By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

“In stark terms, hundreds of millions of people will die - and countless species become extinct - because of eight more years of US inaction.” – Jeffrey Severinghaus, PhD

January 22, 2017 (San Diego) – One of the world’s top climate scientists is speaking out to denounce President Donald Trump’s energy plan and warn of its dire consequences for humanity.   Jeffrey Severinghaus, PhD  from Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego actually measures the ice cores in Antaractica and Greenland.

“This is sad, and tragic,” Jeffrey Severinghaus, PhD, told East County Magazine after we sent him a copy of the energy plan posted at Whitehouse.gov by the Trump administration and informed him that climate change has been removed from the issues page at the White House website, along with all data on climate science previously posted there. 

Severinghaus warns bluntly, “We as a species cannot afford four more years—or eight, of delay on climate action. The stakes are simply too high.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, right:  Cathy and Kayla Lechien at La Mesa trolley stop

Photo, left:  Women's marchers at the embarcadero in San Diego 

January 21, 2017 (San  Diego) – At the Spring Street trolley station in La Mesa, hundreds of East County residents converged to ride downtown and join this morning’s  Women’s March.

Major media outlets estimate some 40,000 marchers in San Diego joined millions more across the U.S. in what CBS reports was the largest protest in U.S. history.  Some participants estimate there were over 100,000 marching in San Diego; another 10,000 marched in North County. Other cities around the globe also drew huge crowds.

 Women and men,  young and old, straight and gay, white, black and Latino –and all shared one common goal:  forging a resistance coalition opposed to policies of President Donald Trump that would weaken rights and freedoms for  women, minorities, and many other American.

East County News Services

January 21, 2017 (La Mesa) – Gordon Jones, who served as president of the La Mesa Historical Society for eight years  on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission,  died January 15^th at his home.  Jones also founded the La Mesa Historic Home Tour. Services are pending.  Below is a notice sent by the La Mesa Historical Society:

Update as of 9:46 PM: LARGE 3-4 FOOT BOULDER BLOCKING LANES SEVERAL SMALLER BOULDERS IN THE RDWY AS WELL El Monte Rd/Lake Jennings Park Rd

Update as of 9:28 PM:  Conrad Dr. in Spring Valley is now OPEN.

Programs funding the arts, public broadcasting, civil rights, legal services for the poor, violence against women, civil rights enforcement and police salaries are all set for elimination or deep cuts

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Donald Trump is preparing a budget that would “take an axe to government spending,” reports The Hill, an online news site specializing in capitol politics. The budget is based on plans from the conservative Heritage Foundation.  It includes deep cuts or outright elimination of many cherished American institutions, as well as safety nets for the poor and elderly.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo credit:  Tom and Nadine Abbott

Photo, left:  Dr. James V. Dunford, UCSD ER Director

January 19, 2017 (San Diego) — Leaders at Sharp Healthcare joined with patients and two Democratic Congressional members outside Sharp Memorial Hospital on Sunday, January 15^th, to voice concerns over Senate Republicans vote last week to begin repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, without first passing a replacement plan or providing details of any proposed plan for public review.

Photo:  Bonnie Dumanis, after winning reelection in 2014

By Miriam Raftery

January 17, 2017 (San Diego) — Bonnie Dumanis has served as San Diego’s District Attorney for the past 14 years.  Today, she announced that she will not seek reelection in 2018, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

January 17, 2017 (Campo) -- Proposed sewer rate hikes and low-flying Navy helicopters are among the items slated for discussion at the Campo Lake Morena Planning Group's meeting on Monday, January 23 at 7 p.m.  The meeting will be in the Mountain Epire Community Center at 976 Sheridan Rd. in Campo.

The planning group will also elect officers and review applicants to fill a vacancy for Seat 7.  If you're interested in applying,  contact Chairman Billie Jo Jannen at (619)415-6298.

The public is encouraged to attend and speak on any agenda item, or on other area land use issues during public discussion.

View full preliminary agenda. 

East County News Service

January 15, 2017 (Sacramento) -- The California Department of Insurance has issued a Notice of Noncompliance charging State Farm General Insurance Company with refusing to reduce policyholders' rates, as mandated by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones' order, effective December 8, 2016. 

Congressional Members Susan Davis and Scott Peters to hold Save Our Health” press event Sunday to share concerns over repeal

East County News Service

January 13, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – In the dead of the night while most Americans were sleeping,  the Senate voted 51-48 to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) even though no replacement plan has been introduced.  That leaves 300,000 people in San Diego County poised to lose their healthcare.  More than 900,000 others receive health care through Medi-Cal, many of whom became eligible through the ACA and could be left with no coverage potentially as soon as later this month, when President-Elect Donald Trump takes office, if he signs a repeal into law. 

The measure still needs approval by the House, but with overwhelming support by Republicans in control, it’s expected to sail through. Even many Republicans are raising doubts over whether any replacement plan could be enacted in time to prevent loss of coverage, how much coverage would cost, or whether some would be left uncovered by a future GOP plan.

San Diego Democratic Congressional members Susan Davis and Scott Peters will hold a “Save Our Healthcare” press event on Sunday, January 15th from 1 p.m. to 1:30 at Sharp Memorial Outpatient Pavilion, 3075 Health Center Drive, San Diego. (view map)

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis and El Cajon’s liaisons from County Mental Health

January 12, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Formerly operating in lock-step unison, the El Cajon City Council picked up two businessmen in the 2016 elections, one supported by neither political party and one supported by the party previously shut-out.

East County News Service

January 12, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Helix Water District’s board of directors voted unanimously at their January 11, 2017 meeting to consider candidates for appointment to the Division 1 board seat left vacant by the resignation of Luis Tejeda.

The candidate appointed by the Board will represent Helix’s Division 1 customers, north of the I‐8 freeway in El Cajon, from Fletcher Hills to Bostonia (see map).

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration

January 11, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that the J.M. Smucker Company is expanding a voluntary recall on certain lots of 9Lives^TM, EverPet^TM, and Special Kitty^TM canned cat food due to possible low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1).

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 Jose A. Alvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 10, 2017 (San Diego) - More child car seats and safety education classes.

That’s what the County Health and Human Services Agency will be offering to low-income parents thanks to a program funded by a $155,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.