLETCHER LOBBY FOR CHELSEA’S LAW
Legislation would tighten parole rules
April 12, 2010 (San Diego Union-Tribune) — Aware of the challenge but committed to their cause, Kelly and Brent King on Monday launched the campaign to pass “Chelsea’s Law.”
“We must demand nothing short of swift and decisive action for all of our children,” said Kelly King, the mother of slain Poway teenager Chelsea King.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/12/kelly-king-cant-keep-happ...

 

SANTEE MAN CATCHES CHILD IN 30-FOOT MALL PLUMMET
April 11, 2010 (Channel 6 news) - A 21-year-old Santee man stepped outside of a restaurantat an Orange County mall for a smoke, spotted a small child snagged by an upstairs escalator, and grabbed the 4-year-old by the feet as he plummeted 30 feet head first.
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Santee-Man-Catches-Child-in-30...

 

ENERGY: SOLAR FIRE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT PANEL SAFETY
Building codes leave firefighters unable to fully kill power

April 10, 2010 (North County Times) -- A small house fire caused by a solar panel in San Diego last week exposed a potentially dangerous flaw in the building codes of many cities across California, which is pushing for tens of thousands of homeowners to install the generating systems on their rooftops.
http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_8a32fb03-9e3f-58ca-b860-9c7fe1e2...

 

MINGEI ESCONDIDO LATEST CASUALTY OF ECONOMY
April 2, 2010 (SDNN) -- In the oh-so-sad arts department comes word that the Mingei International Museum will close its Escondido galleries on June 26, ending an ambitious mission to bring international folk art, craft and design to North County. The Escondido annex — an offshoot of the Mingei’s Balboa Park facility — will be turned into a storage facility for the museum.
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-04-02/blog/culture-cruncher/mingei-esc...


COUNCIL’S OVERSIGHT OF MEETING KNOCKED
Public isn’t given a chance to comment

March 27, 2010 (San Diego Union-Tribune) — Criticism of the way El Cajon City Council members ran a meeting on the future of the East County Performing Arts Center has raised questions about the way the council alerts residents and allows public comment at its workshop sessions.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/27/councils-oversight-of-mee...

 


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