*Wheelhouse awards $5,000 to college-bound students in San Diego through annual scholarship program*
East County News Service
Photos: Wheelhouse Scholarship Recipients Alby Penney from Valhalla High School and Hailey Qasawadish from Patrick Henry High School, San Diego
July 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- Wheelhouse Credit Union (Wheelhouse) is helping the next generation of environmental trail blazers by awarding five scholarships of $1,000 each to college-bound students through its annual Sustainability College Scholarship Program. In this year’s program, Wheelhouse recognized five graduating high school seniors in San Diego County who demonstrated leadership, public service, and a desire to make a sustainable difference in their schools and communities.
By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office
Photos: Courtesy County of San Diego Communications Office, (Photo, left) at Waterfront Park's south fountain
July 9, 2020 (San Diego County) - It’s the summer of coronavirus — and to keep it from spreading we’re staying home more, foregoing big vacations and looking for new ways to entertain and educate kids who have been home for months.
Well, here’s some good news. There are still some great, fun, free/or inexpensive things that kids, families and adults can do in July. And we’ve got a list!
Over 2,000 racehorses die in the U.S. every year, often after suffering drugging, abuse and injuries. Horse racing has long had ties to organized crime. So why is it still legal?
By Martha Sullivan
Photo: Creative Commons image via FreePhoto on Bing
July 9, 2020 (San Diego) -- People are rightly outraged by brutal dogfighting, on which spectators gamble. The media’s coverage of dogfighting is dominated by images of Black and Latino men fighting dogs for bets, and there is a pattern of demonization:
Photo: Donna Tisdale fears massive wind turbines will ruin life at her rural ranch, pose severe wildfire and safety hazards for neighbors and tribal members
July 9, 2020 (Boulevard, CA) – A federal lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the U.S. Department of Interior and agency officials challenging their approval of Campo Wind facilities on tribal land, including 60 wind turbines each 586 feet tall on 2,200 acres, as well as Boulder Brush energy facilities on adjacent private land.
“The project is a dangerous and completely unnecessary industrialization of high-quality wildlife habitat in an area with an extremely high wildfire risk and frequent low-flying military, commercial and private aircraft,” states the suit filed by the nonprofit Backcountry Against Dumps along with Boulevard residents Donna and Ed Tisdale, whose ranch adjoins the project site with a half-mile shared border.
July 9, 2020 (El Cajon) – An elderly man was struck by a vehicle yesterday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in the 500 block of North Second Street in El Cajon. He was treated at the scene and transported to a hospital by Heartland Fire Department medics, but died at the hospital.
According to Lt. Jason Taub with the El Cajon Police Department, a preliminary investigation and interviewing witnesses indicates that a silver Ford F-150 was traveling southbound on North Second in the left-hand turn lane, when the pedestrian was “illegally crossing from west to east between stopped vehicles. The driver of the Ford had a green light and the pedestrian stepped in front of his moving vehicle and was struck.”
July 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – A big-rig truck’s brakes overheated and caught fire on Interstate 8 west in Lakeside, Monday.
Flames quickly spread to the truck’s load of over 40,000 pounds of raw meat according to the San Diego Union Tribune and LA Times, or 41,000 pounds, according to the Sacramento Bee, News Break and NBC.
The pungent smell of roast pork spread across the area.
Update: Photo, left: Marinade on Main's parking lot has been transformed into an outdoor dining patio, thanks to the generosity of community members.
July 8, 2020 (Ramona) – When San Diego County Health officials ordered indoor restaurants closed effective yesterday, Vineyard Grant James owner Susanne Sapier leaped int action to help Marinade on Main, a farm-to-table fresh restaurant in Ramona, remain viable. So she sent out an email to community members asking for help to create a “restaurant in a day” – in the parking lot.
The email asked community members to donate pop-up tents, umbrellas/shade coverings, tables, chairs, café lights, misters, ground covering, wall coverings such as lattices or antique doors, plants, large pots to hold plants or trees, and old furnishings to serve as a hostess station and stand for dishes.
July 8, 2020 (San Diego) – For the first time, deadly rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV2) has been found in San Diego County. A wild jackrabbit found dead in Poway tested positive for the disease, Patch.com reports, citing the House Rabbit Society.
July 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- In this continuing series of interviews about the impact of COVID-19 upon nonprofit organizations serving the East County communities, East County Magazine interviews Forrest Higgins III, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of East County.The mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs of East County is “to enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
COVID-19 has stripped away many nonprofit’s abilities to generate revenue and sustain programs and services without creating modifications to how the non-profit operates. This includes the Boys and Girls Club of East County (BGCEC) a local 501(c)(3) non-profit.
