SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING PARTY

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TO DRENCH REGION OVER EASTER WEEKEND

GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL BOARD SLASHES STAFFING, OVER OBJECTIONS OF VOCAL CROWD

CONSUMER ALERT FOR SAFELY FILING YOUR TAXES

VIEW OUR INTERVIEW: LA MESA ACTIVISTS OBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL BANNING REMOTE PARTICIPATION

WINTER STORM WARNING

EASTER BRUNCH AND EGG HUNT MARCH 30 IN EL CAJON

BIA SAN DIEGO PARTNERS WITH WORKFORCECONNECT TO UTILIZE JOBS PLATFORM, WHILE ADDRESSING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WORKFORCE SHORTAGE

RECENT FIRE DEATHS HEIGHTEN CALLS FOR FIRE PROTECTION BALLOT MEASURE IN SANTEE

COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND TANYA TUCKER LIVE AT THE MAGNOLIA MAY 19

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK COMMUNITY NIGHT SLATED FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 4

UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS SHOW FLIPS IN TWO KEY RACES HOLDING

News

MISSING COLLEGE AREA WOMAN’S PHONE FOUND IN DUMPSTER: POLICE SEEK HELP TO FIND HER

 

East County News Service

October 7, 20127 (San Diego) – Alexandria Nicole Smith, 30, left her home near San Diego State University last Monday morning around 11 p.m. in her grey 2015 Toyota Corolla (license 7CPB649).  She hasn’t been seen since, though her cell phone was found thrown in a dumpster in Vista on Wednesday.


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OTAY WATER BOARD OVERHAULS WATER RATES AND AUTHORIZES FIVE-YEAR PASS-THROUGH OF RATE INCREASES

 

By Kendra Sitton

October 6, 2017 (Spring Valley) — The Otay Water Board approved the rates and charges for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, as well as a five-year authorization of cost-increases up to 10 percent. The board passed the rate changes in a 4-1 vote on Wednesday, Oct. 4 following a public hearing at its headquarters in Spring Valley.


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EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL WANTS YOUR IDEAS FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY: OCT. 10 WORKSHOP

 

East County News Service

 

October 6, 2017 (El Cajon) — El Cajon’s City Council seeks community input at a workshop set for Tuesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. City Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Way. Residents, community groups and businesses are invited to attend the public forum to offer their ideas for making a better El Cajon.


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PASSAGES: EAST COUNTY BUSINESSMAN WILLIAM "BILL" THOMAS VERBECK PASSES AT AGE 90

 

East County News Service

October 6, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - Known for his generosity in support of East County community organizations, businessman William “Bill” Thomas Verbeck passed away at his home in Spring Valley on September 27 at the age of 90, with friends by his side.


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LAS VEGAS MASSACRE REKINDLES GUN CONTROL DEBATE

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:Las Vegas Police Department:  Thousands turned out for a candlelight vigil to honor a fallen LVPD officer.

October 6, 2017 (Las Vegas) – While the families of 500 people wounded and 58 killed by a  mass-shooter Sunday in  Las Vegas  mourn the loss of their loved ones, Congress is weighing measures to ban ‘bump stocks’, which the Las Vegas Police Department confirms were used by mass shooter Stephen Paddock. 

The device converted semi-automatic weapons to fire at nearly the speed of banned automatic weapons.—from 45 to 60 rounds per minute to as much as 800 rounds per minute, the Los Angeles Times reports

But while some legislators resist even this modest proposal or any limits on what they view as 2nd Amendment rights,  many victims of deadly shootings are saying gun restrictions need to go further to protect public safety. 


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CALIFORNIA SURVIVORS OF LAS VEGAS MASS SHOOTING CAN APPLY TO STATE FOR HELP

 

 

 Residents Eligible for Mental Health Treatment, Medical Expenses, Funeral and Burial and More

 The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) is encouraging residents impacted by the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on Sunday, October 1 in Las Vegas to contact them at 1-800-777- 9229 for assistance, guidance and aid.  

The massacre killed 58 people and injured over 500 victims.  San Diego attorney Jennifer Irvine was among those killed; several other San Diego County residents were injured, NBC 7 reports.

Help is available for survivors of those who were killed, anyone who was injured and those in attendance at the concert, as well as their immediate family members.


