EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

January 30, 2013--(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/REGIONAL

• Citrus Pest Spurs State Spraying In La Mesa (La Mesa Today)
• Board of Supervisors Approves Sale of 3-Acre Parcel to La Mesa For New Park
• La Mesa Winery to Open in Summer  (La Mesa Courier)
• County’s Equine Ordinance: Public input sought (Ramona Patch)
• Adios, Plaza de Panama project? (CityBeat)
• Watchdog Group Requests Council Transparency (La Mesa Courier)
• Nurse’s vision yields beds for homeless after surgery (U-T San Diego)
• Water war breaks out over PR contract (U-T San Diego)
• Padre Dam picks board officers (U-T San Diego)
• Mayor fires San Diego's lobbyists (Sacramento Bee)

STATE

• Governor Jerry Brown delivers State of the State address (Governor’s Office)
• Reactions to Governor’s State of the State address (Sacramento Bee)
• Calif. Speaker seeks to expand Medi-Cal for poor (Sacramento Bee)
• Doctors Ask Court To Review Medi-Cal Pay Cut (Sacramento Bee)
• Analysis: California budget fix relies on good times for the rich (Reuters)
• Secret hearings in case of Chandra Levy slaying (Sacramento Bee) 

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

LOCAL/REGIONAL

Citrus Pest Spurs State Spraying In La Mesa (La Mesa Today)

Residents in and around La Mesa have been finding a flier left at their home informing them of plans by the state and County Agriculture authorities to spray their property to help combat a pest that is threatening citrus trees.

The document gives a day and date for the spraying and advises residents to keep pets and their food and water dishes inside while this activity takes place.Residents are also advised to stay out of treated areas until the spray has dried (usually four hours) and to keep the homes doors and windows closed and laundry inside during the spraying period.

Board of Supervisors Approves Sale of 3-Acre Parcel to La Mesa For New Park

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved the sale of three acres of surplus land, formerly used as a maintenance station then a construction staging area, to the city of La Mesa for future use as a park. (La Mesa Patch)

La Mesa Winery to Open in Summer  (La Mesa Courier)

San Pasqual Winery is about to become the first La Mesa-based winery, and its owners, Mike and Linda McWilliams, wouldn’t have it any other way.

County’s Equine Ordinance: Public input sought (Ramona Patch)



An important milestone in the County’s project of updating the Equine Ordinance will begin the week of Jan. 28. Public feedback on the Draft of the Equine Ordinance and the accompanying Environmental Impact Report is being sought. You can review the documents on the County’s Equine Ordinance and Information website:http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/advance/Equine.html

Adios, Plaza de Panama project? (CityBeat) 

Judge tentatively rules that City Council approval broke municipal law. Could this coming Friday mark the end of the road for Irwin Jacobs’ contentious $45-million makeover plan for Balboa Park?

Watchdog Group Requests Council Transparency (La Mesa Courier)

Watchdog La Mesa Citizens Oversight Group (LMCOG) is calling the La Mesa City Council out, insisting more transparency is needed in the council’s dealings.

Nurse’s vision yields beds for homeless after surgery (U-T San Diego)

It was a rainy day in Escondido and Valerie Swain was preparing for surgery when she had the idea.

Water war breaks out over PR contract (U-T San Diego)

A Riverside County water agency is spending $15,000 a month on government and community relations in San Diego County, and the water authority here is waging a legal battle to find out

Padre Dam picks board officers (U-T San Diego)

The board of directors of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District swore in two returning board members recently and appointed board officers for 2013./ Augie Caires and Augie Scalzitti were re-elected in November to serve four-year terms. The board unanimously appointed Bill Pommering as president, James Peasley as vice president and Doug Wilson as treasurer.

Mayor fires San Diego's lobbyists (Sacramento Bee)

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner quietly sacked the city's lobbyists in Sacramento and Washington earlier this month without informing city councilmembers. / U-T San Diego reports (http://bit.ly/14fp9Jh) the Republican lobbying firms were given termination notices on Jan. 2 from the Democratic mayor's office.

STATE

Governor Jerry Brown delivers State of the State address (Governor’s Office)

Reactions to Governor’s State of the State address (Sacramento Bee)

Calif. Speaker seeks to expand Medi-Cal for poor (Sacramento Bee)

Assembly Speaker John Perez introduced legislation Monday to expand Medicaid in California under the federal Affordable Care Act, extending the health care program for the poor and disabled to include more than 1 million additional people.

Doctors Ask Court To Review Medi-Cal Pay Cut (Sacramento Bee)

California doctors are asking a federal appeals court to review a decision that allows the state to cut the Medi-Cal payment rate by 10 percent./ Up to 3 million more Californians could be eligible for Medi-Cal when health reform fully kicks in next year. Doctors complain the state is asking physicians to treat this influx of patients while it's cutting their payment rate. La Mesa physician Ted Mazer said the state first proposed the 10 percent cut when its finances were in poor shape.

Analysis: California budget fix relies on good times for the rich (Reuters)

California's governor is betting the wealthy will grow wealthier still to help right his state's finances, a wager that is expected to help the budget in the short term, but leaves it at risk of a revenue slump if assets such as stocks lose value. 

Secret hearings in case of Chandra Levy slaying (Sacramento Bee)

A judge has been holding secret hearings in the case of the man convicted in the 2001 killing of Chandra Levy, the latest twist in a high-profile murder investigation that went unsolved for years and captured public attention because of the intern's relationship with a California Congressman.