By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Miriam Raftery and Ron Logan

East County leaders met with Sanders, share their impressions

To read highlights of Sanders’ speech, click here. Check back for full audio to be posted soon.

Updated March 24 with comments from Rev. Shane Harris, who met with Senator Sanders

March 23, 2016 (San Diego) – “I wanted to be here to be a part of history,” said Esmeralda Abarco (photo, left), a youthful voter who was first in line to see Vermont Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at the San Diego Convention Center last night.  She drove down from Los Angeles, arriving at 5 a.m.  to hear Sanders because “Bernie is our only hope. He is for the people.”

Alex Vega, an African-American voter from La Mesa (photo, above right), is supporting Sanders because “he supports politics and things that I believed in even before I knew Bernie, policies that align with what’s best for the black community.  I think he’s the best candidate ever.”

By Liz Alper

Photo: goaztecs.com on Twitter

March 23, 2016 (San Diego) - It was another sellout crowd at Viejas Arena as the Aztecs took on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinal.  The winner gets a chance to go to the semifinals in New York City and take on George Washington University.

March 23,  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

• Study: Sex offenders, criminals hit home prices in 7 San Diego County ZIP codes (10 News)
• Want these public records? Pay $202,500 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Parks staff shares plans for county preserves (Ramona Sentinel)
• Church, other buildings catch fire in Spring Valley (10 News)
• Sea World ending killer whale breeding program (10 News)
• Witness Takes The Stand In Filner Sexual Harassment Case (KPBS)
• 2 SD legislators dominate the Uber debate (Voice of San Diego)
• San Diego Hospice Could Have Been Saved (KPBS)
• Republican Party makes endorsements (SD Rostra)
• Developer trying ballot route to win approval for Lilac Hills project (KPBS)
• Lilac Hills initiative includes several ‘get out of lawsuit free’ cards for developer (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• Obama-Backed Solar Plant Could Be Shut Down For Not Producing Enough Energy (Daily Caller)
• Battle Over California Drug Pricing Initiative Could Be One Of The Most Expensive (KPBS)
• California water cutbacks draw flood of complaints as reservoirs rise (Reuters)
• Southern California takes security measures after Brussels blast (Times of San Diego)
• Lufthansa reports near miss with drone over Los Angeles (Reuters)
• In California, Dealing With A Drought And Preparing For A Flood (NPR)
• California college attacker inspired by ISIS, acted alone: FBI (Reuters)
•  The California desert is dying, and people seem to think that’s okay (Newsweek)

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

By Miriam Raftery

March 23, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - Californians are set to vote in November on whether to raise our state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.  The Fair Wage Act of 2016 has qualified for the ballot, the Secretary of State’s office confirms.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Donald Trump and his wife, Melania

March 22, 2016 – Tonight’s “Western Tuesday” included two Republican matches.  Businessman/reality TV celebrity Donald Trump won the Arizona GOP caucus with 47.1%. Texas Senator Ted Cruz had 24.4%, while Ohio Governor John Kasich got 10% of the Arizona vote with 74% of precincts counted.

But in Utah, Ted Cruz dominated, wining with 69.2% of the vote. Kasich placed second in Utah with 16.7% , while Trump trailed with 14.1% as of midnight tonight, with 59% of precincts counted, CNN reports.

Both Utah and Arizona are winner-take-all states for Republicans, leaving Kasich shut out for the night.

By Liz Alper

Photo:  San Diego Padres on Twitter

March 22, 2016 (Peoria, Az.) - The Padres sought to win three games in a row for the first time this spring against the Texas Rangers.

By Miriam Raftery

March 22, 2016 (San Diego) – Could ratepayers across Southern California be stuck with the bill for Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. to offset the massive greenhouse gas emissions from the Porter Ranch gas leak at Aliso Canyon north of Los Angeles?

East County News Service

March 21, 2016 (San Diego) – Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is having some unintended consequences: motivating immigrants to become citizens so that they can register to vote against Trump if he is the Republican party’s nominee in November.

East County News Service

March 21, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – A new billboard campaign rolled out by the Viejas Casino and Resort is drawing objections from some in the community.

By Miriam Raftery, East County News Service

March 21, 2016 (San Diego) – Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will be in San Diego for a “Future to Believe in” rally  on Tuesday, March 22^nd at the San Diego Convention Center.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for the free event. RSVPs and early arrivals are suggested. Sanders has been drawing huge crowds recently, including an estimated 17,000 in Salt Lake City and lines of supporters over two miles long in Michigan.

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2016 (Washington D.C.) – To fill the vacancy left on the Supreme Court by the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, President Barack Obama has nominated Merrick Garland, a judicial moderate supported overwhelmingly by both Republicans and Democrats when he was appointed to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1997.  But in a move unprecedented in U.S. history, Senate leader Mitch McConnell has said Republicans will refuse  to allow hearings on any Garland or any nominee made by President Obama for the 11 months left in his term.

East County News Service

March 20, 2016 (Alpine) Alpine residents and the watchdog group Citizens Oversight have sent a letter to the President of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) asking assistance in identifying any potential hazards associated with electromagnetic fields ((EMF) related to Sunrise Powerlink.  The residents ask for an investigation to assure that the public is protected. 

The residents’ letter claims that San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) could increase power flowing through the underground Sunrise Powerlink along Alpine Blvd. 

East County News Service

March 20, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – We all want to know how much rain or snow has fallen in local communities – and get accurate forecasts on future weather. Now you can help make that happen. The National Weather Service is looking for volunteers to gather information that will help them better predict the weather, particularly in mountain and desert areas where valuable data on precipitation is lacking.

Beginning a relationship with a dentist early in your child’s life can help safeguard the child’s oral health.

East County News Service

March 21, 2016 (San Diego/La Mesa) – Did you know that it is recommended that children visit a dentist for the first time by their first birthday? Many parents don’t bring their children to the dentist until the age of two or later, but the American Dental Association recommends all children begin a relationship with a dentist when the first tooth erupts, or by the age of one.

“Parents often tell us they never thought to bring their infant or toddler to our office because he or she didn’t have very many teeth, so they didn’t think about it,” says Dr. Santiago Surillo, a San Diego children’s dentist. “They are often surprised to learn that dental decay can set in before a tooth even erupts. Beginning a relationship with a dentist at a young age can set your child up for a lifetime of good oral health.”

East County News Service

March 19, 2016 (San Diego) – Chicken of the Sea and Bumblebee Tuna both announced recalls this week of tuna that could cause potentially life-threatening illness.  Both recalls are due to problems with sterilization equipment that could cause spoilage and life-threatening illnesses, though no illnesses have been reported.