East County News Service

January 8, 2016 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon City Council is now accepting applications for Commissions as listed below. The filing period ends January 14, 2016, at 5:30 p.m.  Applicants will be interviewed and appointed on January 26, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 200 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, CA 92020.

By Janis Russell

Hear a podcast of our interview aired on KNSJ  radio: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

January 8, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) - Camp Onward is designed for teens with Asperger’s Syndrome to help with social skills. East County Magazine recently sat down with founder Nancy Hagan, director Kathy Gerstenberg, and parent of a kid with Asperger’s Syndrome, Laura Preble. We asked them questions about how the camp got started, its impact on the kids and parents, and what the camp is like among other topics.

East County News Service

January 8, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - If you have damage from this week’s storms, the County wants to hear from you.  Even if you live in a city within the county, it’s important for the  County to  get a report on all damages countywide.

Photo, left, by Jodie LaRosh, reposted with permission from the JAC

January 7, 2016 (Jamul) –Jodie LaRosh came upon this surreal scene this morning at 7 a.m. at State Route 94.  At a dip in the road near Jamul Estates, rainfall had created a river flooding the road. 

At 8:02 a.m., CHP asked for Caltrans to shut down the roadway. A t 8:27 CHP observed that “water is getting pretty deep” and again asked for a shutdown at Honey Springs and 94.  But at 8:41 a.m., inexplicably, CHP posted,  “SR 94 will remain open –there is a foot of water crossing from the creek.” Signs were posted to alert motorists.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo of Dehesa Elementary School courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

January 7, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Today’s storm has caused significant damage across East County including closure of Dehesa Elementary School and a mudslide that oozed into homes in Rancho San Diego.

Muddy floodwaters drenched the interior of classrooms at Dehesa Elementary, soaking electrical and computer equipment on floors.  The school will remain closed until Monday for cleanup, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: fallen tree Jan. 7 in La Jolla, courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

January 7, 2016 (San Diego ) – The tornado forecast to hit north-central San Diego County yesterday didn’t materialize. But “wet microbursts” did cause major wind damage. 

Among the hardest hit communities was the Poway-Sabre Springs area, where damage was “consistent with 60 to 70 mile per hour straight-line winds,” says Alex Tardy, warning coordination meteorologist manager for the National Weather Service in San Diego. Thunderstorm microbursts can be as strong as 100 mph, he added.  Surveys conducted thus far found:

January 7, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• A look ahead at East County in 2016 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• What’s in store for local schools in 2016 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Water Conservation Down In San Diego County (KPBS)
• San Diego Apartment Rents Rise Faster Than State, National Averages (KPBS)
• Wall encourages strangers to give (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• U.S. tuna fleet to be shut out of vast area of Pacific over fee dispute (Los Angeles Times)
• San Diego may explore legalized pot growing (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Ramona author Joyce Strand takes first and second spots on 2015 best seller list (Ramona Sentinel)
• Supervisors approve Fire Authority lease of Palomar Mountain volunteer fire department station (Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News)
• Lilac Hills vote delayed indefinitely (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• State Watchdog Tells Horn — Again — Not to Vote on Lilac Hills Ranch Project  (Voice of SD)
• Downtown: $6.4B development juggernaut (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Bright and dim views of San Diego job market  (SD Reader)
• Border Biometrics Take Deeper Look At Otay Mesa Crossers  (KPBS)

STATE

• New laws to have wide-ranging impact on life in California (San Francisco Chronicle)
• The most important new California laws of 2016 (KQED)
• 20 California laws that go into effect in 2016 (San Francisco Chronicle)
• These new laws will try to help California’s vulnerable students (Los Angeles Times)
• Forest Service renewing Nestle’s  water use in San Bernadino Mountains (Los Angeles Times)
• California volcanoes showing major movement: precursor to larger activity coming? (Dutchsinse)
• Uninsured Californians To Face Rising Tax Penalties In 2016 (KPBS)
• California prison reforms have reduced inmate numbers, not costs  (Reuters)
• California ERs in critical condition (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Emergency rooms are reaching capacity more frequently and beds for new patients are unavailable.

