RAMONA ROBBERY VICTIM SPOTS SUSPECT AT BANK, LEADING TO ARREST

ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ: A FLORIDA `CONCENTRATION CAMP’

OWNER IDENTIFIED IN DOG-DRAGGING CASE; ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES TO BE FILED

TRUMP SIGNS BUDGET BILL ON JULY 4 THAT INFLATES DEFICIT, CUTS SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS AND MAKES TAX CUTS FOR WEALTHY PERMANENT

HAUTE WITH HEART FASHION SHOW AUG. 2 BENEFITS ST. MADELEINE SOPHIE’S CENTER

READER’S EDITORIAL: THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IS MORE URGENT THAN EVER BEFORE

A LAVENDER AND CAMEL OASIS IN RAMONA

PIZZABILITIES IN ALPINE SERVES UP BUILD-YOUR-OWN PIZZA AND INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEES

ANIMAL SERVICES SEEKS HELP TO FIND ANIMAL ABUSE SUSPECT WHO DRAGGED DOG BEHIND JEEP CHEROKEE IN SPRING VALLEY

FESTIVE FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS AND FIREWORKS

“ICE OUT” MARCHERS IN EL CAJON TAKE STAND FOR IMMIGRANTS AS CONCERNS OVER ICE RAIDS AND ABUSE OF DETAINEES GROWS

GLORIA CHADWICK RESIGNS FROM GROSSMONT HEALTHCARE DISTRICT BOARD

VOLUNTEERS TAKE ‘THE GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP’ REGISTERING VOTERS AT CONCERTS

 

Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Phish and Furthur Host Voter Registration Drives on Their Summer Tours
 
August 28, 2012 (New York, N.Y.) -- What’s more American than rock n’ roll and democracy? Well, a few lucky young people are getting a healthy dose of both this summer, taking “The Great American Road Trip” to register voters at Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Phish and Furthur concerts across the country. The Dave Matthews band will perform at the Cricket Wireless Ampitheater in Chula Vista on September 7.

 

PETERS AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

By Miriam Raftery

August 27, 2012 (San Diego)—Democrat Scott Peters’ Congressional campaign has issued a press release blasting his opponent, Republican Brian Bilbray, for a record on women’s rights and choice that “closely mirrors Mr. Akin’s,” Peters’ communications director MaryAnn Pintar said.

 

COUNTYWIDE POLL SHOWS INCREASED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUED INVESTMENTS IN WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY

August 27, 2012 (San Diego) -- San Diego County residents’ support for funding seawater desalination or other investments to enhance the reliability of the region’s water supplies has increased compared to last year, a new public opinion poll commissioned by the San Diego County Water Authority has found.

The poll, which surveyed 816 adult San Diego County residents in July, found:

GROSSMONT HIGH CELEBRATES TOPPING OUT OF NEW HUMANITIES BUILDING

August 27, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont Union High School District and Grossmont High School celebrated the topping out of the new humanities building on Tuesday, Aug. 21. The ceremony marked the completion of the steel framing as the construction team set the final beam into place. The humanities building is scheduled for completion in spring of 2013.

SANTEE HAZMAT INCIDENT: CHEMICAL ODOR

August 28, 2012 (Santee) -- There is a Hazmat incident in Santee at 9457 Carlton Oaks Drive. A wide area is secured. E5 and chief are there with the Sheriff's Department. SDFD and County Hazmat are required responding to unit A.

Update:4:30 p.m.


By Nadin Abbott
Photos by Tom Abbott
 
August 28, 2012 (Santee)-- The Sheriff's Department responded to a call of a chemical odor at 9457 Carlton Oaks Dr. in Santee. At their discretion they escalated the call to a full Hazardous Materials response.

SWARM OF EARTHQUAKES FELT ACROSS REGION; STRONGER QUAKE POSSIBLE IN NEXT DAY OR SO

 By Miriam Raftery

Nadin Abbott contributed to this report

August 26, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – More than 200 earthquakes centered near Brawley in Imperial County have rocked our region in the past 24, many felt by residents across San Diego.  The strongest measured 5.5 and 5.3 on the Richter scale; the most recent, a 5.1, rattled the area at 10 p.m.

