EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

February 24, 2015 (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Mayor Faulconer meets with Chargers, fast tracks plans for new stadium (10 News)
• Stadium task force chairman had role in "Ticketgate" (SD Reader)
• Utility agency taps $882-an-hour lawyer (UT Sam Diego)
• In Jacob's race, solar also rises (UT San Diego)
• San Diego County Water Use Drops By 28 Percent In January (KPBS)
• Workers call for San Onofre probe (UT San Diego)
• San Onofre Operator Asks To Expand Used Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility(KPBS)
• Lemon Grove considers crime prevention program (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego State Names College After Stephen Weber (KPBS)

STATE

• California's school suspensions show racial disparity (USA Today)
•  Dan Walters: Brown wants only local school bonds (UT San Diego)
• Undo gas tax swap — then fix roads (UT San Diego)
• CA bill to require defibrillators in new buildings (UT San Diego)
•  Dozens exposed to superbug in LA (BBC)

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

LOCAL

Mayor Faulconer meets with Chargers, fast tracks plans for new stadium (10 News)

San Diego's mayor on Sunday fast-tracked the deadline for a local committee to come up with viable plans for a new NFL stadium, lest the San Diego Chargers move in with the Oakland Raiders in a new stadium in a Los Angeles suburb.

Stadium task force chairman had role in "Ticketgate" (SD Reader)

 Indian casino executive named in Del Mar fair freebie complaint

Utility agency taps $882-an-hour lawyer (UT Sam Diego)

Regulator is responding to criminal investigations of improper contact.

In Jacob's race, solar also rises (UT San Diego)

Supervisor sides with backcountry constituents against solar farms

San Diego County Water Use Drops By 28 Percent In January (KPBS)

Water use in the county has now dropped by nearly 30 percent for two months in a row when compared to the comparable period in 2014.

Workers call for San Onofre probe (UT San Diego)

Union questions ethics of Edison meeting with regulators in Poland.

San Onofre Operator Asks To Expand Used Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility(KPBS)

 Southern California Edison said its current facility, which was approved in 2001, will soon reach its capacity.

Lemon Grove considers crime prevention program (U-T San Diego)

 Crime Free Multi-Housing, successful in El Cajon, getting a closer look in Lemon Grove.

San Diego State Names College After Stephen Weber (KPBS)

San Diego State University announced Monday that its Honors College has been named after former school President Stephen Weber and his late wife, Susan.

STATE

California's school suspensions show racial disparity (USA Today)

 What constitutes willful defiance is somewhat vague, but it generally allows teachers to remove students from the classroom if their behavior is thought to be disruptive or defiant. It's the most common reason California students were suspended—and students of color are overwhelmingly targeted.  But there is a growing consensus that keeping kids out of the classroom for non-violent behavioral issues has done more harm than good…

Dan Walters: Brown wants only local school bonds (UT San Diego)

The governor wants the state to end its direct funding of school construction.

Undo gas tax swap — then fix roads (UT San Diego)

Voters who ordered the state government to make fixing roads a priority were betrayed.

CA bill to require defibrillators in new buildings (UT San Diego)

 Legislation would apply to structures with occupancy of 200 or more.

Dozens exposed to superbug in LA (BBC)

 Two deaths and seven infections are linked to medical scopes contaminated with a deadly strain of bacteria.