August 8, 2011 (Ramona)—A fire that began at a hay storage area behind Kahoots Feed Store in the 900 block of Main Street in Ramona spread to two neighboring homes in the pre-dawn hours this morning.
As of late this morning, firefighters continued hosing down hay bales from the barn, which was destroyed. Some closures of streets occurred although Highway 78 remained open, Ramona Patch.com reported.
August 8, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – “What are You Waiting For? Birds are chirping, hiking trails beckon, a whiff of white sage drifts on the breeze. Night skies are so black the stars look 3D,” reads a new website launched by the Boulevard-Jacumba Revitalization Alliance at www.gosandiegobackcountry.org.
August 8, 2011 (San Diego)--The downgrading of the U.S. credit rating by Standard and Poor was thrown into limbo when a $2 trillion dollar math error was found in their calculations. I wish my bank would make the at kind of mistake on my bank account!
Update August 8: In a meeting between SDG&E and Rural Fire Protection District representatives on Thursday, SDG&e indicated it wants a single set of rules such as for vegetation clearance and sought to be exempted from overhead water sprinklers over electrical equipment. The RFPD suggested an inert gas fire fighting agent. “In the end, what we believe will happen is that SDG&E will comply, although there will be modifications,” said member Lou Russo.
Former East County Standout Pitchers Started Two of the Three Games
by Christopher Mohr
August 8, 2011 (San Diego) - The 2011 season has been a frustrating season for the San Diego Padres to say the least. After a 2010 season that saw the team finish one game out of the playoffs, this year's team struggles in last place with a 51-64 record, 12 games back from the NL West leading San Francisco Giants.
August 6, 2011 (San Diego)—A NATO helicopter was shot down today during a conflict with the Taliban in Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. soldiers and seven Afghans in the deadliest single incident in the 10-year war, Reuters reports. ABC News reports that 25 Navy Seals were on board, plus seven Afghan Special forces soldiers, five crew members and an interpreter.
August 6, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Last time appraiser Craig Helm came to town, one lucky East County resident discovered her yard sale find was actually a Ming Dynasty vase. Others learned that art or collectibles in their households were worth thousands of dollars.
August 5, 2011 (La Mesa)--The Miss San Diego Cities, Miss San Diego, Miss Greater San Diego, Miss La Mesa and Miss Santee pageants are teaming up to hold the third annual Fashion Show Fundraiser “Rockin’ SD County Fashion” benefiting all of the pageant’s scholarship funds.
August 5, 2011 (La Mesa, CA) -- It was less then two months ago that Mocha, a five-year-old terrier blend sat and waited in a kennel the County Animal Shelter in Bonita waiting for her forever home. She was relinquished by her owners like many dogs who are affected by the tough economic times.
August 6, 2011 (Alpine)--The Ultimate Music Challenge is a cover band contest held in the DreamCatcher Lounge at Viejas Casino. The competition will be held every Sunday night from August 14th through October 23rd, from 6pm-10pm. Three lucky winners will take home a total of $40,000.
Heartland Fire & Rescue, serving the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove Fire Departments, now has a new website: www.heartlandfire.org. The website incorporates information on emergency preparedness, fire prevention, photos, and current fire department news.
August 5, 2011 (El Cajon ) – San Diego Police seek help to locate Natasha Martin, 13. She was last seen July 29 in the vicinity of Main Street and Anza Avenue in El Cajon. Natasha, who is African-American, has brown hair and blue eyes. She is 5 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds.
August 5, 2011 (Boulevard)—San Diego Police ask the public’s help to locate Jerry Perez, 53, who was last seen July 15 at 6:30 a.m. on Pacific Highway in San Diego. His car, a 1996 white Honda Accord (CA license 3TDT884) was found July 15 at 8 a.m. abandoned on Interstate 8 in Boulevard, a half mile east of the La Posta Creek Bridge.
LIVE & UP CLOSE CONCERT SERIES TO FEATURE SURVIVOR, MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, MIDTOWN MEN & MORE
August 4, 2011 (El Cajon) – This fall, Sycuan Casino will welcome famous bands, musicians and Broadway actors to its intimate Live & Up Close concert venue. Performances start August 6 with '60s favorites Herman's Hermits and conclude November 22 with Monty Python's SPAMALOT.
