November 18, 2011 (El Cajon)--Investigators have determined that an early morning house fire in El Cajon was caused by arson, according to Heartland Fire and Rescue.
At 1:40 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue in El Cajon responded to reports of a structure fire and found a single story home at 1180 Naranca Avenue with heavy smoke and fire showing.
November 18, 2011 (Alpine) – A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. today for Devon Sambhi, 16, and his father, Sunil Sambhi. The service will be held at the Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Blvd., according to Tyler Smittle, general manager of the Ayres Lodge where Natalia Sambhi, mother and wife of the deceased, works.
November 18, 2011 (La Mesa)--Youth at United Church of Christ of La Mesa (UCCLM) will host a Fair Trade Holiday Sale on November 19 and 20 featuring gifts made by artisans paid fair wages and clean, safe work conditions in communities across the globe.
November 17, 2011 (San Diego)—Several hundred San Diegans, including East County residents, turned out today in answer to a call to occupy the Clairemont Bridge.
November 17, 2011 (San Diego) – Wells Fargo & Company announced today that its team members donated $545,000 to nonprofit organizations and schools in San Diego, Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties as part of the company’s annual Community Support and United Way Campaign. All donations were funded personally by team members. This year’s campaign resulted in a 22% percent year-over-year increase in donations from 2010.
November 17, 2011 (La Mesa)--As the public education establishment’s quandary over shortfalls in funding reaches critical mass, the time may be ripe for introducing sweeping changes to the entire system.
During a recent broadcast of the Ladona Harvey Show, a education establishment insider asserted (paraphrasing) that among the more important elements in revamping the education system is a higher degree of parent - teacher communication; and that parents must be more involved in the overall education experience.
November 17, 2011 (Poway) – A quick-thinking emergency room nurse at Pomerado Medical Center in Poway helped reunite a Caltrans worker with his arm, which was severed in a freak accident at 1:45 p.m. The nurse suggested calling the San Diego Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team to find the missing arm.
November 16, 2011 (Harbison Canyon) -- It’s November, the month when we all enjoy turkey at Thanksgiving. So this edition of Bird Talk is on the wild turkey and the other turkey namesake bird, the turkey vulture.
The wild turkey is not native to California, although it is native to North America. Numerous attempts tointroduce the turkey to California failed. Then in the early 1990s a second attempt was successful. Today, wild turkeys can be seen throughout the back hills of East San Diego County.
November 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – All lanes are blocked due to an accident on Highway 67 at Slaughterhouse Canyon. Mercy Air is attempting to land and a rescue is in progress for multiple patients in a crash involved a PT Cruiser, a Toyota, and a third vehicle.
November 16, 2011 (Santee) -- If you are looking for a family event that is guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirit, mark your calendar for the City of Santee Holiday Lighting Celebration. The event is scheduled for Friday, November 18, at the Santee Trolley Square from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is free. It is an event that celebrates the start of the holiday season.
November 17, 2011 (Alpine)—The San Diego Coroner's office has identified Patrick Strobel, 52 of El Cajon as the driver who was killed yesterday in Alpine.
Strobel was driving a Honda Accord when for unknown reasons, he rear-ended a semi-truck on I-8 eastbound just west of Willows Road.
November 16, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – The California State University Board of Trustees today approved a nine percent fee hike, which will raise the yearly cost by $498 per year--on top of two prior fee increase approved in the past year. Trustees reconvened in a separate room with no media present after "raucus protests" disrupted the meeting.
Four students were arrested, the Sacramento Bee reports, including two San Diego State University Students.
November 16, 2011 (San Diego) – Raw milk products produced by Organic Pastures have been recalled and quarantined statewide by the California Department of Public Health after five children who drank the milk became infected with the same strain of E.coli. A San Diego County child was among those stricken.
November 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – What are the hot styles, materials and design trends in kitchens today? ECM spoke with Lynn Wyndham Morris, communications director for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) San Diego Chapter and owner of a Touch of Tradition Home & Garden Shoppe in the Miramar area.
November 16, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views.
Top world and U.S. headlines include:
U.S.
Bipartisan pair push jobs plan (The Hill)
Congress ready to pass bill for vets, contractors (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Boehmer backs super committee tax hikes (CBS News)
Supreme Court takes up challenge to healthcare law (CNN)
Occupy Wall Street: Judge backs city, ends camping in park (Los Angeles Times)
‘Secret farm bill’ primed for passage in debt deal (The Hill)
Rick Perry, Herman Cain try to do damage control (Washington Post)
WORLD
Europe to Israel: Military strike on Iran nuclear program not an option (Christian Science Monitor)
Syria boycotts Arab meeting, pursues crackdowns (Reuters)
Monti due to present new Italian government (Reuters)
East Africa drought: cholera outbreak in Kenya camp (BBC)
November 16, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--East County Roundup highlights articles on top regional and state issues of interest to East County and inland San Diego County, published in other media.This week’s top Roundup headlines include:
LOCAL
Report: Safety of 2 local bridges questioned (10 News)
Grossmont Union board approves new boundaries; no Alpine High School(Signonsandiego.com)
$5,000 Fines for Spilling Milk? Rep. Hunter’s Office Can’t Show Examples (La Mesa Patch)
Warning issued after Poway High School student’s death (10 News)
Rocket motors being tested inside Lakeside quarry (10 News)
Stanley Lloyd Jr. trial begins; Carioscia’s mother released from jail to testify (Ramona Patch)
College compact excludes charters (Signonsandiego.com)
STATE
UC regents call off meeting; campuses set for protest (Sacramento Bee)
California budget cuts depend on revenues forecasts (San Jose Mercury News)
UC Berkeley cop shoots gunman near Occupy protest (Sacramento Bee)
By Nadin Abbott
Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report
November 16, 2011 (San Diego) --Last night, Occupy San Diego called for an emergency march in support of Occupy Wall Street in New York, after police evicted the protesters overnight. Today’s San Diego march was attended by two hundred people, who walked down Broadway to Police headquarters on 14th Street, then into the Gaslamp Quarter.