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FARMING IS A GROWING BUSINESS, 2016 COUNTY CROP REPORT SHOWS

 

East County News Service

October 4, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Agriculture values in San Diego County returned to their growing ways in the latest annual County Crop Report, increasing by 2.63 percent to nearly 1.75 billion dollars last year.  That’s a big shift, after two years of decline during the drought.


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CONGRESS LETS CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE PROGRAM FOR NINE MILLION POOR KIDS EXPIRE: CHIP FUNDS ALSO COVERED MATERNITY CARE

 

Meanwhile, Congress weighs bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks, but robs babies of healthcare at birth

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2017 (Washington D.C. ) – Nine million children in low-income families and poor  pregnant mothers are losing healthcare nationwide due to the Republican-led Congress failing to allow a vote on renewing the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), letting  it expire on September 30th, the Washington Post reports.


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BRAVO! EAST COUNTY DINING CLUB EVENT AT TIRAMISU TRATTORIA IS ANOTHER SUCCESS

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

 

October 3, 2017 (La Mesa) – Our second East County Dining Club event once again filled a local restaurant to capacity. Guests savored special Italian dishes, homemade pasta,Italian and local wines, and  live Italian vocal music  at Tiramisu Trattoria in La Mesa--also winning a wealth of prizes, meeting neighbors and making new friends.


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CAMPO-LAKE MORENA PLANNING GROUP OFFICIAL THREATENS TO PUNCH SENIOR WOMAN IN THE FACE

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2017  (Campo) – After being blocked on a neighborhood watch forum, Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group member Keven Owens posted a profanity-laced podcast on his “Erroneous Opinions” webpage in which he threatened to punch 69-year-old Claudia Millerbragg in the face.

A partial transcript of his more than 20 minute rant is below, asprovided in writing by Owens in an email response after ECM sent him an inquiry. You can hear an audio excerpt at the audio link above published under the Fair Use doctrine on a matter of clear public interest:

Audio: 

Keven Owens threatens Claudia Millerbragg on tape

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OTAY WATER BOARD TO VOTE ON FIVE-YEAR RATE PLAN OCT. 4

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2017 (Spring Valley) – Otay Water District’s Board of Directors, at its October 4 meeting at 3:30 p.m., will hold a public hearing and vote on rates, fees and charges for fiscal year 2017-18 and to consider authorizing a five-year pass-through of cost increases from water wholesalers and district rate increases. That rate may not exceed 10 percent a year for all costs other than pass-through costs. 


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INVASIVE AEDES MOSQUITOES FOUND AT 273 TRAPS ACROSS REGION, INCLUDING MANY EAST COUNTY COMMUNITIES

 

Residents in La Mesa, Mount Helix, and other local neighborhoods complain of swarms biting during daylight hours

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (Mt. Helix) – After numerous residents on the Mt. Helix Next Door forum complained of swarms of small, aggressive mosquitoes biting during daylight hours and often, indoors, East County Magazine contacted County Vector Control. We learned that the invasive Aedes mosquitoes have been found in 273 traps at 23 different locations between January 1st and September 21st this year.  View map.


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VACANCIES ON GROSSMONT BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

 

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (La Mesa) - Grossmont Union High School District seeks applicants to fill two vacancies on its Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. The Committee oversees implementation of school bond funding measures Proposition U and Measure BB.


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HIGHWAY 67 LANE CLOSURES IN RAMONA

 

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (Ramona) -- Caltrans has announced lane closures on State Route 67 at Dye Road and Highland Valley Road on Monday and again this Wednesday and Thursday night from 7 p.m.to 5 a.m. each night.


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U.S. FOREST SERVICE: FIGHTING FIRES TAKING MONEY FROM OTHER PRIORITIES

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Forest Service, in a series of messages sent on its Twitter account, warns that the growing cost of wildfires is taking money from other programs –including those that reduce fire threats.


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MASS SHOOTING IN LAS VEGAS: 400 INJURED, 50 DEAD

 
 
Update 8:15 a.m.:President Trump issued a statement calling for prayers for victims and their families, adding, "We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community and the comfort of our common humanity. Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our bonds cannot be broken by violence. And though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of citizens, it is our love that defines us today and always will forever.” President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Update 7:30 a.m.:   The death toll has climbed to 50, the Los Angeles Times now reports, with over 400 people transported to hospitals. This is now the deadliest mass shooting inn U.S. history. The suspect is identified as Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada,  ABC News reports. Other hotels now believed safe; rumors of explosives arose from police use of them at Mandalay to access shooter's room.
 