August 5, 2011 (Borrego) – Famed stargazing columnist/expert Dennis Mammana informs ECM that the aurora borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, may be visible tonight on the West Coast starting around 9:45 p.m.(View the "aurora webcam" in Alaska here)
“Sky watchers in Europe are getting one whale of an auroral display right now,” Mammana wrote at 3:45 today, adding that viewing will be best and high and middle latitudes, though the spectacular sky show is also expected to be visible at low latitudes.
August 5, 2011 (Alpine) – East County Magazine Editor Miriam Raftery will be the guest on Billie Jo Jannen’s “TGIF Report” tonight. Hot topics include:
• A sexual harassment suit against a former Mountain Empire Union School District Superintendent
• Rural Fire Protection District’s revocation of approval for SDG&E’s ECO-Substation
• The County’s first legal marijuana dispensary
• AT&T’s proposed merger with T-Mobile and how it may impact rural phone service
• Updates on the state fire parcel fee
• County’s approval of a new General Plan
August 5, 2011(Escondido)-- The San Diego County Board of Supervisors this week unanimously approved the acquisition of four properties needed to complete the widening of Bear Valley Parkway in unincorporated Escondido, between Boyle Avenue and Highway 78.
To date, the County has negotiated real property contracts to acquire or use 31 of the 50 properties that will be needed to complete the project. This week's vote follows approvals given earlier this year to proceed with property acquisitions and relocation of homeowners displaced by the widening project.
August 5, 2011 (San Diego) – The original Planet of the Apes was a thoughtful, intelligent commentary on the human race. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an ambitious but mostly mindless prequel that is yet another entry in the “changing things that aren’t meant to be changed” genre.
August 5, 2011 (San Diego) – On August 6 at 7 p.m., Ballet Folkorico en Aztlan Dance Theatre Company and Academy will present “The Herminia Tribute: Flor y Canto 2011” at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Avenue. The program will celebrate the dance, songs and insight in the life of artist Herminia Acosta Enrique Tecihtzin and her legacy of excellence.
Looking for a new plant for your garden or architectural endeavor?
By Matt Kopjak
August 4, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Choosing the right plant for your garden can be a daunting task, but with Plants-Pediayou can sift through 48,000 plants from the USDA plants database and narrow down your choices, complete with charts and images. You can filter your options by growth period, soil texture, lifespan, shade tolerance, temperature, toxicity, fire tolerance, drought tolerance and more, depending on your needs. This tool is simple enough for the average gardener and has enough advanced options to be useful for even the most experienced botanist.
(San Diego, CA) San Diego Police Department Mid City Division detectives have arrested a suspect for a series of recent robberies linked to “Craigslist” postings that occurred in the Talmadge, Mt. Hope and Corridor neighborhoods. Keith Randall Smith, 34, was arrested for the crimes. A blond female accomplice remains at large.
Story and photos by Miriam Raftery
By Will Power
by Christopher Mohr
August 5, 2011 (La Mesa)--The Miss San Diego Cities, Miss San Diego, Miss Greater San Diego, Miss La Mesa and Miss Santee pageants are teaming up to hold the third annual Fashion Show Fundraiser “Rockin’ SD County Fashion” benefiting all of the pageant’s scholarship funds.
August 5, 2011 (La Mesa, CA) -- It was less then two months ago that Mocha, a five-year-old terrier blend sat and waited in a kennel the County Animal Shelter in Bonita waiting for her forever home. She was relinquished by her owners like many dogs who are affected by the tough economic times.
LIVE & UP CLOSE CONCERT SERIES TO FEATURE SURVIVOR, MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, MIDTOWN MEN & MORE
August 5, 2011 (Borrego) – Famed stargazing columnist/expert Dennis Mammana informs ECM that the aurora borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, may be visible tonight on the West Coast starting around 9:45 p.m.(View the 
By Brian Lafferty
By Matt Kopjak
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