By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Cedar Creek Falls in Cleveland National Forest, located in San Diego’s East County

January 8, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa joined with the House Majority in voting for a rules change would allow giveaway of federal lands to states, local governments, or tribes.  Potentially, such giveaways could include national parks such as Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. It also encompasses all other public lands; here in San Diego these include Cleveland National Forest, federal recreation areas and national wildlife preserves.

East County News Service

January 11, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – East County’s Supervisor Dianne Jacob has been named Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, after being sworn in for her seventh term of office.  Former Chair Ron Roberts passed the gavel to his successor during Supervisors’ meeting at the County Administration Center on Tuesday.

By Miriam Raftery

January 7, 2017 (East San Diego) – The National Action Network (NAN) along with a coalition of African-American activists, labor, and families of police shooting victims held a press conference last week to announce the first annual Martin Luther King march in San Diego “reclaiming MLK’s day and dream” on January 16h. The event will be four days before inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump “to set the tone on important issues regarding the civil rights community in San Diego and beyond” as well as to hold elected officials at all levels accountable on key issues, states a press release from NAN.

By Miriam Raftery

January 10, 2017 (El Cajon) – San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis today announced that her office has exonerated El Cajon Police Officer Richard Gonsalves and will not file charges over the shooting of Alfred Olango.

By Liz Alper

Photo via patch.com

January 10, 2017 (San Diego) - As a New England native, I felt I had an obligation to see this film.  As someone whose mother’s friend was running in the Boston Marathon at the time of the bombings, I had to see this film.  As someone who has family in Massachusetts, I had to see this film.  

I still remember the watching first Boston Bruins game after the bombing.  During the anthems, the entire TD Garden was silent.  Rene Rancourt began to sing and after "were so gallantly streaming," he stopped.  The crowd took it from there.  They carried Boston Strong flags as the American flag danced on the ice and on the junbotron.  I'm from New Hampshire, but I've spent a lot of my life in Boston and I call it my city too and I've never been more proud of my city than I have in that moment.

To this day, four years later, my cousin, who lives in Merrimac, Massachusetts, says she’s afraid to go into Boston.  Not to take her son to a Red Sox game or anything.  Her story and so many others are why I feel it was an excellent idea for Mark Wahlberg (a Boston native) to put this event on film.

East County News Service

January 10, 2017 (La Mesa) –  The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) recently elected its board officers for the 2017 calendar year.

Michael Emerson was elected as board president, Gloria Chadwick as vice president and Virginia Hall, GHD’s newest board member, as secretary. Board member Robert “Bob” Ayres, previous board president since July 2014, was selected by Emerson to serve as board treasurer. Also serving on the five-member board is Randy Lenac, who also recently joined the board of directors for the Association of California Healthcare Districts as a GHD representative.

East County News Service

January 10, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Third of breast cancer patients treated unnecessarily, study says (CNN)
• Departing HHS chief cautions Republicans seeking repeal of Obamacare (GovExec.com)
• New Law Provides Fertility Treatment Benefits to Wounded Veterans (NPR)
• Unexpected Risks Found in Editing Genes to Prevent Inherited Disorders (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• New routers defend smart homes against hackers (BBC)
• Study finds more extreme storms ahead for California (MIT News)
• Amazon files patent for flying warehouse (BBC)
• French Law Giving Workers 'The Right to Disconnect' Goes into Effect (NPR)
• Navy dolphins to help locate rare vaquita porpoise (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

East County News Service

January 10, 2017 (Spring Valley) – Last night shortly after 10 p.m., deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station responded to calls of gunshots heard in the 1100 block of Jamacha Lane in Spring Valley.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications

January 9, 2017 (Jamul) -- Nearly four dozen dogs were taken from a home in east Jamul in the last week after County Animal Services investigated complaints about an excessive number of dogs on the property.

On the eve of confirmation hearings, an article by investigative reporter Antonia Juhasz finds that the former Exxon Mobil CEO is personally named in a current case alleging that security forces employed by the company engaged in serious human rights abuses, including murder, in Aceh, Indonesia.

Juhasz also reveals the company’s long record, under Tillerson’s leadership, of alleged human rights violations; unsafe working conditions; investor and public fraud; destruction of the environment, climate and public health; support of dictators; contributions to global instability and inequality; and being party to wars and conflict.

East County News Service

January 9, 2016 (Chicago) -- Rex Tillerson is scheduled to appear Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be considered for U.S. secretary of state.

A new In These Times cover story by Antonia Juhasz—“Rex Tillerson Could Be America’s Most Dangerous Secretary of State”—reveals for the first time that Tillerson himself is named in a suit alleging “murder, torture, sexual violence, kidnapping, battery, assault, burning, arbitrary arrest, detention and false imprisonment” by security forces employed by Exxon Mobil in Aceh, Indonesia from 2000 through 2004, including while Tillerson served as senior vice president and then president of Exxon Mobil.

By Miriam Raftery

January 9, 2017 (Jamul) — The County Medical Examiner has identified a body found in Jamul on Saturday as Melissa Whitby, a Jamul resident.  She was reported missing December 31^st by her husband, Winnie Whitby.   There was upper body trauma and cause of death has been determined to be a homicide.

By Miriam Raftery

Hearings in Escondido today at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Terri Steele

January 8, 2017 (Spring Valley) –Three people suffered minor burns and a fourth was treated for smoke inhalation from a fire at a home in the 10000 block of Don Pico Road in Spring Valley this afternoon, NBC TV reports.

“At about 12:10 today we heard a chorus of sirens immediately south of us, across the 94,” neighbor Terri Steele informed ECM, who shot these dramatic images from her back deck.

East County News Service

January 8, 2017 (Alpine) – Authorities recovered a stolen U-Haul truck on Friday, filled with other stolen property.

An Alpine Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling the lot of a local casino and spotted the stolen U-Haul truck.  With help from casino security, the deputy located the truck’s two occupants, Kimberly White, 47, and Salomon Saenz, 60. 

By Miriam Raftery

January 10, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – The Fair Political Practices Commission published a notice of a possible $1,013 fine against Mary Sessom, former Lemon Grove Mayor for missing campaign filings and annual fees.