For families looking to locate missing loved ones,call 1-866-535-5654.
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
October 2, 2017 (San Diego) 1:45 a.m. - A horrific mass shooting has just occurred in Las Vegas.  Police confirm that at least 20 people are dead and more than 100 injured, many seriously. The shooting occurred at the Route 91 Harvest country music concert outdoors across the street from  the Mandalay Bay hotel.

The shooter, who shot from a hotel window at the Mandalay onto the crowd below with what audiotapes suggest was a fully automatic  military-style weapon, is now dead. Authorities also found 10 "assault" weapons in his room, Las Vegas authorities told media. 

Police are reportedly looking for a "companion" named Marilou Danley, described as an Asian woman 4 ft. 11 inches in height and a second woman for whom no description has been provided.  They are also searching for two vehicles: 

Hyundai Tucson | Nevada license plate 114B40

Chrysler Pacifica | Nevada license plate 19D401


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GOVERNOR SIGNS HUESO BILL TO BAN UTILITY SHUT-OFFS FOR PEOPLE WITH CRITICAL MEDICAL NEEDS, STUDY HOW TO REDUCE DISCONNECTIONS OF POOR HOUSEHOLDS

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (San Diego) — Residential disconnections for nonpayment of gas and electric bills have gone up sharply in California, from 547,000 in 2010 to 816,000 in 2015.  According to Senate Bill 598, a bill authored by San Diego Senator Ben Hueso, gas and electric service shut-offs threaten the health of two million people a year, causing significant impacts on infants, children, the elderly, low-income families, communities of color, the disabled and persons with life-threatening medical conditions.


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RURAL RESIDENTS COMPLAIN DISH TV HAS DISSED THEM BY DROPPING CW SAN DIEGO, ONLY SOURCE OF POPULAR NATIONAL TV SHOWS

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2017 (Campo) – Backcountry residents in San Diego’s East County are baffled as to why, after they signed up for Dish TV satellite service, Dish has inexplicably dropped carrying CW San Diego programming. 

“I think it probably that local fans don’t even know that they will be unable to watch the new fall line-up, including the new season of Supernatural," a popular program aired on CW, says Billie Jo Jannen, chair of the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group.

Jannen, a Dish subscriber, says Dish “still charges us the same for local channels” even after dropping CW San Diego.   She points out the rural residents rely on satellite and don’t have a wide range of other options.  “We have no access to cable and most don’t have the bandwidth to use a firestick or the like.”


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SANITATION ISSUES RAISED AT LINDO LAKE PARK

 

Story and file photo by Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2017 (Lakeside) –  Lakeside residents have raised concerns over sanitation at Lindo Lakes Park, where they said homeless people have urinated and defecated on walkways or steps in front of the restroom that until recently was locked at night.


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SITUATION DIRE IN PUERTO RICO AFTER HURRICANE: TRUMP CRITICIZED FOR SLOW RESPONSE, LASHES OUT AT SAN JUAN MAYOR AND AMERICANS IN PUERTO RICO

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2017 (Puerto Rico) – Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, a military hospital ship has not yet arrived while the death toll continues to mount.  Only 10,000 National Guard members have been deployed, compared to 31,000 swiftly sent after Hurricanes Irma and Harvey struck Florida and Texas. There are also far fewer FEMA personnel, CNN reports


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CUBA TRAVEL WARNING ISSUED BY STATE DEPARTMENT DUE TO “ATTACKS” ON AMERICANS THAT DAMAGED HEARING

 

East County News Service

Photo: La Habana, Cuba, cc by  Vgenecr from nl

September 30, 2017 (San Diego) — The State Department yesterday issued a warning for Americans not to travel to Cuba after attacks on hotels frequented by U.S. citizens as well as U.S. diplomatic residences and the American Embassy in Havana.  The attacks, which began on diplomatic personnel, have caused hearing loss, ear pain, dizziness, headaches, cognitive issues and other symptoms. The State Department warns that all Americans in Cuba could now be targeted.


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ALFRED OLANGO’S DEATH, ONE YEAR LATER

 

By Miriam Raftery

Rally and march photos by Robert Gehr

Cover photo:  Alfred Olango's father, Richard Olango Abuka

September 29, 2017 (El Cajon) – A one-year anniversary event commemorating the death of Alfred Olango, an African-American man shot and killed by an El Cajon Policeman, was held Thursday on Civic Center Way in downtown El Cajon, followed by a march to city hall and the police station.