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

El Niño has arrived and it looks even more powerful than expected, reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Don’t get caught in flooded waters and debris flow!  You need to be aware of the potential flood and debris flow dangers associated with rainy days.  Here’s what to do.

East County News Service

January 7, 2016 (Lakeside) – The San Diego East County Chamber will host its East County Honors  Annual Awards Gala on Thursday, February 11^th at the Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside.

The event starts at 6 p.m. and includes cocktails, dinner reception, silent and live auction, opportunity drawing. Balloon pop, and live entertainment by Guy Gonzalez and the Gypsy Swng Cats.

January 7, 2016 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect 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.

• The 2016 Supreme Court Cases  (Washington Post)
• Armed protesters occupying building on federal land (CNN)
• Oregon militants: death threats from ranchers reported years before standoff (OregonLive)
• Database of 191 million U.S. voters exposed on Internet: researcher (Reuters)
• Suspected Islamic State supporter charged with New Year's Eve plot in New York (Reuters)
• Donald Trump responds to being used in terrorist video (CBS)
• America’s abortion wars—and how to end them (Newsweek)
• Cuban Immigrants Flow Into The U.S., Fearing The Rules Will Change (NPR)
• New York governor orders homeless off streets in freezing weather (Reuters)
• Michigan Supreme Court cracks down on 'pay or stay' imprisonment (NPR)

WORLD

• North Korea says it successfully conducts hydrogen bomb test (CNN)
• Fiery protests  at Saudi embassy in Tehran after Saudis execute Shi’ite cleric, 46 others (CNN)
• Airstrike Kills ISIS Leader Directly Linked To Paris Attackers (NPR)
• Newly installed mayor of Mexican city killed (Reuters)
• Exclusive: Seized documents reveal Islamic State's Department of 'War Spoils' (Reuters)
•  Mass attacks on German women: what does it spell for refugee crisis? (CS Monitor)
•  'Hamas activated cells to carry out suicide attacks, target Israeli political figures’( J Post)
• Volley of rockets fired from Gaza at southern Israel (JPost)
• Police In Belgium Arrest 6 Over New Year's Eve Terrorist Plot (NPR)
• Europe's Refugee Crisis Pales In Comparison To World War II Aftermath (NPR)
• Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' returns to German market in new form (AP)
• Russian diplomat: Russia has removed uranium from Iran (AP)
• Putin names United States among threats in new Russian security strategy (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Tasha Matthews 

Photo courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov

January 5, 2016 (Washington D.C.) --President Barack Obama has taken executive action to tighten gun control, revealing some restrictions and heightened enforcement of firearms sales on Tuesday.  This is in response to the recent array of violent shootings taking place in the United States and Congress failing to pass any legislation to stem gun violence.

A special report by Nadin Abbott, Reporting San Diego and Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

January 6, 2016 (San Diego)--With floodwaters rising to the ceiling in several apartments and homes built below-grade on 48th Street in City Heights, residents scrambled frantically to evacuate their children, elderly family members and pets last night.  A dog perished—but it could have been a far worse tragedy, if not for the astonishing courage of Gabriel Duarte.

Duarte, a construction worker, surely knew the hazards of jumping into floodwaters that had submerged lamps and live electrical wiring – waters choked with debris, dirt, and potentially disease.  Yet he risked his life to save others, entering several feet of water to unclog two submerged storm drains. Many of his neighbors credit him, for preventing further damage. He dove into the murky waters to clear two of the three storm drains that had backed up.

January 6, 2016 (El Cajon) — A man in his 30s, whose identity is not known, suffered major life-threatening injuries last night when he was struck by a Nissan Pathfinder while crossing a street at Marshall and Arnele Avenues last night at 6:39 p.m.

After a takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon by armed militia members, local wildlife biologist Renée Owens has sent an open letter to Bureau of Land Management directors and staff in Burns, Oregon.

"Your inaction to stop them only emboldens such criminal activity, and makes you vulnerable to a lawsuit by others such as myself whose public land rights and interests have been violated," she writes. 

Below is the full text of her letter: