By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Robert Gehr

March 17, 2022 (El Cajon) – A driver who ran a red light caused a collision around 7:25 a.m. on Feb. 26 at the intersection of Douglas and Magnolia in downtown El Cajon, according to Lieutenant Randy Soulard with the El Cajon Police department. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 16, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Following an emotional appeal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the U.S. Congress today seeking more aid, President Joe Biden announced in a White House address that the U.S. will send antiaircraft systems, shoulder mounted missiles and more to help the Ukrainians defend their air space against Russian attacks.

Critics say the war has had NO effect on pricing yet, but the prices are climbing

By J.W. August

A version of this article was originally published in Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association.

Photo:  Oil refinery; CC by SA via Bing

March 15, 2022 (San Diego) -- Just how much do oil refiners make in California?  Only the owners of the five refineries in the state know.  They control 96% of gasoline made in California, according to the California Energy Commission. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 14, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – Attorney Cory Briggs, on behalf of the Project for Open Government, has sent a letter to Lemon Grove’s elected officials demanding that the City cure and correct alleged violations of the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open government law. The letter, dated March 10, also announces an intent to sue the City over actions that Briggs claims deprive Councilmember Liana LeBaron of rights to express herself and represent her constituents.

Specifically, Briggs contends that several actions taken to penalize LeBaron should have been on the Council agenda, but were not. These include:

• Prohibiting LeBaron and other Councilmembers from interacting with staff regarding city services, except through the City Manager
• Revoking Councilmembers’ access codes to City Hall
  

By Miriam Raftery

March 12, 2022 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police Department has released body camera video of a baseball bat-wielding suspect who attacked an ECPD officer on March 4 at Parkway Plaza. The man had reportedly committed theft and threatened citizens with the bat. After the officer calmly asked the shoplifting suspect to drop the bat, the suspect can be heard stating, “I want to kill you, bro” as he swung the bat at the officer.

The suspect, Julian Kurko, wo was arrested and charged with attempted murder.  He has a long history of criminal offenses, including convictions for two prior violent assaults on police officers.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: mail carrier; CC by ND via Bing

March 11, 2022 (San Diego) – The Postal Service Reform Act has passed the U.S. Senate by an overwhelming 79-12 vote, after earlier passing the House 342-92. 

Four of San Diego County’s representatives voted in favor, as did both California Senators. But Congressman Darrell Issa voted no.

The Postal Service has been losing money in recent years, primarily because it is the only federal agency required to pre-pay retirees’ health benefits.  Officials warned Congress that if this bill did not pass, the Post Office would run out of money by 2024.

The bill now heads to President Joe Biden, who has pledged to sign it into law. Here’s what the bill will do:

By Miriam Raftery and Mike Allen

March 10, 2022 (San Diego) – Citing wildfire evacuation concerns, San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal has ruled that the city of Santee and the City Council violated state law in approving Fanita Ranch, HomeFed’s long-planned 3,000 home development.  The project would be built on more than 2,600 acres of fire-prone hillsides in the city’s northwest section.

The ruling found that the city’s environmental review of the project was inadequate, violating California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by failing to adequately disclose how the development would affect wildfire evacuations and safety in the surrounding community.

The Judge also slammed the city for its last-minute removal of the Magnolia Avenue extension from the project just six days before approving the project’s EIR, even though that extension had been touted as a key wildfire evacuation route. This was inadequate for public review or evaluation of impacts on neighbors along other connector roads should an evacuation be needed. In addition, the judge found, “the City’s decision not to recirculate the EIR violated CEQA.”

Story and photos by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

(Photo - left - donations given to House of Ukraine)

March 10, 2022 (San Diego) The House of Ukraine, one of the International Cottages in San Diego’s Balboa Park, is spearheading donations for Ukraine. Ukraine is defending itself from an invasion by Russia and is in need of monetary donations, diapers, wipes, particular military items, and more.

The House of Ukraine is accepting monetary (cash only in person) and donations but prefers that diapers, and other donations, be dropped off at 4660 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92115.  The storage site is currently open 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily. Additionally, the House of Ukraine’s cottage is open daily as well.

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

Photo:  a County employee conducts contact tracing.

March 10, 2022 (San Diego) - The County is following the national recommendation to reprioritize COVID-19 case investigations to focus on cases reported in people who are at higher risk of developing serious complications from the disease.

Reprinted with permission from J.W. August, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Leonard Trinh, hate crimes prosecutor for the San Diego County District Attorney, during a La Mesa forum on hate crimes in 2021; photo by Miriam Raftery.

March 9, 2022 (San Diego) - The white supremacy movement has undergone profound changes, as detailed in the influential Southern Poverty Law Center‘s annual report released Wednesday.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Vince Kattoula, President, Chaldean Coalition (Screenshot via CBS 8 video)

March 9, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The nonprofit Chaldean Coalition has filed a lawsuit contending that Chaldeans are being disenfranchised by San Diego County’s supervisorial redistricting in East County, where most of this ethnic and religious minority group resides.

The lawsuit, filed March 4 in Superior Court, claims the division of the close-knit community between two supervisorial districts is illegal under the California Election Code, which incorporates other state and federal statutory and constitutional law.

The suit was filed by attorneys from LiMandri & Jonna LLP, a Rancho Santa Fe firm with a specialty in civil rights, against the County of San Diego, its Independent Redistricting Commission, and its Registrar of Voters. The Chaldean Coalition seeks a stay, as well as preliminary and permanent injunctions, to restrain application of the County’s new Supervisorial Districts and require the redrawing of such maps in compliance with the law.

East County News Service

March 6, 2022 (San Diego) -- Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA-50) formally addressed a policy roundtable that included county, state and federal officials last week, outlining his strategies and solutions to address the nation’s worsening fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl is a factor in more than half of all overdose deaths, and fatally poisons someone every eight minutes.

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.”