By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Councilmember Liana LeBaron

Updated March 6, 2022 8:30 p.m. with comments from Councilman Gastil.

March 6, 2022 (Lemon Grove)  -- After weeks of contentious meetings, the Lemon Grove City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 8 to consider a resolution for the Council majority to condemn alleged misconduct by Councilmember Liana LeBaron including disruptions at Council meetings and accusations made against staffers that the City contends are false.

The City Attorney has also sent a letter to LeBaron and other Councilmembers threatening legal action against her. 

Le Baron has denied wrongdoing. An attorney representing the Project for Open Government has also weighed in, criticizing the City's actions.

Story by Liz Alper

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Toxic burn pit, cc via Bing

March 5, 2022 (San Diego) – On his website, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) calls himself a “proud veteran” who served as a U.S. Army Captain. But this week, he voted against HR 3967, a bill to make Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans eligible for medical coverage of conditions due to toxic exposures, such as those released in burn pits.

By Miriam Raftery

March 5, 2022 (Spring Valley) – State Route 94 is shut down this morning for investigation of a car-to-car shooting that injured a woman who was driving a white Ford Edge. She was traveling west on 94 just east of Kenwood Drive, along with two male passengers, at 5:40 a.m. when an unknown vehicle pulled p behind and opened fire.

“Several of the rounds penetrated the vehicle and the female driver was struck.  This caused driver of the Ford to veer to the left and crash into the center median,” says Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway Patrol. “The unknown vehicle fled the scene westbound on State Route 94.”

By Miriam Raftery

March 4, 2022 (El Cajon) – A shoplifting suspect at the Walmart store in Parkway Plaza in El Cajon has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after reportedly striking a police officer with a baseball bat.

Tribe to benefit from low interest rate

Source:  Jamul Indian Village

Photo:  the Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), owner and operator of Jamul Casino, recently closed on a refinance with a syndicate of commercial banks.  JIVDC was able to retire all of its high-interest pre-development debt and consolidate its financing in a single low-interest loan.

March 4, 2022 (Jamul) - On February 10, 2022, the Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), owner and operator of Jamul Casino^®, closed on a refinance with a syndicate of commercial banks led by Western Alliance Bank.  The other lenders were U.S. Bank, Nevada State Bank, KeyBank, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. and Columbia State Bank.  JIVDC was able to retire all of its high interest pre-development debt and consolidate its financing in a single low interest loan.  With this refinance, the JIVDC was able to pay off the entirety of its high interest rate loan with funds from the refinance and significantly reduce the interest rate on its debt, dramatically improving the financial future of the Jamul Indian Village.

By Miriam Raftery

File photo: cc via Bing

March 3, 2022 (San Diego) – If you spotted a bow-and-arrow wielding man on Interstate 8 yesterday, it wasn’t Robin Hood.  California Highway Patrol reports the man attacked the driver of a Toyota Highlander and hijacked the vehicle.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Security footage shows fire at at  Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar

Update March 4, 2022: The fire has been extinguished and the containment vessel has not been breached, according to Ukrainian authorities.

March 3, 2022 (San Diego) – "As a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on fire,"  Dmytro Orlov, mayor of Enerhodar, a city in southern Ukraine, posted tonight on  hisTelegram channel. The facility contains six nuclear reactors.

The nuclear facility is the site where Ukrainian citizens have gathered in recent days forming a human shield in an effort to prevent Russian troops from capturing the nuclear plant. 

By Miriam Raftery

Read full transcript of State of the Union speech

View video of State of the Union speech

View part 2 of our coverage, on domestic issues addressed by Biden

View the Republican response

Photo: President Joe Biden, center, says of the Ukrainian people, "You inspired the world.'  Left, Vice President Kamala Harris, right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

March 2, 2022 (Washington D.C.) –President Joe Biden drew bipartisan applause during his State of the Union speech last night, when he recognized the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. and asked those in the Capitol chamber to rise and show the world that, “We, the United States of America, stand with the Ukrainian people.”

Biden announced new, strenuous actions against Russia and key supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin. These include:

• Closing off U.S. air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia;
• Ordering the U.S.  Justice Department to form a task force to go after crimes committed by Russian oligarchs and “corrupt leaders” profiting off Putin’s regime;
• Plans to seize oligarchs’ assets including yachts, private jets and luxury homes
• Releasing 30 million gallons of oil from America’s strategic reserved, matched by an equal amount from other nations to help reduce gas prices without Russian oil.

These add to recently imposed sanctions including:

By Kylie Dees; Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

Photo:  Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, screenshot via C-Span

 View video of Gov. Reynold’s response. Read full text.

View video of President Biden’s State of the Union speech.  Read full text .

Read ECM's coverage:  Part 1:  Response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine; Part 2: Domestic agenda.

March 2, 2022 (Washington D.C. ) – On Tuesday, March 1st, in response to President Biden’s first State of the Union address, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered the Republican rebuttal. Reynolds began by stating that “instead of moving America forward, it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time.” She claimed that the President has failed to make America respected around the world and united as a whole, while Biden’s main priority is to make America united once again.

Reynolds said, “It’s time for America to once again project confidence; it’s time to be decisive. It’s time to lead.” She added that America cannot project strength abroad if we are weak at home. Her speech pointed out what she viewed as weaknesses as well as strengths to build on.

By Elizabeth Aguilera, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  an Oakland resident receives a COVID-19 vaccination at the La Clinica de la Raza community vaccination site in Oakland on Jan. 4, 2022. Photo by Martin do Nascimento/CalMatters

March 2, 2022 (Sacramento) - Gov. Gavin Newsom is easing mask restrictions and declaring that the pandemic is moving into a less critical phase. Yet an aggressive slate of COVID-19-related bills — to mandate vaccines for children and workers, to allow 12 to 17 year-olds to get the vaccine without parental consent and more — remain in play under the Capitol dome.

March 2, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• New CDC Covid-19 metrics drop strong mask recommendations for most of the country (CNN)
• More contagious version of omicron spreads in U.S., fueling worries (NPR)
• 73% of the U.S. immune to omicron variant, experts estimate (10 News)
• In-Depth: Exercise may boost antibody levels after vaccination (10 News)
• Five months post-covid, Nicole Murphy’s heart rate is still doing strange things (Washington Post)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• As the Tanks Rolled into Ukraine, So Did Malware. Then Microsoft Entered the War. (Yahoo News)
• Anonymous: the hacker collective that has declared cyberwar on Russia (Guardian)
• Apple pauses sales in Russia and stops all exports (NPR)
• AirTags are being used to track people and cars. Here's what is being done about it (NPR)
• Help Ukraine crypto scams emerge as Ukraine raises over $37 million (Bleeping Computer)
• EXCLUSIVE Ukraine to seek action against Russia from about 50 gaming, cloud and other tech firms (Reuters)

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

Sophia Ramos led the Aztecs with 16 points

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 2, 2022 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) - The Aztec women’s basketball team (14-15, 8-10) fell at Air Force (17-12, 11-7) 70-46 Wednesday evening. SDSU fell behind big in the first half and then made a run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to six points, but then saw the Falcons get hot in the fourth quarter to pull away.

East County News Service

March 2, 2022 (Alpine) - Do you like whodunits, creepy psychological thrillers, or even cozy detective tales? Join your fellow mystery fans in a relaunch of the mystery and thriller book discussion group at the Alpine library on Tuesday, March 15 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.