December 25, 2014 (San Diego)—Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists claim to have shot down a coalition aircraft and captured a Jordanian pilot. Photos sent on an ISIS Twitter feed show ISIS fighters forcing a dazed and partially stripped down man resembling the pilot through shallow water, possibly toward the shore.
December 25, 2014 (La Mesa)--The Senior Resource Center at Sharp Grossmont Hospital offers free or low-cost educational programs and health screenings each month. The Senior Resource Center also provides information and assistance for health information and community resources. For more information, call 619-740-4214. For other programs, call 1-800-827-4277 or visit our web site at www.sharp.com.
Hilltop Sunset: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery, by Joyce T. Strand (McCloughan and Schmeltz Publishing, LLC, Henderson, Nevada, 2014, 299 pages).
Book Review by Dennis Moore
December 24, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - Hilltop Sunset: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery, by Joyce T. Strand, reads like a John Grisham or Robert Ludlum book. It has all the elements of intrigue, romance and suspense that we have gotten accustomed to from these noted authors and icons of literary fiction. As they are master storytellers, we find similar traits in Strand’s well-written book.
December 24, 2014 (San Diego) - The Navy’s Midshipmen team torpedoed the San Diego State Aztec’s hopes of winning the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on Tuesday Night.
December 24, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--It’s going to be a sunny, warm and windy Christmas day, the national weather service predicts.
A wind watch has been issued for strong westerly winds developing Christmas Eve and forecast to continue through Christmas Day – when gusts up to 75 miles per hour are possible!
December 23, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s Destination East County has events ranging from wildlife hikes to a New Year’s eve “light up the night” celebration. Plus we’ll have a preview of coming attractions including a hike to the top of Mt. Helix and concerts at Mission Trails Regional Park. So stay tuned for all of these events and much more, from East County Magazine.
For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org
Readers
December 21 (Sunday, 7:00 pm) — Warwick's and Words Alive present Cary Elwes in conversation to discuss his new book, As You Wish, the behind-the-scenes account about the making of The Princess Bride. The event will be held at the David and Dorothea Garfield Theatre at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, The Jewish Community Center, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. This is an OFFSITE ticketed event, and a copy of the book is included. Tickets can be purchased here. Check-in and doors open at 2:15PM and seating is first-come first-served.
December 22, 2014 (San Diego)--According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 25-30 million holiday trees are sold each year in the United States and unfortunately many of them are sent to our landfills. This holiday season I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) and the County of San Diego have joined together to encourage residents to recycle their holiday trees instead of sending them to a landfill. Throwing away your holiday tree needlessly wastes a natural resource and decreases the life of local landfills. Trees and other yard wastes can be easily made into compost and mulch which are then used to improve soil health at residences, public parks and local farms.
Murders broaden discussion of race-relations to include senseless murders of officers
By Miriam Raftery
December 23, 2014 (San Diego)--Police departments across the nation have reportedly been put on alert following the cold-blooded murder of two New York Police officers. The gunman, who was black, posted Instragram messages indicating he planned to kill officers as revenge for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Gardner, two black men who were killed by white police officers under controversial circumstances.
December 23, 2014 (San Diego)--Fewer San Diego County residents are losing their homes to foreclosure. From November of last year to November of this year, the number of foreclosures countywide fell 23 percent, according to CoreLogic DataQuick.
Who pulled the plug on North Korea’s internet access?
December 23, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - The nation’s website and online access went dark on Monday and service remains spotty. The outage occurred just days after U.S. President Barack Obama vowed a response to North Korea’s alleged hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
December 23, 2014 (San Diego)--Is there that hard to buy for someone special in your life? I don’t think anything could be more special than to say Happy Holidays by giving a gift of “life safety” says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.
Despite company’s woes, county releases EIR on Soitec’s proposed Boulevard projects. A hearing is set for January 16, with the deadline for public comment January 14.
By Miriam Raftery
December 22, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- The future for Soitec Solar is far from bright. The company’s stock shares plummeted 57 percent on Monday, reaching an all-time low. The plunge led Reuters to advise investors to avoid Soitec “like poison.”
The free-fall occurred after the company announced that the main project in its solar division has been cancelled and that the company will be scaling down its San Diego facility. Tenaska Solar Ventures cancelled its deal to use Soitec’s concentrated photovoltaic panels at a facility in Imperial County. In addition, San Diego Gas & Electric spokeswoman Jennifer Ramp says that the utility “does not have any contracts with Soitec.” That statement conflicts with claims previously made by Soitec, Voice of San Diego reports in an article titled “The Darling of San Diego Solar Manufacturing Is on Its Death Bed.”
Despite this precipitous news, ironically the County of San Diego released the final environmental impact report (EIR) on Soitec’s four proposed industrial-scale solar projects in Boulevard. A hearing on the projects are set for January 16th, which public comments due by January 14th at 4 p.m. , according to Mindy Fogg, planning manager for the County.
