May 20, 2017 (San Diego's East County)-- Our February 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews, click here. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

We interviewed representatives from the International Rescue Committee and Survivors of Torture on impacts of President Trump’s refugee restrictions and travel ban,  Dr. Patrick Sullivan, an anesthesiologist suing Grossmont Hospital over patient privacy concerns, women’s rights advocate Bonnie Price,  SDSU climate scientist Walter Oechel on melting permafrost, and Victor Crosswaite Contreras on Twainfest, who performed a dramatic reading of bandito Joaquin Murrieta.  We also covered top East County issues as well as regional and national news headlines.

 The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.  Read more and listen to our February shows:

By Miriam Raftery

May 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- Dave Myers wants to be the new Sheriff in town.  He says he’s running to restore accountability, transparency, and community trust to policing.  He’s worked in law enforcement for 32 years and is currently a Commander with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

A native of San Diego, he’s always had a “passion for law enforcement” and to “treat everyone who’s calling for help as if my mother was calling for help.”

Recently, East County Magazine sat down with Myers for an in-depth interview on our show on KNSJ radio. Hear the full broadcast by clicking the audio link above, and view highlights below.

East County News Service

Photo: View from atop Lyons Peak,  via UCSD HP Wren webcam

Upate 1:20 p.m. :  Brush fire is now 300 acres. Pio Pico campground has been shut down. There is  a hard closure of  highway 94 from the Dulzura Cafe to State Route 188, per CHP site. Take alternate routes and avoid this area.

May 20, 2017 (Jamul/Otay) --  A brush fire that started on Otay Lakes Mountain south of Jamul has burned 100 acres, per Cal Fire, and is spreading at a dangerous rate of speed in the vicinity of State Route 94 and Otay Lakes Road.

California Highway Patrol has ordered Otay Lakes Road shut down due to the fast-moving fire.

East County News Service

May 19, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – What’s it like to be a firefighter?  Find out on June 17th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Heartland Fire Training Facility, 1301 North Marshall Avenue in El Cajon. “Fire Ops 101,“ a fire ground-operations orientation for civilians including elected  officials and media representatives, will include actually suiting up in firefighter protective clothing, donning self-contained breathing apparatus and actually going inside a real fire to experience firsthand the environment in which firefighters work.

East County News Service

May 19, 2017 (Santee) -- The Heartland Coin Club presents the Heartland Summer Coin Show on Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Santee.  Learn how to start your own coin collection, or add new coins to your existing collection.  You’ll find  plenty of U.S. and foreign coins, antique coins, and currency—plus dealers will be present to buy, sell and appraise coins.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

Photo via D3Damon, iStockphoto

May 18, 2017 (Sacramento) - Opponents of a bill intended to smooth the way for the rollout of next-generation cell technology are cautiously optimistic - after a key committee put the measure on hold on Monday.

Source: Padre Dam Municipal Water District

May 18, 2017 (Santee) - Padre Dam Municipal Water District received regulatory conceptual approvals for the East County Advanced Water Purification Program from the California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water. Additionally, the State Water Resources Control Board awarded Padre Dam $116.2 million as part of the Proposition 1 (Prop 1) Water Recycling Funding Program. 

Officials intervene in pending case to ensure effective defense of Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Source: Calif. Attorney General’s Office

May 18, 2017 (Sacramento) -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today took legal action to challenge the Trump Administration and protect health care access for millions of Americans.

Below is text from their press release:

East County News Service

May 18, 2017 (El Cajon) - The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College will host its second Customer Appreciation Day on Sunday, May 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The winners of the 2017 Landscape Contest will be recognized.

East County News Service

May 18, 2017 (San Diego) - The San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) will present its 2017 Journalist of the Year award to Morgan Cook, an investigative reporter at The San Diego Union-Tribune, for her investigative reporting that revealed campaign finance scandals involving Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine).

“San Diego has seen its share of big stories this past year, but our board believes no local journalist did better work than Cook in her relentless accountability reporting on Congressman Duncan Hunter’s use of campaign funds for personal expenses. She broke the story last year and continues to follow it after the Department of Justice made clear in March that it is investigating Hunter, whose district covers Alpine, Escondido and Temecula,” a press release from SPJ states.

By Miriam Raftery

May 18, 2017 (San Diego) — It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. San Diego developer and ex-newspaper mogul Doug Manchester has been appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

May 18, 2017 (El Cajon) - The East County Economic Development Council’s annual manufacturing tour for adult and veteran job-seekers, co-hosted by Cuyamaca College, is set for 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 25.