July 8, 2020 (El Cajon) – The 600-member San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce has announced its endorsement support of several East County candidates running for office in the Nov. 3 general election. The political races range from seats in the U.S. Congress to special districts, including city council and county supervisor races.
Photo: Screenshot of KCAL video showing llegal fireworks across Los Angeles
July 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – With fireworks shows cancelled or not allowing on-site viewing due to COVID-19, use of illegal fireworks skyrocketed across southern California. This video by KCAL shows a panorama of illegal fireworks in Los Angeles, where an illegal fireworks display burned down eight apartments and injured five people, CBS reported.
In a normal year, July 4th fireworks cause 19,000 fires nationwide. But this year, residents across San Diego County and elsewhere say the problem was far worse.
San Miguel Fire Department, in response to an ECM records request, confirms their firefighters were dispatched to halt three fires caused by fireworks. One near Campo and Millar Ranch roads burned down 10 trees near a wildlife preserve and church. Another firecracker ignited a neighbor’s backyard on Redfield Street. A third was spotted in a Spring Valley canyon behind Barcelona Street.
July 8, 2020 (San Diego) — San Diego Humane Society is offering virtual Animal Adventure Camp for the first time this summer to ensure a safe and healthy experience for all campers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kids going into second through fifth grades can enjoy seven weekly virtual camps through Aug. 7 and experience the fun of Animal Adventure Camp from the comfort of their own homes.
Photo: San Diego County healthcare workers conduct COVID-19 testing at SDCCU Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone
July 8, 2020 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported a record 578 new cases of coronavirus and 12 more deaths Tuesday as the recent surge in infections continued.
July 6, 2020 (San Diego) – The Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors (PSAR), one of the largest real estate trade groups for San Diego area realtors with an office in El Cajon, is inviting all San Diego-area realtors to participate in an online mayoral forum from 2 to 4 p.m., Friday, July 31, over the Zoom meeting platform with Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria, two candidates for the open seat for San Diego mayor in the November general election.
July 6, 2020 (El Cajon) - Robert Gehr sent in this photo of a masked intruder – a raccoon—that visited the grounds at his apartment complex in the heart of downtown El Cajon.
Raccoons are nocturnal, omnivorous, can grow up to 60 pounds and can run up to 15 miles per hour. This particular night visitor was attracted by cat food left out by a neighbor, Gehr said.
Photo: Brooke Baines, left, Manzanita nation and Cynthia Parada, right, tribal councilwoman, La Posta Band of Mission Indians
July 6, 2020 (San Diego) - Approximately 200 people showed up in front of the San Diego Hall of Justice downtown Sunday afternoon to protest a border wall being built on sacred Kumeyaay land in East County. The protest was a seated, peaceful protest organized by Warriors of Awareness in conjunction with leaders and elected officials of local indigenous nations.
Update July 7, 2020: Today, Christalyne Suyat contacted the Sheriff's department to let them know that she is safe, according to a press release sent today by the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's department.
By Miriam Raftery
July 6, 2020 (Spring Valley) – Today, the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station announced it seeks public help to find Christalyne Suyat. The 19-year-old was last seen on May 7 and was reported missing by her family on May 14.
She is believed to be staying in the areas between Spring Valley and Chula Vista; there is also a possibility she may be in a hospital, according to the missing persons flyer.
She has a rose tattoo on her right hand, a Roman numeral tattoo on her left forearm, and a mole on her left cheek. She is Hispanic with brown eyes and brown hair; she is 5 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds.
Congressional candidate calls for new round of relief for businesses ordered to shut down again
By Miriam Raftery
Photo: Dr. Wilma Wooten briefing (screenshot from video)
July 6, 2020 (San Diego) – Starting at midnight, all indoor service must stop in restaurants and wineries. Outdoor dining and activities can continue, as well as curbside pickup services.
Indoor family entertainment venues such as movie theaters and bowling alleys also must shut down, though outdoor facilities such as zoos can remain open. The order is in effect for the next three weeks.
County health officials ordered the closures today in response to being placed on the state’s watchlist due to exceeding three COVID-19 pandemic trigger levels for positive cases in the past two weeks, the number of active community outbreaks, and a backlog in tracing new cases.
July 6, 2020 (El Cajon)- Today, the City of El Cajon is briefly re-opening its rental and utility assistance program to accept a limited number of applications.
July 6, 2020 (San Diego) -- The dog days of Summer have arrived. And the bad news it, it looks like more is in store this week with a long hot summer ahead.Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is an acute condition that occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can handle.