View a map; hit “animation” to see the progression: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsanim/canv/.  For details and eyewitness accounts, scroll down.

A TOUCH OF JAZZ FROM HARRY JOE REYNOLDS AT JEREMY’S ON THE HILL AUGUST 31

 

August 26, 2012 (Julian) – Jeremy’s on the Hill California Style Bistro presents Live Music with Harry Joe Reynolds on August 31 beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Reynolds, a local favorite since 1979, has been making music in Julian for 3 decades.  He will bring a touch of jazz to Jeremy’s on the Hill with easy listening songs on the jazzier side of blues with classic ballads and blue standards.

EARTHTALK® HOW EFFICIENT IS RADIANT HEATING?

 

E - The Environmental Magazine
Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
 
August 30, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Dear EarthTalk: How energy efficient (and comfortable) is underfloor heating, sometimes known as radiant heating? -- Marcy Dell, Boston, MA

Underfloor radiant heating involves under laying the floor with a hot element or tubing that transfers heat into the room via infrared radiation and convection, obviating the need for forced or blowing air.

 

HOME VIDEO HERALD: IN DARKNESS (BLU-RAY)

By Brian Lafferty

 

August 29, 2012 (San Diego) – A harrowing sequence of events transpire during the first thirty minutes of In Darkness, atrocities that I could describe but I won’t. That’s because as shocking as they are, there is only one shot, seen later, that remains entrenched in my mind.

 

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTER WILL BE CLOSED AUGUST 27 THROUGH 31

 
August 25, 2012 (San Diego) -- The Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretive Center will be closed Monday, August 27 through Friday, August 31 for resurfacing of the cement flooring.
The Park will remain open as usual and the Visitor Center parking lot, terrace, amphitheater, and restrooms will all be accessible. The free Guided Nature Walks conducted by Trail Guides every Wednesday, August 29 from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. will continue while the Visitor Center is closed. Meet the Trail Guide at the entrance to the Visitor Center. 

EARTHTALK®: REDUCING OUR LIGHT FOOTPRINT

 
E - The Environmental Magazine

Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

 
August 25, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone calculated the energy wasted at night by unnecessary lighting in and around buildings? What can we do to reduce our light footprint?      -- Bill Rehkamp, via e-mail 
 

EDITORIAL: WHEN “GREEN” IS ONLY GREENWASHING

 

 
By Nadin Abbott
 
August 25, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Watching activists defend "green wind energy" as if it was the only solution turns my stomach. It is like talking to a wall. Facts, and there are facts, make little difference. Green energy is nice and green energy is good, go blindly hug a wind turbine, seems to be the message.
 
So let me ask these same activists: should Pattern Energy, a division of the Carlyle group, target the Rosecrans National Cemetery for development? How dare I suggest this? Well, it's windy there, in fact, probably more so than Ocotillo.

 

SOCIAL SECURITY NEWS YOU CAN USE

 
By Jeannette Nunes
Social Security District Manager
 
Make social security online services ‘par for the course’
 
August 25, 2012 (El Cajon) -- For many retirees (and near retirees), there is nothing that they look forward to as much as a day on the golf course. The game recently has been made more pleasurable by the use of computers and GPS technology.  A hand-held electronic unit acts just like a personal caddie, providing quick and accurate yardage information — and much more. It saves time … as well as mental and physical effort.

HEARTWARMING ARGENTINE COMEDY:UN CUENTO CHINO CONTINUES SDLFF's 13TH ANNUAL CINEMA EN TU IDIOMA FILM SERIES! SEPT 7-13

 
August 25, 2012 (San Diego) -- The San Diego Latino Film Festival is proud to present its 13th annual Cinema en tu Idioma Fall Film Series showcasing the best of Latin American, Mexican, and Spanish Cinema! 


DOWNTOWN LA MESA'S MOSTLY MISSION

 
By Mayan Avitable
 
August 25, 2012 (La Mesa) -- One of the best things about downtown La Mesa is the shopping where you will find stores that are beyond the ordinary, and exceptional. One of the shops that many La Mesans agree is exceptional is Mostly Mission, a shop that carries quality merchandise and accessories for the craftsman style environment. The store first opened in 2007, and has recently moved from a 850 square feet location to a place up the street almost three times the size.
 

