By Miriam Raftery

November 11, 2021 (San Diego) – San  Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond spoke with East County Magazine via Zoom last week over his concerns about SANDAG’s planned mileage tax and its disparate impact on rural, mountain and desert residents whose communities are not slated for transit projects that the tax would fund, along with limited other transportation projects. The interview originally aired on KNSJ radio and can now be viewed by clicking the video on the left. 

He also talked about other proposed taxes ranging from a sales tax increase to toll roads in our region. These include:

• A state fee of 2.3 cents for every mile driven, plus a 2 cent per mile local fee that SANDAG wants to impose countywide. (4.3 cents total)
• Another ½ cent sales tax beginning 2024 (in addition to a ½ cent tax from 2008)
• An Metropolitan Transit System tax for everyone who lives in the MTS area
• A new fee for using a ride hailing company such as UBER or LYFT: $1.25/solo ride $.65/carpool ride
• Changing 819 lane miles of San Diego’s freeways into toll lanes
  

San Diego County Grand Jury Looking for New Applicants Application period is open through January 14, 2022 

November 9, 2021 – The San Diego Superior Court is now seeking dedicated residents with sound judgment from throughout the county to serve on the 2022/2023 San Diego County  Grand Jury. The Grand Jury investigates citizen complaints and performs its traditional  function as a “watchdog” over government agencies. It does not conduct criminal investigations. 

Applications can be downloaded from the San Diego Superior Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov or the Grand Jury’s website at sdcounty.ca.gov/grandjury. Applications can also be obtained by  calling 619-450-7272 or stopping by the Central Courthouse or East County, North County or  South County Regional Centers.  

Source: Superior Court of San Diego County

November 8, 2021 (Vista) – The ceiling collapsed in Department 12 of the Vista Courthouse at 6 a.m. Fortunately, no one was present in the courtroom at the time of the collapse. 

The single-story (North) building was evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely until the officials determine what caused the collapse and deem it is safe to reopen. The closure impacts 18 courtrooms, the criminal business office, juvenile court business office, Family Court Services, Family Law Facilitator, and the children’s waiting room.

The South building and annex are not affected and remain open.

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

November 8, 2021 (Sacramento) --  Now is the time to sign up for health insurance or hunt for a better deal, as this year's CoveredCA's open-enrollment period runs now through Jan. 31.

Groups advocating for older Americans urged everyone, even those currently insured, to check out the CoveredCA website, which said more than 70% of consumers who get subsidies could choose health coverage for less than $10 per month.

Photo:  Homeless Outreach Team member speaks with a man who is homeless. 

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office 

November 6, 2021 (San Diego) -- The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on November 3 to adopt a new framework that aims to end homelessness in the San Diego region.

A comprehensive presentation shown at the Board meeting focused on how the County will centralize critical expertise and operations, and use equity and data, to better provide housing and supportive services that address the needs of people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.

Environmental Health Trust and 13 petitioners win ruling 

Source: Environmental Health Trust

Photo: Creative Commons image via Bing

November 6, 2021 (Washington D.C.) --  The Environmental Health Trust recently won a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia Circuit with a ruling in favor of EHT. In its ruling, the court ordered the FCC to explain why it ignored scientific evidence showing harm from wireless radiation, such as that transmitted by cell phones and cell phone towers and 5G technology.

The court held that FCC failed to respond to “record evidence that exposure to radiofrequency radiation at levels below the FCC’s current limits may cause negative health effects unrelated to cancer.” The court also said that the agency demonstrated “a complete failure to respond to comments concerning environmental harm caused by RF radiation.” The court found the FCC ignored numerous organizations, scientists, medical doctors who called on them to update its 1996 human exposure limits for wireless radiation. The court found the FCC failed to address these issues.

• impacts of long-term wireless exposure

• impacts to children,

• the testimony of people injured by wireless radiation, 

• impacts to wildlife and the environment,

• impacts to the developing brain and reproduction.

Source: Cal Fire

Photo: CC via Bing

November 6, 2021 (San Diego) -- Effective Monday November 8th at 8 a.m., the burn permit suspension in San Diego County will be lifted. Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham is formally canceling the burn permit suspension and advises that those possessing current and valid agricultural and residential burn permits can now resume burning on permissible burn days from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left by Miriam Raftery: bridge construction in Montana

November 5, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – The House of Representatives tonight approved the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by a 228-206 vote. The landmark bill previously approved by the Senate 69-30 now heads to President Joe Biden, who has pledged to sign it into law.

The bill marks the most significant investment in the nation’s infrastructure (including roads, bridges, railways, power grid and internet upgrades, disaster responses, and replacing lead water pipes), since Roosevelt’s New Deal after the Depression in the 1930s.  It will fund major infrastructure projects – also putting people to work – in all 50 states.

Specifically, it includes:

Update November 5, 2021: The vote on this bill has been postponed until November 15.

By Miriam Raftery

November 4, 2021 (San Diego) – The House of Representatives is expected to vote this Friday on the Build Back Better Act, President Joe Biden’s economic package aimed at rebuilding what the White House refers to as “the backbone of the country” – the middle class.” 

Update 8 p.m. -- The victim has been identified as Arnolfo Quintero, 26, of Spring Valley.  The Medical Examiner has determined the death was a homicide caused by the shooting.

East County News Service

November 4, 2021 (Spring Valley) – The Sheriff’s homicide unit is investigating the  death of a man who was shot in Spring Valley late last night.  

Deputies responded to multiple calls around 12:22 p.m. reporting the shooting in the 8700 block of Troy Street. Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s station arrived and learned that the victim was taken to a hospital by three concerned citizens, but despite treatment at the hospital, he did not survive. 

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Jason Robo in one of his YouTube channel videos, which mostly get very light traffic.

November 4, 2021 (San Diego) - Comedian Jason Robo on Wednesday apparently lost his 5-year-old unpaid radio gig in Humboldt County a day after his crude rant against three county supervisors and racist attack on the county’s public health officer.

By Miriam Raftery

November 3, 2021 (Alpine) – A rollover crash in Alpine shortly at 12:03 a.m. killed the driver, a 32-year-old El Cajon man, and seriously injured his passenger, a 40-year-old woman from Escondido.

The first COVID vaccines for children have arrived at Rady Children's Hospital and are quickly rolling out to locations across the region

By Miriam Raftery

Photo; CC by ND via Bing

November 3, 2021 (San Diego) – The nation’s top health official is urging parents to have children vaccinated against COVID-19 in time for the holidays, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control approved the Pfizer COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11.  The federal action will make the shots available to 28 million children nationwide.

“This is another major milestone in our efforts to protect more children, their families, and our communities as we work to end the pandemic,” says Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We are following the data and science, and after a thorough review by FDA and CDC, we are ready to get millions of children vaccinated. Thanks to their rigorous, comprehensive and independent review of the data, we know that vaccination of younger children against COVID-19 proved to be safe and effective.”

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Firefighter Paramedic Brenton Rowell from the Mt. Laguna County Fire Station is completing his morning checks of the Advanced Life Support gear.

November 2, 2021 (San Diego's East County) - The County is moving forward with a Community Health and Injury Prevention Initiative to expand health services and community education to areas that lack health care facilities and transportation.