Hyperthermia can occur even on a mild day. Studies have shown that the temperature inside a parked vehicle can rapidly rise to a dangerous level for children, pets and even adults. Leaving the windows slightly open does not significantly decrease the heating rate. The effects can be more severe on children because their bodies warm at a faster rate than adults.
Safety tips concerning children include but are not limited to:
July 5, 2020 (Lemon Grove) -- Since Miller Dairy's founding in 1926 and its demise in 1985, Lemon Grove has looked back at its noble agrarian past and its unique persona as an urban-rural enclave, and wiped away a few tears — because once there were cows. As recently as 1983, 300 cows roamed the 16-acre Miller Dairy smack in the middle of town.
You could see, hear and smell the cows of Miller Dairy everywhere. At dawn, you heard them lowing in their stalls as the Miller sons, Ralph, Ed, Pete and Bill, milked each Holstein. At dusk, you heard the jangle of cow bells as the herd walked back into the barn for a repeat performance.
July 5, 2020 (Sacramento) -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, as part of a multistate coalition, slammed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) proposal to change the way it awards incentives for the development of electric transmission projects.
July 5, 2020 (El Cajon) – Each year, more pets go missing on July 4 than any other night of the year. Fireworks the last two nights locally frightened many dogs and cats, prompting some to run off and become lost. Pawboost has now set up lost and found pet sites on Facebook for local communities to help reunite lost pets with their owners.
July 5, 2020 (El Cajon) – The city of El Cajon has launched a public outreach strategy to educate the public about change in billing for sewer services. On May 23, the Council voted to put sewer taxes onto the County of San Diego’s property tax roll, a move that reduced the approved rate by 2%, according to a memosent to the Mayor and City Council on July 2 from City Manager Graham Mitchell.
July 5, 2020 (Jacumba) - There have been a number of articles in large newspapers about the border wall and legal challenges. Most probably the story in California is only a detail in the big picture, although there might be several unique concerns here. One concern is that the Congressional designation of the Jacumba Wilderness in 1994 is very explicit and very restrictive in what is permitted within the boundaries.
More recently in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security waived seventeen federal environmental laws where border security was involved in Imperial County. These included the Wilderness Act of 1964, the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Waters Act, and the Antiquities Act of 1906. It is under this umbrella that the work proceeds. What is less clear, is whether it is possible to set aside state and county regulations that may otherwise apply.
The pipe shown in the photo runs five or six miles from several wells outside the Jacumba Wilderness Area to the construction area at the border. The pipe is 12 inches in diameter and is intended to provide water for concrete. [Aggregate for the concrete is visible in the second photo beside the equipment.] This water is drawn from a rather limited aquifer underlying several small communities in western Imperial County.
July 5, 2020 (Spring Valley) – San Miguel Fire District’s board of directors will consider the 2020/2021 budget at a July 10th hearing due to COVID-19. The finance committee has proposed freezing all non-essential and discretionary spending due to unanticipated costs of the pandemic estimated at less than $172,000.
Our radio shows from January, February, March and April 2020 are now online. For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show. Click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)
Our newsmaker interviews included Supervisorial candidates Steve Vaus, Joel Anderson and Kenya Taylor (Vaus and Anderson will run off in November), Congressional candidates Sara Jacobs, Georgette Gomez, and Ammar Campa-Najjar, and Santee mayoral candidate Stephen Houlahan. Our news coverage included the COVID-19 pandemic, shut-downs and relief efforts, andmore.
The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM. Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.
July 5, 2020 (San Diego) -- In these tumultuous times, impacted by both COVID-19 restrictions and renewed demands for social justice, our nation is at a crossroad to resolve long standing inequities. In San Diego County we have experienced protests stemming from perceptions of inequality. Despite the ban on gatherings and risk of the coronavirus, protesters have taken to the streets, at times without facial protection or social distancing, fighting what some perceive as the greater threat of injustice.
*Wheelhouse awards $5,000 to college-bound students in San Diego through annual scholarship program*
July 8, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.
By 
Over 2,000 racehorses die in the U.S. every year, often after suffering drugging, abuse and injuries. Horse racing has long had ties to organized crime. So why is it still legal?
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
By Maryanne Jackson
By Miriam Raftery
By Helen Horvath
East
East County News Service
By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association
East
East County News Service
By Briana Gomez
By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
By Helen Ofield, Lemon Grove Historical Society
By Miriam Raftery
By Miriam Raftery
By Miriam Raftery
By Craig Deutsche
By Miriam Raftery
Part II in a two-part interview with Dr. Leonard Thompson III. 
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