EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

November 21, 2024 (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 round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Ex-Granite Hills High teacher convicted of sex charges involving student (10 News)
• Ramona musicians seek solution for outdoor playing at wineries SD Reader)
• Four years after high-profile Borrego Health raid, El Cajon contract dentist is criminally charged (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Increased defense spending adds almost 20,000 San Diego jobs this year, report says (KPBS)
• Imperial Beach residents sue operator of border wastewater treatment plant (KPBS)
• La Mesa clothing shop looking for new space after new building owner more than triples rent (ABC 10”)
• Neighbors in Southeast San Diego demand investigation into 'shocking' footnote in city code (KPBS)

STATE

• New labor laws making changes for California’s workers in 2025 (KUSI)
• Fewer kids are going to California public schools. Is there a right way to close campuses? (CalMatters )
• California storm live updates: Rare high-risk warning for excessive rain issued for these areas (San Jose Mercury News)
• Newsom to Visit California’s Trump Country: ‘Message Received’ (New York Times)
• Nearly half of Muslim students at California universities say they have been harassed, survey finds (Los Angeles Times)

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

LOCAL

Ex-Granite Hills High teacher convicted of sex charges involving student (10 News)

A former Granite Hills High School teacher who was arrested on allegations of sexual misconduct involving an underage former female student was convicted of felony and misdemeanor charges.

Ramona musicians seek solution for outdoor playing at wineries SD Reader)

Most neighborhood conflicts over live music involve loud bands that drive the neighbors nuts. But an unusual battle has been brewing in Ramona for over a year now, one involving musicians who most often perform solo or as a duo while providing ambient music for patrons at local wineries.

Four years after high-profile Borrego Health raid, El Cajon contract dentist is criminally charged (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Six people have been charged with Medi-Cal fraud by the California attorney general, following a long-running investigation into the former healthcare nonprofit known as Borrego Health. State prosecutors announced a pair of felony charges against a contract dentist named Husam Aldairi and five employees at the 40/30 Dental clinic in downtown El Cajon.... The year before, the nonprofit also sued El Cajon businessman and philanthropist Daryl Priest, its former billing vendor and landlord, alleging that he cheated it out of millions of dollars by greatly overcharging rent on various properties....The El Cajon offices of Priest’s medical billing company, Premier Healthcare Management, also was searched by state and federal agents. Nonetheless, four years after the investigation began, the charges brought have been limited to Aldairi and his employees.

Increased defense spending adds almost 20,000 San Diego jobs this year, report says (KPBS)

The annual San Diego Military Economic Impact Report says defense dollars account for almost 25% of San Diego's economy.

Imperial Beach residents sue operator of border wastewater treatment plant (KPBS)

The lawsuit accuses Veolia Water North America of negligence in operating the plant. [They are] bringing the suit under California’s Public nuisance law….

La Mesa clothing shop looking for new space after new building owner more than triples rent (ABC 10”)

Act II, a women's clothing resell store, has been in business for 42 years…the store will have its last act, at least in its current location. The women say a new owner bought the building and increased the rent from $1,700 a month to $5,600…. They will be closing on Dec. 31…. The ladies are looking for a new space here in La Mesa.

Neighbors in Southeast San Diego demand investigation into 'shocking' footnote in city code (KPBS)

Footnote 7, passed in 2019, reduced minimum lot size from 20,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet – only in the city-designated Encanto and Southeastern Planning Areas …Monica Montgomery Steppe, the district’s council member who passed the footnote, did not answer questions about it…The city planning director at the time, Mike Hansen, said he doesn’t know why the footnote was included in the 2019 code update.

STATE

New labor laws making changes for California’s workers in 2025 (KUSI)

It is a few weeks out from the end of the year, meaning a whole slate of new laws are soon to go into effect. A number of these regulations readied to be put into action on Jan. 1 will be making big changes to the workplace, spanning everything from family leave and benefits to what employers can ask from potential hires in their job postings.

Fewer kids are going to California public schools. Is there a right way to close campuses? (CalMatters )

Declining enrollment, the end of pandemic relief grants and state budget uncertainty have combined to put hundreds of California school districts in precarious financial straits. Closing schools is never a popular option, but for some districts it may be the only way to avoid the state seizing control of operations.

California storm live updates: Rare high-risk warning for excessive rain issued for these areas (San Jose Mercury News)

The atmospheric river event bringing heavy rains and strong winds to California continues. Many of the same locations that were hit hard on Wednesday with rain and snow will see more heavy accumulations on Thursday, in particular, Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. In the Bay Area, the North Bay is likely to get drenched, with some risk of flooding.

Newsom to Visit California’s Trump Country: ‘Message Received’ (New York Times)

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom made the first of three post-election visits to California counties that Donald J. Trump won in the presidential race, reaching out to working-class voters in the Central Valley who remain frustrated by economic woes. ...Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged that residents were frustrated by economic problems and said that Democrats needed to address their concerns.

Nearly half of Muslim students at California universities say they have been harassed, survey finds (Los Angeles Times)

A new report from the Council on Islamic Relations said that close to half of Muslim students surveyed at dozens of California campuses felt harassed or discriminated against because of their religion.