ALPINE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT BOARD OPPOSES NEW FEE IMPOSED ON CONSTITUENTS

State levies additional cost without providing additional services.

August 24, 2012 (Alpine)– The Alpine Fire Protection District (AFPD) Board of Directors at its August 21st board meeting adopted a resolution opposing the newly implemented State Responsibility Area (SRA) fees, which will impose additional financial burden on its constituents without providing additional fire services.

 

BILL TO GUT CEQA, CALIFORNIA’S TOP ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, ON HOLD

 

Governor , who wants to “crush” opponents of big energy projects, called CEQA reform  “Lord’s work”

“Governor Brown is dangerous to the financial and environmental health of California, and I am extremely disappointed in his short-sightedness.”--Laura Cyphert, Cedar Fire Survivor and cofounder of the East County Community Action Coalition

By Miriam Raftery

August 23, 2012 (Sacramento)—In a stealth effort that shocked enviornmentalists, business groups succeeded in gutting a bill in the State Assembly and inserted language to essentially repeal the California Enviornmental Quality Act (CEQA) .  The measure passed the Assembly yesterday and advanced to the State Senate. But today, State Senate President Darrell Steinberg and the bill’s author, Michael Rubio, held a press conference to announce that the measure will not be taken up before the end of the legislative session next week.  

Sierra Club California director Kathryn Phillips voiced relief, calling SB 317 “one of the worst attacks on environmental protections that we’ve seen in the 40-year life of the law.”

RATTLESNAKE BITE AT MISSION TRAILS

August 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A rattlesnake victim at a campground in Mission Trails Regional Park has been transported to a hospital for treatment today, ECM confirmed with a park ranger. Officials have not released an update on the patient’s condition.

For information on how to avoid a rattlesnake attack, please see:

EDITORIAL: RESIDENTS COUNTYWIDE SHOULD URGE SUPERVISORS TO BAN WIND TURBINES IN FIRE-PRONE REGIONS

 

County Democrats gut fire protection resolution, while Republican supervisors also fail to protect County residents from wind turbine fires

By Miriam Raftery

August 24, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--The San Diego Democratic Central Committee this week passed a measure calling on County Supervisors to increase firefighting resources-- but removed a key provision that would have urged lawmakers to ban wind turbines in fire-prone East County.  

Wind turbines have been responsible for starting hundreds of fires around the world, including wildfires, but firefighters cannot fight a fire burning in a 500-foot-tall wind turbine whirling off burning debris. With Supervisors poised to approve a wind ordinance opening the door to numerous turbines in the backcountry, the vote was a major disappointment to residents concerned about the clear threat to public safety posed by wind turbines in our fire-prone region.

DEADLY CITRUS DISEASE CARRYING INSECTS FOUND IN EAST COUNTY

 By Miriam Raftery

August 20, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Asian Citrus Psyllids, tiny insects that can carry a disease capable of wiping out California’s citrus industry, have been found in several East County communities as well as North County and other southern California locations. 

A quarantine is in effect across most of our region.

FDA ANNOUNCES RECALL OF CANTELOUPES LINKED TO SALMONELLA OUTBREAK IN 21 STATES

 

 
August 23, 2012 (Washington D.C.)--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a recall of cantaloupe by Chamberlain Farms in Indiana because of possible contamination with Salmonella Typhimurium associated with a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis. The FDA is warning consumers not to eat and to discard cantaloupe from this farm, which shipped products to many states.

 

DULZURA SHERIFF STATION OPEN HOUSE AUGUST 25

 

August 23, 2012 (Dulzura) – The community of Dulzura is invited to attend the grand re-opening and open house at the SDRFPD Dulzura-Barrett Station #35, 1135 Community Building Rd., Dulzura on August 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  After being remodeled, the SDRFPD station will now be manned by SDR/SDCFA volunteer fire fighters along with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Rural Division Law Enforcement Deputies.

The event will be attended by Supervisor Diane Jacob, Rural Fire Chief Dave Nissen, Assistant Sheriff Patricia Duke, Sheriff Lieutenant Rose Kurupas, Sheriff Sergeant Joe Leos, as well as members of the San Diego Rural Fire Board.  Refreshments will be served.

 

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