Tomorrow, occupy groups across America are joining together in a National day of Action. Locally,“Occupy the Clairmont Bridge,” is planned at 4 p.m. According to the group’s Facebook page,Wednesday’s rally will draw attention to a need for infrastructure jobs to put people back to work. Barry Willis, a core organizer and Media Committee spokesman at Occupy San Diego, said the new location will make the movement more accessible to East County communities.
November 14, 2011 (Campo)-- Celebrate the holidays aboard the North Pole Limited, a special production offered by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum and volunteers in cooperation with the Mountain Empire High School and Santa Claus.
These Christmas Trains are favorites for children and adults of all ages. This year the North Pole Limited will run on the following Fridays and Saturdays: November 25-26, December 2-3, December 9-10 and December 16-17.
November 16, 2011 (San Diego)--Recent unexpected earthquakes in Virginia, Oklahoma and England have been linked by some geologists to "fracking"- injecting liquids and sands into underground faults to increase natural gas production.
November 16, 2011 (Lakeside) – After winning the homerun derby during tryouts for the 2011 U.S. Stars and Stripes baseball team, Stevie Montejano Jr. of Lakeside has been selected to represent California in the USSSA Winter World Championships in Orlando, Florida, in December and a summer competition in Nicaragua in July.
A Q&A on healthy holiday eating from Susan’s Healthy Gourmet nutritionist Carissa Sanchez
November 16, 2011 (San Diego)--The holidays mean big meals, which can unfortunately lead to big numbers on the scale. As the nutritionist at Susan’s Healthy Gourmet, a service that prepares and delivers fresh, calorie-controlled meals to Southern California homes and offices, Carissa Sanchez understands how difficult it is to enjoy delicious holiday feasts while sticking to weight-management goals.
November 16, 2011 (Lakeside)--On November 19, the Barona Cultural Center & Museum will open “Rock of Ages: Contemporary Music Traditions on the Barona Reservation” -- an exhibition that will showcase today’s native culture of singer-songwriters, rock bands, country-western players and other popular music, reservation-style.
November 16, 2011 (El Cajon)--Acting El Cajon City Manager Rob Turner has announced selection of El Cajon Police Captain Jim Redman as the City's new Police Chief. He will replace Pat Sprecco, who has served as Chief since March 31, 2008 and will retire on December 9.
Redman has been with El Cajon's Police Department nearly 24 years, starting his career as a patrol officer back in 1988.
November 16, 2011 (San Diego)--San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s Imperial Beach Station are asking for assistance from the public to help identify and locate two unknown suspects wanted for burglary in Bonita.
San Diego-based humanitarian organization launches 2012 gift-giving catalog to promote worldwide health and economic empowerment programs
November 17, 2011 (San Diego) -- PCI (Project Concern International) launched its 2012 symbolic gifts catalog, Gifts of Life. The catalog allows the public to give unique gifts that support PCI’s global programs and the people they reach in some of the most impoverished regions of the world.
November 16, 2011 (Spring Valley)--The Spring Valley Citizens Association will discuss adding a dog-friendly Park in Spring Valley at its next community meeting on Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. in the San Miguel Fire District, 2850 Via Orange Way.
November 16, 2011 (La Mesa)—A man robbed the Denny’s Restaurant at 4235 Spring Street in La Mesa today at 1:32 p.m. According to La Mesa Police, the suspect presented a note demanding money and simulated a handgun under his clothing, then fled with the cash. He was described as a white male, 30-35 years old, 6 feet tall, 200 lbs., wearing a green hat, beige colored pullover sweatshirt and jeans.
By Vince Wallgren
By Miriam Raftery
By Greg Dunne 
November 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – All lanes are blocked due to an accident on Highway 67 at Slaughterhouse Canyon. Mercy Air is attempting to land and a rescue is in progress for multiple patients in a crash involved a PT Cruiser, a Toyota, and a third vehicle. 
By Miriam Raftery
By Millicent Arko
November 16, 2011 (San Diego)--The holidays mean big meals, which can unfortunately lead to big numbers on the scale. As the nutritionist at Susan’s Healthy Gourmet, a service that prepares and delivers fresh, calorie-controlled meals to Southern California homes and offices, Carissa Sanchez understands how difficult it is to enjoy delicious holiday feasts while sticking to weight-management goals. 
November 16, 2011 (San Diego)--San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s Imperial Beach Station are asking for assistance from the public to help identify and locate two unknown suspects wanted for burglary in Bonita. 
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