December 22, 2014 (El Cajon) – Community members teamed up to bring joy to homeless children in a special Christmas party at the East County Transitional Living Center on Saturday. Santa made a special visit to pass out gifts, aided by CAL FIRE firefighters.
December 22, 2014 (San Diego)--Last week, we reported that the FBI has officially blamed North Korea for the hacks on Sony Entertainment. Those cyber-hacks released personal information on employees, threatened theaters with terrorist attacks and led to cancellation of “The Interview,” a film that centered around a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jon Un.
December 16, 2014 (San Diego) -- It may be the season of giving, but it's unfortunately the season of taking too.
Whether it's an online shopping scam, gift card fraud or a fake charity asking for donations, AARP fraud expert Sally Hurme says always think twice before giving out personal information.
December 22, 2014 (San Diego) - The Poinsettia Bowl kicks off on December 23rd with San Diego State’s Aztecs versus the Navy at Qualcomm Stadium. The crowd will include student veterans and their families, thanks to the generosity of SDSU’s alumni community, which donated over 225 tickets so far.
December 19, 2014 (Alpine)--Four of the five Board Members of the Alpine Fire Protection District were sworn into office for additional terms at the December 16th Board Meeting. At the meeting, District legal counsel Steve Fitch, administered the oath of office to all four at the same time.
Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX), chair of the House Science, Space Technology Committee, calls the Obama administration's 2014 National Climate Assessment--which squarely pins the blame for global warming on human industrial activity--"a political document intended to frighten Americans into believing that any abnormal weather we experience is the direct result of CO2 emissions."
E - The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: Are there still outspoken global warming deniers in Congress or the mainstream media? If so, what do they say when presented with scientific facts and anecdotal evidence pointing to an increasingly warming atmosphere? -- Ben Charles, Cary, NC
December 20, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - Given the preponderance of data showing rising temperatures around the globe in recent decades—along with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events—it’s hard to believe there are still any climate change deniers. But a recent survey by the non-profit Center for American Progress found that some 58 percent of Republicans in the U.S. Congress still “refuse to accept climate change.” Meanwhile, still others acknowledge the existence of global warming but cling to the scientifically debunked notion that the cause is natural forces, not greenhouse gas pollution by humans.
School districts generate returns for San Diego County’s health and economy
December 19, 2014 (San Diego)--Farm to school practices are on the rise in San Diego County school districts, according to the 2014 State of Farm to School in San Diego County (State of F2S) released today by Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP). All 42 San Diego County school districts participated in this year’s survey providing a comprehensive assessment of school food procurement and F2S activities in San Diego County and perhaps the most comprehensive assessment of a county’s school food procurement in the United States. Among the 24 districts that participated in last year's survey, 20 reported engagement in farm to school compared to 15 in 2013. Overall, 31 San Diego County districts are engaged in at least one of 18 farm to school activities measured for in the report.
December 19, 2014 (La Mesa)--It was the end of an era last Tuesday night at the La Mesa City Hall, where Mayor Art Madrid stepped down after a quarter of a century at the helm—one fourth of the time since La Mesa became a city.
December 19, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Pacificorp pled guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Wyoming to violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in connection with the deaths of protected birds, including golden eagles, at two of the company’s wind projects in Wyoming.
December 19, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--“Free as a bird.” I might be a bit biased on this subject, being an avid birder, but I believe in the world of nature that birds are the biggest part of our human culture. We eat them, we use them in clothing, they are used for our national symbol, and we use them in our daily language.
December 19, 2014 (San Diego) – San Diego’s Sheriff Department regularly posts photos and details on its most wanted suspects. To view the list with larger images and details on their alleged crimes, click here:
December 19, 2014 (El Cajon)--For the 8th consecutive year, the El Cajon Police Department Holiday Storefront returns to Parkway Plaza in El Cajon during the month of December! This unique police storefront has been a popular place to visit during a hectic day of shopping. There’s nothing to buy, but much to see and learn about holiday and year-round safety from the Police, Fire, and Recreation Departments. See the Vintage 1942 El Cajon Police vehicle. McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog will be making special appearances as well.
December 19, 2014 (San Diego) – A delightful array of pottery by local artisans was on display during the San Diego Pottery Tour. This year’s event showcased works by more than 30 local potters at nine studios, including several in East County.
December 19, 2014 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon Police announced today that they have arrested two men in connection with the attempted murder of a clerk who was shot during an armed robbery on December 16th at Quality Inn and Suites, 1250 El Cajon Boulevard.
December 20, 2014 (La Mesa) – A 90-year-old pipe organ has been restored at La Mesa’s Central Congregational Church, which will host a concert at 3 p.m.on January 25th to celebrate completion of the restoration. The church is located at 8360 Lemon Avenue.
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