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BALLOT INITIATIVE WOULD TRANSFER STADIUM TO SDSU FOR SPORTS, RESEARCH, CAMPUS VILLAGE AND RIVER PARK

 

By Miriam Raftery

September 29, 2017 (San Diego) – With the Chargers gone, Friends of SDSU has announced a ballot initiative to transfer the former Qualcomm Stadium (currently SDCCU) to San Diego State University to become the SDSU West Campus Research Center. 


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6 ECM WRITERS WIN IN 2017 SAN DIEGO PRESS CLUB AWARDS

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

 

September 28, 2017 (San Diego) – Six of East County Magazine’s reporters are on the winners’ list in the San Diego Press Club’s  Excellence in Journalism awards.  Congratulations to our reporters Jonathan Goetz,  Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson, Paul Kruze, Mimi Pollack,  Rachel Williams, and editor Miriam Raftery.


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HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON SOLUTIONS TO MOVE NUCLEAR WASTE AWAY FROM SAN ONOFRE

 

East County News Service

September 27, 2017 (San Diego) -- Congressman Issa (R-Vista) took part in a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday, examining nuclear waste storage policy and solutions that would allow nuclear waste, like that from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), to be moved out of our communities.


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STATE SUPREME DENIES SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY REQUEST TO REVEW APPELLATE COURT’S RATE DECISION

 

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2017 (San Diego) – Today the California Supreme Court denied a request by the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) to reverse a Court of Appeals decision in June that allows the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) to include its State Water Project costs in rates it charges to transport CWA’s independent Colorado River supplies through MWD’s pipeline and aqueduct.

See below for statements in full from the CWA and MWD.


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COUNTY SEEKS INPUT ON NEW PARK IN SPRING VALLEY: PUBLIC MEETING OCT. 4

 

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2017 (Spring Valley) -- Spring Valley residents are invited to a public meeting to provide input on future amenities for Ildica Street County Park. Join staff from the Department of Parks and Recreation to provide your ideas for developing this 0.6-acre parcel.


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NEW COUNTY GRAND JURY MEMBERS NAMED

 

Source:  San Diego County Grand Jury

September 27, 2017 (San Diego) - Jeff Bryson, a retired San Diego State University psychology professor, was named chairperson of the 2017-2018 San Diego County Grand Jury, which began service on July 10, 2017.

The jury members, six women and 13 men, were drawn by lot from 90 volunteer applicants.  They serve for one year under a state constitution mandate that counties establish the full-time "watchdog" panels to look into the workings of city and county governmental agencies.


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ALPINE SUNRISE POWERLINK MITIGATION OPEN HOUSE SHOWCASES GRANT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS TO RESIDENTS

 

Concerned raised by Jamul residents who say inequities in fire mitigation grants favor Alpine areas at lesser risk

By Paul Kruze

September 24, 2017 (Alpine) -- Nearly 60 East County residents attended the first open house held by the Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation Group (SPFMG) at the Alpine Community Center on Sept. 19. The purpose of the open house was to educate residents about the fire mitigation grants program and the results of the 2017 grant program.


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CPUC TO HOLD HEARING SEPT. 28 LOCALLY ON PROPOSED DECISION REGARDING WILDFIRE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT FOR SDG&E

 

Update:  The CPUC has announced it will hold this agenda item slated for the Thursday morning hearing, meaning no vote will be taken on this agenda item.  Public comment will still be accepted before all five commissioners at the start of the mornng hearing .

Public comment will also be taken during an all parties meeting later in the day, but not all commisioners will be present at the later meeting. See more details at the end of this story.

By Miriam Raftery

September 26, 2017 (San Diego) –The California Public Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Chula Vista City Council Chambers  (276 Fourth Ave., Chula Vista) on the CPUC’s proposed decision to deny SDG&E’s application to charge ratepayers $379 million for recovery of its uninsured losses related to the 2007 Witch, Rice and Guejito wildfires.  A similar request for $594 million was previously denied in 2012.

SDG&E sought to recover those losses through a Wildfire Expense  Memorandum Account (WEMA).  The proposed decision against SDG&E has drawn praise from some, including Supervisor Dianne Jacob, but concerns from others including a fire survivor and intervener in the case.  Some ratepayer advocates also warn that the CPUC could  change its mind on the proposed denial of SDG&E’s WEMA application or postpone action following ex-parte lobbying efforts by the utility company.


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